When we dropped a Top 10 list of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, we took popularity, heart, and other factors out of the equation, and were just looking for the strongest. The ones who could whoop your butt and send you packing in a blink. Now it's the villains' turn.
This is a ranking of MCU baddies based on their supreme ability to annihilate and devastate. It's not a list of the best foes, with the most interesting angles or arcs, but of superior might and menace. And just as it was for the heroes list, Marvel's What If...?, which is MCU multiverse canon, plays a role here.
The first three phases of the MCU led up to the arrival of Thanos and the havoc he wreaked on the entire universe. But was that enough to gain Thanos the top spot here? Could there be others out there more powerful than him? Let's check in with the Top 10 Most Powerful Villains in the MCU!
And when you're done here, be sure to check out the Best Marvel Villains too.
This is such a complicated one, because Wanda obviously did a lot of badddd things in Multiverse of Madness. But then again, we know the Scarlet Witch's trajectory in the Marvel comics is as a hero, despite her ups and downs, and so while it seems odd to not include her on this list, we also suspect she'll return to the realm of heroes in MCU eventually.
We're throwing a bone to time lord Kang the Conquerer here, who just might have the potential to completely obliterate everything. So far we've only met a multiverse variant of the original scientist who Kang is but one form of, played by Jonathan Majors in the Loki finale, but even that guy was immensely almighty (having created the entire TVA and everyone in it to protect the Sacred Timeline). So things are looking good for Kang when he arrives in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (or possibly before that in Loki: Season 2). As of now though, Kang can't rank.
Okay, let's kick off the list proper with a magical foe: Agatha Harkness, the centuries-old witch with the grand ability to suck the magic and life force out of other spell-casters, making herself more powerful in the process! She almost got the jump on Wanda Maximoff, who is the most powerful MCU hero on our list (despite her recent actions), so Agatha is definitely good for a spot here. Also, how long will she remain a true villain with Agatha: House of Harkness on the way? Got to get her in while the getting's good.
We got a peek at the Celestials in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but Eternals let us know what these cosmic cats were up to.
Now, at first glance, Arishem the Judge should probably be number one. But is Arishem an actual villain? It acts more like a force of nature, neutral in its views on life and death, with the singular purpose of creating more Celestials. Did that mean using Earth as a birth pod, almost causing the planet's destruction and the end of humanity? Of course, but it wasn't due to malicious intent. In fact, in Arishem's case, humanity, and other civilizations across the universe, were only allowed to grow and thrive because of the Eternals sent by Celestials. So this is a big gray area that muddles things a bit. Given this, Arishem, albeit the most powerful force here, is nestled in at number nine.
An argument could easily be made that Loki's been the best villain in the MCU, though he's not ranked higher because, A: He's not really any more powerful than other Asgardians on his own (though he can hold his own with the best), and B: He's been redeemed twice, in two different timelines. Meaning his villainous tendencies aren't built to last because he does care about those close to him and can form new attachments as well.
Speaking to Loki's strengths though, he's a cunning manipulator, a master of deception and illusion, and he once commanded an alien army in a full-on invasion of Earth, with the sole purpose of ruling over all humankind - wielding the Mind Stone in the process (he also killed Agent Coulson!). He's one of the best and most charismatic adversaries around, but he's not ultimately strong enough to rank higher.
Okay, this spot was a bit of a wild card. But there've been plenty of skilled and super-powered bad guys in the MCU who come with their own soldiers. AIM's Aldrich Killian. Killmonger. Kaecilius. But let's give it up for Arthur Harrow, whose main goal was to, basically, perform a smaller "snap." Just one on Earth. One that would kill children.
Harrow seeks to eliminate the "choice of evil" by resurrecting Egyptian god Ammit, who will then wipe out anyone deemed unworthy due to sins and crimes they haven't even committed yet. It's a larger scale Project Insight, with free will once again in the crosshairs.
To accomplish this goal of a tainted utopia, former Moon Knight Harrow possesses a fraction of Ammit's power, allowing him to touch people and kill them based on Ammit's judgment. Add to this his woven-into-society Fight Club-style followers and you've got quite the calamitous cult going on.
After discovering 10 mystical rings that granted him superhuman powers, Xu Wenwu/The Mandarin founded the army of the Ten Rings and used his newfound immortality to conquer civilizations for an entire millennia until the modern era saw him take the mantle as the leader of a global criminal empire.
Only falling in love with the gatekeeper of an ancient city called Ta Lo could stop this thousand-year-old warlord from continuing his reign as our planet's secret string-puller. Oh, and obviously those rings are no trinkets on the battlefield. Telepathically controlled, they could do just about anything to smash your opponents to smithereens.
The dread Dormammu didn't get a lot of screen time in Doctor Strange, but this awful entity was the diabolical doom that Kaecilius was trying to inflict on our world. As a primordial inter-dimensional being with apocalyptic powers, it's safe to say our entire realm of existence would have fallen very quickly to this ruler of the Dark Dimension. The only thing saving our reality was Doctor Strange, essentially, annoying the s*** out of Dormammu. Enough to make the entire endeavor seem not worth it. Without that one trick play in Strange's back pocket, we'd all have been toast. Or -- you know -- Mindless Ones.
It's safe to say that the villains remaining on this list aren't going to exactly be from, well... around here.
Let's check in with Ego, the Living Planet, who's actually a type of Celestial (according to what he tells his half-human/half-Celestial son, Peter). What tips Ego over the edge though for our purposes here, since he obviously possessed countless otherworldly powers, was his "Expansion" plan. It was a plot to amplify himself throughout the cosmos using one of his many offspring so that everything in our universe became... him. Just a full-tilt takeover. Also, anyone that's actually planet-size deserves our respect.
Thanos, without a doubt, caused the most death and ruination than anyone else on this list. Others had big plans to cause big messes, but Thanos actually succeeded. So much so that the Avengers had to time travel to undo everything.
But there are some things to take into consideration regarding the Mad Titan. He was trying to make the universe a better place and on What If...? Star-Lord/T'Challa was actually able to talk him out of galactic genocide. So in a different universe, someone just used reason and kindness to stop his sinister plan. After this, he became a (new kind of) Ravager, helping those in need around space.
The other thing is that he needed the Infinity Stones to make him more powerful. Which isn't the biggest knock against Thanos (see: Number One on this list) since you still need to be powerful enough to wield them and not die.
Hela is just next-level brutality. The bitter, badass exiled daughter of Odin commands an army of the dead, though whether or not she even needs them is a question worth asking. With her Mjolnir-crushing hands and her Warriors Three-slaying necroswords, Hela was so unbeatable that the only way to tank her plan was to destroy everything and run away. Good thing Lady Sif was off on adventures elsewhere or she'd be dust as well. Now all that's left of Asgard exists as a Buc-ee's in Norway.
Granted, this is a swerve of a pick. In fact, one of the things fans lament about Avengers: Age of Ultron is that the film killed off Ultron and made him a one-and-done villain when in the comics he's been a perennially powerful pain in the ass for decades. Did Ultron, within a few days, almost cause the extinction of the entire human race? You bet. That's an applaudable atrocity rate. But if we were only basing things on Age of Ultron, this Mind Stone-created Jarvis-bot wouldn't be at the top.
On What If...? however, Ultron got to be the annihilator he was (not) designed to be. After claiming all the Infinity Stones, and killing Thanos in an instant, Ultron grew to be so powerful that he could see through the entire multiverse. So naturally, after destroying everything in his universe of origin, he decided to crash through the multiversal plane and wipe out other realities. At one point he even eats an entire universe.
Anyhow, the Watcher, always an impartial observer, had to get off the bench and actually throw hands at Infinity Ultron or else all of existence would've been gone forever. So while Age of Ultron may have cut down Ultron too soon, What If...? gave him the villain redemption he deserved.
Who do you think is the most powerful Marvel villain in the MCU? Vote in the poll above, and let's discuss in the comments!
Continue reading...
This is a ranking of MCU baddies based on their supreme ability to annihilate and devastate. It's not a list of the best foes, with the most interesting angles or arcs, but of superior might and menace. And just as it was for the heroes list, Marvel's What If...?, which is MCU multiverse canon, plays a role here.
The first three phases of the MCU led up to the arrival of Thanos and the havoc he wreaked on the entire universe. But was that enough to gain Thanos the top spot here? Could there be others out there more powerful than him? Let's check in with the Top 10 Most Powerful Villains in the MCU!
And when you're done here, be sure to check out the Best Marvel Villains too.
Honorable Mention: Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
This is such a complicated one, because Wanda obviously did a lot of badddd things in Multiverse of Madness. But then again, we know the Scarlet Witch's trajectory in the Marvel comics is as a hero, despite her ups and downs, and so while it seems odd to not include her on this list, we also suspect she'll return to the realm of heroes in MCU eventually.
Honorable Mention: Kang the Conqueror
We're throwing a bone to time lord Kang the Conquerer here, who just might have the potential to completely obliterate everything. So far we've only met a multiverse variant of the original scientist who Kang is but one form of, played by Jonathan Majors in the Loki finale, but even that guy was immensely almighty (having created the entire TVA and everyone in it to protect the Sacred Timeline). So things are looking good for Kang when he arrives in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (or possibly before that in Loki: Season 2). As of now though, Kang can't rank.
10. Agatha Harkness
Okay, let's kick off the list proper with a magical foe: Agatha Harkness, the centuries-old witch with the grand ability to suck the magic and life force out of other spell-casters, making herself more powerful in the process! She almost got the jump on Wanda Maximoff, who is the most powerful MCU hero on our list (despite her recent actions), so Agatha is definitely good for a spot here. Also, how long will she remain a true villain with Agatha: House of Harkness on the way? Got to get her in while the getting's good.
9. Arishem
We got a peek at the Celestials in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but Eternals let us know what these cosmic cats were up to.
Now, at first glance, Arishem the Judge should probably be number one. But is Arishem an actual villain? It acts more like a force of nature, neutral in its views on life and death, with the singular purpose of creating more Celestials. Did that mean using Earth as a birth pod, almost causing the planet's destruction and the end of humanity? Of course, but it wasn't due to malicious intent. In fact, in Arishem's case, humanity, and other civilizations across the universe, were only allowed to grow and thrive because of the Eternals sent by Celestials. So this is a big gray area that muddles things a bit. Given this, Arishem, albeit the most powerful force here, is nestled in at number nine.
8. Loki
An argument could easily be made that Loki's been the best villain in the MCU, though he's not ranked higher because, A: He's not really any more powerful than other Asgardians on his own (though he can hold his own with the best), and B: He's been redeemed twice, in two different timelines. Meaning his villainous tendencies aren't built to last because he does care about those close to him and can form new attachments as well.
Speaking to Loki's strengths though, he's a cunning manipulator, a master of deception and illusion, and he once commanded an alien army in a full-on invasion of Earth, with the sole purpose of ruling over all humankind - wielding the Mind Stone in the process (he also killed Agent Coulson!). He's one of the best and most charismatic adversaries around, but he's not ultimately strong enough to rank higher.
7. Arthur Harrow
Okay, this spot was a bit of a wild card. But there've been plenty of skilled and super-powered bad guys in the MCU who come with their own soldiers. AIM's Aldrich Killian. Killmonger. Kaecilius. But let's give it up for Arthur Harrow, whose main goal was to, basically, perform a smaller "snap." Just one on Earth. One that would kill children.
Harrow seeks to eliminate the "choice of evil" by resurrecting Egyptian god Ammit, who will then wipe out anyone deemed unworthy due to sins and crimes they haven't even committed yet. It's a larger scale Project Insight, with free will once again in the crosshairs.
To accomplish this goal of a tainted utopia, former Moon Knight Harrow possesses a fraction of Ammit's power, allowing him to touch people and kill them based on Ammit's judgment. Add to this his woven-into-society Fight Club-style followers and you've got quite the calamitous cult going on.
6. Xu Wenwu/The Mandarin
After discovering 10 mystical rings that granted him superhuman powers, Xu Wenwu/The Mandarin founded the army of the Ten Rings and used his newfound immortality to conquer civilizations for an entire millennia until the modern era saw him take the mantle as the leader of a global criminal empire.
Only falling in love with the gatekeeper of an ancient city called Ta Lo could stop this thousand-year-old warlord from continuing his reign as our planet's secret string-puller. Oh, and obviously those rings are no trinkets on the battlefield. Telepathically controlled, they could do just about anything to smash your opponents to smithereens.
5. Dormammu
The dread Dormammu didn't get a lot of screen time in Doctor Strange, but this awful entity was the diabolical doom that Kaecilius was trying to inflict on our world. As a primordial inter-dimensional being with apocalyptic powers, it's safe to say our entire realm of existence would have fallen very quickly to this ruler of the Dark Dimension. The only thing saving our reality was Doctor Strange, essentially, annoying the s*** out of Dormammu. Enough to make the entire endeavor seem not worth it. Without that one trick play in Strange's back pocket, we'd all have been toast. Or -- you know -- Mindless Ones.
4. Ego
It's safe to say that the villains remaining on this list aren't going to exactly be from, well... around here.
Let's check in with Ego, the Living Planet, who's actually a type of Celestial (according to what he tells his half-human/half-Celestial son, Peter). What tips Ego over the edge though for our purposes here, since he obviously possessed countless otherworldly powers, was his "Expansion" plan. It was a plot to amplify himself throughout the cosmos using one of his many offspring so that everything in our universe became... him. Just a full-tilt takeover. Also, anyone that's actually planet-size deserves our respect.
3. Thanos
Thanos, without a doubt, caused the most death and ruination than anyone else on this list. Others had big plans to cause big messes, but Thanos actually succeeded. So much so that the Avengers had to time travel to undo everything.
But there are some things to take into consideration regarding the Mad Titan. He was trying to make the universe a better place and on What If...? Star-Lord/T'Challa was actually able to talk him out of galactic genocide. So in a different universe, someone just used reason and kindness to stop his sinister plan. After this, he became a (new kind of) Ravager, helping those in need around space.
The other thing is that he needed the Infinity Stones to make him more powerful. Which isn't the biggest knock against Thanos (see: Number One on this list) since you still need to be powerful enough to wield them and not die.
2. Hela
Hela is just next-level brutality. The bitter, badass exiled daughter of Odin commands an army of the dead, though whether or not she even needs them is a question worth asking. With her Mjolnir-crushing hands and her Warriors Three-slaying necroswords, Hela was so unbeatable that the only way to tank her plan was to destroy everything and run away. Good thing Lady Sif was off on adventures elsewhere or she'd be dust as well. Now all that's left of Asgard exists as a Buc-ee's in Norway.
1. Infinity Ultron
Granted, this is a swerve of a pick. In fact, one of the things fans lament about Avengers: Age of Ultron is that the film killed off Ultron and made him a one-and-done villain when in the comics he's been a perennially powerful pain in the ass for decades. Did Ultron, within a few days, almost cause the extinction of the entire human race? You bet. That's an applaudable atrocity rate. But if we were only basing things on Age of Ultron, this Mind Stone-created Jarvis-bot wouldn't be at the top.
On What If...? however, Ultron got to be the annihilator he was (not) designed to be. After claiming all the Infinity Stones, and killing Thanos in an instant, Ultron grew to be so powerful that he could see through the entire multiverse. So naturally, after destroying everything in his universe of origin, he decided to crash through the multiversal plane and wipe out other realities. At one point he even eats an entire universe.
Anyhow, the Watcher, always an impartial observer, had to get off the bench and actually throw hands at Infinity Ultron or else all of existence would've been gone forever. So while Age of Ultron may have cut down Ultron too soon, What If...? gave him the villain redemption he deserved.
Who do you think is the most powerful Marvel villain in the MCU? Vote in the poll above, and let's discuss in the comments!
Continue reading...