7 Scariest Serial Killers in Comics

Comics and serial killer characters weirdly go hand in hand. Almost every hero has one such villain that they’ve faced off with, and in some cases, deal with regularly as one of their main antagonists. They’re some of the most popular characters in comics as well, as disturbing as that may be. However, not every serial killer in comics is the same. Some of the ones we meet on the page are so twisted they simply make your skin crawl. Whether it’s their personality or lack thereof or the grisly kills they’re responsible for, there are some that are just flat out the scariest.

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These seven serial killers in comics have haunted the minds of fans be they casual readers or more devoted over the years. What better way to look at them by ranking them by how they scare us, even if we might be too scared to sleep after.

7) Carnage

What other way to start but than with Carnage. Whether it’s Cletus Kasady or Eddie Brock, Carnage terrifies all in every way possible. With otherworldly alien abilities, he can change his body into whatever he needs to kill anyone around him. For a mainstream Marvel villain he manages to be a nightmare to all he encounters as well who read about him.

Much much more than a Venom color swap, Carnage has endured for fans for so long. Even leading his own series multiple times alongside Venom, Carnage will always live up to his name. With Muse on his tail currently in the underrated Eddie Brock: Carnage, you get two killers for the price of one, something that is a terrifying prospect indeed.

6) The Deviant Killer

James Tynion IV has the uncanny ability to make some of the best horror concepts in all of indie comics and deliver a creepy villain to boot. A killer with a mystery spanning 50 years along with mysteries about those investigating him, the Deviant Killer is a recent creation but earns his spot rightfully. Targeting young men for his kills and leaving a wake of devastation behind him as the holidays approach, this killer makes you fear for Santa’s coat.

To not give up his identity for readers who haven’t gotten there yet, The Deviant Killer is one of the best antagonists in recent years. The Deviant remains one of the best horror/holiday/queer comics in the past few years that everyone should read and the center of the horror will always be the Deviant Killer.

5) Edward “Nailbiter” Warren

Ed Warren, aka Nailbiter, stars as the killer from the Image Comics series of the same name. Known for eating the fingers of those who bite their nails, he’s crept into the nightmares of many a reader since his introduction in 2014. A small quirk of biting nails eventually led Ed to 46 kills as well as being one of many killers from his hometown of Buckaroo.

Ed manages to evade capture over a good chunk of the Nailbiter series which makes him even more unsettling. Add to that his looks that could kill, he’ll haunt us forever.

4) Muse

From cult classic Daredevil foe who made the leap to live-action to Carnage foe, Muse has had quite the year. A twist on the modern street artists of the world, Muse takes “art” to disturbing and horrifying new places, turning his victims into street graffiti. Originally depicted as an Inhuman, Muse’s history is short but brilliantly painted on his canvas.

Using his victims blood in his paints, this guy is grade A terrifying. That said, even though his crimes are truly chilling he’s become a fan favorite and it’s good to see him back on the page. Well, good for readers anyway.

3) Onomatopoeia

Primarily a foe to superheroes without the super aspect, Onomatopoeia is one creepy villain. Mimicking the sounds he hears as his only words, he was one of the best villains introduced since the year 2000 in DC comics. This guy is the definition of creepy and stalks his prey closely. We don’t know a lot about him and his appearances in some books canon is debated but he’ll always scare us. Probably the closest thing DC has to a “Michael Myers” character in their comics. Ff only he was used more especially as a Green Arrow villain like he was designed to be.

2) The Corinthian

With a three-dollar winning smile we have the walking nightmare known as the Corinthian. Spawned from the Dreaming the domain of Dream of the Endless, the Corinthian walks the earth in search of young men to seduce and remove the eyes of. Said to be the basis for serial killers in the world, he was the blueprint.

A lot can be said about the series he comes from The Sandman but it can’t be denied that the character has been a huge hit for the fans. Even launching a spin-off to his name, the sunglasses-clad killer haunts us forever, even if he has had a change of heart.

1) James Gordon Jr.

We could have easily put Zsasz or Professor Pyg on this list, but the scariest serial killer in Gotham and one of the most chilling in comics has to be James Gordon Jr. The son of Commissioner Gordon, Jr. is a threat of his own, striking fear into those that know about him. Playing it off as if he isn’t a serial killer but is instead rehabilitated, Jr is the worst threat Dick Grayson faced as Batman. In a handful of issues he made his mark as a genuine terror to all.

With a calm demeanor, no one can c guess what Jr. is thinking until he acts. A master of suppressing his emotions, Jr. keeps the readers in a sense of unease and he notably fooled the characters extremely well in “Batman: Black Mirror”. He’s the scariest one Gotham has to offer and DC has really only scratched the surface with him.

Who do you think is the scariest serial killer in comics? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.