Shortage of Villains?

[Magmaster12]

Considering how often the Wrecking Crew are used for Cannon Fodder, yes.

[theoneandonly]

perhaps the punisher is responsible for this shortage.

[Za Waldo]

Are they doing a good job of creating new heroes? Seems like they've been doing a pretty shitty job of it the last few years. I'd actually say they've been doing a better job of coming up with new villains. They've also be doing some really stupid **** to turn heroes into villains.

More Villains like The Black Order or Zodiac less Like The Freelancers. Infact make a New Scourge of the Underworld to gun the Freelancers down please.

The Black Order suck so hard. They've got the same problem a number of new villains have, (and new heroes and new costumes for past heroes) which is they're all just so fucking boring looking. It's like Gorr, cool idea for a villain, but visually he comes off like some boring half-assed lame looking Venom. Which is actually weird with Gorr because at one point during that arc the armor shows up in a flashback looking pretty cool. The guys in the Black Order look like background characters you'd see in a crowd shot.

[ed2962]

Harley Quinn, was a creation of the Animate Series. She was made to lighten the Joker, she simply worked so well she became cannon. Mr Freeze did that before her, and X-23 later.

I don't think Disney has it in them to give an animated series that level of creative freedom.

They can always try digging up and retooling old villains they killed off, they can take a look at the 90's and revive and re-purpose some creative material.

True. But a lot of writers just don't seem to have the interest in reviving obscure characters unless it's someone they were already familiar with from their childhood or something.

[chamber-music]

The newly created villains need to reoccur more and face different heroes.

[XPac]

True. But a lot of writers just don't seem to have the interest in reviving obscure characters unless it's someone they were already familiar with from their childhood or something.

Yeah, I think there are plenty of villains sitting in limbo waiting to be used. Some are a bit dated, but if they scrape some of the cheese off of them they're perfectly usable.

Bendis using Purple Man back in Alias was a pretty good example of that. The right author with the right story can really make even a third string villain work. He's doing a pretty good job with Diamondback at the moment too.

The bottom line is villains just need to be used better. It's because so many aren't that poor Doom at times needed to appear in 3-4 stories or events at one time back in the day. He was one of the few villains marvel consistantly managed to use well.

[Nyssane]

The newly created villains need to reoccur more and face different heroes.

People aren't really interested in newer villains, just as they aren't overly invested in newer heroes. I think it's also telling we haven't had very many good, classic hero vs. villain stories in the past few years.

[GOLGO 13]

It's the same thing as with creating new heroes. A creator might be hesitant to come with a villain that becomes the next Thanos or Harley Quinn only to have the company own it lock stock and barrel.

There you have it. Can't blame these creators at all.

[Iron Maiden]

There you have it. Can't blame these creators at all.

I was surprised that Hickman gave them a group of new villains with the Black Order. But I think they mostly got bumped off. Isn't Black Swan dead? I'd like to have seen her hang in there.

[Tofali]

I was surprised that Hickman gave them a group of new villains with the Black Order. But I think they mostly got bumped off. Isn't Black Swan dead? I'd like to have seen her hang in there.

Black Swan and Proxima were killed by Hela in Unworthy Thor. (well that's how it looked like ) Poor Corvus Glaive was killed in Thanos. The only one left standing is Ebony Maw.

[Iron Maiden]

I remember Corvus Glaive....he was sort of talked into committing suicide wasn't he? I still have no idea if Black Swan turned up anywhere but maybe with the end of SW, she really doesn't exist anymore.

[Abe]

Yes, the Black Swan was seen in the Unworthy Thor mini. She had a few good lines but seeing her working for Thanos as an almost usual villain was kinda heartbreaking. All her wit was gone... I guess she died at the end but she was the shadow of herself without the pseudo-religious concept of the Incursions and of the Great Destroyer.

A great creation by Hickman but it was so much based on his own concepts that I fear it couldn't work outside of his books...

Well "everything dies"... even the good new characters... (but I would totally buy an on-going Tales of the Black Swan set in a pre-SW Hickmanverse! )

[Zero Hunter]

Yeah, I think there are plenty of villains sitting in limbo waiting to be used. Some are a bit dated, but if they scrape some of the cheese off of them they're perfectly usable.
.

That is a big part of it right there. A good writer can take even a lame character and tweek them to make them good. A prime example of it from DC is the Callculator who was D level at best and with just some clever updating he became an awesome character. It just takes a little vision.

[Iron Maiden]

Yes, the Black Swan was seen in the Unworthy Thor mini. She had a few good lines but seeing her working for Thanos as an almost usual villain was kinda heartbreaking. All her wit was gone... I guess she died at the end but she was the shadow of herself without the pseudo-religious concept of the Incursions and of the Great Destroyer.

A great creation by Hickman but it was so much based on his own concepts that I fear it couldn't work outside of his books...

Well "everything dies"... even the good new characters... (but I would totally buy an on-going Tales of the Black Swan set in a pre-SW Hickmanverse! )

That would be a good idea...I'd read a mini-series about her. There are even fewer good female villains than males. She seemed villainous at first, at the very least she was devious At least she didn't turn to depravity like Thanos and his lieutenants while they were preventing the incursions.

I will have to see if the Unworthy Thor has turned up on Marvel Unlimited since I'm now curious to how other writers handled her and the others in the Black Order.

[scribbleMind]

I remember in Thunderbolts they killed of Zadkiel in a few panels like he was nothing, which is such a shame because he was an awesome villain imo, for Ghost Rider certainly but he could have been a great villain in general.