Marvel and DC Comics are the top dogs in the comic book world thanks to their impact on the superhero genre. Everyone knows the gripping origin stories of some of their big bads like Magneto and Mr. Freeze. However, they are not the only comic book companies with menacing supervillains. Unbound by the mandates of the big two, independent comic companies like Image Comics, IDW Publishing, and BOOM! Studios have made far more gruesome and sadistic villains. Sometimes acting as the protagonists of their own comics, these evildoers offer origin stories that range from tragic to deeply disturbing. Whatever the case may be, these backstories crafted some of the greatest comic villains outside of DC and Marvel Comics.
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From corrupted versions of iconic heroes to vicious serial killers, these are the backstories that defined the best villains of independent comic companies.
7) Judge Death
In 2000 AD, Judge Dredd’s archnemesis is a Judge from another universe who has twisted the concept of justice into something horrifying. Sidney De’Ath grew up admiring his serial killer father. To kill people without threat of punishment, Sidney became a Judge. He then turned in his own father and personally activated the electric chair to execute him. Sidney would then go on to kill anyone he saw fit, including his mother and sister. Over time, Sidney’s obsession with justice and death led him, along with three other Judges, to an encounter with witches called the Sisters of Death. After performing a dark ritual, the four Judges became undead monsters called the Dark Judges. Known as Judge Death, Fire, Fear, and Mortis, the Dark Judges see life itself as a crime and kill everyone on their world. Judge Death would then lead the Dark Judges in invading parallel Earths. It’s the perfect over-the-top, edgy origin story, fitting for a series that critiques fascism and police brutality.
6) Plutonian
Evil Supermen are a dime a dozen in comics, but the Plutonian from Boom! Studios’ Irredeemable comic is easily among the strongest and most ruthless. God-like aliens called the Eleos sought to study humanity by creating a child named Dan Anderson to be raised by a woman who had recently lost her baby. Unfortunately, the woman soon went insane and, despite her best attempts, couldn’t kill the superpowered baby. After she died, Dan bounced around different foster homes, but the parents were always terrified of his powers. Dan would spend some time living in the wilderness before being adopted by a loving family who convinced him to become a superhero. Desperate for love, Dan became the world’s strongest hero, called the Plutonian. Unfortunately, the pressure to live up to impossible standards, constantly hearing everyone’s critiques, and inadvertently causing mass casualties ultimately led to the Plutonian snapping and becoming a genocidal monster. The Plutonian’s descent into madness was driven by his crippling desire for love from a lifetime of isolation.
5) The Killer
The protagonist of Image Comics’ Wanted comic, Wesley Gibson, aka the Killer, has a disturbingly realistic origin. Wesley was bullied his entire life and eventually landed a boring, dead-end cubicle job where his boss was a jerk, and his girlfriend was cheating on him with his best friend. However, that all changed when Wesley discovered that his late father was one of the world’s most notorious criminals of all time, called the Killer. This heritage led to Wesley being recruited by the secret organization known as the Fraternity, which rules the world from the shadows. Desperate to no longer be a nobody, Wesley took up his father’s mantle and joined the Fraternity, where he was promised that he could fulfill his darkest desires. Wesley was then trained to become a master of martial arts and all manner of weapons, which he uses to kill anyone who crosses him. Eventually, Wesley worked his way up to become the leader of the Fraternity. Wesley’s backstory shows how self-loathing, insecurity, and a longing for an unordinary life can turn someone into a bitter, sadistic villain.
4) Shredder
As the archnemesis of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Shredder has undergone numerous incarnations and origins, ranging from a ninja from feudal Japan to a squid-like alien. The best version of the Shredder’s origin is where he was once Oroku Saki, a member of the Japanese ninja Foot Clan. He trained alongside Hamato Yoshi, his friend, who became his rival when they both pined for the same woman, Tang Shen. In a jealous rage, Oroku Saki tried to murder Yoshi but accidentally killed Tang Shen instead. Believing Yoshi to be dead, Oroku Saki became the Shredder and transformed the Foot Clan into a powerful criminal empire. When Shredder discovered that not only was Yoshi alive but had mutated into a giant rat named Master Splinter and had four humanoid turtles as sons, he swore to destroy his lifelong rival once and for all. The Shredder is a cautionary tale about how envy can consume a person with hate.
3) Robot
When readers were first introduced to Robot, he was one of the smartest and most noble heroes in the Invincible Universe. However, over the course of the series, he travelled down a dark path spurred by isolation, heartbreak, absolute power, and a desperate attempt to save the world. Rudolph “Rudy” Conners was born with an incredibly frail body and could only interact with the world through his drones until he finally transferred his consciousness into a fully developed clone body. Rudy’s descent into villainy truly began when he and his lover, Monster Girl, were trapped in the Flaxan Dimension and led an uprising against its corrupt leaders. Rudy and Monster Girl would rule the Flaxan Dimension for hundreds of years. After centuries of war, betrayal, and genocide, Rudy returned home with the belief that only by ruling Earth could it be saved. With an army of advanced drones, Rudy took over the Earth and killed or imprisoned anyone who could defy him. Robot’s cold logic mixed with centuries of ruling as a dictator had stripped away whatever humanity he had left.
2) Negan
One of the most terrifying aspects of Image Comics’ The Walking Dead series is that it shows how, in a zombie apocalypse, any average Joe can become a monster. Negan Smith was already dealing with a tragedy before the apocalypse began. Originally an arrogant, egotistical high school gym coach, Negan had a complicated yet ultimately loving relationship with his wife, Lucille. Unfortunately, Lucille became terminally ill with cancer. As Negan sat beside his dying wife, the Walker outbreak began. So, when Negan watched his wife finally succumb to her illness, he was horrified when she immediately came back as a zombie. After another survivor kills the zombified Lucille, Negan is forced to abandon his humanity to survive this Walker-infested world. He would go on to become the leader and founder of the Saviors, a massive group of survivors who run a protection racket that terrorizes surrounding communities. Notably, Negan’s iconic barbed-wire-covered bat is named Lucille. Negan’s backstory shows how anyone can become a monster to survive the zombie apocalypse.
1) Homelander
The big bad of Dynamite Entertainment’s The Boys series, Homelander, shows what happens when Superman is raised not by a loving family but by a greedy corporation that isolates him in a lab for years. Created to be the first of the next generation of Supes, Vought injected Compound V into the embryo of a pregnant woman. Homelander was “born” when his heat-vision cut his way through his mother’s stomach and slaughtered everyone in the operating room. Vought raised Homelander in a lab in total isolation so they could mold him into their perfect superhero/mascot. And as a child, Homelander was strapped to a hydrogen bomb to keep him in check. As one can imagine, having a nuke on your person while you’re continuously experimented on by doctors does not result in someone growing up into a well-adjusted person. Homelander may smile for the camera, but he’s a ruthless, egotistical, psychopathic man-child who ultimately realized that with his powers, he can do whatever he wants. Homelander may be a monster, but he’s a monster created by corporate greed.
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