10 Marvel Villains With the Most Aura

Marvel has given comic readers some of the most memorable heroes of all time, protagonists that anchored stories that grabbed the imaginations of fans for decades. However, here’s the thing — heroes are only good as their villains. Marvel’s villains transcended the colorful gimmicks of their distinguished competition, creating compelling villains that were as complicated and realistic as the heroes in some cases. These villains became stars in their own right, their rich histories allowing readers to connect with them despite their evil deeds. Some were sympathetic, some were straight up monsters, but the best of them were all a joy a read to read about.

The best Marvel villains had that quality that every great character needs — aura. Aura is basically the distillation of everything about a character. It can be difficult to define, but most people can recognize it when they see it. Some villains have it, and some definitely don’t. These ten Marvel villains have undeniable aura, and that’s helped them to become some of the most popular villains in the Marvel Universe.

10) Mister Sinister

For a long time, Mister Sinister was all aura, but it was empty. He was cool-looking and mysterious, but other than his obsession with genetics, specifically those of Cyclops and Jean Grey, and his strange relationship with Gambit, there was really nothing all that interesting about him. However, all of that changed with the story “Everything is Sinister”. Writer Kieron Gillen gave Mister Sinister an actual personality, and suddenly he became a much better character. He was funny, he was campy, and he was beautifully brutal. He grew an awesome goatee, and since then has become a favorite of creators and readers. Sinister definitely used to be cool, but making him into an actual character that wasn’t just a different flavor of Apocalypse made him that much better, increasing his aura to levels it hadn’t reached before.

9) Baron Zemo

Look at that picture. That’s pure aura right there, and it’s why Baron Zemo is so great a villain. Zemo always looked great, but as time went on and we watched him get more and more dangerous, leading the Masters of Evil in their battles against the Avengers and fooling the world as the leader of the Thunderbolts, his aura grew and grew. Zemo was a normal guy who would go one on one with characters like Captain America, both Steve Rogers and Bucky, and his vainglorious manner made it all work. That mask is pure aura, and it topped off a costume that is among the best of Marvel’s villains. Right when Zemo appears in a panel, your eyes are drawn to him, and he keeps your attention the entire time.

8) Loki

There are multiple versions of Loki, and all of them have immeasurable aura. Loki has it all — amazing power, great costumes (that headpiece is one of the best headpieces in comics, a Jack Kirby special if there ever was one), caustic charm, and genuine emotion — and all of that has added up to give them aura in spades. Loki isn’t technically a villain any more, instead acting as the God of Stories, but is somehow even more untrustworthy than ever; there’s nothing more brutal than a story. Loki overshadows every other Thor villain because none of them can match their aura. When Loki shows up, someone is going to get tricked, someone is going to charmed, and someone is going to get put down hard. And Loki? Loki is going to smile the whole time, their aura that of a well-fed predator looking for their next meal.

7) Thanos

Thanos is one of the deadliest beings in the Marvel Universe, and everyone knows it. Whenever Thanos shows up everywhere, the specter of death follows him, and everyone is afraid of him. Thanos has a reputation that seems unreal, but the moment you see his rictus grin and black eyes, their pupils glowing with dark power, you know that it’s all true. Thanos has the bearing of a god; one of the coolest scenes in Secret Wars was when Thanos told Doom that he knew what it was like to be a god and that Doom didn’t have that in him. Thanos is fearless and powerful, a monster that no one wants to face, but everyone knows they have to when he shows up. Thanos can cow entire planets; while the heroes of Earth have helped defeat him many times, his aura is such that they question whether they can win every single time. That’s aura right there, and it’s why Thanos has become such a popular villain. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Thanos in live action is one of the few times that the movies have been able to take the aura of a character off the page and bring to the big screen.

6) Ultron

Ultron has much the same aura that Thanos does; he’s death in an adamantium shell. Ultron is completely and totally inhuman, a monster that exists only to make himself better and destroy humanity. Ultron wants a world that is entirely mechanized, where the weakness of flesh is replaced by the hard, coldness of metal. He doesn’t want a world of emotional monkeys trying to do better, but a world of AI logic and precision. What really gives Ultron his aura is that face; it’s so completely inhuman, glowing with energy and malice. Ultron is technology taken to its most fearful destiny, something that has decided that it’s better than everything else and wants a world that is like it, not its creators. The irony of Ultron is that for as much as he talks about a world of machine perfection, he’s so marked by hate that he’s just as bad as the humans that he sees as weak. However, it’s that burning hatred that gives him so much aura.

5) Apocalypse

Apocalypse gives off an aura of all-powerful surety. Apocalypse believes that only the strongest beings survive and the moment you see him, you don’t doubt it all. Apocalypse can silence his foes with a look, and has the kind of power that most villains can only dream off. He’s battled demons and gods, and has survived every single one of them. War is written on his face, and death walks hand in hand with him. Apocalypse is basically the Thanos of the mutant side of the Marvel Universe; he’s been beaten numerous times, but everyone knows that when he shows up, if they make the slightest mistakes, they’re dead. Apocalypse, in his original armor, a blue so dark that it might as well be black, is a warrior god of Dawinism, ready to strike down any who stand against his righteous purpose. That’s Apocalypse in a nutshell, and it’s why he has so much aura.

4) Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror, at first glance, looks kind of ridiculous. Purple and green are tried and true villain colors, but his baggy tunic and weird helmet don’t really scream dangerous. However, there’s just something about Kang that comes across immediately. Kang traveled the universe conquering everything in front of him, and that is written all over him. His regal bearing comes from one who has stood face to face with beings who claim to be kings and gods, and brought them low. He’s looked in the face of death and laughed, and tests himself against the most powerful enemies because everything else bores him. His words and attitude are those of a being who has tasted loss, but never defeat; setbacks but never doom. That who Kang is and that’s why everyone is so scared of him. He’s seen the end of time and sees no fear in it; instead, he’s made his citadel there. Kang is truly a being without fear, and anyone who looks at him and thinks he looks foolish will soon learn the error of their ways.

3) Mystique

Mystique is one of the coolest mutants villains ever, which is saying something. The X-Men have the best villains of any team in the Marvel Universe; Mystique makes many of them look like clumsy teenagers aura-farming. Mystique is nowhere near as powerful as someone like Apocalypse, yet she’s just as scary. The thing about Mystique is that she can be anywhere, and you’d never know. There’s no rest while Mystique is after you (one of the best parts of the maligned X Deaths of Wolverine is Mystique constantly hounding Moira MacTaggert), and killing her seems impossible. She always comes back and she never forgets. She’s one step ahead of you, and can survive anything you throw at her. That’s what gives Mystique the aura she has and it’s why she’s stayed so popular for decades.

2) Sabretooth

Sabretooth is a wild animal, and he never lets anyone forget that. The thing about wild animals is that they can seem nice when you’re feeding them, but they always want more and the minute you let your guard down, you’re going to be next on the menu. That’s Sabretooth. His wildness radiates him off in waves. His glee at bloodshed lets you know that as much as he enjoys the carnal pleasures of life, it’s wreaking death where ever he goes that truly makes him happy. His smile is that of an ape; it’s the last thing you see before it attacks you. He’s a massive presence, a rippling mountain of muscle, tooth, and claw. Sabretooth can make even the most resolute question their resolve the minute he enters a room. His smile is that of a butcher’s, and he’s wondering how you taste the minute you look at him.

1) Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is aura personified. He’s a king, a ruler who makes demands. Follow his demands, and he will protect you. Rebuff his demands and he will do everything he can to make you pay, all the while reminding you of how small you are compared to the majesty that is Doom. Everything about Doom builds up his grandeur. The green cloak and tunic hide his body from you, but you know that under them is unyielding steel. His armor protects him, but you know that he just created the armor so he could look on the outside what he looks like on the inside — an implacable titan of metal and magic, ready to destroy anything that doesn’t meet his needs or give him the respect that he knows he deserves. That’s just how Doctor Doom rolls, and it’s why he’s become one of Marvel’s most legendary villains.

What Marvel villains do you think have the most aura? Sound off in the comments below.

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