Favorite Comic Villains

Being an avid reader of comics, as well as a person who tends to find villains among the most interesting characters in any work of fiction, I thought I'd combine the two. After all, the ninth art-form has given us plenty of memorable evil-doers. Below are some of my favorites (in no particular order).

Sir William Gull (From Hell)

Although V for Vendetta and Watchmen are doubtlessly more well known, From Hell is what I consider to be Alan Moore's magnum opus. Its a dense, grandiose work about the Whitechapel Murders and the birth of the 20th century. At the core of this dark tale we find Sir William Gull, Queen Victoria's royal physician, who Moore puts into the role of Jack the Ripper. Moore's Sir Willaim is an amazing creation; a larger than life character who dominates the narrative of From Hell, even when he doesn't appear on page. The 30+ page long monologue in which Gull gets to lay out his beliefs and thoughts on history, religion men and women, is truly powerful stuff and establishes the good doctor as Moore's greatest and most terrifying creation. I can't think of any better villain to kick this list off with.

Johan Liebert (Monster)

Naoki Urasawa has a knack for creating memorable villains and his best example in that category has to be Johan, the titular character in his excellent thriller-manga, Monster. If I had to pick the most sinister villain in a manga, this guy would be it. Incredibly handsome and charismatic, Johan's polite, soft-spoken demeanor and angelical good looks only serve to make him scarier than he would be if his appearance and behavior was closer to that of what one would normally expect from a villain. Whether he manipulates an entire orphanage into killing each other, or driving someone to suicide, Johan more than lives up to his moniker.

Lucifer Morningstar (The Sandman)

I've found that a lot of the times, the line between an anti-hero and a villain-protagonist tend to get blurred (most of the time, its all a matter of perspective) and who better to illustrate this point than the devil himself? Lucifer is not pure evil and he helps save creation a few times, but at the same time he also has no qualms screwing people over in order to achieve his goals. Easily my favorite depiction of the devil in modern media. Well done, Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey.

Simeon Nevzorov (Ibicus)

Another anti-hero and although operating on a much smaller scale than the guy above him, just as compelling. I always have a great time following Simeon on his many misadventures throughout a Russia thorn apart by civil war, and later Turkey.

Krapal (District 14)

Among its gallery of interesting characters, District 14 sports quite a few memorable villains, such as Tiger-Man and Bollart the Stag. My favorite member of the comic's rouges-gallery, however, is Krapal the Toad. Not only is he easily the smartest villain (and perhaps character) in the comic, he also goes about his criminal activities with a certain sense of style, which makes it hard for me not to root for him on occasion, especially in the second season. In addition, his henchmen are all fun and likable as well. Whenever season 3 comes out, I look forward to see more of this guy and whatever nefarious scheme he will come up with next.

Askeladd (Vinland Saga)

If Johan is the scariest manga-villain I can think of, than Askeladd is arguably the coolest. Machiavellian, mysterious (he has a great backstory) and with an interesting relationship with the main character, Askeladd remains one of Vinland Saga's most memorable and intriguing characters.

The Phantom Blot (Disney Comics)

The very first moment I encountered The Phantom Blot, I was intrigued. This guy just had an aura of mystery and a sense of genuine menace to him that was lacking in the other Disney comic villains I had known up until that point. Needless to say he made a huge impression on me, which was further helped by him having a very simple, yet striking design. Since then I've read hundreds of comics featuring The Blot and while not all of them do the character justice (then again, the same thing can be said about any re-occurring villain written by many different writers during the course of several decades), he will always remain one of my favorite villains and Mickey's greatest arch-enemy.

Lincoln Red Crow (Scalped)

In an interview I read with him, Jason Aaron said that Chief Red Crow came about from his wish to create his own Al Swearengen and there are definitely similarities between the two men: Both of them starting out as fairly typical (albeit very well-written and, in one case, well-acted) villains; powerful men who run their little kingdoms with corruption and violence and eventually becoming the most nuanced characters in their respective works, far outshining the ostensible main character. I have not yet finished Scalped, but I've seen enough of Red Crow to know that he's a fantastic character and am interested to see how his story ends.

Pompeii (Duncan the Wonder-Dog)

Duncan the Wonder-Dog by Adam Hines is a comic that takes place in a world that's pretty much our own, with the exception that animals can speak human languages. One of its central characters is Pompeii, a female macaque who also happens to be the current leader of the terrorist group ORAPOST. As a character, Pompeii does not bring to mind any other female villain I can think of, as much as Tommy DeVito. Much like Joe Pesci's character in Goodfellas, Pompeii is prone to sudden outbursts of savage and explosive violence, making her an intense and frightening villain. In addition, her rants and monologues are among the best I've read in a comic.
 As the years go by, it seems more and more unlikely that we'll ever get another volume of Duncan. Hopefully, Hines will prove me wrong, because I really want to see more of his characters and especially of Pompeii.

Rasputin (Corto Maltese)

Some of my favorite type of villains are those that serves as a dark reflection of the hero and Rasputin is one of my favorite examples of this trope: Like his best friend/archenemy, Corto Maltese, Rasputin is a globe-trotter and adventurer, but that's where the similarities end. Whereas Corto is, at his core, a romantic, Rasputin is a cynic who cares only about filling his belly and lining his pockets. He also has no qualms about murder; killing with worrying ease (again unlike Corto, who only kills in self-defense). The relationship between these two are among the most interesting aspects of the comic. In addition, Rasputin is also the funniest villain on this list, with many of Corto Maltese's more comedic moments involving him in some capacity.

Zelie (Beautiful Darkness)

If there's any character on this lists that truly embodies the phrase "love to hate", its Zelie. She made me hate her in the best possible way and her comeuppance at the end was both richly deserved and oh-so satisfying.

Chapter 20

Like all the great cities that is and eventually will be, the capital of Vinoli never truly slept. When the sun had relinquished its duties to the moon, the night-watchmen put on their boots and uniform and went on patrol, hard-working burglars kissed their spouses on the cheek and crept out into the night and special taverns that catered to a more nocturnal clientele opened their doors. In the palace, with the exception of those guards who had been assigned the night-shift,  most of the inhabitants were already asleep; from the most exalted courtier, to the lowliest scullion, they all laid in their beds dreaming dreams of love, of wealth, of power and whatever else that they longed for. After a long day of governing the country, the Queen of Vinoli had decided to retire for the night. Having slipped out of the ornate dress she had been wearing all day, Argath was currently admiring her reflection in a mirror, while one of her maids put a silk dressing gown around her shoulders.

"The wine and the fruit is on the table over there", the maid said, her eyes downcast. "Um...", she hesitated, biting her lip. "Is there anything more that Your Majesty require of me tonight?"

Argath shook her head.

"No", "We wish to be alone. You may go."

The maid bowed.

"As you wish. Goodnight, Your Majesty."

Argath did not answer, having already dismissed the maid from her mind. As far as she was concerned, she was already alone in the room.

Hanging on one of the walls was a picture painted many years ago, depicting the Queen when she was a child, together with her late brother Argeron. If a person were to study that portrait, they would find only a vague resemblance between the cheerfully smiling, bright-eyed girl in it and the Queen as she now appeared.

Back when Argeron was alive, the painting had hung in the palace's gallery. After his unfortunate demise, however, his sister had it taken down and put up in her own room. When she relocated to the royal suite, she took the picture with her. In the past, whenever she felt her resolve falter and long dormant feelings of tenderness towards her father and other siblings would begin to awaken within her, Argath would look at that picture and she'd remember: Remember her brother's demise and the people who, in her mind, were truly responsible for it. Then, her heart would harden and her mind would become polluted by murderous thoughts.

Now that her vengeance had been carried out, however, all the queen felt as she looked at it, was a sense of deep loss. This bothered her and so, she turned away from the painting, annoyed with herself. There was no longer any point in dwelling on the past, she needed to focus on the future. Yes, the future of her kingdom. No, not kingdom: Empire.

Tomorrow, I'm having that painting taken down, the Queen thought to herself. Sorry, brother, do not think less of me for doing so, wherever you are.

Having made that decision, the Queen went over to the table and poured herself some wine. She raised the jewel-encrusted goblet to her nose and after a sniff and a nod of approval, drank a mouthful, then put it down again. Noticing that it had gotten a bit chilly in the room, she decided to light a fire. Crouching down by the fireplace, she breathed on the logs and soon, the room was filled with the warmth of an open fire. She then helped herself to more of the contents of the bottle.
Eventually, the combined heat from the fire and the wine she had been drinking, overwhelmed the queen's senses and she fell asleep in her chair, a string of saliva forming in the corner of her mouth.

The Queen had not slept long before she sat up straight, eyes open. She had felt something brush against her face.
She looked around the room and saw someone standing in a corner: A tall, diffuse figure, wearing a cloak the color of smoke.

"Who are you?" She said, summoning all the authority she could muster. "How dare you enter my chamber? Answer, before I call the guards."

The figure did not reply. Instead, it reached up and lowered the hood that had obscured its features. Upon seeing her unbidden visitor's face, Argath involuntarily took a few steps backwards and tripped on her tail.

As she got up from the floor, the Queen stared at the person in front of her, hardly able to believe her
own eyes.

"No", she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "This isn't possible. You are dead. Dead!"

"True and yet, here I am.

Hearing that voice, which she thought she had silenced forever, caused a shiver to run down Argath's spine.

"I do not believe in ghosts", she said, barely managing to keep her voice steady.

"Who's to say I'm a ghost? For all you know, I could simply be a product of your imagination."

Argath's gaze wandered to the wine-bottle and seeing that there was still some left, she re-filled the goblet and raised it to her lips.

"Is that why you have appeared before me, father?" She asked, feeling emboldened by the alcohol. "To make me question my grip on reality?"

"I have a question for you, my daughter. It concerns your brother."

"If I answer the question, will you leave me in peace? No matter what you are?"

King Sharan nodded.

"Very well", the Queen said with a resigned sigh. "Let us get this over with, I want to go back to sleep."

At that moment, she was struck by a thought: What if she already was asleep and she had merely dreamed that she woke up? She didn't have time to ponder this theory further though, because the next second, her sire spoke to her again.

"Here is my question: What do you think would have happened, had things turned out different?"

"Different in what way? You mean with my brother?"

"Exactly. What if he had lived and inherited my crown, as I had intended. What role would you have served in his kingdom?"

Argath's heart began to beat faster, this was a question she had pondered from time to time and she had always ended up with the same answer.

"Simple", she said. "I would have been his most trusted confidant, his right hand. Together, we would have made Vinoli into the foremost nation in the world."

King Sharan looked at his daughter skeptically.

"Is that so? I must confess, I have a hard time seeing it. After all, Argeron possessed many fine qualities, but I can't say that ambition was one of them."

"Mine would have been enough for us both, he would have followed my advice."

The King shook his head.

"Most of it, yes, but deep down you know that any plans for conquest you'd have proposed, would have been firmly rejected. Argeron might have been the kindest member of our family, but he was not weak-willed."

Though she did it with reluctance, Argath had to admit that her father had a point.

For a brief period of time, neither of them said a word. They just stood there, looking at each other: Parent and child. Living and dead. Murderer and victim. King Sharan was the first to speak:

"Ultimately, your brother would have had the last word in all affairs of state. How long before your affection for him would have turned to frustration and resentment, I wonder?"

"How dare you?" Argath hissed. "That would never have happened. I loved my brother more than any other member of this family. When I heard off his death, I felt as if a part of me had died with him."

"I know very well that your grief was real. No-one, including me, felt the loss of the Crown-Prince, more deeply than you. However, underneath all the grief, there was another feeling, wasn't there?"

"Oh? And what feeling could that be? Enlighten me, father, since death have obviously granteed you the ability to gaze into the depths of my very soul."

During their conversation, King Sharan's face had been impassive. Now, something resembling a smile spread across it. He said one word:

"Relief."

Argath felt the blood rush to her head. She grabbed the nearest available object, the wine-bottle and with a roar, hurled it at the king. It smashed against the wall, breaking into a million pieces, the remainder of its content staining the wall.

The Queen looked around, she was all alone in the room. Had it all been a dream, after all? She pinched herself hard in the arm and winced. The pain was real enough. Then she heard a voice inside her head, faint like a whisper.

"Farewell, daughter. We shall meet again, in your nightmares."

There was a knock on the door and then, a male voice called out:

"Your Majesty,is everything alright? We heard screams."

Argath, who had been staring at the broken glass, tore her eyes from the sight and went and opened the door. Two guards stood outside.

"Fetch Us the royal physician", she ordered, "and a servant to clean up this mess. Now!"

As the guards hurried away, Argath raised her hand and clenched it into a fist

Just you wait old man, she thought. Ghost or not; I buried you before and I shall bury you again.