Just because there’s a rule for howMarvelsupervillains are supposed to look, that doesn’t mean all antagonists have to follow it.FF #12once spilled the biggest secret when it comes to how heroes and villains present themselves:Marvel heroes wear primary colorslike red, blue, and yellow, while villains wear colors such as purple and green.
Sure a lot ofvillains like Doctor Doomand the Green Goblin follow this rule. But some villains like the appeal of an all-red look, like Mephisto or Juggernaut. Or the Gladiator, who pulls off blue and yellow as well as any hero. Read on to discover10 of the best Marvel villainsthat breaks this unspoken rule of character design.
10Kraven
First Appearance:The Amazing Spider-Man #15
There’s no doubt about it. Spider-Man’s dangerous nemesis is one of the most evil predators in the Marvel Universe. But his colors are a lot brighter than one would expect of a big-game hunter and that’s because Kraven actually wears the pelts of his kills whenever he’s on the hunt.
Kraven’s an unquestionably great hunterand he’s taken on some of the most dangerous beasts on the face of the Earth. It’s just a shame he feels like he needs to actually wear his kills, because Kraven’s friendly and pleasant yellow image makes him seem a lot more heroic than he actually is.
9Ikari
First Appearance:Daredevil #25
Ikari is one of Daredevil’s lesser-known foes, and that’s a shame, because he has one of the coolest outfits in the Man without Fear’s rogues’ gallery. Fans of the hero likely notice that Ikari’s outfit is a modified version of Daredevil’s classic red and yellow outfit and that is one hundred percent intentional.
Ikari is just as skilled at combat as Daredevil is and even possesses an extrasensory radar like Matt Murdock, despite not being blind. Ikari might look like Matt’s costumed alter ego, but make no mistake,the red and yellow colors hide just how lethal and bloodthirstythis Daredevil villain really is.
8Gladiator
First Appearance:Daredevil #18
Blue and yellow are nice, calming colors and can be found on plenty of heroes in the Marvel Universe. They can also be found on Melvin Potter’s costume when he’s operating as his violent persona, Gladiator. Gladiator wears a yellow chest plate with blue accents, occasionally accompanied by a blue helmet and gauntlets.
Melvin is an incredible designer, fashioning his own costume and weaponry. Admittedly he’s not as evil as many of the other villains on this list (even allying himself with Daredevil). While he definitely bucked the trend,Gladiator is a bit more worthy of the heroic colorsthan other villains who have utilized them.
7Mephisto
First Appearance:Silver Surfer #3
Red might be a worthy color for heroes like Iron Man or Spider-Man. But the Marvel Universe’s baddest and most infamous demon looks downright devilish with his all-red appearance. As one would expect from an underworld figure, Mephiso looks like a classic devil with red skin, hair, and, more often than not, red clothes.
Mephisto is an incredibly powerful demon. While he’s not the greatest figure to pop out of hell, he’s got strong enough magic to rewrite reality (as he did when Spider-Man bargained for Aunt May’s life). While red is a heroic color, on Mephisto, it really communicates just what kind of demon he is.
6Taskmaster
First Appearance:The Avengers #195
Taskmaster is someone no one wants to cross. And yet, he often has a costume that really plays up more heroic colors like yellow and blue. Granted, he also has a skull-like mask, but for someone who shows no qualms about killing others, Taskmaster seems to really like bright colors.
Taskmaster is a mercenary and one of the best at his job. He has the uncanny ability to replicate any fighting style, making him a threat to any hero,even ones as strong as Spider-Man. It’s a shame he’s chosen a life of villainy, because with those clothes and skills, he’d make for a fine hero.
5Shocker
First Appearance:The Amazing Spider-Man #46
One of Spider-Man’s most recurring foes, Herman Schultz, aka the Shocker, is a gifted engineer, specializing in electricity. Venturing into a life of crime, Schultz crafted a red and yellow costume that could withstand electricity and began terrorizing the streets of New York under his new criminal moniker, the Shocker.
Interestingly enough, it’s not just Shocker’s clothes that make him look different from most villains. The yellow padding in his suit gives him a softer appearance (to be fair, Shocker’s sometimes presented as not that bad of a guy, so it fits). Out of all of Spider-Man’s foes,Shocker certainly has one of the most distinct costumes.
4Omega Red
First Appearance:X-Men #4
If there’s a primary color that villains tend to gravitate towards, it’s red. Case in point, frequent X-Men nemesis Omega Red is often shown wearing an outfit heavily featuring the colors of the fallen Soviet Union. With a red bodysuit and matching headband, Omega Red more than lives up to his name.
Omega Red is an extremely powerful mutant, able to fight the likes of some of the X-Men’s strongest. From insidious carbonadium coils that extend from his body to his ‘death spores’, Omega Red has all the things required tomake the battlefield look just as bloody as his name and costume imply.
3The Maker
First Appearance:Ultimate Fantastic Four #1
The Maker is an interesting case as he’s the only villain on this list that actually started out as a hero. The Maker was once the Reed Richards of the original Ultimate Universe, which is why he still dresses in blue to this very day (albeit a very dark blue to match the path he’s gone down).
The Maker is one of the most brilliant villains in the Marvel multiverse and is considered one of the greatest threats.He was even able to recreate the Ultimate Universeand adjust it so that the world’s most iconic heroes never emerged. Only could an evil version of Reed somehow make a shade of blue an incredibly dark color.
2Juggernaut
First Appearance:The X-Men #12
Again, red just works as a solo color for villains to use. Juggernaut, for example, is widely known for his crimson outfit and helmet. To be fair, Juggernaut’s powers come from the extra-dimensional threat Cyttorak, a being who hails from the Crimson Chaos that selected Juggernaut as his personal herald.
As he frequently boasts, nothing stops the Juggernaut and when he starts moving, little can stop him. His strength is mightier than most X-Men, rivaling some of the Marvel Universe’s strongest, such as Thor or Hulk (both of whom he’s beaten in fights). Truly,Juggernaut is a worthy avatar of Cyottrak’s crimson fury.
1Thanos
First Appearance:Invincible Iron Man #55
To be fair, Thanos is purple, a distinctly villainous color in the Marvel Universe. But it’s interesting that out of all of the colors he could have chosen, Thanos opts to wear the more heroic colors blue and yellow. But those colors do nothing to communicate the deadly nature of the Mad Titan.
Aside from Thanos and his history with the Infinity Stones, the villain is incredibly strong, mightier than most heroes even put together. He’s also able to stand up to incredibly powerful attacks, such as Ghost Rider’s penance stare. It’s a surprise that Thanos chooses blue and yellow, becausethose colors really don’t showcase how terrifying the Marvel villain is.
