7 Great Marvel Villains Who Barely Appeared

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For decades, Marvel has redefined how we view superheroes and villains. They moved beyond traditional, larger-than-life heroes like Superman and Batman by adding depth and relatable human qualities to their characters. This approach also applies to their villains, resulting in some of the most memorable and complex antagonists in storytelling. The most successful villains immediately grab our attention and leave us wanting to see more, though that doesn’t always happen.

Marvel is known for its great villains, but many interesting ones don’t get the attention they deserve. The most famous villains tend to overshadow newer, equally compelling characters, leaving them underutilized. Here are seven Marvel villains who are fantastic but haven’t appeared often enough.

7) Michael Korvac

Over the years, the Avengers have faced many incredible villains, but Michael Korvac stands out as particularly devastating. Originally a human slave from the 30th century who achieved god-like powers, Korvac was the focus of a storyline where he defeated both the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite his immense power, he hasn’t appeared much since. His recent return in a story by Christopher Cantwell featuring Iron Man marked his first major appearance in years. Korvac is strong enough to challenge any hero, and with more focus from Marvel, he could become a much more well-known villain.

6) Emperor D’Ken

Emperor D’Ken is a significant figure in X-Men history; Cyclops and Havok wouldn’t have joined the team without his initial story. As the emperor of the Shi’Ar Empire during a pivotal period for the X-Men comics, he fit the classic villainous emperor archetype perfectly. While his descent into madness due to power is a common trope, D’Ken was a compelling and entertaining version of it. He didn’t last long in his first appearance, and has largely been featured in alternate reality stories since. Though resurrected in “The Rise and Fall of the Shi’Ar Empire,” he was killed off again within that same storyline. It’s unfortunate, as his character could be a great fit for the more cosmic side of the Marvel Universe as a powerful, unstable ruler.

5) Chimera

Chimera debuted in Wolverine #97, where she was hired by Genesis, Cable’s son, to capture Wolverine. Her mutant ability lets her create and launch energy dragons – a really impressive power! She also has a witty, sarcastic personality that makes her instantly likable. Despite having a cool skillset and a lot of potential, Chimera remains a relatively unknown character. It’s surprising she hasn’t appeared more often, especially during the recent Krakoa era (and if she did, it wasn’t memorable). She has a lot of untapped potential and could easily become a major character if given the chance.

4) Genocide

Genocide is a compelling character with a unique background. He’s the son of Apocalypse and the original Famine, one of Apocalypse’s Horsemen. There’s a connection to a villain named Holocaust from the ‘Age of Apocalypse’ storyline – they might be versions of each other from different universes, though Holocaust’s origins are a mystery. Genocide’s most significant appearances were in the ‘Dark Angel Saga’ within the Uncanny X-Force comic series. What really makes him stand out is his personality. Young William isn’t inherently evil; he simply craves acceptance and will follow orders to gain approval. He’s been raised believing he’s Apocalypse’s heir and desperately wants to prove himself. He has a lot of potential as a villain, and his look is exactly what fans respond to.

3) Bloodscream

Wolverine is known for battling tough enemies, but his most compelling villains are those he has a personal history with. These foes add an extra layer of interest to their conflicts. Bloodscream is one such villain with the potential for a strong rivalry, though it hasn’t been fully explored. This vampire seeks to end his curse by drinking Wolverine’s blood, and over the past four decades, he’s appeared in several enjoyable stories. With a little more development, Bloodscream could easily become one of Wolverine’s major adversaries.

2) Morlun

Morlun debuted in a highly-regarded 21st-century Spider-Man storyline written by J. Michael Straczynski. He’s a unique villain – an energy vampire who specifically targets individuals connected to the Spider-Totem, the source of Spider-Man’s powers. Their first encounter was a brutal fight, culminating in Morlun seemingly killing Spider-Man in “The Other.” However, Peter Parker was brought back to life and ultimately defeated him. Morlun has since appeared in events like “Spider-Verse,” where it was revealed he’s one of many interdimensional beings who hunt and kill Spider-People across the multiverse. Despite being a significant character in Spider-Man’s history for nearly 25 years, he hasn’t appeared in many stories – surprisingly less than ten.

1) The Apocalypse Twins

I’m a big fan of the Apocalypse Twins, who I think are seriously underrated Marvel villains. These twins, Eimin and Uriel, are the children of Archangel and a being called Pestilence. They had a rough upbringing – Kang kidnapped them and raised them in the Red Skull’s future concentration camp, hoping to turn them into weapons. Kang wanted to exploit their unique powers – which involve manipulating time and come from their Celestial heritage – to defeat the Avengers and conquer the world. However, the twins had other ideas. They escaped his control and devised a plan to have the Earth destroyed by the Celestials, aiming to create a new future where mutants could have their own planet. The Avengers Unity Squad, with help from Havok, Beast, and the Wasp, managed to travel back in time and stop them, but that’s been their only major appearance so far. They’re fantastic villains with incredible potential, and it’s a shame Marvel hasn’t used them more, especially as major threats to the X-Men and Avengers.

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2025-11-30 18:15