7 Comic Book Villains Whose Stories Challenge Our Morals
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The best comic book villains are the ones who don’t see themselves as villains. They set out to perform goals that have horrifying consequences for society but believe are beneficial in the end – even if at the sacrifice of their own humanity. In their minds, if they don’t do it, who will?
Some comic book villains view humanity as human cattle unappreciative and undeserving of their existence who need to be shocked into appreciating their lives. Some become villains by force. Other comic book villains are anarchists who believe they need to be the chaos “ying” to the “yang” of societal laws and norms. After all, there is no light without dark and no love without hate.
Here are 7 comic book villains whose stories challenge our morals as readers and allow us to hyper-evaluate their motivations.
Thanos
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Thanos is arguably the greatest cinematic comic book villain of the modern era. In the comic books, Thanos is a simp – he wants to kill half the universe to impress Lady Death. MCU Thanos is a philosophical eco-terrorist who wants to kill half the universe so the other half won’t suffer or fight for resources. MCU Thanos didn’t benefit either – he lived a monk’s life until Thor ended him. Endless memes were made about Thanos neglecting to increase resources. That argument betrays the fact that we live in a world where no one should starve while ample resources are hoarded and controlled by the powerful. A comic book villain made society talk about this issue for years.
Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias)
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From the 1950s to the 1990s, the world feared nuclear war would happen at any time. 1986’s hyper-political superhero comic book Watchmen theorized a cynical and horrific solution to the problem. In a world where superheroes are real and Richard Nixon is still president, nuclear annihilation is imminent and unstoppable. Former hero Ozymandias creates a hoax crisis that kills millions of people to unite the world and engender peace. Ozymandias is one of the creepiest comic book villains ever. He truly believes you must break some eggs to make an omelet, so millions of innocent human sacrifices are nothing to him if the ends justify the means.
Winter Soldier (Captain America: Civil War 2016)
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Introduced as an MCU villain, Bucky’s tragic history as the Winter Soldier was revealed in 2016’s Civil War. Brainwashed and repeatedly forced into suspended animation, Bucky became an assassin. The revelation that he killed Tony Stark’s parents broke up the Avengers. When he later became a hero, online fans passionately argued that Bucky deserved forgiveness and redemption. Many argued he should have inherited Cap’s shield and not Sam, even though Bucky could not trust his mind. Consider – Have you ever cut someone out of your life over a petty fight? Would you really forgive someone who killed your parents via mind control?
Magneto
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In the comic books, Magneto is sometimes portrayed as a mutant supremacist determined to protect mutants from humans. (In the comics, Magneto cycles between being a hero and a villain.) The X-Men were created in 1963 as a metaphor for the Civil Rights movement and the societal plague of discrimination. In the comic books, Magneto once ruled a mutant haven called Genosha where humans were not allowed. It was created as a metaphor for South Africa’s apartheid laws. Humans are inferior to Magneto and a threat to be controlled or nullified. If that sounds abhorrent, how do you treat those different from you?
Captain America and Iron Man (Captain America: Civil War 2016)
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No, Cap and Iron Man are not villains. However, the political stances they took in the comics and MCU films are akin to the morally ambiguous beliefs of comic book villains. Stark wants superheroes to register and be controlled by state entities. Cap believes in free will and backs Winter Soldier over Stark while knowing Bucky killed Stark’s parents. The bickering between these two powerful men breaks up the Avengers, causes the destruction of Sokovia, and allows Thanos to easily win in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. Half the universe got blipped because Rogers and Stark couldn’t squash their beef with so much at stake.
The Punisher
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The Punisher is marketed as an antihero, but let’s not mince words – he’s a serial killer of killers. He’s not a good guy, even if he is a vigilante. He’s one of the best comic book villains portrayed as a hero. If the world needs the Punisher, what does that say about the police, the law, or regular people? The Punisher believes every wronged person should do what he does, but since most people float through life, he does it for us. The Punisher would probably resent you seeing him as a hero. He might see passive, regular people as the sheep of society. He’s a self-appointed necessary evil because the world accepts evil, not because he’s a hero.
The Joker
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A popular theme in Batman comic books and films is the idea that Batman and Joker could not exist without each other. If Batman won’t end the Joker, like the Punisher for example, then isn’t Batman enabling the Joker? The Joker is an anarchist who thinks societal norms are a joke. When the Joker is at war with Gotham, he’s at war with regular people as much as Batman. He wants you to ask yourself if life is worth living if you must share it with people like him, insane comic book villains who could upend it at any moment. Why follow rules when you can do what you want? After all, the Joker gets away with his crimes constantly.
The Best Comic Book Villains Make Us Ask Questions
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These villains don’t see themselves as “bad guys,” and that is what makes them fascinating. If anything, they see the mediocrity of humanity or its willingness to endure suffering as evil.
They are willing to do the dirty work no one else wants to do yet benefits everyone, like a butcher, janitor, or crime scene cleanup crew, but on a macro scale. They forcibly put a mirror to a society that judges their actions.
This does not mean that you should agree with the philosophies of Ozymandias, Thanos, or the Joker. Just because evil men don’t view themselves as evil doesn’t negate their evil actions or consequences. It’s just interesting that fans can sometimes relate to evil antagonists that make us question our morals, especially when we sometimes don’t even allow good people to do the same.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
