Not every supervillain in the Marvel Universe has the privilege of having superpowers, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Superheroes themselves don’t always have powers, but compensate in other ways, like having exceptional natural skills or resources. The same can be said about the supervillains they face.
There is a misconception in comics that villains need to have powers to pose a threat, even to non-powered heroes. On the contrary, the Marvel Universe is littered with supervillains who not only manage to challenge their opposition without having any powers of their own, but are some of the universe’s most dangerous individuals.
10
Bullseye Uses Natural Skill, No Powers
His Pinpoint Accuracy Gets the Job Done Every Time
What makes Bullseye scary isn’t just the skill underneath his fingertips, but the way he uses it. He relishes inflicting pain as much as he takes pride in never missing his shot. Heroes like Elektra have died by his hand, showcasing his impact on the Marvel Universe.
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His accuracy is scary enough, but the fact that he’s an assassin who’s good at his job and does it all with a smile on his face can be the stuff of nightmares. He seems to only become more evil than ever the more that he branches outside of storylines not revolving around Daredevil, like Spider-Boy.
9
The Red Skull Taps into Real World Anxiety
The Fear of the Nazi Party Birthed The Red Skull
Comic book writers/artists often tap into the horrors of the real world when creating. Among the fears most prevalent during the 1940s was the rise of Nazi Germany. While Marvel made their political stance clear when Captain America punched out Adolf Hitler, the company still created the Red Skull as an in-universe representation of the world’s greatest fear at the time.
As a dread-inducing monster who fights best not with his fists, but with hateful ideology and rhetoric within effective propaganda, the Red Skull represents a timeless evil that remains a creeping, nagging thought for many in a modern context.
8
Feilong’s Jealousy Bleeds Hatred
His Evil Knows No Bounds
Iron Man once refuted the notion that Feilong deserved to ever be his nemesis, but given what he’s accomplished as one of Marvel’s more recent villains, most would disagree. He stole Tony Stark’s company from underneath him, using his weapons and technology to craft Sentinels to help the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis achieve supremacy over the mutant population.
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Not only did Feilong play a major role in wiping out a large portion of the mutant population and forcing the X-Men into hiding, but he also succeeded in turning public opinion against mutants more aggressively than ever before. All of this was rooted in Feilong’s personal bitterness, specifically, his resentment over not being a mutant himself. Though both of his parents had the X-gene, it skipped him, leaving him angry at the very powers he longed for. It’s a chilling reminder of how far hatred and jealousy can truly go.
7
Norman Osborn Doesn’t Need the Goblin Serum to Be a Menace
Even Without Being the Green Goblin, Normie’s Evil to the Bone
Thanks to Zeb Wells’ controversial run of The Amazing Spider-Man rechristening Norman as a hero, new readers think that it was only the experimental Goblin Serum that made Norman evil. In actuality, the earliest Spider-Man comics made it clear that Norman Osborn was a jerk long before becoming the Green Goblin, and even after he was no longer under the serum’s influence.
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This was especially clear during the Dark Avengers run. Even without the Goblin Serum, Norman remained a serious threat as the head of H.A.M.M.E.R. His most dangerous weapon wasn’t his Green Goblin powers, but his talent for manipulation. He could twist someone like Sentry into serving his every whim, convincing him it was all for the greater good. When persuasion failed, Norman didn’t hesitate to plot murder, and often pulled it off without lifting a finger.
6
Madame Masque’s Mask is Just as Terrifying as She Is
Giuletta Nefaira’s Appearance is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Oftentimes, it’s the visual of a villain’s appearance from head to toe that makes them scary. While her mask is indeed creepy, there is more that is terrifying about Madame Masque than just her mask itself. Beyond just her appearance, she is also insanely skilled as a tactical fighter with a killer instinct.
She will not hesitate to snap someone’s neck if given the option and opportunity to do just that. She’s as smart as she is deadly in the art of combat. She’s arguably become Marvel’s most dangerous villain and has proven to be a master manipulator over the years.
5
Baron Zemo Has Grown Beyond His Role as a Captain America Foe
His Brilliance is What Makes Him a True Threat
Most examples of notorious villains are those who are physically scary or terrifying in their appearance. Baron Zemo, meanwhile, is terrifying in just how far his reach has stretched across the Marvel Universe. He and his extremely eccentric attire originally debuted as a Captain America villain (and still is), but he’s since become so much more than that.
Most notably, the German noble has been modeled as the leader of the Masters of Evil and founder of the Thunderbolts, two of the most significant teams to emerge out of the Marvel Universe. Whether it’s Heinrich or his son Helmut, the Baron Zemo name cannot be underestimated.
4
William Stryker Uses Militarism & Religion to His Advantage
Terrifyingly and Surprisingly Modern
Those who remember William Stryker as played by Brian Cox in X-2: X-Men United recall him being a U.S. Army colonel and scientist who tortures mutants whilst experimenting on them. While that is mortifying in itself, it’s far more complicated than that in the comics. Stryker debuts as a former sergeant who becomes a minister to expand his hate rhetoric.
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What’s truly frightening is that it works. Stryker is terrifying for the same reasons Red Skull is; he doesn’t need to be physically imposing to spread evil. As a former sergeant and a reverend, he uses his authority and charm to push a hateful ideology. Through his Bible and carefully cultivated image, he turns public faith and respect for veterans into weapons, slowly conditioning people to accept prejudice and violence against mutants.
3
Arcade Lives Up to His Reputation as Marvel’s Joker
More Than Just a Gimmick and a Moniker
Arcade is Marvel’s answer to DC’s Joker. For anyone else, such a comparison would sound arbitrary or like clickbait, but when looking at the worst things Arcade has done, he might give the Joker a run for his money. In fact, he might be one of the few villains to terrify The Clown Prince of Crime out of his boots.
Like The Joker, the Murderworld trapster’s origins remain a mystery, depending on whatever lie he wants to tell on a given day, but his crimes and atrocities are awe-inspiring and notorious. He’s a sociopath who loves making games of his murders.
2
Kimura Doesn’t Get Enough Credit for How Truly Evil She Is
Kimura is Marvel’s Answer to DC’s Amanda Waller
If audiences were to continue comparing Marvel and DC Comics characters, those unfamiliar with the more obscure Kimura would have a valid argument in comparing her to DC’s Amanda Waller. In terms of intent, motivation, and overall ideology, the two are vastly different. Still, on a surface level, Kimura is just as much of an exploitative, ruthless leader who controls people through torturing them.
The biggest difference is that while Waller feels she must do what she does for the greater good, Kimura just enjoys experimenting on and torturing children. She’s a sadist at heart, best known for being Laura “X-23” Kinney’s handler before Laura becomes the new Wolverine.
1
Kingpin Has Conquered Crime & Politics
Wilson Fisk Is Just as Terrifying in Office as He Was in the Underworld
The Kingpin has graduated from being strictly Daredevil’s archnemesis to torturing the entire Marvel Universe. After spending years domineering over Hell’s Kitchen’s underworld with an iron fist, he became the mayor of New York. As seen in the “Devil’s Reign” arc, imprisoning superheroes like The Fantastic Four and outlawing vigilantism quickly became Mayor Fisk’s crowning accomplishment.
After marrying Typhoid Mary, he became instrumental in mutant relations during the “Fall of X,” linking him to the X-Men. Kingpin is one of Marvel’s few villains who can fit into nearly any superhero’s story, as his physical strength and mental prowess make him a constant source of intimidation.
