Editing Supervillain

{{Short description|Variant of the villain character type possessing "supernatural or superhuman powers"}}
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[[File:Batman villains 1966.jpg|thumb|Supervillains of the United Underworld from the 1966 film ''[[Batman (1966 film)|Batman]]'', a film adaptation of the comic books based on [[Batman]] and the [[Batman (TV series)|1960s television show of the same name]]. From left to right: [[Penguin (character)|Penguin]], [[Riddler]], [[Catwoman]], and [[Joker (character)|Joker]].]]

A '''supervillain''', '''supervillainess''' or '''supercriminal''' is a major [[antagonist]] and variant of the [[villain]]ous [[stock character]] who possesses [[Superpower (ability)|superpowers]]. The character type is sometimes found in [[comic book]]s and is often the primary adversary of a [[superhero]] in the same story.

==Description==
Supervillains are often used as [[foil (literature)|foils]] to present a daunting challenge to a 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 them to draft complex schemes or commit crimes in a way normal humans cannot. Other traits may include [[wiktionary:megalomania|megalomania]] and possession of considerable resources to further their aims. Many supervillains share some typical characteristics of real-world [[dictator]]s, [[gangster]]s, [[mad scientist]]s, [[trophy hunting|trophy hunters]], corrupt [[businesspeople]], [[serial killer]]s, and [[terrorism|terrorists]], often having an aspiration of [[world domination]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Charlotte |first=Ahlin |date=May 14, 2018 |title=10 Villains in Literature Who Were Apparently Based on Real People |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/10-villains-in-literature-who-were-apparently-based-on-real-people-9051874 |website=Bustle}}</ref>

==Notable supervillains==
The [[Joker (character)|Joker]], [[Lex Luthor]], [[Doctor Doom]], [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], [[Brainiac (character)|Brainiac]], [[Deathstroke]], the [[Green Goblin]], [[Loki (Marvel Comics)|Loki]], the [[Reverse-Flash]], [[Black Manta]], [[Ultron]], [[Thanos]], and [[Darkseid]] are some notable male comic book supervillains that have been [[Film adaptation|adapted]] in film and television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2008/06/18/the-joker-tops-supervillain-poll-199239/ |title=Joker tops supervillain poll |publisher=Metro.co.uk |date=2012-04-25 |access-date=2012-05-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Albert |first=Aaron |date=2012-04-10 |title=Top Ten Comic Book Super Villains |url=http://comicbooks.about.com/od/characters/tp/toptenvillains.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111173017/http://comicbooks.about.com/od/characters/tp/toptenvillains.htm |archive-date=2012-11-11 |access-date=2012-05-09 |publisher=Comicbooks.about.com}}</ref> Some notable female supervillains are [[Catwoman]], [[Harley Quinn]], [[Poison Ivy (character)|Poison Ivy]], [[Mystique (character)|Mystique]], [[Hela (character)|Hela]], [[Viper (Madame Hydra)|Viper]], and the [[Cheetah (character)|Cheetah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsarama.com/15629-lethal-ladies-the-10-best-female-supervillains.html|title=Lethal Ladies; The 10 Best Female Supervillains|publisher=Newsarama.com|access-date=2013-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dockterman |first1=E |last2=Conniff |first2=K |title=Maleficent and 16 Other Famous Queens of Mean |date=31 May 2014 |url=https://time.com/2801704/maleficent-villains-wicked-witch-catwoman/ |access-date=2015-04-09 |publisher=Time Magazine}}</ref>

Just like superheroes, supervillains are sometimes members of groups, such as the [[Injustice League]], the [[Sinister Six]], the [[Legion of Doom]], the [[Brotherhood of Mutants]], the [[Suicide Squad]], and the [[Masters of Evil]].

In the documentary ''A Study in Sherlock'', writers [[Stephen Moffat|Steven Moffat]] and [[Mark Gatiss]] said they regarded [[Professor Moriarty|Professor James Moriarty]] as a supervillain because he possesses genius-level intelligence and powers of observation and deduction, setting him above ordinary people to the point where only he can pose a credible threat to [[Sherlock Holmes]].

One of the earliest examples is John Devil, created by [[Paul Féval, père]], in 1862,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2025-04-26 |date=2011-05-06 |language=en-US |title=John Devil and the World of Paul Feval – Black Gate |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2011/05/06/john-devil-and-the-world-of-paul-feval/}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> followed by the Machiavellian Colonel Bozzo-Corona, leader of the criminal organization [[Les Habits Noirs|''Les Habits Noirs'']], also by Féval, in 1863.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2025-04-26 |date=2019-10-28 |language=en-US |title=A (Black) Gat in the Hand: Frank Schildiner on ‘The Bad Guys of Pulp’ – Black Gate |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2019/10/28/a-black-gat-in-the-hand-frank-schildiner-on-the-bad-guys-of-pulp/}}<!-- auto-translated from Portuguese by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

Another example of a pioneering villain is Zigomar, a character created by Léon Sazie in 1909 for the ''[[Le Matin (France)|Le Matin]]'' newspaper. Zigomar is a masked criminal wearing a red hood, leader of the "Gang of  Z," who terrorized Paris with his ingenious crimes. The character's success was so great that [[Victorin Jasset]] directed three films based on his adventures between 1911 and 1913: ''Zigomar, roi des voleurs'', ''Zigomar contre Nick Carter'' and ''[[Zigomar the Eelskin|Zigomar, peau d'anguille]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gaycken |first=Oliver |url=https://www.google.com.br/books/edition/Devices_of_Curiosity/7fJgBwAAQBAJ?hl=pt-BR&gbpv=1&dq=zigomar+serial+Victorin+Jasset+1913&pg=PA159&printsec=frontcover |title=Devices of Curiosity: Early Cinema and Popular Science |date=2015-05-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-027325-5 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1911, ''[[Fantômas]]'' emerged, created by [[Marcel Allain]] and [[Pierre Souvestre]]. A master of disguise and crime, Fantômas became an iconic figure in French popular culture. Filmmaker [[Louis Feuillade]] further solidified his fame by directing five silent serials starring the character: ''[[Fantômas (1913 serial)|Fantômas]]'' (1913), ''Juve contre Fantômas'' (1913), ''Le Mort Qui Tue'' (1913), ''Fantômas contre Fantômas'' (1914), and ''Le Faux Magistrat'' (1914). After the success of the first ''Fantômas'' serial, Feuillade had been criticized for glorifying outlaws, his next serial for Gaumont, ''[[Judex (1916 film)|Judex]]'', starred this time a positive hero, a mysterious avenger conceived as an honest version of Fantômas. [[Judex]] was himself featured in various adaptations, sequels and remakes. The original ''Judex'' serial was released in the United States and appears to have been an inspiration for the American pulp character [[The Shadow]], who was himself an inspiration for [[Batman]].<ref>Xavier Fournier, ''Super-héros: une histoire française'', Huginn Muninn, 2014, p. 69-73</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kehr |first=Dave |date=2010-09-17 |title=When Fantômas Held All of Paris in His Criminal Thrall |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/movies/homevideo/19kehr.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

[[Fu Manchu]] is an archetypal evil criminal genius and mad scientist created by English author [[Sax Rohmer]] in 1913. The [[Fu Manchu moustache]] became integral to stereotypical cinematic and television depictions of Chinese villains. Between 1965 and 1969 [[Christopher Lee]] played Fu Manchu five times in film, and in 1973 the character [[Zheng Zu|first appeared in Marvel Comics]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Maynard|first=William Patrick |url=https://www.blackgate.com/2016/06/12/blogging-marvels-master-of-kung-fu-part-one/ |title=Blogging Marvel's Master of Kung Fu, Part One |magazine=Black Gate |date=12 June 2016 |access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref>

The [[James Bond]] arch-villain [[Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] (whose scenes often show him sitting on an armchair stroking his cat, his face unseen) has influenced supervillain [[Trope (literature)|trope]]s in popular cinema, including [[Parody|parodies]] like [[Dr. Claw]] and M.A.D. Cat from the ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]'' animated series, [[Dr. Evil]] and [[Mr. Bigglesworth]] from the [[Austin Powers (film series)|''Austin Powers'' film series]], or [[List of Madagascar (franchise) characters#The Penguins of Madagascar TV series|Dr. Blowhole]] from the animated TV series ''[[The Penguins of Madagascar]]''.

The overarching villain of ''[[Star Wars]]'', Emperor [[Palpatine]], leads the tyrannical [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Galactic Empire]], and was inspired by real-world tyrannical leaders.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rinzler |first=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U0PAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT34 |title=The Making of The Empire Strikes Back |publisher=Del Rey |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-84513-555-3 |location=London |pages=23 |oclc=506251987 |quote=The best way to set up a super-villain is to take the biggest villain you've got and make him afraid of the super-villain. The Emperor is even more powerful than [[Darth Vader|Vader]]. He's the classic [[devil]] character ... |author-link=J. W. Rinzler}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 21, 2002 |title=Star Wars: Attack of the Clones |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/story2.html |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Time Magazine|Time]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605161308/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/story2.html |archive-date=June 5, 2002 |access-date=May 15, 2023 |quote=The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's [[Julius Caesar]] or [[Napoleon]] or [[Adolf Hitler]].}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Comics}}
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Archenemy]]
* [[Crime]]
* [[Rogues gallery]]
* [[List of Batman family enemies#Classic rogues gallery|List of Batman family enemies]]
* [[List of Superman enemies]]
* [[List of Spider-Man enemies]]
* [[List of Spawn villains]]
* [[Evil Overlord List]]
* [[Mad scientist]]
* [[Masked villain]]
* [[List of comic book supervillain debuts]]
* [[List of female supervillains]]
* [[Lists of villains]]
* [[Superhero fiction]]}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Wiktionary-inline}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Supervillains}}

{{Superhero fiction}}
{{Stock characters}}
{{Comics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Supervillains| ]]
[[Category:Superhero fiction themes]]
[[Category:Stock characters]]

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