Top 10 Greatest MCU Villain Backstories

“Ant-Man and The Wasp” (2018)

Ava Starr a.k.a. Ghost was the daughter of Elihas Starr, a former partner to Hank Pym. Elihas was fired in disgrace from S.H.I.E.L.D., yet continued his work on quantum energy. When an accident occurred in his personal lab, his daughter ran towards him, yet was pushed back and filled with quantum energy. Both her parents were lost in the accident, and when rescuers arrived to help, they were unable to touch Ava, as she had been rendered intangible from the energy. She was taken in by Bill Foster, former coworker to her father. She lived a life of constant pain and physical instability, and Foster helped her in any way he could.

“The Defenders” (2017)

Though “The Defenders” wasn’t the most successful series, you can never go wrong with Sigourney Weaver. “The Hand” is referred to as such due to its five founding members, Alexandra Reid being the leader. Following the death of her daughter, Reid went to K’un-Lun, seeking wisdom concerning life and death. However, she and four others defected, choosing to use the ancient teachings to gain immortality. This resulted in banishment. Reid is actually at least 600 years old, and has used pseudonyms throughout her long life to mask her immortality. She amassed a fortune and business empire, thereby placing herself in a powerful position when we meet her in “The Defenders.”

“Luke Cage” (2016-18)

Cornell Bertram Stokes, aka Cottonmouth, was abandoned as an infant in Harlem, following the overdose of his father which led to his mother feeling unfit to raise him. She left him to Mama Mabel, a prominent member of the Stokes crime family. Cornell was then put in the care of Mariah, who herself had been raised by the Stokes. In his youth, he developed a love for music, particularly the piano, and was greatly talented, wishing to pursue a career as a pianist. However, Mama Mabel pushed him into a life of petty crime instead. This led to his eventually running the “family business.”

“Daredevil” (2015-18)

Elektra Natchios was raised from a young age by Stick, who trained her to become an assassin. Her training was intense, and at the age of 12, she could take down three grown men by herself. After a few altercations, Elektra ended up killing a man, and this was covered up by Stick, who subsequently placed her in the care of a wealthy ambassador and his wife. She grew up with the family, and was eventually called upon by Stick to find Matt Murdock, a former student. She was tasked with seducing him in order to have him join their cause. However, Elektra failed as she fell in love with Murdock instead.

“Jessica Jones” (2015-19)

Kevin Thompson, aka Kilgrave, developed a brain defect in his early youth which required a number of medical tests. He formed a great resentment towards his parents, as he felt emotionally ignored throughout this period. After this battery of tests, he developed the ability to control minds, and started with his parents. He commanded his parents to do his bidding, and they fulfilled his every wish. He became a sadist, having no sympathy for human suffering. He was abandoned by his parents out of fear following an incident in which he forced his mother to disfigure her own face with an iron. Since then Kilgrave was left to fend for himself, using his powers to survive.

“Daredevil” (2015-18)

Brilliantly portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio, “Daredevil” audiences really got an in-depth examination of Wilson Fisk’s psyche. Wilson was raised in a tumultuous environment, with his father taking out his anger on Wilson’s mother. On at least one occasion, Wilson’s father forced him to physically confront a neighborhood bully. Even worse, his father would make the child stare at the wall while he took out his anger on his mother. Eventually, Wilson stood up to his father with a hammer in order to put an end to his mother’s agony. Wilson and his mother disposed of the body together, and he was sent to live with relatives on a farm.

Various

Everyone’s favorite villain, Loki was born to a Frost Giant king on Jotunheim, yet was rejected and abandoned for being feeble. He was found and adopted by Odin, who magically altered Loki’s appearance to that of an Asgardian. Raised in the shadow of his older brother Thor, Loki became bitter and resentful. Thor was a shining star in Asgard, and Loki could not keep up, thus resolving to achieve his own brand of greatness in other ways. He turned to Asgardian magic taught to him by his mother Frigga, rather than combat skills. She saw it as a way for Loki to prove himself to Odin, whereas Loki saw it as a gateway into mischief.

“Black Panther” (2018)

Erik Stevens, born as N’Jadaka but known as Killmonger, was raised in California by his father, his mother having died in prison. Growing up, he heard stories of Wakanda from his father, who promised to take him there some day. After seeing the injustice Black Americans faced, Erik’s father, N’Jobu, planned to steal Wakandan technology to empower them. His brother, King T’Chaka, discovered his treacherous plan and confronted him, resulting in the death of N’Jobu. Erik would go on to join the Navy SEALS, going to war boasting the highest kill count in his unit, becoming known as Killmonger.

“Captain America: The First Avenger” (2011),
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

Johann Schmidt, aka Red Skull, was born in North Germany. He became a talented physicist, with a particular interest in Norse mythology and its possible practical application. He garnered the attention of Adolf Hitler, and eventually joined the cause. He worked his way through the ranks, eventually gaining control of his own branch of the SS, which he named HYDRA. HYDRA was based on the idea of the superior human, and sought wisdom on how to achieve this superiority. He gains the superhuman abilities he desired after he comes across a version of the serum created by Abraham Erskine but there was one small side effect.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Kaecilius
“Doctor Strange” (2016)
The Loss of His Wife & Child Led Him to The Ancient One


Hela
“Thor: Ragnarok” (2017)
Firstborn Child of Odin, Banished From Asgard Due to Her Overly Violent Nature


Ego
“Guardians of the Galaxy 2” (2017)
A Primordial Celestial Being with Delusions of Grandeur

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018),
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

Thanos was born to the Titans on the planet Titan (original, we know). They were a godly, powerful race. Thanos was dedicated to his people, and loved them dearly. However, Titan fell into crisis from overpopulation. Thanos’s solution to this problem was to randomly eliminate half the population, thus rescuing the planet and its people. His suggestion was rejected, however, and resulted in his banishment. Over the years, Titan was reduced to a desolate wasteland, as they had never resolved their problem, and Thanos became the last of his kind. Seeing what happened on Titan drove him to collect the Infinity Stones, believing he could save the universe from suffering the same fate.