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Ranking comic book characters by their powers, strength, physical traits, affiliations, and other features, like how just goshdarn super they are.

Best Characters

Captain America

List of the most badass, tough, and iconic comic book superheroes ever created. This list includes central characters from both the DC and Marvel Universe, as well as more non-traditional or underground comic books. The definition of what makes a &quot;superhero&quot; can be quite slippery, and often encompasses characters with questionable morals and behavior (giving rise to the notion of the &quot;anti-hero.&quot;) If you love these superheroes, you&#39;ll also be interested to know that a few of them have really <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-10-lamest-super-hero-origins/ihateeverything">lame origin stories</a>.

Traditionally, a &quot;superhero&quot; simply means a larger-than-life character, or one gifted with special abilities, either organically or via their own genius or inventiveness, who uses his or her powers to protect and defend the public from threats - at times <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unexpected-superhero-day-jobs/stephanroget" target="_blank">even while maintaining day jobs</a>. Though the word &quot;superhero&quot; began to be used as early as the 1910s, the concept really took hold in the public&#39;s mind following the introduction of Superman in 1938.

Though Superman and other characters of his day were gifted with special talents and abilities, making them particularly suited to crusading for justice, many characters that followed were more &quot;human&quot; than the noble alien from Krypton, using their intelligence (such as Iron Man or Batman) to create a superheroic persona.&nbsp; Some <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-10-greatest-disabled-superheroes-of-all-time/saintmort">superheroes also have disabilities</a> that counteract their skills, weapons or unique talents.&nbsp;

Because of the massive popularity of superheroes &ndash; particularly at the start of the 21st Century, when <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-superhero-movies-ever-made">superhero films</a> reigned at the box office &ndash; a number of deconstructions and analyses of the genre have also been done, culminating in the creation of &quot;meta-superheroes&quot; who comment on the concept of superheroism itself.&nbsp;So take a look at this list, decide who your favorite comic book superheroes are, and vote them up.&nbsp;We have your top 50 superheroes, your top 100 superheroes of all time&hellip; we don&rsquo;t quite have your top 200 comic book characters of all time simply because this list is just for the best superheroes ever. We didn&rsquo;t include the super villains on this top comic book characters list. Who are the top comic book heroes? Who is the best superhero? Let&rsquo;s put these question to rest of who is the best super heroes to rest.

Some superhero origins are just lame. Not all heroes get bitten by radioactive spiders, were the last survivor on a destroyed planet, or survived a science experiment gone wrong to get crime-fighting, world-saving powers. Some heroes enter the vigilante game without any pizzazz, without a modicum of sense, or with a just plain lame origin story.This list is a compilation of the lamest <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-harrowing-superhero-origin-stories/bobby-anhalt?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">superhero origin stories</a> of all time. Keep in mind, the focus is on lame origins, not necessarily lame heroes. Many of these heroes would earn respect over time or be rebooted to become the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time">greatest superheroes of all time</a>. However, whenever these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book heroes</a> tell their origin story, they probably have a hard time not blushing.

poll

Ambush Bug

Ridiculous <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/superheroes-ranked-by-most-comic-book-appearances/ranker-comics?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book superheroes</a> come in all shapes and sizes. And these are the characters voted by many to be the most ridiculous superheroes of all time. Sometimes it&#39;s not the stupid heroes&#39; fault; they were written to serve a very specific comic book function, and no one had a plan for the character after that. Other times they were just a product of a period of time where they were more appropriate. Even so, many of these ridiculous <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-comic-book-characters/ranker-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book characters</a> should probably have been written out of the series long before they were.

Sometimes these stupid characters just outgrew the context they were in. Are these stupid superhero names enough to make you never want to read comic books? If so, vote on the worst ones here so that people have an inkling of what NOT to do.&nbsp;

Who are the most.... stupid superheroes ever? You decide.

Also see our roundup of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/superheroes-with-painful-superpowers/brent-sprecher" target="_blank">superheroes whose powers make them hurt themselves</a>.

Villains

Does the Scarecrow bring the fear out of you? Does the thought of Venom being around you make you cringe? Does Batman&#39;s Victor Zsasz make you feel lightheaded? There are many comic book super villains that you should be afraid of meeting in an empty alley.

We&#39;ve got goblins, alien symbiotes, evil clowns, the undead, and all manner of spooky! Make sure to vote up all the villains that you wish weren&#39;t flooding your nightmares, and vote down the ones you could handle in your face, no problem.&nbsp;

Apocalypse

Comic villains are responsible for some of the most heinous&nbsp;acts in all of fiction. They commit the sorts of graphic crimes that make empathy almost impossible. They engage in criminal activity that can send&nbsp;shivers up the spines of readers. But behind the masks and capes and ghoulish grins lie some of the most sympathetic comic book villain&nbsp;origins you&#39;ll ever hear.

Because these characters were crafted in a medium&nbsp;bursting with possibilities, the torture they endured prior to turning to the dark side is often more physically and emotionally extreme then audiences might be used to. Some of your favorite villains were tortured for millions or even billions of years. Subject to rejection, mutilation, starvation, lobotomies and more, it&rsquo;s difficult at times to determine whether the decisions they make are derived from their own will or from their circumstances. It&#39;s often heartbreaking when you really stop and think about the lives of villains in comics.&nbsp;

In order to understand what fuels the hatred&nbsp;behind the alter egos, it&rsquo;s best if we get to know them before they were baddies&nbsp;(if that&rsquo;s even possible). The saddest supervillain origin stories often begin before they had a chance to fight back. You might be surprised to learn that several villains were abused as infants,&nbsp;or slated for punishment before they were born. For many of them, crime was not a choice. It was their only identity. Here are some of the most gut wrenching, cringe-inducing, and just straight up saddest supervillain origin stories&nbsp;in history.

Hungry for more? Take a look at <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weirdest-superhero-origins/jonathan-kantor" target="_blank">some of the weirdest superhero origins</a>.&nbsp;

Comic Books

Silhouette

When superheroes first appeared in comic books, many minority groups were heavily underrepresented. There was a criminally&nbsp;small percentage of Black <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-female-comic-book-characters/ranker-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">women in comics</a>. Black comic book characters just didn&#39;t really&nbsp;appear&nbsp;in&nbsp;DC or Marvel Comics until the 1970s when&nbsp;Blaxploitation films were at the peak of their&nbsp;popularity. Comics with Black girls slowly began to trickle out (usually as sidekicks serving brief tenures with&nbsp;established heroes). Over time, their importance increased and, eventually, we got the female&nbsp;African American&nbsp;comic books we desperately needed.

Over the years, we have gotten some <a href="/list/best-black-superheroes-in-comics/ranker-comics">amazing Black superheroes</a> in both mainstream&nbsp;and independent comics.&nbsp;Though other minorities groups have also gained traction in comics&nbsp;over the years, many simply were&nbsp;<a href="/list/politically-incorrect-comic-book-characters/erik-barnes">too politically incorrect&nbsp;</a>to be&nbsp;embraced and admired. There is still room&nbsp;for&nbsp;more inclusion&nbsp;of (actually cool) characters that represent the <a href="/list/handicapped-anime-characters/anna-lindwasser">disabled</a> and&nbsp;LGBTQ+ communities. Companies are recognizing these needs and are slowly working to fill these gaps.&nbsp;

And while we wait (somewhat) patiently for better representation and inclusion, it&#39;s also important to recognize the fierce Black heroines and women superheroes in the pages of our favorite comic books.&nbsp;

Superheroes have never been more mainstream, but some costumed crusaders are so ubiquitous they were household names long before the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/every-character-from-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-ranked?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel Cinematic Universe</a> was born. Characters like Superman, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk are all recognizable worldwide, but casual fans might be surprised to learn that even some of the most&nbsp;famous <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unrealistic-super-powers/ranker-comics" target="_blank">superpowers</a> may be a lot more complicated than they appear on the surface.

Longtime fans are well aware that comic book continuity is complex and difficult to parse; they have made peace with the fact that not every detail in these superhero mythologies will end up making it to the big screen. Regardless, fans of all stripes would probably claim to understand the full story behind some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/superpowers-we-wish-we-had/benjamin-dunn" target="_blank">more popular superpowers</a>, like flight or wall-crawling - but they&rsquo;d be wrong.

Superheroes

Rorschach

It&rsquo;s safe to say&nbsp;most characters don&rsquo;t become superheroes because they possess a&nbsp;great life. If anything, most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/updated-superhero-origin-stories/stephanroget" target="_blank">superhero origins</a> take root&nbsp;in the character&#39;s&nbsp;dissatisfaction&nbsp;towards&nbsp;their life, if not all-out tragedy. But the saddest origin stories of superheroes take the tragedy of everyday life and twist the knife until&nbsp;nothing&#39;s left to bleed. The characters on this list haven&rsquo;t simply led&nbsp;a hard life, they&rsquo;ve <a href="/list/saddest-supervillain-origin-stories/cynthia-griffith">had the hardest life</a>. Either their parents were murdered in front of them, or the one thing cherished&nbsp;most was ripped away from them, leaving them a broken mess of a person. Keep reading to learn about even more sad superhero origin stories.

For much of the golden era of comics, superhero origins were based around dead either dead parents or science gone wrong &ndash; or in the case of one character on this list, both &ndash; but as the decades moved on the origin stories got more complicated, and some of them became even more depressing. As you read this collection of the most depressing superhero origin stories prepare to sigh heavily, think about your parents, and maybe even have a stiff drink. But remember, the characters on this list took the world&rsquo;s biggest lemons and turned them into lemonade, and that means that you can too. But before you turn your life around, don&rsquo;t forget to vote on the most traumatizing superhero origin stories.

Fictional Characters

The best superheroes have an ability that would work in the real world; powers like flying, telepathy, and heightened senses are perfect and enviable. How bad do you want to skip the TSA line and fly to Europe for a long weekend? Or use your telekinetic abilities to shoot mind knives at your enemies? Or use your ice powers to help solve global warming (we’re not actually sure how global warming works)? Now those are powers that we can get behind. The abilities on this list certainly aren’t anything that you would want to have in the real world, and, even if you had them, you wouldn’t be able to do anything with them.The power to speak to squirrels, turning into a rock, and housing two large maggots in your stomach that help you dissolve any type of matter you might encounter – these are the types of unrealistic superpowers we’re talking about on this list. The abilities that are only helpful when you live in a comic book and can get by being the third guy on a team who can transport minor distances. We’re not saying these characters are a waste of space, but they definitely aren’t the most useful cards in the deck.Put your amazing voting ability to good use and let us know which character you think has <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/useless-anime-side-characters/crystal-brackett?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the most useless</a> super power, then call upon the amazing vocal prowess that you’ve gained from earth’s yellow sun and take to the comments to let us know if we’ve missed any lame mutants or metahumans.

Who needs the likes of Michael Myers, Freddie Krueger, and Jason when we have villains in comics that are just as scary, if not scarier, to keep you up at night?&nbsp;You know, those villains that you definitely wouldn&#39;t want to run into in a dark alley. Which are <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scary-things-seen-heard/amandasedlakhevener?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the most terrifying</a> villains in comic books?

Does the Scarecrow bring the fear out in you? Does the thought of Venom being around you make you cringe? Does Batman&#39;s Victor Zsasz make you feel lightheaded?

We&#39;ve got goblins, alien symbiotes, evil clowns, the undead, and all manner of spooky characters! Some of these characters even come from the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-horror-comic-books-graphic-novels/ranker-comics" target="_blank">best horror comics</a>. Make sure to vote up all the villains that you wish weren&#39;t flooding your nightmares, and vote down the ones you could handle in your face, no problem.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Marvel Comics

Captain Universe

In general, comic books have not paid nearly enough attention to people of color. Even when a Black super hero did exist, they didn&#39;t get the exposure they deserved. The best Black superheroes are every bit as iconic, interesting, and emotionally compelling as their peers.&nbsp;In fact, Black Panther&nbsp;in particular has been a consistently strong book over the years that will no doubt provide a lot of great material for a ton of films down the line. Static has not only gotten his own cartoon, but an incredibly loyal cult following. When Superman died, Steel was one of the only people who stepped up to take his place that didn&#39;t have some horrific ulterior motive waiting in the wings that could spell doom for the planet Earth. When the mantle of Ultimate Spider-Man was passed from Peter Parker to Miles Morales, the character blossomed and became arguably more beloved than his predecessor. &nbsp;

Even despite these triumphs, Black characters still haven&#39;t gotten the time of day they deserve. Ask most people to name a few Black super heroes and you probably will get a list with maybe three names. The good news is recent films, comics, and TV shows are really pushing their Black characters the way they always deserved. We&#39;re seeing &nbsp;new exposure for characters like Black Panther getting his own film in the Marvel cinematic universe, Luke Cage on Netflix, and Cyborg in the Justice League movie. While it was great to have Wesley Snipes as Blade have his own film series, we&#39;re glad to see new <a href="/list/best-black-superhero-movies/ranker-film/" target="_blank">Black superhero movies</a>&nbsp;filling the ranks. &nbsp;

But let&#39;s not forget how much farther we have to go. The length of this list proves there are a ton of Black superheroes that could make their debuts in television and movies. The Spectre could make a great on screen presence. Spawn deserves a better film than his 90s misfire, and with the advances in special effects and storytelling available today we could get something very special for fans of his book in addition to new audiences. If you&#39;re curious to see just how many characters are out there, check out the list of the best Black superheroes&nbsp;below and be sure to vote up your favorites.&nbsp;

Superheroes are around to fight for truth, justice, and to generally right&nbsp;the wrongs of the world. While they usually&nbsp;stand up for virtue, there are many&nbsp;superheroes who did awful things despite their good intentions, resulting in some <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/disturbing-things-in-ultimate-marvel-universe/stephanroget">disturbing things in Marvel's Ultimate Universe</a>,&nbsp;DC's Multiverse, and Marvel's 616. In fact, there were multiple times when&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/shocking-times-superheroes-killed-their-friends/stephanroget">superheroes killed&nbsp;their friends</a>, making them&nbsp;much worse than supervillains.Sure, Iron Man wanted some order in the world by endorsing superhuman registration, but did he and Reed Richards have to create an interdimensional prison? And sure, maybe some villains can never be reformed, but does that give the Justice League the right to mindwipe them? Even Batman, with his &quot;no killing&quot; policy, is responsible for a few deaths. Read on for a <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-10-greatest-disabled-superheroes-of-all-time/saintmort?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">list of superheroes</a> who turned into villains or did unspeakable things in the name of &quot;greater good.&quot;

Tim Drake Is The Ultimate Robin

<a href="/list/best-alternate-costumes-in-marvel-comics/ranker-comics">Amazing alternate costumes for superheroes</a> are always entertaining, but what about alternate superhero characters? The topic of &ldquo;legacy characters,&rdquo; or replacement superheroes, has led to many heated debates&nbsp;in the world of comic book fandom. Publishers have attempted to add diversity and &ldquo;fresh ideas&rdquo; to their comic book universes by replacing their most popular heroes with younger and more diverse vigilantes. The results have been, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/superhero-replacements-worse-than-the-original/stephanroget" target="_blank">at best, mixed</a>.

Fan outrage is high anytime a popular character goes away - even the times when <a href="/list/times-marvel-has-changed-a-character-for-no-reason/ranker-comics">Marvel changes a character for no apparent reason</a>&nbsp;aren&#39;t met with as much resistance.&nbsp;Nothing is worse than seeing your favorite superhero feign death for awhile so that a precocious teenager can take up their mantle to spout internet slang and share crossovers with Spider-Man.

Now, this may be considered sacrilege in some corners of the fandom, but some legacy heroes turn out pretty cool. In fact, there&#39;s a&nbsp;rare handful of second generation superheroes who are actually better than the originals. It&#39;s not easy to replace a legendary hero,&nbsp;but as the following characters can attest to, it is doable. Check out the list below and vote up the coolest second generation heroes who you believe are an improvement from the original.&nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/comic-books-characters-who-have-died-the-most/aaron-edwards">frequent deaths, and almost inevitable resurrections, of superheroes</a> has become so noticeable that it’s now constantly used as a talking point whenever someone wants to deride the medium. The fleeting nature of death in the average comic book universe is now an industry-wide shame, right up there with Aquaman’s ability to talk to fish or Powergirl’s costume. With seemingly every big event or crossover almost guaranteed to include at least one heroic sacrifice or <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/worst-resurrections-in-comics/ranker-comics">dramatic return from the dead</a>, it’s hard for comic fans to argue against this criticism.However, the temporary nature of the afterlife does not necessarily apply to every character, and to state that death is a revolving door in either the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/people-explain-why-dc-comics-rule/hannah-collins?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Marvel or DC</a> universe would be a disservice to those individuals who had the dignity to die and actually stay dead. In fact, the lengthy absences of some of these characters, in world where almost everyone gets to come back to life, has led many fans to question why they haven’t yet been given a second chance. We’re not talking about the Uncle Bens or Batman parents of the world, who should definitely stay dead, but legitimate superheroes who bit the dust and never got to respawn.

Character Costumes

Juggernaut

Super villains have all the fun, but in comic book movies, the villains also have the worst costumes. In almost any superhero movie, the only person wearing a goofier outfit than the hero is the bad guy. Sometimes that makes them even more memorable than the heroes, but other times, it just means that really good actors are stuck sporting stupid outfits. If you couldn't tell where this was heading, prepare for a list of the worst costumes worn by comic book movie super villains.Even the worst of these super villain costumes started with good intentions. <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/spider-man-homecoming-2-green-goblin/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">The Green Goblin</a> in Spider-Man, for instance. The filmmakers toyed with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXAGC_B2Ys">some incredible makeup effects</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.figures.com/databases/news/actionfigures/51/148.jpg">H.R. Giger-inspired concept designs</a>, but they ended up with a glorified Power Rangers bad guy in a blockbuster superhero movie. Even with an unhinged Willem Dafoe performance behind Goblin's mask, the Spider-Man villain's costume will always be remembered as an emerald dud.Vote up the worst comic book movie super villain costume below. Only your votes can settle the debate about just which antagonist wore the silliest outfit. The comic book movie boom has been going on for well over a decade now, so there are plenty of superhero villains to choose from.

List of the best superpowers we all wish we had as voted by the Ranker community. This list of superpowers includes anything we&#39;ve seen in movies, read in comics, or dreamt up ourselves. Just think about how life-changing it would be to have cool superpowers. Have you ever been sitting in traffic and wished that you could just fly to work? Or have you had to run through the airport to catch your plane and thought of how great it would be to just teleport where you wanted to go? Maybe you&#39;d just want to be able to know what your partner is thinking for once. Superhero powers <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-unfortunate-x-men-mutations/tyler-mitchell" target="_blank">may not all be useful</a>, but they&nbsp;can sure come in handy, but just remember Uncle Ben&#39;s famous words, &quot;With great power, comes great responsibility.&quot;

The most-wanted superpowers - even <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/obscure-superpowers-useful/jessica-bedewi" target="_blank">the weird, obscure ones</a> - improve our everyday lives or allow us to become a little greater than we are. If you&#39;ve ever been jealous of superheroes and their different types of awesome super powers, fantasize with this list&nbsp;and pretend you&#39;ve harnessed their powers.&nbsp;Now, you can use this list of superpowers&nbsp;to dream of how your life could be. Share this with your friends and add whatever cool superpowers <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/things-you-wish-you-were-better-at/lauren-slocum?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">you wish you</a> had.&nbsp;

This is a list of the best superpowers we wish were real. Vote up your favorite and add any that aren&#39;t listed yet. &nbsp;

&quot;With great power comes great responsibility.&quot; Yeah, that&#39;s all well and good but no one is perfect. Ranker Comics has gathered thirty different times the good guys crossed the line and became the bad guys! Sometimes it&#39;s a lapse in judgement and other times it&#39;s just flat out insanity. No one said being a hero was going to be easy!

Which <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/superheroes-ranked-by-most-comic-book-appearances/ranker-comics?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book characters</a> and superheroes became the most evil? Make sure you vote up the most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/superheroes-who-became-villains/stephanroget" target="_blank">evil superhero transformations</a> below! These heroes have all had a long day and are a little cranky - so make sure you show them so love.

Adam X the X-Treme

There have been some pretty terrible costumes over the decades of comic book history, but the weird superhero outfits on this list take the cake for the absolute worst. Do headbands, shoulder pads, and exposed chests make you a better hero? It remains to be determined, but probably not. Which comic superheroes have the ugliest and strangest costumes?From classic characters, to lesser known heroes, this list covers all the worst costumes in comics history. Luckily, a few of these characters have been made over (some even have the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-alternate-costumes-in-marvel-comics/ranker-comics">best alternate comic costumes ever</a>), but a few of them got the axe before they were able to get a makeover. Fortunately for fans, tributes their terrible costumes have been immortalized here. Do your favorite heroes have wild costumes? Click through the list below and vote up the worst and weirdest hero fashion faux-pas.

Hercules

Being a superhero is about as manly as it gets. They&#39;re strong, smart, independent, and they save people! You know what else is manly? Beards. Mustaches too.

So why is it the two so rarely coincide? Why are there so many <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/comic-book-characters-with-long-hair/tyler-mitchell" target="_blank">superheroes with tons of hair</a> but no facial scruff? What&#39;s with all the baby-faced heroes running around? Bearded superheroes just kick ass. Logically, a beard would be a pretty big giveaway to your secret identity if you don&#39;t wear a full face mask. Imagine Bruce Wayne trying to convince people he wasn&#39;t Batman but as they both started rocking the exact same Batbeard or Batstache at the exact same time? Also, beards must be really itchy under a Spider-Man-style mask. You&#39;ll notice most of the characters on this least either don&#39;t have a superhero secret identity, or they&#39;re villains, so they don&#39;t need one.

There&#39;s also the fact that beards are much much harder to draw and be consistent with than a clean shaven jaw. But that&#39;s neither here nor there.

A few of these heroes don&#39;t always rock the facial haired look seen on this list of comic book characters with facial hair, but in those cases, the &#39;staches and beards are so badass they speak for themselves.

These are the best uses of facial hair in comic book history! Vote up the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book character</a> with the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/athletes-with-the-best-facial-hair/the-round-mound?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best facial hair</a>, be it a beard, mustache, goatee, or even mutton chops.

Comic Book Characters

Quantum and Woody

Who are the funniest <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book characters</a> and superheroes? It seems like too many superheroes and comic books are too grim. Everything is just too serious. There needs to be a little more humor and fun in comics. Luckily, there are some comic book characters out there that know how to have a little fun and crack a few jokes.&nbsp;Humor in comics is making a comeback and there are handful of funny superheroes out there. Everyone from Deadpool to The Tick to Rocket Raccoon makes an appearance on this list of funniest superheroes. Some of their humor is straight slapstick, while others rely on funny one-liners or witty banter, but there's plenty to go around for these funny superheroes.&nbsp;

Heroes and Villains

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Some guys just want to watch the world burn.

Villains and Bad Guys

Who are the best comic book villains of all time? This list of top supervillains in comics includes some of the most notorious evil-doers in comic book history. Some of them are among the <a href="/crowdranked-list/best-marvel-villains" target="_blank">best Marvel villains</a> like Doctor Doom, Magneto and Galactus. Others are classic <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-comic-book-villains">DC Comics villains</a>&nbsp;like The Joker and Bane. Are they the best (or worst, depending on how you view supervillains)? Vote them up! Feel free to add any great comic book villains who are missing from the list, and you can also re-rank this list your way, in any order you like. Any and all great comic book villains have one thing in common: They are the absolute arch rivals of some of the greatest and <a href="www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-superheroes-all-time" target="_blank">best superheroes</a> in comics' history. Every great protagonist needs a worthy antagonist to balance things out, after all. Several of the top supervillains listed here began their evil careers in comic books, but they quickly took their evil deeds to the big screen, starring in some of the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-superhero-movies-ever-made" target="_blank">best superhero movies ever made</a>.Who do you think are the top comic book villains? Vote now!

The Best Comic Book Villains of all Time

The Best Comic Book Villains

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Sinestro

Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, as well as in a number of television and movie adaptations. He was created in 1961 by John Broome and Gil Kane.
Sinestro is a former Green Lantern who was dishonorably discharged for abusing his power. He is the Green Lanterns' most famous villain, though he occasionally has acted in anti-heroic roles as well.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is a fictional DC Comics supervillainess who is primarily an enemy of Batman. Created by Robert Kanigher and Sheldon Moldoff, she made her first appearance in Batman #181.
Poison Ivy is depicted as one of the world's most prominent eco-terrorists. She is obsessed with plants, botany, and environmentalism. She uses toxins from plants and mind controlling pheromones for her criminal activities, which are usually aimed at protecting the natural environment. Fellow villain Harley Quinn became her recurring partner-in-crime and her best friend. She has proven to be one of Batman's more powerful foes, being one of the few members of the Dark Knight's Rogues Gallery to display anything close to superpowers. The character has been portrayed as a love interest for Batman in some comics. In one comic, she was robbing a charity gala Bruce Wayne was attending. Her first kiss was poison, the second its antidote. When they first meet, her toxic lips planted a seed of toxic rapture in Bruce. But when she later kissed a dying Dark Knight, she unknowingly cured her intended victim and established a budding romantic tension between them.

Ra's al Ghul

Ra's al Ghul is a fictional supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Besides being considered to be one of Batman's greatest enemies, given his high status as a supervillain, Ra's al Ghul has also come into conflict with Superman and other heroes in the DC Universe. He is the son of Sensei, the father of Talia al Ghul, Nyssa Raatko, and Dusan al Ghul, and the grandfather of Damian Wayne. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head".
Ra's al Ghul has been featured in various media adaptions, most notably voiced by David Warner in Batman: The Animated Series and by Dee Bradley Baker in Batman: Arkham City, and was portrayed by actor Liam Neeson in the film Batman Begins and is currently portrayed by actor Matt Nable in the TV Series Arrow.
IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time List ranked Ra's as #7.

Dormammu

Dormammu is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 (November 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books, Dormammu has appeared in six decades of Marvel publications, featuring prominently in the Doctor Strange titles and limited series as a recurring enemy of the mystic hero. The character has also appeared in associated Marvel merchandise including films, animated television series, toys, trading cards, and video games. In 2009, Dormammu was ranked as IGN's 56th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. The character made his film debut in the 2016 film Doctor Strange, performed through motion capture by Benedict Cumberbatch and voiced by Cumberbatch and an unidentified British actor.

Scarlet Witch

Wanda Maximoff is a fictional character, whose code name is Scarlet Witch, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Dimos Dicoudis

Emma Frost

Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129, and was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne.
An urbane, mutant telepath with a well-noted dry wit, also known as the White Queen, Frost has evolved from one of the X-Men's most dangerous foes to one of its most central members and leaders.
Emma Frost appears in many adaptations of the X-Men properties, such as video games, animated programs, and live-action films. January Jones portrayed Emma Frost in the 2011 film X-Men: First Class. Other portrayals of the character include actress Tahyna Tozzi in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Finola Hughes in the 1996 film Generation X.

Hela

Hela is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Asgardian goddess of death is based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niflheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor. Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books, Hela first appeared in Journey into Mystery #102 and was adapted from Norse mythology by editor/writer Stan Lee and artist/writer Jack Kirby. Cate Blanchett portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

Moai

Scarecrow

The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe.

Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.

Bloodline48

Red Hulk

Red Hulk is an alias that used by different characters in Marvel Comics, most notably Thunderbolt Ross and Robert Maverick. Red Hulk has superhuman strength, durability and endurance, comparable to that of the Hulk. However, unlike the Hulk, when he becomes angrier, he does not become stronger, but emits increasing heat.

Mysterio

Mysterio (Quentin Beck) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A failed actor but gifted special effects artist, Quentin Beck turned to villainy when his lofty Hollywood aspirations passed him by. His first major act as a supervillain was to frame Spider-Man for a museum robbery with Beck portraying himself as a hero — it didn't end up working in his favor. Vowing revenge on the webslinger, Mysterio would end up becoming one of Spider-Man's most enduring rogues. The character has appeared in numerous Spider-Man cartoons and video games. In 2009, Mysterio was ranked as IGN's 85th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. The character made his live-action debut portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

Bucky Barnes

Bucky is the name of several fictional characters that were masked superheroes in the Marvel Comics universe. The original one, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby as a sidekick character in Captain America Comics #1, published by Timely Comics. Decades later, the original Bucky was brought back from supposed death as the Winter Soldier, and briefly assumed the role of Captain America when Steve Rogers was presumed to be dead. Sebastian Stan portrays Bucky in the feature film Captain America: The First Avenger and the Winter Soldier in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Stan will reprise the role in the sequel Captain America: Civil War.

Venom 2099

Kron Stone is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics Supervillain from the Marvel 2099 era. The character, created by Pat Mills, Tony Skinner and Tom Morgan, first appeared in The Punisher 2099 #1 as well as in Spider-Man 2099 #35 as Venom and in Timestorm 2009-2099 #1 as Scorpion. After a short skirmish, Gallows finds Stone and fatally wounds him with a knife and dumps his body into the sewer. Following the altercation, Kron lies dying in the sewer, his body brushed up against a black ball. The ball then bonds with him and becomes the Venom of 2099. 

Jean Grey

Jean Grey, or Jean Grey-Summers, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Jean Grey has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix, and Dark Phoenix. She is known for her relationship with Cyclops, and for her central role and transformation in the X-Men storyline "The Dark Phoenix Saga". Jean Grey is a mutant born with telepathic and telekinetic powers. 

Surtur

Surtur is a fictional demon appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He usually appears as a supervillain in stories featuring the Norse hero Thor. The character was based on the fire giant Surtr from Norse mythology, and was adapted by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Journey into Mystery #97 (October 1963). The character was once described as one of "The Ten Most Heinous Enemies of the Mighty Thor". Surtur appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Ragnarok, motion-captured by Taika Waititi, and voiced by Clancy Brown.

Ronan the Accuser

Ronan the Accuser is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the Supreme Accuser of the Kree Empire, the militaristic government of the fictional alien race known as the Kree, and is commonly depicted as an adversary of superhero teams such as the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various media, including several animated television series and video games. Lee Pace portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Captain Marvel (2019).

Super-Skrull

The Super-Skrull is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.

Rogue

Rogue is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. She debuted in Avengers Annual #10 as a villain, but then joined the X-Men.
Rogue is part of a subspecies of humans called mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. Rogue has the involuntary ability to absorb and sometimes also remove the memories, physical strength, and superpowers of anyone she touches. Therefore, Rogue considers her powers a curse. For most of her life, she limited her physical contact with others, including her on-off love interest, Gambit, but after many years Rogue finally gained full control over her mutant ability.
Hailing from the fictional Caldecott County, Mississippi, Rogue is the X-Men's self-described southern belle. A runaway, she was adopted by Mystique of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and grew up as a villain. After Rogue permanently absorbs Ms. Marvel's psyche and Kree powers, she reforms and turns to the X-Men, fearing for her sanity. Rogue's real name and early history were not revealed until nearly twenty years after her introduction.

Vulture

The Vulture is an alias used by several fictional supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to use the alias is Adrian Toomes, a recurring enemy of Spider-Man, and the second villain he encountered, after the Chameleon. Over the years, other characters have taken the mantle as enemies of Spider-Man, but Toomes is still the most recurring and well-known Vulture. The character has been depicted in numerous Spider-Man cartoons and video games. Michael Keaton portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).

Mister Negative

Mister Negative is a fictional comic book supervillain, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an enemy of Spider-Man and the Punisher. Created by Dan Slott, Steve McNiven, and Phil Jimenez, Mister Negative first appeared in a cameo in Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift, a Free Comic Book Day issue set after the events of the Spider-Man: One More Day storyline. Mister Negative's first full appearance came in The Amazing Spider-Man #546; the start of the "Brand New Day" storyline.
Mister Negative is the second villain in the "Brand New Day" storyline of Spider-Man, immediately following the events of "One More Day".

Red She Hulk

Constrictor

Constrictor is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. Constrictor first appeared in Incredible Hulk vol.1 #212 and was created by Len Wein and Sal Buscema.

Prowler

The Prowler is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comics published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and John Buscema, Prowler made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #78. While several other characters have also taken up the character's identity, the first version developed a high-tech battle suit in order to start a life of crime until Spider-Man convinces him to turn his life around.

J. Jonah Jameson

John Jonah Jameson, Jr. is a supporting character of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics Universe.
Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and once served as the mayor of New York City. Recognizable by his toothbrush moustache, flattop haircut, and ever-present cigar, he carries out a smear campaign against Spider-Man that has, at least temporarily, turned much of the gullible city against the hero. He employs photojournalist Peter Parker, who, unbeknownst to Jameson, is Spider-Man himself.
Portrayals of Jameson have varied throughout the years. Sometimes he is shown as a foolishly stubborn and pompous skinflint who micromanages his employees and resents Spider-Man out of jealousy. Other writers have portrayed him more humanly, as a humorously obnoxious yet caring boss who nevertheless has shown great bravery and integrity in the face of the assorted villains with which the Bugle comes into contact, and whose campaign against Spider-Man comes more from fear of youngsters following his example. In either case, he has remained an important part of the Spider-Man mythos.

Erik Killmonger

Erik Killmonger is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler, the character first appeared in Jungle Action vol. 2, #6 (Sept. 1973). Killmonger, whose birth name is N'Jadaka, is an enemy of Black Panther. Michael B. Jordan portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther (2018).

Who are the best comic book villains of all time? This list includes some of the most notorious evil-doers in comic book history. (Page 2)