Marvel has given readers some of the greatest villains of all time. The most popular villains from the House of Ideas have become favorites of fans across the decades. Comic fans loves villains like Doctor Doom, Thanos, Red Skull, Loki, Magneto, Sabretooth, Mystique, Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and so many other A-list villains, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Under them is a whole other ecosystem of bad guys, antagonists that have been testing the heroes for years. These are the villains who used to show up for the one issue stories, or the ones who aren’t world conquerors but still formidable.
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Marvel’s B-list villains are some of the coolest in comics. The best of them could easily join the A-list, and fans are pretty happy everything they show up. These ten Marvel B-list villains are the best of the rest; they may not be the big names, but they still have it where it counts.
10) Gorgon
“Enemy of the State” is one of the best Wolverine stories ever, and it introduced readers to an awesome villain in Gorgon. The Japanese mutant can transform anyone who looks into his eyes to stone, has low-level telepathy, and superhuman strength, agility, and intelligence. A leader of the Hand, he was able to kill Wolverine and resurrect him, and would later have a climactic battle against the hero. Gorgon has appeared numerous times since that story, battling Wolverine, working with Hydra, and joining the mutant nation of Krakoa. He’s one of those villains that can challenge just about any hero out there, and deserves way more spotlight than he’s gotten over the years.
9) Helmut Zemo
There are some out there who would say that Helmut Zemo should be an A-lister, and there’s something to that. He’s always been one of Captain America’s highest profile villains, has led the Masters of Evil against the Avengers, and created the Thunderbolts plan to take over the world. However, since then, he’s kind of fallen into the B-list. He’s always in the shadow of both his father Heinrich and the Red Skull, but that doesn’t change how great a villain he is. He’s an intelligent, dangerous foe, and he can plan with the best of them. Helmut Zemo deserves more chances at the top, but until then, he’s one of the best B-list bad guys around.
8) Exodus
Exodus first appeared back in the early ’90s, working with Magneto. He was always the right hand man, and never the main guy, but he had the powers of an A-lister. For decades, he made numerous appearances, but was never the focus. However, the Krakoa Era changed everything for Exodus. The villain got a chance at the big time and showed just how interesting he could be. Exodus’s vast telekinetic powers and past as a medieval mutant Crusader make him a fascinating threat, and he could easily join the A-list if any creator built on what was done with him in the Krakoa Era. However, until then, he remains one of Marvel’s best B-listers.
7) Count Nefaria
The Avengers have plenty of underrated villains, and one of the most powerful is Count Nefaria. The ionic energy powered villain hasn’t gotten too much spotlight in recent years (decades, honestly; he hasn’t appeared in ages), but he certainly deserves it. One of the leaders of the superpowered crime family known as the Maggia, he battled the Avengers several times in the late ’70s/early ’80s, and was always a lively battle for the team. He’s an amazing villain, and all he needs is the right creator to give him a new chance to shine.
6) Radioactive Man
Radioactive Man is a villain that has been around since the Silver Age, but he’s rarely been considered a star. He’s a founding member of the Masters of Evil, has battled Thor and other members of the Avengers on his own, and joined the Thunderbolts after Civil War. He has excellent powers — superhuman strength and durability, radiation control, and various energy powers — and can challenge any hero out there. His place as a foreign national (he’s from China) means that he can commit crimes with impunity and never be punished for them, as well as the normal “enemy agent” type stories. He’s an excellent bad guy who doesn’t get used nearly as much as he should.
5) Cyber
Wolverine faces some dangerous villains, and Cyber has long been one of the deadliest. The adamantium skinned mutant met Logan back in Canada and helped train the ol’ Canucklehead before WWI, working with Romulus to torment Wolverine. Eventually, Cyber would get his adamantium enhancements and began hunting Wolverine across the decades, using his low-level psi-powers, super strength, and hallucinogen loaded claws to do his dirty deeds. He can even survive death, shooting his consciousness into other bodies, then having them modified into something more like what he’s used to. He’s an unstoppable force and always makes for a lively fight with any hero in his way.
4) Rhino
Spider-Man has some amazing villains, and one that doesn’t really get the credit he deserves is Rhino. The massive villain is basically just big dumb muscle; he’s not going to mastermind some complicated scheme. The best he can hope for is cannon fodder for a smarter villain or an easy bank robbery, but he does that with such aplomb that he’s always entertaining whenever he shows up. On top of that, we’ve seen different, interesting facets to the character in books like Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #6 and Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America: Depression #1. He can go toe to toe with the Hulk, and is much, much cooler than he gets credit for.
3) Omega Red
Omega Red’s first appearance saw him team up with Mat’suo Tsurayaba and take down the entire X-Men Blue Team. The Soviet super soldier’s carbonadium tentacles and “death spore” powers, which allow him to weaken his foes and make himself stronger, made him an extremely formidable enemy. Since then, he’s battled Wolverine to a standstill numerous times. The Krakoa Era gave him some extra facets, making him a much more interesting character. He’s a great looking villain (which makes sense, since he was designed by Jim Lee at the height of his powers) with an interesting back story and unique powers, as well as a grudge with one of Marvel’s most popular heroes. He’s a B-list villain who has A-list tendencies, and it’s always awesome when he shows up.
2) Enchantress
Enchantress was the primary female villain of the early Silver Age, battling against Thor and the Avengers. She was something of a cliche; the evil, beautiful woman who manipulated men with her looks and had great magical powers (let’s be real — Stan Lee only wrote a couple types of women and he wrote them all like a misogynist would). Her popularity has waned over the years, but her recent return in Immortal Thor has showed just how great she can be. She’s intelligent, powerful, and just as manipulative as she’s always been. She’s the kind of villain who can slot into any role in a story, and hopefully she’ll get more spotlight in the years ahead.
1) The Leader
The Hulk faces some very powerful villains, which makes sense for the strongest one there is. However, his best villain isn’t one of the powerhouses. Or, at least, not one of the physical powerhouses. The Leader was once Samuel Sterns, a man with a below average IQ who worked as a janitor in Gamma Base. Gamma radiation gave him infinite mental power, making him a dark mirror for the Jade Giant. Since then, the two have clashed numerous times, the supreme physical power against the supreme mental one. The Leader doesn’t get the credit he deserves because of his lack of physical power, but he’s an amazing villain who should be an A-lister. As it is, he’s the best B-list villain around.
Who is your favorite B-list Marvel villain? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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