The Marvel Cinematic Universe has pitted the Avengers against some of their most iconic adversaries from the comics, including the trickster god Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the rogue A.I. Ultron (James Spader), and the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin). Following the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios positioned Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) to be the next major threat, but those plans faltered, leading to a narrative pivot towards Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), who made his debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps before headlining Avengers: Doomsday. Meanwhile, other significant Avengers villains from the comics, such as Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) in Black Widow and the Kree Empire, featuring Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), in Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy, have been utilized in more contained stories rather than team-level threats.
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While it may seem the MCU is struggling to find its next Avengers-level threats, the decades-long publication history of The Avengers in Marvel Comics provides a vast and varied rogues’ gallery of villains who have yet to make their cinematic debut. These antagonists range from cosmic deities and criminal masterminds to psychological terrors and dark reflections of the heroes themselves. While the films have adapted some of the most famous names, there remains a deep roster of powerful characters who have tested Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in unique ways and could provide formidable challenges for future on-screen rosters.
10) The Zodiac
Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema, the human-led Zodiac Cartel first appeared in 1970’s The Avengers #72. This criminal syndicate’s leadership is structured around the astrological signs, with a different member taking command based on the dominant sign. The group was founded by corrupt businessman Cornelius Van Lundy, who took the mantle of Taurus. Their primary weapon is the Zodiac Key, an extra-dimensional artifact of immense power.
The Zodiac first battled the Avengers when they attempted to take over Manhattan using a device called the “Star-Blazer.” The Avengers were systematically tested by the group’s coordinated attacks and astrological-based strategies, which made them highly unpredictable. Later, a second version of the team, composed entirely of androids, was created by the villain Scorpio to sow further chaos, battling both the Avengers and the Defenders. The Zodiac’s combination of organized crime, esoteric strategy, and access to powerful technology makes them a uniquely persistent threat, forcing the heroes to overcome a foe that is constantly changing its leadership and tactics.
9) Space Phantom
One of the Avengers’ earliest foes, the Space Phantom debuted in 1963’s The Avengers #2, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. These beings are servants of the time-traveling villain Immortus, warped by their extended existence in the timeless dimension of Limbo. A Space Phantom possesses the insidious ability to perfectly replicate another being, simultaneously banishing the original to Limbo, planting the seeds of dissent.
In their very first encounter, a lone Space Phantom infiltrated the Avengers and impersonated Giant-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk. The ensuing confusion and mistrust turned the heroes against one another, leading directly to the Hulk quitting the team out of frustration. The Space Phantoms represent a psychological threat rather than a physical one. They test the Avengers’ unity and trust, turning the team’s own members into weapons and forcing them to confront the paranoia that an enemy could be hiding in plain sight.
8) Onslaught
Onslaught is a sentient psionic entity created by writers Scott Lobdell and Mark Waid and artist Andy Kubert, first appearing in full in 1996’s X-Men vol. 2, #53. He was born from the subconscious minds of Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto after Xavier psychically shut down Magneto’s mind during the “Fatal Attractions” storyline. This act merged the darkest parts of Magneto’s psyche with Xavier’s own repressed negativity, creating a new being with the combined telepathic, magnetic, and reality-warping powers of both mutants.
Though originating in the X-Men comics, Onslaught’s most famous storyline saw him engage the combined forces of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. His power was so immense that defeating him required the apparent sacrifice of all of Earth’s non-mutant heroes, who seemingly perished absorbing his energy. Onslaught is a cataclysmic-level threat, a being of pure psychic energy whose very existence is a perversion of two of the world’s most powerful mutants. With Marvel Studios determined to explore a Mutanta Saga in the future, Onslaught can unite the Avengers and the X-Men in the MCU.
7) Enchantress
Amora, the Enchantress, is an Asgardian sorceress created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who debuted in 1964’s Journey into Mystery #103. A powerful magic-wielder, her abilities include energy projection, teleportation, and transmutation. She specializes in charms and mind control, often using a kiss to enslave men to her will. Having learned magic first from Karnilla, Queen of the Norns, and later by seducing other sorcerers to learn their secrets, Amora became one of the most formidable mystics in Asgard.
The Enchantress, frequently allied with the Executioner, has consistently challenged Thor and the Avengers. In one of her early schemes, she gave powers to a man named Erik Josten, creating the first Power Man, and used her illusions to turn New York City against the Avengers, forcing them to disband. Her motivations are often a mix of seeking greater power and an obsessive love for Thor, making her a complex antagonist.
6) Squadron Sinister
The Squadron Sinister first appeared in 1969’s The Avengers #69, created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema as a direct pastiche of DC Comics’ Justice League. The team was created by the cosmic Elder of the Universe known as the Grandmaster to serve as his champions in a game against Kang the Conqueror’s chosen champions, the Avengers. The original lineup consisted of Hyperion (Superman), Nighthawk (Batman), the Whizzer (The Flash), and Doctor Spectrum (Green Lantern).
In their first appearance, the Squadron battled the Avengers in one-on-one contests across the globe, with the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance. Though the Avengers were ultimately victorious, the Squadron Sinister established themselves as a dark mirror to Marvel’s heroes. They possess the same incredible power levels as the Avengers, but operate without any moral compass. A heroic version from another reality, the Squadron Supreme, was later introduced, and it was retconned that the Sinister were copies of them. Still, with the Multiverse doors open in the MCU, the original Squadron Sinister could still appear.
5) Annihilus
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the insectoid ruler of the Negative Zone, Annihilus, first appeared in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6. His power stems from the Cosmic Control Rod, a device that grants him immense strength, energy manipulation, and a greatly extended lifespan. Driven by a paranoid fear of death, Annihilus seeks to destroy any life that could potentially threaten his existence, making him one of the biggest threats to the entire cosmos.
While primarily a foe of the Fantastic Four, Annihilus’s most significant conflict was against the entire Marvel universe in the Annihilation event. Leading a massive fleet called the Annihilation Wave from the Negative Zone, he launched a devastating war that destroyed countless worlds, including the home of the Nova Corps. Annihilus represents a force of pure nihilistic conquest, and his command of the Annihilation Wave makes him a galactic-level threat who can unite cosmic heroes and villains against a common enemy.
4) Count Nefaria
Count Luchino Nefaria, created by Stan Lee and Don Heck for 1965’s The Avengers #13, was a wealthy Italian aristocrat and a powerful leader of the Maggia crime syndicate. Seeking to defeat the Avengers personally, he subjected himself to a process that granted him the combined powers of the villains Living Laser, Power Man, and Whirlwind, amplified one hundred times over. This transformed his body into a being of pure ionic energy.
This new form granted Nefaria immense superhuman strength rivaling Thor’s, speed, and invulnerability, along with the ability to project ionic energy. He is effectively immortal but must occasionally drain other ionic beings, like Wonder Man, to maintain his power, making him a unique kind of energy vampire. In one of his most notable storylines, he single-handedly defeated the entire Avengers roster, showcasing his status as a top-tier threat who combines the strategic mind of a crime lord with the raw power of a physical god.
3) Super-Adaptoid
The Super-Adaptoid first appeared in 1966’s Tales of Suspense #82, created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Gene Colan. This advanced android was built by the scientific terrorist organization A.I.M. and contains a shard of the reality-warping Cosmic Cube within its body. This power source gives the Adaptoid its signature ability to perfectly duplicate the powers, weapons, and appearance of any superhuman it encounters.
In its initial encounters, the Super-Adaptoid battled Captain America and later the entire Avengers team, copying the combined powers of Goliath, Wasp, Hawkeye, and Captain America to become a single overwhelming threat. Its purpose is to analyze and defeat any opposition through perfect replication, forcing heroes to fight a mirror image of themselves that possesses all of their strengths. Its only true weakness is its artificial nature, lacking the ingenuity and spirit of the heroes it copies.
2) Korvac
Michael Korvac debuted in 1975’s Giant-Size Defenders #3, by Steve Gerber and Jim Starlin, as a computer technician from the 31st century of an alternate Earth who was transformed into a powerful cyborg by the alien Badoon. After fleeing through time, he stumbled upon the worldship of Galactus and absorbed a portion of the Power Cosmic, elevating him to a god-like being with the ability to manipulate matter and energy on a vast scale.
Korvac’s story culminated in “The Korvac Saga,” a celebrated storyline running through The Avengers #167-177. Arriving in the 20th century, a seemingly benevolent Korvac sought to secretly establish a utopian Earth under his absolute rule. This brought him into conflict with both the Avengers and the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Korvac is a complex villain who genuinely believes his actions are for the greater good, making his battle with the heroes a tragic confrontation over the nature of free will and the corrupting influence of absolute power.
1) Beyonder
The Beyonder is a nigh-omnipotent cosmic entity from a realm beyond the multiverse, first appearing in the Secret Wars crossover event, created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck. Possessing power far exceeding almost any other being in the Marvel Universe, the Beyonder became fascinated with the concepts of good and evil. To study this, he kidnapped a large group of Earth’s heroes and villains and transported them to a patchwork planet called Battleworld, forcing them to fight in the first Secret Wars.
Later, in Secret Wars II, the Beyonder came to Earth in a human form to experience human desire and emotion, a journey that nearly led him to destroy the multiverse out of sheer frustration. The Beyonder is not a traditional villain but a narrative force, a being whose power is so immense that reality itself is merely a tool for his experiments. He represents a threat on a multiversal scale, forcing heroes to confront a being for whom concepts like morality and existence are merely points of curiosity.
Which Avengers villain would you like to see the most in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Share your picks in the commentaries!
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