Marvel has been the premier purveyor of superheroes for years now. While many believe that it’s only been since the rise of the MCU that Marvel has been dominant, this is not the case. Marvel has been putting out bestselling comics for decades now, the heroes of the Marvel Universe grabbing readers’ attention and never letting go. However, just as important as the heroes are the villains; the heroes need someone to fight, and villains allow creators to flex muscles that they can’t when they only write heroes. There are thousands of amazing Marvel villains, and some have reached a rarefied air of popularity.
These villains are the ones that everyone has heard of, and they’ve become more popular than all but the most popular heroes. These villains have that little something extra that makes them special, which has allowed them to reach heights that the vast majority of villains can’t. These ten Marvel villains are as popular as the heroes, driving sales and starring in the best stories ever.
Spider-Man faces many powerful villains, but few of them are as well-known as Doctor Octopus. Better known as Doc Ock, Doctor Octopus first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #3, and has since been one of Spider-Man’s most popular villains. There are lots of reasons why Ock has stayed so popular since his debut — he doesn’t look like any other villain out there, his octopus arms make him a unique visual, and his success in battle against Spider-Man.
Doctor Octopus has only gotten more popular in recent years, thanks to his transformation into the Superior Spider-Man and Superior Octopus forms, joining the conversation on who is Spider-Man’s greatest villain. Add in his appearances in movies, cartoons, and video games, and Ock is easily one of the popular villains ever. A founding member of the Sinister Six, Doctor Octopus is one of the villains fans think of when they think of Spider-Man.
Mystique is one of the X-Men’s greatest villains, even though she doesn’t get the credit she deserves. The shape-changing mercenary has been both friend and foe of the X-Men, her powers and litany of skills making her a formidable foe. She’s appeared in multiple movies and cartoons and has starred in several solo series of her own. The former leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants/Freedom Force, Mystique was one of the main villains of the X-Men throughout the ’80s and is one of the most visually striking villains out there. She may not be as powerful as other villains out there, but she has it where it counts.
Sabretooth first appeared back in Iron Fist #14, a mutant mercenary that would have disappeared forever if it wasn’t for his place in “Mutant Massacre”. This story established him as Wolverine’s greatest villain, the two of them having an unforgettable fight, which led to him rising up the villainous ranks as Wolverine got ever more popular. Sabretooth is a beloved villain, a monster that is always entertaining. There’s a brutal, animalistic charm to the character, and he has starred in numerous miniseries, even joining the X-Men at times. Sabretooth has appeared in movies, cartoons, and video games, cementing his position as the X-Men’s most dangerous villain.
Galactus first appeared in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #48-50 and soon became one of the most recognizable villains. A lot of this is thanks to the amazing design by legendary artist Jack Kirby, who created a look for the planet-devouring villain that was unique as it was beautiful. Galactus is easily the most popular of Marvel’s cosmic beings, appearing in multiple stories over the years and playing a big role in many major Marvel events. Galactus finally made his MCU debut in Fantastic Four: First Steps, and fans the world over got to see him in live-action glory. However, even before this, Galactus was well-known, the giant purple planet-eater that fans loved.
Doctor Doom is Marvel’s greatest monster, a villain who seems like he’s an honorable monarch, but one who will do any terrible thing in order to win. Doctor Doom began as a Fantastic Four villain and has since branched out across the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Doctor Doom has fought everyone and has become one of the most compelling villains in comics, even saving the multiverse himself. Doom has appeared everywhere Marvel superheroes have and is about to make his biggest splash yet with his upcoming MCU debut. Doom has become a legend, and that legend is only going to grow in the coming years.
Kingpin is the most powerful crime lord on Earth in the Marvel Universe. While he’s mostly known as a Daredevil and (to a lesser extent) Spider-Man villain, Kingpin has made appearances across the titles, shows, video games, and movies of the Marvel Multiverse, giving readers some fantastic stories. Kingpin is a villain who is impossible to forget once you’ve seen the first time; he’s a mountain of a man, his size belying his strength and agility. Kingpin is the kind of villain who has a plan for everything and is always able to rebuild his crime empire after any loss. Kingpin is always there in the background, gaining power and making plans to keep it, regardless of who has to die.
In recent years, a debate has been raging among the Spider-Man fandom of who Spider-Man’s archenemy is. Doctor Octopus was able to kill Peter Parker and take away Spider-Man’s life, which allowed his star to rise. However, Green Goblin has been tormenting Spider-Man for decades. Green Goblin killed Gwen Stacy, faked Aunt May’s death, and planned the Clone Saga. Norman Osborn’s fiendish intelligence and Goblin formula have made him a powerful foe, and that’s before we even get into Harry Osborn’s time as the Green Goblin and how that affected Spider-Man. Green Goblin is the most important character in the Spider-Man mythos, and has appeared everywhere that Spider-Man has, making him vastly more popular than 99% of Marvel heroes.
Much of Loki’s current popularity can be traced back to the MCU, but even before that Loki was one of the most well-known villains in the Marvel Universe. Loki is mostly known for their battles with their brother Thor, but that’s just the beginning. Loki’s actions are what brought the Avengers together, and they’ve battled the X-Men as well. Loki’s position as Asgard’s greatest trickster has allowed them to morph and change over the years, sometimes fighting for themselves and sometimes fighting for Asgard. Loki is one of comics’ greatest enigmas, their long history one that has touched nearly every corner of the Marvel Universe.
Magneto has been a hero and a villain, and has become one of the most popular X-Men characters of them all. Magneto started his life as the X-Men’s greatest villain, but would become something more when his tragic origin — he was a survivor of the Holocaust — made him a more well-rounded character than ever. Magneto is superlatively powerful, but what makes him truly interesting is the way the character has grown. From a mutant supremacist to someone who fights for all oppressed people, Magneto has been a more heroic character in the comics for years now, but most fans know him as the diametric opposite to the X-Men, the Malcolm X to Xavier’s Martin Luther King Jr.
Thanos began his villainous career in Invincible Iron Man #55, and became the main villain of the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. An Eternal of Titan, he would die in battle with the Avengers, trying to use the Cosmic Cube to kill half the universe, disappearing for years until his creator, Jim Starlin came back to Marvel. Thanos became a huge deal again in 1991’s Infinity Gauntlet and once again took his place as one of the most important cosmic Marvel characters. Of course, the main factor in his current popularity is the MCU, but even before that, Thanos was the most feared Marvel villain. Thanos is now one of the most popular comic villains of all time.
What do you think? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
The post 10 Marvel Villains Everyone Liked As Much As The Heroes They Killed appeared first on ComicBook.com.
