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!

Chew The Fat: The Golden Age through Bronze Age Glasses!

Martinex1: Are we the last generation to appreciate Golden Age comics?

When I started collecting comics around the mid 1970s, the world was barely 30 years removed from the end of World War II.   At the time many of the comic creators were still from a group raised from the Great Depression era through the post-war 1950's.   There was a certain perspective around heroism and honor that I believe is specific to that age and was reflected in many Silver and Bronze Age works. 

The Golden Age of comics was in the rear view mirror but there were so many remnants in key Marvel issues that I enjoy even today.  Roy Thomas played a big part in that as he brought many of the characters forward in time or in unique or altered ways.   Take a look at these Marvel offerings with hints of the Golden Age sprinkled in (or bluntly apparent). 

Sometimes a name was just put back into play.  In other cases a character was resurrected.   And in yet others the stories were framed in a WWII milieu.

In addition we were exposed to reprints that collected some of the old great stories.  This was particularly apparent in the Fantasy Masterpieces collections from the late 1960s.   These particular issues were floating around in a cousin's collection.

Of course the original Invaders were key (though they weren't called that at the time).  Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner leapt off the pages but they weren't necessarily the characters I adored.   It confused me as a youngster - these doppelgangers were sometimes violent, odd, and brutal.   There were times that I was shocked and even frightened by the murders, suicides, and vengeful retribution that filled the books.  Later it clicked that they were created at a different time and that they were essentially prototypes of what I had come to know and admire.  

As I grew older and started visiting the local comic shops, I was exposed more to those original early comics.  I remember first learning of the "Golden Age" moniker through labeling on special poly bags, boards, and boxes designed for the larger size of the issues.

I have to admit though that I did not collect the issues.  Somehow - through osmosis I guess - I absorbed a fairly good understanding of the early heroes, their powers, and general attributes.  Here are a handful that caught my eye.  Yellowjacket and the Vision were of particular interest because of their modern link to the Avengers.   The Black Terror reminded me of the Grim Reaper.   And Daredevil, despite his namesake looked like 3-D Man to me. 

And of course DC characters made the leap from the  Golden Age to the Silver Age, often with limited changes.

Don't get me wrong - I am no expert on the era.   I like to look at the work with a slight nostalgic twinge.  And that makes me come full circle - are we the last generation to have any exposure to these comics and have an appreciation for how they led to more accessible stories, the refined art, and even the modern movies that entertain us today?   Did you collect Golden Age work?  What do you know and what do you recommend?   Who are the creators that we should seek out if we explore the works of the time?  We talk about the selling market for Bronze Age works, but what is the market for Golden Age comics?   Are they worth exploring for their historical perspective - both honorable and horrific?  Let's chew the fat today!  Cheers all!

Rank And File: The Little Six!

Martinex1: Earlier in the week, we ranked the "Big Six," the iconic heroes from the Avengers and JLA (see Monday's post).   Now I want to focus on the next wave.   There are characters in those teams that are nearly indispensable when discussing the groups' histories. 

So today, let's rank and file the "Little Six," the core team members just behind Captain America, Batman, Superman, and the rest.  I've narrowed the list down to three long term heroes from DC and Marvel:  Hawkeye, Green Lantern, Vision, Flash, Aquaman, and Yellowjacket (or any of Hank Pym's identities if you prefer)!

And don't fret that I have no female characters on this list.   I have a special Rank and File just in the wings to highlight the greater gender!  I couldn't deny the significant contribution of today's heroes, and found that there were many more I wanted to discuss, so watch for that soon.

 As for this round, here are my rankings:

1. Yellowjacket (Hank Pym / Giant Man / Goliath):  The Avengers would not be the same without Hank hanging around - even intermittently.   Despite the character's flaws that were significantly increased during the Bronze Age, I had always liked Hank's early involvement, powerset, and costumes.   That still carries through for me.

2. Hawkeye: Likewise Clint was an important part of the early Avengers with his sarcasm and attitude.   He was a reformed villain and that aspect has always been part of the Avengers' approach and milieu. I think Hawkeye was a model for many characters to come later - a hero at heart but not perfect by any means.  He was arrogant, sometimes abrasive, sometimes hilarious; he was the heart of the team for so long and a leader despite himself.  With limited abilities and no real power, I still enjoy his exploits.

3. Flash:  When we previously reviewed the Big Six, it struck me that out of all of the DC heroes I collected the most solo comics of the Flash - even more than Batman or Superman.    He has a great rogues gallery and even though his power is only speed, he uses it in fascinating and inventive ways.  I definitely prefer the Wally West version over the Barry Allen Flash - much of that has to do with the Mark Waid penned issues.  The Flash started the Silver Age and I still enjoy the old covers and craziness.

4. Green Lantern:  Like the above, I collected more Green Lantern than the Trinity characters.   I did think Hal Jordan was a bit of a bore in most situations.   And I wanted his space adventures to be better than they were.   It would have been amazing if somebody like Jim Starlin ever took a shot at the character.   But I liked some arcs of the series quite a bit.  His power often acted as deus ex machina, but there was something about Oa, the Guardians, the Corp, and the rest of the world created around Hal that I enjoyed.

5. Vision: This may be a shock as I really love the character, but I struggled to rank him higher.   I find that all  the things I enjoy about the Vision happened between his first appearance and about issue 110 of the Avengers.   Unlike others that visit this site, I missed the first run of the Englehart years and in retrospect those did not sit as well with me when I returned to them.   Many of the stories printed after that period starring the Vision left me flat.   I feel like most of the true character development was done much earlier.   And I think that the marriage to the Scarlet Witch and his eventual deconstruction was bungled.   I have not read his most recent series at all.

6. Aquaman:  I suspect that many of our visitors today will rank Aquaman low on this poll.  I just don't know that much about him.   And I greatly prefer his counterpart Namor.  But it is probably ignorance that drives this decision, as many of his books' art from the late Silver and early Bronze ages looks great.

So now it is back to you.   What do you have to say about these second tier heroes from the powerhouse teams?