Rank and File: Comic Book Movie Villains!

Martinex1: There is an old saying that the "villain makes the hero."   The bigger the threat, the more heroic all of the counter actions seem.   The more dramatic, relatable (yet dastardly) the antagonist, the more grand the hero becomes.

I believe that to be true in film as well.  The better action and suspense movies have the most understandable but violent threats.  The more evil the bad guy, the more fun the movie.

When it comes to movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I tend to be so enamored by what they have put on screen that I am not always as critical when I first view the film.  After a second or third look, however, I start to pick apart the plots and devices and particularly the villainy of each piece.

So let's rank and file the Marvel villains in movies to date.  I am  interested in the Marvel films for sure, but feel free to throw in DC's nemesis, etc.  No need to rank them all either; give us your top three and bottom three if you like.  And some explanation stirs the conversation so share as you see fit.

Let's start with my bottom 3, as I think it will help outline my mindset.

Villain minus 1) Baron Zemo:  If you follow Captain America or Avengers on a regular basis, you would know that Zemo is a mastermind to be reckoned with.  He is a schemer and a madman with little respect for life.  And to top it all off, his plans usually make sense and have a great chance of success. In fact he led the Masters of Evil through the greatest siege of Avengers mansion ever, nearly decimating the heroes in their own home.   On screen, Zemo's plan is very convoluted and relies on a lot of coincidences for all of the factors to come into play; it really falls apart on multiple viewings.  He also does not have the gravitas or employ the motivational speeches that make him so formidable in the comics.  Last but not least, if your mask is not stuck to your face with Adhesive X - you are just not a Zemo.  I wanted to love the character, but he ended up seeming like a mid-range James Bond villain not a Marvel megalomaniac.

Villain minus 2) Ronan the Accuser.  Unlike my knowledge of Zemo,  I did not know or remember a lot of backstory for Ronan before I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy.  So the character was a relatively blank slate.  What I realized, despite loving the movie, is that Ronan added very little and to this day I don't have a clear idea of what he was trying to achieve other than to get the gem and take out all of his enemies.   Was it too simple and specific a motivation?  Was it just unrelatable?  I found my mind wandering every time he was on screen yacking about power or vengeance or something.   Supposedly he is going to get a second chance in the Captain Marvel movie (which jumps back in time to the Kree-Skrull War!)  They really need to flesh out Ronan; perhaps we will see something more interesting.

Villain  minus 3) Yellowjacket.  I enjoyed the Ant-Man movie and rank it in my top 5 Marvel films.   And Cross definitely had a plot and  motivation behind his schemes.   But I have to ask, "Why Yellowjacket?"   Why take a hero with a long history that could build dramatically on the Pym character, and turn him into a one-off villain?  Classic character change, classic costume, and classic series of storylines all go down the drain (at least until a reboot).  If I didn't know so much about the comic book character, I probably would have liked this guy more.

And now my top 3:

3) Whiplash:  Okay, okay... I expect the comments to be loaded with both derision and well-wishes for my deteriorating mind, but I found Whiplash very entertaining.  Mickey Rourke portrayed the guy as an over-the-top madman. Yes, I wanted the classic Whiplash costume, but once I got past that, this guy was 100% Silver Age Cold War craziness wrapped up in a layer of scenery-chewing bravado.  Some villains have to be over the top.  The confidence in this character made him an adequate threat to Iron Man.  He also played nicely off of his Justin Hammer counterpart who was a mealy mouthed cowardly conniver with a mean streak.  I think Iron Man II is worth a second look.

2)  (Tie) The Asguardians Loki and Hela: The Thor movies have really given us some outstanding villains in the run.  Loki is portrayed as the trickster he always was in the comics; although a sarcastic schemer, there was always something redemptive about him.  And Hela blew it away in Ragnarok;  if anything her costume finally brought a bit of the Kirby madness to the silver screen.

1) Robert Redford: I have no recollection of what his name was in the second Captain America flick, but his character was by far the most sinister and evil of the bunch.   That movie leads my picks for Marvel recommendations, and aside from the tremendous action his villainy made it the most intriguing.

Some honorable and dishonorable mentions:  I liked Ego but it would have been nice to see him as "the living planet" more; I kept waiting for Kurt Russell to really be the planet - that was a missed opportunity.  Ultron lost out in my eyes because much of his story had to be rushed; I think Ultron is something that could have evolved over a longer period of time. And ultimately his world domination play is boring and overused.   I liked the Mandarin, and I still think there is another twist coming with that character; I don't think we are supposed to believe all that was revealed.  Crossbones was great; I thought he died too soon as they did a nice job of developing his "badness" and he seemed able and willing to go toe-to-toe with Cap.  Killmonger and Iron Monger were okay; to me they served as viable opposites to the heroes' points of view.

So what do you think?  How do you rank any or all of the cinematic villains?  This does not have to be Marvel specific (I am just more familiar with those characters).  Voice your opinion and let's get the debate rolling.  Cheers!

Rank and File: Marvel Leaders

Martinex1: Hello everyone!  Thanks for joining us this Tuesday for another round of "Rank and File."   This time instead of looking at movies, we are going to focus on leaders from the Marvel universe.   Through their decades of publishing, Marvel has created and established a myriad of characters who have leadership skills.   Good or bad, hero or villain, there are dozens of candidates to consider. There are tactical leaders and monarchs and newspaper publishers and criminal emperors.  So list your own personal top five bosses and also share one example of a leader that you don't like.  


Here are my top five Marvel leaders:


1) Captain America.  This one goes without explanation, doesn't it?   Everybody turns to Cap when they need guidance.   He is strategic and tactical.  He is calm under pressure and always on the right side.   His only weakness seems to be his ability to maintain a long term personal relationship (just ask Bernie or Diamondback).
2) Hawkeye.  I enjoyed his stints with the West Coast Avengers, Great Lakes Avengers, and Thunderbolts.   I find his flaws incredibly engaging (from a reader's standpoint).    He is always trying to be better while bordering on arrogant incompetence.  Somehow sheer will and good intentions make the difference.
3) Baron Zemo.  Not that I would want to follow him - but he is particularly driven, always has a complex and competent plan, and the will to get it done.  Whether battling the Avengers or leading the Thunderbolts, he is extremely watchable and is one villain that I strangely root for.
4) Nick Fury: Whether with the Howling Commandos or with S.H.I.E.L.D, nobody commands respect like Fury.  Cantankerous and gruff - he is tough in all the right ways.  I was always surprised he never outright led an A-List superhero team back in the Bronze Age.   As far as sheer crabbiness as a style, I almost put J. Jonah Jameson in this spot, but I have to give it to Nick.
5) The Wasp.  She was not the strongest nor the most capable.   But I respected how Roger Stern scripted her during the classic "Siege on Avengers Mansion" storyline.  She understood her own weaknesses but worked hard to surround herself with talents she didn't have and pushed forward through overwhelming odds.


Sure my picks tend to be Avengers' centric, but there are so many good choices and a favorite of mine, Namor Prince of Atlantis just narrowly missed the cut.


As far as my least favorite - he may not be the "worst" but I just don't grok why the Fantastic Four follow Reed Richards.  He may have a brilliant mind, but he seems to lead the team into a lot of trouble.  He is so obsessively distracted that he is a poor communicator.  Thumbs down from me.


Though there are more options than I can depict, take a gander at some leaders below and using whatever criteria you deem adequate make your selections and share your thoughts.


Until Irving Forbush leads the FF, make mine BIBTA....






Nick Fury with the Howling Commandos and S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Black Bolt of the Inhumans?

 

 



Zemo with the Masters of Evil and Thunderbolts?

How about the Wasp?  She had a memorable chairmanship on the Avengers.

 

Night Thrasher of the New Warriors?



Professor X?

 

Black Panther, King or Wakanda?

 

Cyclops and the X-Men?



Namor, King of Atlantis?



Guardian from Alpha Flight?

Iron Man of the Avengers?

Captain America of Avengers and Invaders fame?



Dr. Doom - Ruler of Latveria?

Dr. Strange and the Defenders?







Odin, Ruler of Asgard?



Black Widow of the Champions?



Vance Astro of the GOTG?