6 List: Inspired Comic Book Movie Villains
In the 1995 film "Angus," the title character's grandfather teaches a universal truth when he says about Superman "He's smart, handsome, even decent. But he's not brave. No, listen to me. Superman is indestructible, and you can't be brave if you're indestructible." While completely accurate in his assessment of bravery, Angus' grandfather wasn't much of a comic book fan. If he were, he would know that Superman was brave, thanks to Supervillains.
Superman was indestructible under most normal situations, but when the likes of Lex Luthor or General Zod stepped on the scene even the Man of Steel was put in legitimate peril. Superheroes make stories spectacular, but it is the supervillain that makes them special. Our heroes are shaped more by the monsters they face than the environment that made them. Nicholson's Joker made us care about Keaton's Batman, because he was inspired and inspiring. Here's a look at some other inspired comic book movie villains, in no particular order.
Kevin (Elijah Wood) - Sin City
Elijah Wood might be most well-known to nerds because of his repeated turns as Frodo Baggins, but one of his crowning achievements is from the 2005 comic book movie, "Sin City." The macabre holy cannibal that fed on prostitutes and kept close council with some of the most twisted characters in comic book mythology was one of the most memorable things in a wholly unforgettable movie. The nice little guy with a high voice and furry feet transformed himself into a true thing of nightmares.
While Kevin really never stood much of a chance against a beast like Marv, his story embodies the soul of "The Hard Goodbye," and testament must be given to Elijah Wood for pulling off a character we found pleasure in watching die, without uttering a single sound. Even calmly sitting on the porch, reading a bible in the moonlight, he oozed evil.
General Zod (Terence Stamp) - Superman 2
More than Lex Luther, General Zod made Superman a hero. General Zod wasn't in it for riches or revenge, his single driving goal was to make absolutely everyone bend their knee in supplication. If that weren't enough, he was as indestructible as Superman. Had he gotten his way, Lex Luthor would have been killed alongside Superman, just because.
General Zod has been a Superman villain since the 60s, but when Terence Stamp put his stamp on the character (sorry, couldn't resist!) it was immortalized. Stamp played Zod with a flippant power that was irresistible. The audience genuinely thought he was a threat to Superman, and when Superman kneeled before Zod, many thought Supes was doomed.
Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) - The Crow
"The Crow" is a touchstone of the 90s, remembered as a great film that made a legend out of the son of a legend. It helped influence a generation and there are still plenty of people quoting Eric Draven, Funboy and T-Bird as they go about their everyday lives.
Michael Wincott's Top Dollar was the perfect leader to pit against the undead goth rock guitarist turned avenging angel. His incestuous immorality and quick temper proved he was a force worth dealing with. His only motivating force was power. Murder, whether to make a point or to acquire something he desired, was an every day event. His henchmen may have had the most memorable lines in the film, but they were just pawns anyway. Top Dollar was the top dog for a reason.
Bullseye (Colin Farrell) - Daredevil (Director's Cut)
This is the entry that most people will disagree with, because directing any amount of positivity towards "Daredevil" seems to invoke the ire of a vocal group of fanboys that hated the film. I don't care that Jennifer Garner was miscast as Elektra, I enjoyed the film, in no small part because of Colin Farrell's Bullseye.
Bullseye has always been one of my favorite assassins. In the wide world of super powers, he's not top tier. He's accurate, that's it. That's all he's ever needed.
Bullseye kills because murder is a tool. Often, it's a tool to just get someone to shut up already. Sometimes it's a tool to get huge piles of cash. It doesn't matter to Bullseye. Bullseye is the honey badger of assassins. Bullseye don't care.
Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) - Spider-Man 2
I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first learned of Alfred Molina getting cast as Doc Ock. Dr. Octopus wasn't really one of my favorite Spider-Man villains to begin with, and Alfred Molina didn't seem the supervillain sort.
Thankfully, my fears were not to come to light. Molina captured a dry, dark, sardonic Dr. Octopus that I hadn't given much attention two in the four-color forum. He tended to be clumped with other villains in the comics (the Sinister Six), but on the big screen he easily handled his own business. Molina brought a charisma to Doc Ock that I didn't think was possible, as well as some serious acting chops. Now, it's hard to think of anyone else in the role.
Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson) - Batman Begins
Liam Neeson, as Ra's al Ghul, did something that many didn't think was possible - he made people care about Batman again. Sure, Christopher Nolan deserves most of the credit and Bale's Dark Knight rivals Michael Keaton's in the realm of "Oh my God, how did
he pull that off," but Liam Neeson's earnest Ducard and diabolical Ghul bookended the Batman origin story in a way that made us forget it wasn't the first time we saw it.
Burton had done the origin before, and with it had made Joker synonymous with Batman. His rewriting of the death of Wayne's parents made the casual Batman fan see Batman's birth inexplicably tied to the green-faced clown.
Liam Neeson gave us a new start, and gave Batman a new light. Pitting Batman against the Joker made the Caped Crusader's tale a revenge story. Ra's al Ghul made it about justice and duty. He was a villain we wanted to pay attention to, and the anarchy he created to get what he wanted was disturbingly beautiful.
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