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For other uses, see Supervillain (disambiguation).
Supervillains from the 1966 film Batman, a film adaptation of the comic books based on Batman and the 1960s television show of the same name.

A supervillain or supervillainess is a criminal variant of the villainous stock character archetype commonly found in American comic books and sometimes possesses superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.

Supervillains are often used as foils and could present a daunting challenge to the superhero. In instances where the supervillain does not have superhuman, mystical, or alien powers, the supervillain may possess a genius intellect or a skill set that allows him or her to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include a megalomaniac streak and possession of considerable resources to help further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real world dictators, mobsters, and terrorists, with aspirations of world domination or universal leadership.[1]

Well-known supervillains[edit]

The Joker, Lex Luthor, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Darkseid, Venom, Ra's al Ghul, Galactus, Apocalypse, and the Green Goblin are some well-known comic book supervillains in popular culture and have been adapted to film and television.[2][3] Some notable examples of female supervillains are Catwoman, Mystique, Harley Quinn, Talia al Ghul, and the Dark Phoenix.[4][5]

Supervillains are sometimes members of supervillain groups, such as the Sinister Six, the Brotherhood of Mutants, the Legion of Doom, the Marauders, the Brotherhood of Evil, and the Acolytes.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Eury & Misiroglu On The Supervillain Book". Comicon.Com. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
  2. ^ "Joker tops supervillain poll". 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
  3. ^ "Top Ten Comic Book Super Villains". 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2012-05-09. 
  4. ^ "Lethal Ladies ; The 10 Best Female Supervillains". Retrieved 2013-10-22. 
  5. ^ "Maleficent and 16 Other Famous Queens of Mean". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2015-04-09. 

External links[edit]