We all know about the Avengers’ weapons and how cool and iconic they are. From Spider-Man’s web-shooters to Doctor Strange’s Eye of Agamotto, the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes all wield some of the greatest armaments in the Marvel Universe. But they aren’t the only ones with fun and powerful toys. In fact, the bad guys have plenty of amazing weapons to aide their respective missions, whether it’s taking control of the criminal underworld or attempting to remake reality to their whims. Hell, in some cases, if it weren’t for these weapons, certain villains couldn’t hold a candle to their enemies.
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If there’s one thing I love about comic books, it’s how a great weapon can elevate a bad guy. Any mad scientist can take on Spider-Man, but how many of them go for as wild an idea as using mechanical tentacles? Iron Man may have an impressive suit of armor, but it pales in comparison to the armors Doctor Doom or Kang utilize when facing the Avengers. Not every villain in the Marvel Universe uses a weapon, but the ones that do generally stand out. Read on to discover 7 villains and the iconic weapons they’ve used against the Avengers.
7. Doctor Octopus’s Tentacles
Dr. Otto Octavius really leaned into his name when he decided to come up with his greatest invention: a harness that gives him additional arms (usually 4, but sometimes 8). And thank goodness he did, because that decision ended up making him one of the most iconic members of Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery. Doc Ock is one of the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous masterminds, but the tentacles really do take him to another level. They upped his intimidation game, and they made him way more physically intimidating, making him a threat that has brains and brawn behind it.
6. The Mandarin’s Rings
No two ways about it, there was a lot wrong with the Mandarin, but one of the things that actually worked with the character was the ten rings he wore. Recovered alien tech, these rings bestowed the Mandarin (or anyone who used them) extraordinary power, each one with a unique ability, from being able to remake atomic structures to manipulating other people’s minds. The Mandarin was far from perfect, but it’s hard to deny his rings were pretty innovative, which is almost certainly why they still exist years after the villain himself was killed off.
5. Doctor Doom’s Armor
Doctor Doom has a lot going for him. He’s one of the Marvel Universe’s most brilliant minds, and he’s mastered numerous sciences and forms of magic. But nothing will be as iconic as his armor, which does, in fact, merge technology and the arcane. It’s heavy, dense, packed to the brim with additional weapons and computer systems. Tony Stark might be the kind of advanced armor, but Doctor Doom is as worthy a rival as any. Doom has used his rival to take on gods, and it takes a lot of firepower to do any damage to Doom’s greatest creation.
4. Kang the Conqueror’s Armor
Speaking of powerful armors, Kang the Conqueror’s has to be mentioned, too. Unlike ones produced by Doom or Iron Man, Kang’s armor is made from a futuristic alloy, making it one of the most durable materials around. It has built-in force fields that can withstand nuclear bombs, and allow him a bevy of superpowers from concussive blasts to superstrength. And that’s not even getting into Kang being able to use his armor to travel through time. It might not look as sleek as one of Stark’s, but make no mistake, Kang’s armor is about as good as they come.
3. Knull’s Necrosword
Knull hasn’t been around as long as some of the other villains on this list, but he’s made a name for himself. The God of the Symbiotes isn’t just known for the gooey, black creatures he made to conquer the universe, Knull also notably wields the Necrosword, one of his earliest creations and a sword that empowers its wielder with the power of Knull himself (as was the case with Gorr when he claimed the sword for himself). The Necrosword has all but disappeared, but chances are it won’t be long until Knull gets his hands on it again.
2. Red Skull’s Cosmic Cube
Red Skull is one of Captain America’s oldest nemeses, and the relic that’s helped his staying power is the Cosmic Cube, a celestial artifact that can do anything. Red Skull has used it to do anything from make himself more powerful to extending his lifespan and even changing reality so that Captain America was a Hydra sleeper agent. It’s a lot of power for such a hateful man, and thankfully, he’s never been able to do much lasting damage. Still, he gets his hands on the Cosmic Cube far too frequently, and when he has it, anything’s on the table.
1. Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet
I don’t think anyone can name a more powerful weapon wielded by an Avengers’ foe. Thanos’ iconic Infinity Gauntlet is known for the six multi-colored gems it holds, each one giving Thanos (or anyone using the gauntlet) complete mastery of things like time, space, or matter. Thanos infamously used this weapon to erase half of all life in the universe, which was undone not too long after it happened. Still, there’s hardly a more dangerous weapon in the entire Marvel Universe, and the Avengers have had to take numerous precautions to prevent Thanos from gaining the Infinity Gauntlet’s power again.
Who’s your favorite weapon-carrying Marvel villain? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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