+ Villains +

There's no way around it, my nerd-chick-nature is definitely taking over right now. I've been watching the first three episodes of Star Wars the last couple of days and now I have villains in my head.

My most admired teacher from highschool is definitely right, the all-time best villain ever has to be Darth Vader. Which is especially true when you watch the first three episodes. I hate that I understand and feel badly for Anakin, knowing he's Darth Vader and a through and through jerk. And it doesn't help I'm really not that fond of Hayden Christiansen. Yet regardless everytime the scene where Anakin helps Chancelor Palpatine I always want to cry because he is really torn up and ends up helping to off Master Windu. Besides that Master Windu is so badass, it's a shame. AND It's Samuel Jackson, how can you not be a fan of Windu?

However, that's how you create a truly great villain, when you can associate with them. When you can understand them and not want their ending to happen. Had it not been for the fact he was discovered at such an old age, it could be argued none of that would have befallen him. If he were like the other Jedi-children in the republic he'd have been found before the strong attachments could be made, he'd be like all the others, only he probably really would have brought balance and peace to the force. Or had he not had the visions of Padme dying in childbirth I doubt he'd have ever agreed to become a pupil of Chancellor Palpatine.

He helps kill the children Jedi-in-training. Then he'd already killed children so how could you not be surprised? He even turns his back on his friend and teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Which is the foxy Ewan McGregor, how can you betray that face?

Anyway, my random comment on Darth Vader being the best villain ever. Magneto can give Darth Vader a run for his money, though. Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr, also shows a great deal of compassion in mindset, but like Darth Vader is a bit flawed in his actions to prove he is a good person. As a Jewish Holocaust survior he's merely trying to keep mutants, in general, from suffering a similar fate that the Jews were put through. So, his intentions are good, but in the same breath he's willing to kill mutants and humans to get his desire of freedom for mutants. He's more willing to do anything it takes, where the X-Men want peace and no deaths, which he finds to be a sign of weakness.

However, you can really feel for Magneto because he suffered -- deeply, to gain the mindset he has. However, even Professor X can see the good in him and they continue to have a mutual respect for what each has suffered, just different methods.

Venom. Eddie Brock, the first and best Venom. Played by Eric in That 70s Show (whom I still maintain would have been such a better Spiderman. I really dislike Toby Mcguire as Peter Parker, but whatev). Sure it's just a venom symbiote - alien lifeform, but it gives a boost of power, that's pretty rad when you think about it. He's ridiculously cool and badass looking, which I admit is kind of a weak argument, but I can't help it. He is probably one of my all-time favorite Marvel Supervillians.

He's also placed in the top greatest threats to humanity alongside - Magneto (obviously), Doctor Doom (Eh, he's never impressed me much. Then I'm not huge into Fantastic Four), and Red Skull (Nazis and Communists, how very fitting for the top threats to humanity. I'll give it cred for being a Captain America villain though. I love me some Captain America, Captain Britian is cool, too. His sister is the lovely Psylocke teamed with X-Men). What was most noteworthy about Venom is that even though he was the enemy of Spiderman he was capable of putting it all aside to team up with Spiderman when it was really necessary (as Magneto does with Professor Xaiver and the X-Men). Also he still had a need to protect innocent people, so he was never really all evil. Like so many great villains, he lived in the grey.

Next in the lineup is Montressor from Edgar Allen Poe's Cask of Amontillado. Why? Because he's deviously cold. When his 'friend', Fortunado, who has done him a thousand pains is screaming upon being walled up in a cellar he just mocks him by screaming back. However, much is mysterious about him. You never find out about the wrongs befallen upon him, or what really motivates him. You only catch the glimpse of remorse fifty years after the fact he administers in the beginning of the tale.

Next, would probably be Iago from Shakespeare's Othello. Yeah, sorry guys not the parrot of Aladdin, he's not villain enough to make the list. The actual Iago from the play is devious and cunning. You rarely see a villain go through so much plotting just to screw with people lives especially just out of jealousy. He's convinced he deserves to be higher up than Cassio and as a result sets Othello into the trap of believing that Cassio has banged his wife Desdemona. Even upon his death all he utters is, "Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word" (V.ii.355).