Crash Course in Villainy I

I thought this kind of informative writing would be a door opener to those of us wanting to get know characters quickly. If you haven’t branched out and “met” a villain you loved to hate, maybe this will help! I first embraced villains as a young, messy haired girl of four. Speed Racer and Sailor Moon were watched almost 24/7 and let me tell you, Snake Oiler and Queen Beryl ROCKED my world. I don’t know if it was the kick ass clothing or the devious way they held themselves that made them memorable.

Let’s start by defining what a “villain” is. Aw, who are we kiddin’, it’s the bad guy, or in the better story lines, they even become the hero! I’ll begin with a few Marvel villains starting with the metal insanity that is Ultron.

Exhibit A: evil adamantium bastard

Ultron

“Hope is a human delusion.”

Ultron is the creation of Henry Pym (also known as Ant-Man) and gradually developes its intelligence to the point where it goes insane. Made from superior adamantium, Ultron is virtually indestructible. His various incarnations range from being “infected” with human emotion to creating Jocasta in his image for a robotic bride. Currently known as Ultron Pym,and banished to ultraspace, it hid its consciousness in an inert Galadorian Spaceknight that re-activated on accident. An Age of Ultron is currently looming.

Ultron’s powers include superhuman levels of strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, subsonic flight and various offensive weapons on top of being a superb roboticist and strategist. Good luck fighting THAT guy!

I suggest picking up Siege event from your local comic book shop, for an especially issues #34-#37 tasty bit of Ultron madness.

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Apocalypse

“Enjoy your small victory Xavier, for the Age of Apocalypse is nigh!”

Merciless, and brutal, Apocalypse first arrived on the Marvel scene in the 1980’s, as the first mutant. Regardless of being over 5,000 years old, Apocalypse had alien technology that he used to his advantage to implement his “survival of the fittest” mentality, transform and enhance himself, and entered a state of suspended animation. Large, grey skinned and blue lipped, Apocalypse cuts an intimidating figure, especially when flanked by his Four Horsemen.

His mutant powers include shape-shifting on a molecular level, teleportation, immense strength, near invulnerability, rapid regeneration, energy absorption, and projection. He is resistant to telepathy and psychic attack, and may have limited telepathic and telekinetic capabilities of his own. Currently, Apocalypse has been reborn as a child in the new series Uncanny X-Force.

The Age of Apocalypse mini-series is definitely the most popular, and worth some of your time!