The arrival of the new year finds us looking back at what came before, reflecting on the people and events that shaped the previous year. We look to landmark events and extraordinary personalities to help us understand the previous year in the hopes that it will give us some clue as to what lies ahead.
Below are the ten “Top Villains” of the Marvel Universe, according to an undisclosed group of Marvel Comics staffers. How did these super-powered murderers and monsters impact 2007 and what will be their roles in 2008? Read on, true believers!
10. VULCAN
Why He Makes the List: Having caused plenty of damage to the X-Men's lives on Earth, what with killing Banshee and perhaps driving a permanent wedge between his brother Cyclops and former mentor Professor Charles Xavier, Gabriel Summers headed to the Shi'ar galaxy in search of more chaos and revenge. He ended up with more than he bargained for, falling in love with and marrying the black sheep of the Shi'ar royal family, the deadly Deathbird, and then claiming the vast alien empire for his own, sowing turmoil and death along the way, just how he likes it.
9. MR. FEAR
Why He Makes the List: After regaining his secret identity and finally putting to rest (for now) his lengthy personal struggle with the Kingpin, Matt Murdock thought he could finally rest a bit easy—but Larry Cranston said otherwise. Mr. Fear has slotted himself into Wilson Fisk's old role nicely, making Daredevil's life miserable on all fronts, cutting himself a nice big slice of Hell's Kitchen in the process thanks in no small part to hired goons like the Enforcers and new fear drugs that whip the local toughs into a terror-induced frenzy.
Click HERE to read my review of Daredevil #99!
8. THE PHALANX
Why They Makes the List: These extraterrestrial techo-organic terrors undid all the hard work the Kree empire had done since the devastating attacks by Annihilus in mere moments, conquering the warrior race and subjugating them to their will in the name of their new leader, Ultron. Enslaving would-be cosmic saviors like Gamora and Drax while imprisoning Kree space in an impenetrable bubble, the Phalanx seem to have removed all roadblocks to their total domination.
7. MIEK
Why He Makes the List: Chip away the monstrous slugfests, massive invasion fleet and metric tons of rage, and at the heart of World War Hulk you'll find this creepy little bug, who instigated the Hulk's invasion of Earth by blowing up most of the population of his native Sakaar, including the Green Goliath's wife, Caiera, then framing the Illuminati for the crime. Countless lives lost and two planets nearly destroyed because Miek thought in order for the Hulk to be the destined "Worldbreaker" he had to, y'know, actually break a world.
Click HERE to read my review of Incredible Hulk #109!
6. MYSTIQUE
Why She Makes the List: Just when she finally had us believing that a blue-skinned mutant shapeshifter with a history of murder and terrorism really could make a change that went more than skin deep, Mystique went and proved her detractors right, betraying the X-Men in spectacular fashion and becoming the new field leader of the Marauders.
5. THE MARAUDERS
Why They Makes the List: The X-Men's worst nightmare returned this year, as the group responsible for killing scores of Morlocks in the infamous "Mutant Massacre" and forcing Charles Xavier's students to grow up fast came back on the scene in a big way. Now boasting former X-Men like Gambit, Sunfire, Mystique and more in their ranks, the Marauders have never been more dangerous and won't rest until they've added the likes of Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm and the rest to their trophy case.
4. ULTRON
Why He Makes the List: The premiere killer robot of the Marvel Universe came damn close to destroying humanity with a scheme that saw him kill the Sentry's wife (temporarily) and turn Tony Stark into a hot chick (temporarily), and while he may have failed thanks to the Mighty Avengers, he certainly left Earth's Mightiest Heroes with scars they'll feel for awhile. So what do you do when your play for conquering Earth comes up short? You keep right on trucking up into outer space, taking control of the
Phalanx and going after the entire Kree empire!
3. THE HOOD
Why He Makes the List: Coming from so far off the radar he didn't even get cable, Parker Robbins emerged as a leader the likes of which the super villains of the Marvel Universe have never had in this post-Civil War world. Organizing the street level baddies like an army crossed with the toughest union ever, the unheralded Hood has made himself a force to be reckoned with in less time than it takes Luke Cage to floss and changed the game forever when it comes to villains staying down after they get beat.
Click HERE to read my review of New Avengers #31!
2. MR. SINISTER
Why He Makes the List: As you've probably figured out by now, the X-Men have had a devastating year, and at the end of the day, they owe Mr. Sinister the rotten fruit basket. Re-organizing the Marauders and Acolytes, engineering betrayals galore within the X-Men's ranks and slaughtering any innocents unfortunate enough to get in his way, the immortal geneticist has been the demon pulling the strings of one tragedy after another for the Children of the Atom.
1. THE RED SKULL
Why He Makes the List: Aside from ruling the world, most super villains have but one goal: take the hero that eternally vexes them and foils their every scheme out of the picture. You could count on less than one hand the number of bad guys who actually accomplish this task…until now. Because in 2007, the Red Skull did the impossible: he killed Captain America! And while most fright mask-wearing Nazis would settle for offing the symbol of American democracy, the Skull barely shrugged after snuffing out the Sentinel of Liberty, continuing to move forward on plans to follow up his coup de grace with an even bigger encore, the destruction of America itself! Now that's just evil.
For the complete story from Marvel News click HERE!