I´ve been reading a lot of people saying that WW doesn´t have a good rogues gallery. This really doesn´t make sense to me, I think her gallery is actually quite up there. Not as good as Batman or Daredevils, but whose is? She is definitely on pah with Superman and Green Lantern, for instance, who don´t have many great ones, but the ones that are good are some of the best in comic book history.
Even some of my favorite characters like the Hulk, don´t have nearly as many potentially iconic villains as WW. I think whats happened is people judge her by her silliest ones, or, ones that come out of the silver age, but even Batman´s silver age foes were a joke. I think she needs an animated series to establish some of her Rogues to the world, because honestly she´s got some real cool and really different ones as well.
1. Alkyone
Why?
This chick scares me. She reminds me of what the evil chick in Misery would be like if she had super powers. She´s a psychological match for WW, and she´s very strong, with cool magical weapons. Most of all being her magic Bow and Arrow, with arrow tips made of the tears of Medusa. She´s also a skilled warrior and general, but most of all she´s a sick puppy obsessed with Hyppolita, Queen of the Amazons, with a predilliction for infanticide, who believes in her cause, that the only way to return Paradise Island back to its former harmony, is to rid it of the dragon child Diana princess of Themyscira.
Best Medium: Film and animated series
2. Dr. Psycho
Why?
A psychiatrist, with telepathic powers used for deadly hypnotic suggestions. I think he´s really a fantastic foil for WW, and presents a deadly threat to her allies and friends.
Best Medium: I´d say to start with in an animated series, so people take him seriously, cause he´s actually quite a nasty piece of work, who is quite different from any other mainstream or well known super villain.
3. Ares
Why?
Ares is one of the most unfortunately underused villains of Wonder Woman. He has the real potential to be a sick archnemisis, and such cool powers. The man could take on the Justice League with ease, but they just don´t get it. He forces WW to see the paradox of her mission for peace when she herself is a warrior. He is both physical threat and psychological. He´s her true foil. A force of nature, who delights in death, finds salvation in destruction and lives only to create anarchy. He´s also very pertinent to the world we live in now with all the conflict he could exploit and so many angles could be taken, he could really become quite a dark distressing figure if used properly but alas DC just don´t get it. I hope at some point they do a dark edgy WW graphic novel with Ares as the main villain, but with an edgier more modern take on the character than Perez´s brilliant work in the 80s.
Best Medium: Main villain of WW film, dark graphic novel
4. Cheetah
Why?
Another trully outstanding villain, who hasn´t been given her due. Known as WW archenemy, I´m not sure she deserves the mantle, I´m yet to be convinced. But what Greg Rucka recently did with the character has really developed her as a force to be reckoned with. Barbera Minerva an archeologist in search for immortality is granted her wish, but is cursed by the spirit who gave it to her to hunger for flesh. She becomes a slave to the curse and the need for flesh, constantly bonded by her unquenchable thirst. I think again the mark of good villain, like The Joker, is how many ways you can interpret the character and give them a fresh life; Geoff Johns proved recently just how adaptable Cheetah is. So while I don´t agree Cheetah should be WW arch villain, that spot should be taken by my top 3 on the list, I do however think Cheetah is an excellent villain and one of WW best.
Best Medium: WW animated series, Animated film sequel
5. Genocide
Why?
She´s basically WW doomsday or Bane. She is more than a physical match for WW, and is possessed by Ares with a lust for death and destruction, exactly the forces WW has been sent to oppose.
Best Medium: Another Graphic Novel, maybe as a back up to Ares, or is set up by Ares in an earlier Graphic Novel. The final chapter in a series of darker WW films.
6. Dr. Poison
Why?
What a great villain to update. Possibly for a Wonder woman Earth One comic. I mean first of all just look at her. It is such a distinctive look and poison such a twisted method of harming victims, but again unfortunately underused. I personally would turn her into a preop transexual serial killer with a predilliction for using unknowing test subjects in experiments to trial deadly toxins. As it stands not her very skin and body has absorbed the deadly poisons she experiments with making her a living breathing toxin.
Best Medium: Animated show, darker graphic novel.
7. Circe
Why?
I haven´t much to say about Circe. Most people know her, an evil sorceress who has no time what so ever for Mans World, and looks down on mortals as weak and there to be subjegated. Again a great villain. Kind of WW Ras Al Ghul, or has that potential.
Best Medium: Animated, possibly somewhere in a film as well.
8. The Hellions
Why?
Now these are my personal favorites, unfortunately they´ve only had one appearance in Gail Simones run. They are the children of Ares. Brother Spider, Brother Goat, Brother Scorpian, Brother Rat and Brother Adder are the 5 half sibling children of Ares. They walk around in prep school clothes, using mannered and articulate speech to sarcastically denounce violence and civil unrest while infact being the instigators of it. Using subtle suggestions and manipulation to cause it, hiding behind their innocent and polite demeanor.
There powers are explained thus: The Crow Children act by talking, though it's clearly not normal social interaction - their words have an impossibly convincing effect when it comes to seeding hatred, resentment, envy, defiance and the like. Victims will even experience mild hallucination as a result of dissonance, for instance perceiving a trusted ally as demonically deformed to try to reconcile the words of the Crow Children about that person with reality.
Just cool
Best Medium: I think safest bet would be a Graphic Novel and animated series.
9. Veronica Cale
Why?
I thank the heavens that Elizebeth Hurly was never seen by the general public as Veronica Cale in the cancelled WW TV show. It was actually the worst thing about the show, the woman can´t act. I must admit, I myself always thought of Veronica Cale as a Lex Luthor rip off, and in many ways she is, but she´s nonetheless compelling in her own right, a Dallas born business tycoon and genius who´s worked for everything she has and feels WW has stolen her glory, but now spends her time plotting with some of Wonder Womans most dangerous foes often concocting diabolic plans to undermine her. It is unfortunate she´s a bit like Lex, but I think her personal style is just different enough to make her a pretty cool and relatable villain. Plus she has this extra sexual charisma, twisting everyone around her finger with a Femme Fetalle/Southern Bell kind of swag.
Best Medium: Film and animated series.
10. Medusa and the Gorgons
We all know her, the chic that turns people to Stone, but Medusa in WW is always joined by her equally twisted sisters Euryale and Stheno. They seek vengence on Athena and therefore her greatest champion WW, for banishing them to languish in Tarterus, and Medusa for separating her from her one love Poseidon. WW and Medusa have some class A smack downs, in which WW has frequently had to fight blind folded, even once pouring acid into her eye to prevent Medusa transforming her to Stone. I know its an old concept, but WW writers especially Greg Rucka have made her their own.
Best Medium: Absolutely perfect for a TV show, action packed smack down.
Any way, hope you enjoyed and I hope I don´t sound too preachy, but it just astonishes me people say WW´s rogues are so weak. OK she has her Egg Fu´s and Minister Blizzard´s, but superman and batman have their Colnel Future´s and Crazy Quilt´s between them. To have at least 10 is pretty good going, it´s better than Iron Man or even Green Lantern I believe. As I said some are highly original as well. Anyway let me know your thoughts and any I´ve missed out.