Top 10 Most Violent Marvel Villains
For this list, we'll be looking at villains from Marvel comics with a penchant for over-the-top violence. While there are plenty of villains out there cause mayhem with elaborate plots, these baddies like to get their own hands dirty and do so often.
#10: Abomination
Calling the Hulk a “loose cannon” is putting it mildly. Though he’s technically a hero, when he loses control, the end result is usually catastrophic. Now imagine if the Hulk was a willing agent of villainous destruction; that’s Abomination. Possessing a strength comparable (if not greater) than the Hulk but maintaining the intelligence of his human identity, this irradiated evildoer loves to throw his weight around and does so in a targeted way. The most frequent target of his violent attacks is none other Bruce Banner/the Hulk, whom he holds great resentment towards. Of course, he’s also been known to kill indiscriminately while committing his acts of wanton destruction.
#9: The Skinless Man
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At the end of the day, we all just want to belong. To feel like we fit in, you know? But cutting off the faces of other people isn’t exactly the way to go about it. During the Cold War, Harry Pizer used his mutant multi-sensory, elastic skin to become a successful agent of espionage. After a mission went awry however, his enemies surgically removed his skin. Though horribly disfigured, he survived, and after making his grand debut as the Skinless Man, he made a name for himself by cutting off Fantomex’ face in an act of vengeance. He would then proceed to kill his ex-wife and her new husband. Yikes, that’s one seriously deranged and violent dude.
#8: Madcap
Here’s another oddball of a villain for you. It could be argued that most evildoers from the pages of comic books are insane. After all, dressing up in kooky costumes and coming up with dastardly schemes isn’t exactly the most psychologically sound way to spend your time. Even by the high standards set by his peers, however, MadCap is bat-shit crazy. A freak accident involving A.I.M. and a strange chemical turned this once religious man into an erratic, violent and over-the-top villain. Now invulnerable and armed with the ability to drive people insane, he became a dangerous and unpredictable force in Marvel comics. He might be silly, but when the mood takes him, he can be downright twisted in his acts of violence.
#7: Arcade
First appearing in 1978’s “Marvel Team-Up #65”, Arcade is an unassuming villain. From the looks of him, you’d never think that he was criminal genius, let alone an insanely violent one. But trust us… this is one average looking dude that you do NOT want to get acquainted with. He once had an assistant, but he killed her when they got too close. His specialty is creating elaborate, carnivalesque death traps that he labels “murderworlds”. But he’s more than a one-trick pony. He also once impersonated Wolverine to frame him for a series of grisly killings a la Jack the Ripper.
#6: Daken
Akihiro, AKA Daken, is the son of Wolverine and his late wife Itsu. In terms of abilities and a penchant for extreme violence, the apple didn’t fall very far from the tree. Unfortunately, as far as a moral compass is concerned, the apple then rolled down the hill and landed in a cesspool. Daken is an angry, vindictive and thoroughly cruel individual. He’s played the antihero, but he remains more of a villain. He has many of his father’s powers, including the healing factor. He’s also got three retractable claws, though one is housed on the underside of his wrist rather than between his knuckles. Wolverine might be the best at what he does, but Daken loves doing it even more.
#5: Venom (Mac Gargan)
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Venom is another character that has morphed into more of an antihero over the years. It’s the price of popularity - any villain that fans flock to inevitably seem drawn to the light. Between Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson however, the Venom symbiote bonded with the thoroughly villainous Mac Gargan, who had long operated as the Scorpion. Gargan and symbiote came together over their shared hatred of Spider-Man and thus was born the most grotesque, monstrous and savagely violent version of Venom ever seen. As Venom, Gargan becomes a hulking mass of muscle that tears people apart and loves chomping into human flesh, decapitating and dismembering opponents with those brutal teeth.
#4: Red Skull
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Given that he’s a superhuman nazi, violence is kind of part of the Red Skull’s identity by default. He’s so freaking evil that even the Joker couldn’t help but want a piece of him when DC and Marvel crossed over. Red Skull is sadistic and entirely devoid of remorse or conscience. In the ‘70s, he tortured Captain America’s replacement, eventually killing him. This is the sort of character who actually brags about committing acts of mass murder. In “Tales of Suspense #66”, he brags to Cap about using his then-new powers to indiscriminately kill the people of captured villages during WWII. It’s a reminder that while he may be a mastermind with plenty of minions, he likes getting his own hands dirty.
#3: Bullseye
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Marvel’s leading marksman takes pleasure in his work - sick, twisted pleasure. Though he’s a crack shot with all manner of firearms, Bullseye can turn pretty much anything he gets his hands on into a lethal projectile. He might not technically have any superpowers, but his aim verges on superhuman. His origin story is confused by his many conflicting accounts, but one thing’s clear - he’s been violent from a young age. A ruthless killer, he particularly takes pleasure in brutally murdering the girlfriends of his nemesis, Daredevil. First, there was Elektra, then Karen Page. In 2003, he tried to kill another of Murdock’s girlfriends, Milla Donovan. Bullseye is truly sick.
#2: Sabretooth
Wolverine is the best at what he does, and what he does ain’t pretty. While we agree with both parts of that assessment, Sabretooth certainly gives Logan a run for his money when it comes to violent behavior. Victor Creed is animalistic in appearance and behavior. He’s a savage fighter who rips opponents to shreds, enjoys it, and then kills them without a second thought. Like Venom, he’s dabbled in the heroics, but he’s a villain through and through. He ’s got a chip on his shoulder and he nurses it by committing grisly acts as a show of superiority. Over his unnaturally long life, Sabretooth has left a dark and blood legacy of violence and carnage.
#1: Carnage
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Speaking of “carnage”, this villain’s name says it all! In many ways, Carnage is Marvel’s version of the Joker - an unrepentant, incurable psycho killer who lives to cause pain. Sick and twisted to the very core, there is no action too violent or victim too innocent for Cletus Kasady and his alien symbiote. He kills for fun, indiscriminately slicing and dicing his way through whoever happens to be closest to him - be it guards and staff at an asylum or a diner full of random civilians. When he made his debut, one of his earliest kills was chosen at random from the phone book. The comics once took a look into the mind of Carnage and it was nothing but violence.
