10 Things You Didn't Know About Superhero Villains
Comic book superheroes are some of the most popular characters in fiction.
Batman, Superman, the Avengers, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are just some of the
kind of examples we're referring to when we say that.
But, of course, superheroes wouldn't be what they are without an antithesis - and they
come in the form of supervillains.Supervillains are actually some of the most interesting
and complex characters going.
Their motives for being evil, their aesthetic qualities, and their powers and abilities
vary to the extent that no two are truly the same - and some are every bit as popular as
their heroic counterparts as a result.They've transcended the comic book genre, along with
the heroes they antagonise, to appear in movies, television shows, video games and various
other media platforms.
But exactly how much do you know about them?
We think there are some facts about the best supervillains out there that might just surprise
you.
Here are ten things you didn't know about some of your favourite superhero's villains.
Harley Quinn Given that she's become one of the most recognisable
and popular characters in comic books over the past few years, it might come as something
of a surprise to you to learn that Harley Quinn's origins weren't in paper form.
The Joker's girlfriend - who will be played by the gorgeous Margot Robbie in the upcoming
Suicide Squad movie - actually started life as the Clown Prince of Crime's animated accomplice
in the "Joker's Favor" episode of Batman: The Animated Series back in 1992.
She has since gone on to appear in nearly 1000 comics and we really can't wait to see
Robbie's take on the character in the coming weeks.
Deadshot Deadshot is the Suicide Squad member with
the perfect aim.
He's an extraordinary marksman who will be portrayed by Will Smith in the upcoming movie
about the aforementioned team.
Something you might not know about the character in the comic books, however, is that he actually
has a death wish - and that makes the Suicide Squad the perfect team for him.
He accidentally killed his own brother and was plagued by feelings of self-loathing and
guilt as a result.
Consequently, he sought out a spectacular death of his own - although he never did so
without putting up a fight, but the fact is he wants to die and puts no value on his own
life whatsoever.
Enchantress Enchantress is a villainess who will be portrayed
by Cara Delevingne in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie but, in the comic books, she has
actually been a member of several superhero teams.
These teams have included the Justice League Dark, the Shadowpact and the Sentinels of
Magic - and they are all essentially mystical versions of teams like the Justice League
and Justice Society, brought together to deal specifically with supernatural threats.
Her allies on these teams have included characters as versatile as the likes of Blue Devil, Deadman,
Detective Chimp, John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Nightmaster, Nightshade, Ragman, Warlock's
Daughter and Zauriel, and they have collectively fought against powerful supernatural beings
like the Spectre.
Steppenwolf It was recently announced that Steppenwolf
will be the main villain in the upcoming Justice League movie, after deleted footage from Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice emerged showing the character in cahoots with Lex Luthor.
But who is he?
Very few people have ever even heard of the character, so let's just give you the basics
about this guy; For starters, he's Darkseid's uncle - yes, that Darkseid's uncle - and he
possesses almost as much power as his nephew.
He's also the leader of the military on the New Gods' planet of Apokolips, leading armies
of Apokoliptian soldiers, Parademons and dog-like beasts into battle.
He is not to be trifled with and he will make an excellent villain in the DC Extended movie
universe.
Apocalypse The X-Men villain known as Apocalypse was
once a man called En Sabah Nur - that's something most people know, thanks to 2016's X-Men:
Apocalypse - but what most people don't know is that En Sabah Nur was actually a member
of the organisation that was a precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D.
That's right, the ancient organisation that would become the Strategic Hazard Intervention
Espionage Logistics Directorate (or the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics
Division if you're a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan) was called the Brotherhood of Shield
and actually had En Sabah Nur amongst its ranks.
Other members of the group included important historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci,
Isaac Newton, Archimedes, Galileo Galilei and Zhang Heng - and they were the first group
to ever send Galactus packing when he first attempted to devour Marvel's Earth.
Doctor Doom Marvel Comics are often criticised for copying
characters.
Thanos was based on DC's Metron and Darkseid, Deadpool was based on DC's Deadshot and Moon
Knight was based on DC's Batman, for example, but Marvel's most iconic villain actually
had one of the most iconic villains in all of fiction based on him.
We're referring to Doctor Doom AKA Victor Von Doom, and none other than Star Wars villain
Darth Vader was based on the character.
From his scars to his armour, and from the initials of his name to his treatment of those
he considers inferior to himself, Vader's creators blatantly used Doom as one the influences
of his creation.
It's just a shame that Doom hasn't been treated as well on the big screen as Vader, as every
Fantastic Four movie he's been in has been terrible!
Loki Tom Hiddleston has made Loki a household name
with his brilliant performances as the God of Mischief in the Thor movies and The Avengers
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but even those who know the character from the comics
associate him solely with being an adult male - but that hasn't always been the case.
Loki has spent time as both a female and a small child in the modern comic book era,
due to the nature of Asgardian reincarnation.
And while there has been an actual female Loki because of how that all works, the villain's
essence has also spent time inhabiting the bodies of both Lady Sif and the Scarlet Witch
- so Loki really is no stranger to living life as a woman.
Lex Luthor Lex Luthor is the arch-enemy of the most iconic
superhero in comic books - Superman himself.
With that in mind, you probably think he's all villain - something that Gene Hackman,
Kevin Spacey and Jesse Eisenberg will have implanted in your minds, no doubt - but that's
not actually the case at all.
In fact, in 2014, in The New 52 rebooted continuity, Lex Luthor joined DC's most celebrated superhero
team - the Justice League.
It happened after he saved Superman's life by removing a piece of Kryptonite from his
brain - and Luthor went on to build a new watchtower for the team and recruited the
powerful Shazam to their ranks.
Thanos Thanos is an incredibly powerful cosmic villain
from the pages of Marvel comic books.
Able to take on entire teams of Avengers on his own, the villain also known as the Mad
Titan has been picked to be the big-bad in the ever-popular Marvel Cinematic Universe,
having first appeared in the mid-credits scene of 2012's The Avengers.
But, in spite of his enormous power, did you know that he's responsible for some of the
lamest moments in comic book history?
Let's run through a handful; First of all, he owned the worst vehicle ever seen in a
comic book - a helicopter known as the Thanos-copter.
Second of all, he was arrested by a group of cops.
A group of normal Earth cops.
And finally, he was defeated by Squirrel Girl.
A mutant with Squirrel-like powers.
Thanos doesn't seem so scary now, huh?
The Joker The Joker is now the most iconic comic book
villain of all time and is, arguably, right up there with any other villain in fiction
in terms of his cultural status - but that wasn't always the plan for the character.
In fact, Batman's arch-enemy was actually supposed to be killed off in his first appearance.
That was in Batman #1 in 1940, but the comic's editor saw something in the Clown Prince of
Gotham that made him keep him alive.
The rest, as they say, is history, and the character has gone on to appear on countless
media platforms, with Jared Leto set to follow in the footsteps of Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson
and Heath Ledger by bringing the character to life on the big screen in this year's Suicide
Squad movie.
Thanks for watching our list of ten things you didn't know about superhero villains.
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