The 2010s were a time of unbelievable success for Marvel Comics. The Marvel brand as a whole reached a new level of popularity as the Marvel Cinematic Universe dominated the box office. Meanwhile, in the comics, fan favorite next-generation heroes like Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales Spider-Man debuted, and epic events like Spider-Verse and Secret Wars shook up the multiverse. Part of what made Marvel Comics so successful during this period was the menacing new supervillains introduced. Despite their short publication histories, these evildoers’ compelling origins, striking designs, and nefarious plots ensured that they quickly became staples of Marvel’s rogues’ gallery.
During the 2010s, Marvel debuted many eldritch and god-like villains who threatened the entire multiverse with their rage and cruelty. Many of them had already made their live-action debuts as well.
While the best artists can use anything to make a masterpiece, the Muse takes things way too far. Introduced in 2016, he became one of Daredevil’s most twisted adversaries. The enigmatic Muse is a notorious serial killer who, after butchering his victims, uses their remains to make grotesque pieces of art, earning him the nickname “Vincent Van Gore.” While the villain’s origin and real name are a mystery, what is known is that he possesses abilities that make him the perfect counter to Daredevil. On top of having superhuman strength and agility, Muse’s body acts like a vortex that absorbs all surrounding sensory information, like scents and sounds, into his body. With this power, Muse is practically invisible to Daredevil, making him an incredibly elusive foe. Despite his few appearances, Muse’s menacing design and crimes have made him an instant icon in Daredevil’s rogues’ gallery and even acted as a major antagonist in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
For decades, the multinational Roxxon Energy Corporation has been one of the most evil companies in Marvel Comics because of its inhumane business practices. And in 2014, the new CEO of this dastardly company was revealed: Dario Agger, aka the Minotaur. As a child, Agger made a pact with a mysterious deity to save him from pirates who murdered his family. A result of this deal was that Agger was transformed into the half-man, half-bull monster known as the Minotaur. Using his deceased parents’ fortune, Agger became the CEO of Roxxon Energy Corporation. One of his driving forces is greed and he is willing to do anything and work with anyone to make more money. A prominent enemy of Thor, the Minotaur has worked with Malekith the Accursed to acquire the resources of conquered realms. In his craziest scheme, Minotaur literally bought the right to Marvel Comics so that he could trademark and control heroes like Thor. Minotaur is the personification of corporate greed and power.
After the villain Morlun made his shocking debut in 2001 and nearly killed Spider-Man, we got to meet in 2018 the rest of the villain’s family. Hailing from Earth-001, the Inheritors are a family who transformed themselves into totems of the leech. To live forever, the Inheritors must feed on other animal totems, namely, people with spider-like powers. Together, the Inheritors have killed and devoured countless Spider-People from across the multiverse. The patriarch and strongest member of the Inheritors is Solus, who’s strong enough to kill a version of Spider-Man who wielded the cosmic power of Captain Universe. Aside from Morlun, other members of this multiversal vampiric family include Verna, Daemos, Brix, Bora, Karn, and Jennix. Aside from Karn, who underwent a redemption arc, the rest of the Inheritors are pure evil. The iconic storyline Spider-Verse saw the Spider-People of the multiverse assembling to stop these monsters once and for all. The Inheritors are glutenous and cruel villains who stand as the greatest threat to Spider-People everywhere.
Immortal Hulk is one of the greatest stories Marvel Comics has produced in recent years, as it incorporates existential and Lovecraftian horror in ways that forever changed the Jolly Green Giant’s lore. While the One Above All has long been established as the God of the Marvel Multiverse, in 2018, we were introduced to the Devil. The One Below All is the dark half of the One Above All and the personification of destruction and Hate. Residing in the hellish Below Place, the One Below All interacts with the Marvel Multiverse through gamma radiation. As it turns out, the Hulk and all other gamma mutants are extensions of the One Below All’s power, as it seeks to create an avatar that would allow it to destroy all of creation. Naturally, the One Below All has deemed Hulk the perfect candidate, given his overwhelming anger and psychological issues. Adding this incomprehensively powerful and evil entity to the Hulk’s lore has elevated the hero’s character, horror aesthetic, and immense power to new heights.
Ever since the debut of Venom, Marvel has been peddling out numerous other members of the Symbiote race, from Carnage to Scream. And in 2018, we were finally introduced to the God of Symbiotes: Knull. Born from the primordial void that existed before the Big Bang, Knull was awoken by the Celestials as they invaded his kingdom of emptiness with light and matter. He declared war on the Celestials and sculpted the first Symbiote, All-Black the Necrosword, which he used as a weapon to carve through the god-like Celestials. Knull created the Symbiote race to aid in his war against the universe, but they eventually rebelled and imprisoned him on the planet Klyntar. However, after thousands of years, Knull managed to break free and won’t rest until the entire universe is extinguished. Ever since his debut, Knull has established himself as one of the big bads of the Marvel Universe, having been the center of epic stories like The King in Black and Silver Surfer: Black. He’s an incredibly powerful and malevolent villain that brings death wherever he treads.
In 2012, a new villain was introduced who threatened not just Thor, but every god in the multiverse. Gorr the God Butcher had humble beginnings as an alien mortal whose wife and children succumbed to the harshness of their desolate world despite his prayers. When Gorr almost died of starvation, he came across two dying gods locked in battle. Enraged to discover that the gods were real but ignored the cries of his people, Gorr bonded with the All-Black Necrosword belonging to one of the deceased deities. To free mortals everywhere from the empty promises gods offered, Gorr dedicated his life to killing every deity in existence. Empowered by the Necrosword, Gorr has more than earned his moniker of the God Butcher. During his introductory storyline, this maniacal villain proved to be so powerful that it took three versions of Thor to defeat him. On top of a menacing design, Gorr has an incredibly compelling origin and motivation that examines the relationship between gods and the mortals that they’re supposedly meant to protect.
In recent years, a few villains have had a bigger impact on Marvel Comics than the Maker. The original Ultimate Universe, Earth-1610, introduced many iconic reinterpretations of Marvel heroes, including Mr. Fantastic. Although this incarnation of Reed Richards made his debut in 2004, it wouldn’t be until 2011 that he would don his Maker persona and become the most terrifying villain the multiverse has ever seen. Reed’s descent into villainy followed a slippery slope after Invisible Woman rejected his proposal and the Fantastic Four broke up. Without his found family to ground him, Reed went insane as he tried and failed to save his universe from annihilation. As the Maker, he moved to Earth-616 and played significant roles in storylines such as Secret Wars, “Eternity War,” and Absolute Carnage. Of course, all that pales in comparison to when the Maker created a new Ultimate Universe dubbed Earth-6160, where he ruled with an iron fist. The Maker is a terrifying look into what happens when Reed Richards abandons his humanity and becomes a malevolent god.
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