10 Worst Villain Costumes in Marvel

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Marvel boasts an impressive collection of iconic villains in the realm of superheroes. Not every antagonist can be a hit, but Marvel’s grittier universe has spawned numerous villains that captivate fans. A significant factor contributing to their popularity is their striking costumes. Marvel’s costume design has long been one of its key assets, enhancing the visual appeal of these villains and often making them stand out with some of the most visually arresting costumes in history. From Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Loki, their costumes are among the greatest villain costumes ever seen, and that’s not up for debate. However, it should be noted that not all Marvel villain costumes are impressive; some of them are downright abysmal.

Many factors contribute to a villain’s costume being subpar. Some designs don’t align with the villain’s character, either being too flashy or lacking in impact. Others are mere imitations of past designs, and some leave you puzzled as to their creative inspiration. This list showcases ten Marvel villain costumes that stand out as the epitome of bad design. Occasionally, these ill-conceived outfits are donned by villains who should be more discerning, and in certain cases, they have even hindered a villain’s career trajectory.

10) Thanos’s First Costume

Thanos is one of Marvel’s most formidable villains with a long history. Although his initial appearance in Iron Man #55 showcased an iconic costume, it can’t be argued that he was stylishly menacing from the start due to its resemblance to Jack Kirby’s characters Darkseid and Metron. His first outfit featured bare arms and legs like Darkseid, but this design didn’t quite suit Thanos. There are hints of his future costumes in this early design, yet it falls short. Fortunately, creator Jim Starlin would refine the costume over time, resulting in the impressive version we see today. However, the original version of Thanos’s costume doesn’t measure up to that standard.

9) Magneto’s “M” Logo Costume

Similar to Thanos, Magneto boasts one of the most iconic costumes in comic book history. Jack Kirby certainly knew his stuff when he designed this fashionable marvel, and artists agreed that it didn’t require any alterations for several decades. However, all that changed in the mid-80s when Magneto received the “M” logo costume. While many fans adore this outfit, I personally find it disappointing. Throughout his evolution, Magneto has undergone numerous changes, but this costume marks one of the worst transformations in his career. Removing Magneto’s helmet significantly diminishes the character, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The high gloves on his biceps and bare shoulders are questionable choices, and the solid purple is rather uninteresting. The “M” logo emblazoned on his chest is an odd decision, and it seems to harken back to a bygone era of superhero comics, which doesn’t align well with Magneto as a character.

8) Knull’s Costume

In my opinion, Knull’s costume falls short in conveying the grandeur and menace that this powerful comic villain embodies. It’s a standard design with black coloring, some armored details, a cape, and a dragon emblem – which, let’s be honest, is quite similar to Venom’s spider logo. This lack of originality is one of the many issues with Knull’s costume.

I expected a formidable villain like Knull to have a regal or imposing costume, but this one doesn’t deliver that impression. Instead, it seems rather generic and unremarkable. Interestingly, despite its simplicity, Knull’s character somehow manages to maintain popularity. I can’t help but wonder what legendary comic book creator Jack Kirby would have done with this design if he had the chance – I imagine it would have been exceptional.

7) Stryfe’s Armor

Rob Liefeld gained significant popularity when he transitioned to Marvel and began working on X-Men comics. The ’90s was a time when Marvel gave artists more creative control, and Liefeld was one of the most imaginative among them. However, this wasn’t necessarily beneficial as Liefeld was creative but lacked in producing quality work. His style was characterized by exaggerated features such as large shoulder pads, bandoliers, pouches, and spikes. While there are some well-regarded designs from his portfolio (like the original Shatterstar costume), there are also some truly abysmal ones, with Stryfe’s design being a prime example. The chrome armor with an oversized helmet is visually striking but falls short in terms of practicality and overall quality. Upon closer inspection, one realizes that Liefeld’s art could be improved upon by anyone with minimal effort.

6) Onslaught’s Phase Two Armor

The design of Onslaught is either adored or disliked, depending on one’s perspective. Personally, I’ve always been fond of Onslaught’s initial armor (and the Onslaught storyline itself, if you dare challenge me), but the second phase of Onslaught’s armor leaves much to be desired. Frankly, there was no compelling reason for this transformation, and it marked a significant decline. They attempted to depict Onslaugh as “mutating,” but in truth, he seemed to be deteriorating. The hunched posture was intended to appear menacing, but instead, it came off as comical. At least they maintained the purple and red color scheme, but otherwise, this redesign falls short. Only a handful of artists can make it tolerable — primarily Joe Madureira and Adam Kubert — but if you want to witness the most abysmal interpretation, search for when Rob Liefeld illustrated it. It truly highlights just how disastrous this redesign was.

5) Whirlwind’s First Armor

As a supporter, I’d rephrase it like this:

I find myself in the camp of those who think Whirlwind, an adversary of the Avengers, is more stylish than his costume suggests. While there are some elements of his attire that aren’t too shabby – the helmet isn’t atrocious and the green hue is quite appealing – I can’t help but feel that the overall design falls short.

Given Whirlwind’s mutant ability to spin at high speeds, generating a whirlwind of debris around him, it seems odd that his costume exposes so much skin. And when it comes to superhero and villain costumes, I believe they are at their finest when they convey something about the character wearing them. Unfortunately, Whirlwind’s attire fails to do this – it simply doesn’t resonate or make a statement about him in any meaningful way. All in all, his costume leaves much to be desired, but fortunately, he would later don some significantly improved ensembles.

4) Gladiator

In the Marvel Universe, you’ll find two characters known as Gladiators. One commands the Shi’Ar Imperial Guard and is highly regarded, while the other operates at street level and falls short of impressive. The helmet design of this Gladiator resembles Roman gladiator masks. Unfortunately, his costume leaves much to be desired. While the helmet could be considered average, the rest of the armor lacks any unique or special qualities. Even the circular saw blades on his wrists, which might seem appealing, fail to live up to expectations, much like other aspects of the costume. Regrettably, this Gladiator is seldom seen in modern times, and I believe this could be due to his unimpressive appearance, as well as the fact that the other Gladiator consistently outshines him.

3) Immortus’s Costume

In common terms, “Kang the Conqueror is often criticized as being ‘plain’ or ‘uninteresting’ in his appearance.” Kang’s armor, designed by Jack Kirby, is considered one of his best works, with only minor alterations over time. However, most costumes worn by Kang throughout his existence are generally well-regarded. The exception to this rule is his Immortus costume, which features green, purple, and yellow colors. Although these colors are acceptable, the costume lacks any unique or striking elements. While the helmet of the Immortus costume stands out, this doesn’t necessarily mean it stands out in a positive way. In my opinion, the main issue with this costume is its simplicity, as there isn’t much else to catch one’s eye, which is unfortunate given that Kang has donned armors such as Iron Lad, Kang, and Scarlet Centurion. Throughout his existence, Immortus has been considered the least impressive manifestation of Kang, and his costume reflects this sentiment.

2) Moonstone’s Original Costume

Throughout the years, Moonstone has sported some impressive outfits, but none have been more memorable than her Meteorite costume from The Thunderbolts. The one she donned in the late ’00s isn’t far behind in terms of greatness. However, her initial costume left much to be desired. The helmet was truly lackluster; it simply wasn’t up to par. Moreover, the design of the outfit itself wasn’t flattering – concealing her face while leaving her arms exposed seemed an odd choice. Simplicity can sometimes be effective, but this particular outfit was too minimalistic for its own good, aside from the helmet.

1) The Orb

Among the lesser-known antagonists, The Orb is a character who garners a small but dedicated fanbase, with writer Jason Aaron being one of them, featuring him prominently in the “Original Sin” series. However, The Orb doesn’t stand out as anything particularly extraordinary. Opinions on The Orb are divided: some find his absurdity appealing, while others view it simply as ridiculousness.

The Orb’s attire resembles a motorcycle suit worn by the stuntman Evel Knievel, complete with an oversized eye mask. The mask can be unsettling, but it doesn’t improve the quality of the costume. There’s a certain intrigue in having a mercenary donning an eye mask reminiscent of a ’70s motorcycle daredevil, yet the costume itself is poorly designed.

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2025-07-26 15:11