10 Great Marvel Villains You Forgot Were Awesome

Marvel is famous for its compelling villains, arguably some of the best in comics. Because the Marvel Universe has traditionally felt more realistic than DC’s, Marvel has been able to create villains with unique depth and complexity. While they have their share of simple, one-dimensional antagonists, many Marvel villains are incredibly well-developed, captivating readers for generations and standing as equals to the heroes themselves. Though characters like the most famous villains are widely known, there’s a whole host of equally interesting villains who often fly under the radar.

These villains used to show up in comics more frequently, but when comic books shifted from single-issue stories to longer, collected storylines, they became less common, overshadowed by more popular enemies. That’s a shame, because they’re all incredibly interesting characters with a lot of potential. Here are ten Marvel villains who deserve another chance in the spotlight.

10) Lady Deathstrike

Wolverine is renowned for his skills and has a long history of battling formidable enemies. Many of his greatest foes are driven by deep-seated grudges and a desire for revenge. Lady Deathstrike is a prime example; she transformed herself into a cybernetic warrior after Weapon X stole her father’s research on bonding adamantium to bone, sparking a relentless rivalry. Over time, Lady Deathstrike has become a complex character, shifting between villainy and potential heroism. Her cybernetic enhancements allow her to recover from any defeat, and she’s even clashed with heroes like Captain America. She’s consistently a powerful threat, and it feels like she’s on the verge of truly reaching her full potential.

9) Bloodscream

Centuries ago, Bloodscream became a vampire and has been relentlessly seeking the blood of an immortal – specifically, Wolverine – hoping it will finally end his cursed existence. A hired gun who frequently teams up with the Asgardian troll Roughhouse, Bloodscream primarily clashes with Wolverine. Despite being a villain, he’s a compelling character adaptable to many stories. Given Marvel’s roster of formidable mercenaries, Bloodscream deserves recognition among them. He’s versatile enough to battle various heroes and, with a bit more focus, could become a truly impactful and sympathetic figure.

8) Vulture

Spider-Man has a lot of dangerous enemies, but the Vulture is often overlooked. Adrian Toomes, after losing his business to a dishonest partner, built a flying suit and turned to crime to provide for his family. While the movie *Spider-Man: Homecoming* gave him some recognition, he isn’t a major threat in the comics anymore. Despite this, the Vulture is an original member of the Sinister Six and has a striking appearance. He’s a relatable villain who could realistically show up in any story against any hero. He recently even fought Nightcrawler while disguised as Spider-Man, proving he still appears in comics. It’s time for the Vulture to have a significant storyline of his own – if a character like Tombstone can lead an entire Spider-Man series, the Vulture certainly could too.

7) Harry Osborn as Green Goblin

Norman Osborn is a central figure in Spider-Man’s story, but his son, Harry, often gets overlooked in the main Marvel Universe. Although Harry became the Green Goblin in a different version of the story, he and Peter Parker were originally best friends. After Norman’s supposed death, Harry struggled and eventually married Liz Allen. Discovering Peter was Spider-Man drove him insane, leading him to find his father’s old Green Goblin equipment and seek revenge. Their battles were difficult, but Harry was outmatched without powers. He gained those powers by using an improved version of the Goblin formula, which made him even more unstable. This led to a final, fatal confrontation with Spider-Man. While he has been brought back to life, that storyline was later changed.

I’m a huge fan of Harry Osborn’s run as the Green Goblin – it’s seriously underrated! It’s a shame so many people forget about it since it was over three decades ago, because in my opinion, he was the *best* Green Goblin. What really made it special was how deeply his story was connected to Peter Parker and their families – it created such a compelling and emotional narrative. If you want to see it at its finest, I highly recommend checking out *The Spectacular Spider-Man* issues #175 through #200. J.M. DeMatteis and Sal Buscema really built something incredible over those 25 issues.

6) Nitro

Nitro might not seem like a particularly impressive villain at first, but he has a certain appeal. His power lets him explode – with the force of up to 250 pounds of dynamite – and then reform from a gaseous state. He can even explode just parts of himself, which helps him heal faster. While he’s fought heroes like the original Captain Marvel (and his powers contributed to Mar-Vell’s cancer), Nitro mostly stayed on the sidelines until the events of *Civil War*, when his explosion leveled Stamford, Connecticut. He’s not a complex character; he simply enjoys causing explosions and getting what he wants. He’s a fun villain who likely won’t ever be a top-tier threat, but that’s part of what makes him so enjoyable.

5) Moonstone

I’ve always been fascinated by Moonstone, aka Dr. Karla Soren! She gained incredible powers from this mysterious stone – super strength, the ability to change her density, energy blasts, and even flight! Honestly, she started out as a pretty low-level villain, but things really changed when she teamed up with the Masters of Evil and actually *beat* the Avengers during “Under Siege”! That’s how she got connected with Baron Zemo, and eventually joined the Thunderbolts. She even *led* the team for a while! But old habits die hard, and she eventually went back to being a villain, first with a government-backed version of the Thunderbolts, and then as a Dark Avenger, posing as Ms. Marvel. She’s just a really compelling character – super strong, incredibly intelligent, and honestly, a perfect match for any hero. She’s fierce, she’s got a temper, and she’s a fantastic villain through and through.

4) Graviton

Graviton is a fairly standard villain: a scientist whose experiment went wrong, giving him the power to control gravity within a three-mile range. He then chose to use those powers for evil. Essentially, he’s a straightforward but incredibly strong antagonist capable of overpowering even the most formidable hero teams. Despite his simplicity, Graviton has huge potential and could fit into many different storylines. He’s a versatile villain who deserves to appear more often – he just needs the right story to make it happen.

3) Count Nefaria

Marvel once featured a criminal organization called the Maggia, essentially a superpowered mafia, led by the formidable Count Nefaria. Nefaria is a powerful villain who has clashed with major teams like the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Thunderbolts. He uses ionic energy to overwhelm his opponents, and has even gone toe-to-toe with Thor – a testament to his strength. The Maggia has been largely absent from Marvel stories recently, making Nefaria an ideal character to revive the group. He’s a truly impressive villain, having defeated a particularly strong Avengers lineup.

2) Mojo

The X-Men have a fantastic collection of villains. These enemies range from evil mutants and prejudiced humans to the truly bizarre Mojo. Mojo rules a dimension called the Mojoverse with an army called the Spineless Ones, who are obsessed with being entertained. He maintains his power by providing them with incredibly violent and sensational spectacles – think gladiatorial combat and extreme entertainment – and creating powerful warriors. Essentially, Mojo is the ultimate sleazy television producer. He doesn’t appear frequently, but when he does, he always makes a big impact. While he hasn’t been a major player in recent X-Men stories, it’s time he expanded his reach and started tormenting some new heroes to boost his ratings.

1) Cyber

Cyber is a long-standing enemy of Wolverine, dating back to World War I. He’s a relatively minor psychic villain with enhanced abilities – he can heal quickly, possesses super strength, and has adamantium bonded to his skin. As a powerful physical fighter, Cyber uses retractable claws that inject enemies with hallucinogens, making them vulnerable to his psychic attacks. He also has the ability to transfer his consciousness into other bodies, effectively making him incredibly difficult to kill. Cyber is a formidable opponent, capable of defeating most heroes and potentially rising to become a major villain.

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2025-10-08 20:51