Supervillain

Supervillains from the 1966 film Batman, a film adaptation of the comic books based on Batman and the 1960s television show of the same name. From left to right: Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, and Joker.

A supervillain is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero. A female supervillain is sometimes called a supervillainess, although the word supervillain is commonly used for females also.

Supervillains are often used as foils to present a daunting challenge to a superhero. In instances where the supervillain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the supervillain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include megalomania and possession of considerable resources to further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real world dictators, gangsters, and terrorists, with aspirations of world domination or universal leadership.[1]

Notable supervillains

The Joker, Lex Luthor, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Darkseid, Venom, Ra's al Ghul, and Thanos are some notable male comic book supervillains and have been adapted to film and television.[2][3] Some notable examples of female supervillains are the Catwoman, Mystique, Harley Quinn, Talia al Ghul, Carnage, Hela and Dark Phoenix.[4][5]

Just like superheroes, supervillains are sometimes members of supervillain groups, such as the Sinister Six, the Suicide Squad, the Brotherhood of Mutants, the Injustice League, the Legion of Doom, and the Masters of Evil.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Eury & Misiroglu On The Supervillain Book". Comicon.Com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  2. ↑ "Joker tops supervillain poll". Metro.co.uk. 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  3. ↑ "Top Ten Comic Book Super Villains". Comicbooks.about.com. 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Lethal Ladies ; The 10 Best Female Supervillains". Newsarama.com. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  5. ↑ "Maleficent and 16 Other Famous Queens of Mean". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
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