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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2021 8:51:33 GMT -5
I’m not going to make a case for She-Hulk having the best rogues gallery, but I remember two: Leverage, who had studied the principles of leverage, and Gemini, which the following panels will showcase: I have no idea if Leverage and Gemini ever showed up again, but I do think it’s great that heroes get their own rogues galleries. Is it easy to come up with a new villain, though? What gimmick hasn’t been done? From electricity and ice to mystical demons and strong-men, it seems everything under the sun has been done.
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 22, 2021 9:24:54 GMT -5
I didn’t even get to The Gorilla Gang
The Mad Hatter
The other Mad Hatter
Orca the Whale Woman
The Hobby Robber
The Zebra Man
The Ventriloquist and Scarface
Peyton and Scarface
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 22, 2021 9:39:18 GMT -5
Bane
Hush
Egg-Head
King Tut
The Red Hood
The Werewolf
Ubu
The Court of Owls
Professsor Pyg
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Post by badwolf on Dec 22, 2021 13:42:33 GMT -5
I’m not going to make a case for She-Hulk having the best rogues gallery, but I remember two: Leverage, who had studied the principles of leverage, and Gemini, which the following panels will showcase: I have no idea if Leverage and Gemini ever showed up again, but I do think it’s great that heroes get their own rogues galleries. Is it easy to come up with a new villain, though? What gimmick hasn’t been done? From electricity and ice to mystical demons and strong-men, it seems everything under the sun has been done. Don't forget Man-Elephant!
I liked the stream of villains she had in the last story arc of her series, which all turned out to be the same person: Seeker, Radius, Torque, Earth Master... did I miss any?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2021 13:49:09 GMT -5
Oh yes, Man-Elephant. I would argue, and this is another thread entirely I suppose, that She-Hulk certainly had the most memorable villains if we are counting heroes that came later than the established ones.
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Post by majestic on Dec 22, 2021 14:29:17 GMT -5
Definitely Batman is first. Spider-Man is second with the Flash a very close third place.
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 23, 2021 9:57:37 GMT -5
Ratcatcher
Cornelius Stirk
The Wrath
The Blaze
Big-Hearted John
Dr. Sampson
The Condor Gang
The Yellow Gloves Gang
Shame
The Archer
Louis the Lilac
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 23, 2021 10:00:17 GMT -5
I can’t believe I forgot about the Squid! And his Ernie Bushmiller wardrobe!
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 23, 2021 10:01:38 GMT -5
And Joe Coyne! The Penny Plunderer!
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 23, 2021 12:09:59 GMT -5
The Spinner
The League of Assassins
The Elemental Man
The Atomic Man
Dr Phosphorous
Black Mask
Deadshot
Talia
Joe Chill
The Reaper
Anarky
The Tally Man
Gunhawk
Lock-Up
Matthew Thorne, the Crime Doctor
The Victim Syndicate
The Outsider
Magpie
Silver Monkey
The Monarch of Menace
Professor Milo
Amygdala
Stanislaus Johns
The Electrocutioner
The Puzzler
Nora Clavicle
Minerva
Lord Marmaduke Ffogg
Lady Penelope Peasoup
Lola Lasgne
Calamity Jan
The Minstrel
Dr Spellcraft
The Sandman
Olga, Queen of the Cossacks
Marsha, Queen of Diamonds
Siren
Colonel Gumm
Zelda the Great
Ma Parker
Clock King
False Face
Bookworm
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Post by chaykinstevens on Dec 23, 2021 13:28:27 GMT -5
I have no idea if Leverage and Gemini ever showed up again, but I do think it’s great that heroes get their own rogues galleries. I think Leverage was actually called the Grappler, and turned up again in Captain America #319 & 320, in which he was offed by the Scourge. Gemini had been introduced as part of a LMD Zodiac in David Kraft and Keith Giffen's classic Defenders storyline, Who Remembers Scorpio?, and reappeared in Steve Englehart's West Coast Avengers.
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Post by chadwilliam on Dec 25, 2021 14:53:53 GMT -5
While Hoosier X is just getting started on the tip of the iceberg for Batman (who has to be number one on this list), I'll second Spider-Man, but toss in The Tick for third best Rogues Gallery.
Chairface Chippendale, The Terror, Thrakkorzog, The Chainsaw Vigilante, Brainchild, Dinosaur Neil, The Deadly Bulb/Pig-Leg, Professor Chrome-dome, Pineapple Pokopo, and The Red Scare are but ten.
I'd rate Superman just a little higher than The Flash, but admit that it's a little embarrassing that things are so neck and neck between them (which, seems kind of fitting) considering how much of a head start the Man of Steel got on the Scarlet Speedster. Strange that Superman had to wait until the Silver Age for things to pick up in this department. What I think gives him the edge is how iconic Luthor, Brainiac, and Zod are and how much variety the rest of his enemies provide. You want a Salvador Daliesque tale? You'll need Mxyzptlk for that. Comedy? Bizarro. Man vs. Science? Luthor. A life or death slugfest? Parasite. Shrunken cities and robots? Brainiac. King Kong but with kryptonite vision? He's got that too.
Some of my favorite Superman stories after that initial five year burst of brilliance are actually those dealing with his run-ins with The Prankster - a villain who knows he can't physically beat Superman but is content to simply stymie and outwit him instead. Sure he's regarded as something as a joke villain, but I'd rather read a single story about Superman having to figure out how to combat a man who's legally copywrited the English language or has bought up all the radio stations in Metropolis so that he can play shows ridiculing him than ever have been exposed to a single slugfest between him and Doomsday.
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Post by mikelmidnight on Dec 28, 2021 12:18:29 GMT -5
Not in line for "best," but I always thought given how mediocre the comic was, the original run of Nova had some villains who were really way better than the run deserved: Condor, Powerhouse, Diamondhead, the Corruptor, and the Sphinx.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2021 12:33:26 GMT -5
Not in line for "best," but I always thought given how mediocre the comic was, the original run of Nova had some villains who were really way better than the run deserved: Condor, Powerhouse, Diamondhead, the Corruptor, and the Sphinx. Agreed! I think some heroes of lesser renown (if we can use that term fairly) had some really good villains. I quite enjoyed some of the villains that showed up in Spider-Woman, She-Hulk, etc. As for Nova, I did have some enjoyment from it. I quite liked his supporting cast.
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Post by badwolf on Dec 28, 2021 13:23:35 GMT -5
Spider-Woman did have some cool rogues. Gypsy Moth, Brothers Grimm, The Needle, Hangman, Nekra, Karl Malus, and of course Morgan le Fay.
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