Categorizing Villains. Who's A-list? Who's B-list?

[Tuck]

by that logic I think guys like Hammerhead and Tombstone, who would probably C-Listers compared to that ranking, are cult favorite enough to warrant being B-Listers.

Well, Tombstone is the main villain in the Spectacular animated series. Make of that what you will.

D-List: [...] Screwball,

Hey, I like Screwball.

[Scott Taylor]

A List - Norman, Otto, Felicia, Brock
B List - Villains who have been in more than 5 stories
C List - Villains who have been in 5 or less stories
D List - One off villains

[Inversed]

Well, Tombstone is the main villain in the Spectacular animated series. Make of that what you will.

And that's only because they weren't allowed to use Kingpin. I honestly believe that show is the reason Tombstone is as high as he is. At least Hammerhead is still a fairly recurring villain in general in Marvel, when was the last time Tombstone did anything?

[Mister Mets]

A List - Norman, Otto, Felicia, Brock
B List - Villains who have been in more than 5 stories
C List - Villains who have been in 5 or less stories
D List - One off villains

That's an interesting split between B and C.

I do think there are some villains who haven't appeared much, but should be considered B-list, because their stories are so good, namely Sin-Eater, Fusion (from Jenkins) and Massacre.

I'd say an A-list villain is anyone whose absence (other than due to being unavailable) in a creator's run would be conspicuous.

That's an interesting view, but I'm not sure it works.

Some of the top writers focused on villains outside the regular rogues gallery. JMS had new villains mainly, and Stern liked pitting Spider-Man against other heavies in Marvel.

For much of the series' history, the character's been in multiple titles with multiple writers, so the absence in one book wasn't that remarkable. Some runs have had specialized identities. Kurt Busiek basically did a satellite book to the Lee/ Ditko run. In the 80s, Peter David focused on crime dramas.

Two of the biggest writers: Dan Slott and Brian Michael Bendis had lengthy 150+ issue runs on the series, so the list of characters they've both used is pretty massive.

There are also quite a few writers with multiple runs. Tom DeFalco was on Amazing Spider-Man twice. J.M. DeMatteis was on Spectacular Spider-Man twice, in addition to his one-offs. Peter David was on Spectacular, FNSM and various one-shots. I don't think he ever wrote Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man, but he did in the Hulk. Conway had Amazing in the 70s, Spectacular/ Web in the late 80s/ early 90s, and Renew Your Vows last year.

[Frontier]

Well, Tombstone is the main villain in the Spectacular animated series. Make of that what you will.

I think his role on that show definitely bumps up Tombstone to a degree.

Heck, I'd say the 90's cartoon helped make Smythe more memorable then he was in the comics at the time.

A List - Norman, Otto, Felicia, Brock
B List - Villains who have been in more than 5 stories
C List - Villains who have been in 5 or less stories
D List - One off villains

The only way I can see Black Cat as an A-List "Villain" is if we're also conflating her popularity and status as a love interest and supporting character which she's been much longer and more effectively then she's ever been a villain.

And that's only because they weren't allowed to use Kingpin. I honestly believe that show is the reason Tombstone is as high as he is. At least Hammerhead is still a fairly recurring villain in general in Marvel, when was the last time Tombstone did anything?

He was also in the 90's cartoon, where they even did his whole story with Robbie.

I think that probably has something to do with his popularity.

Probably the last big thing Tombstone did in the Spider-Man books was in Superior Foes, where it was revealed that the female Beetle is his daughter. Though David Walker also used him in his Power Man and Iron Fist run.

[Inversed]

Probably the last big thing Tombstone did in the Spider-Man books was in Superior Foes, where it was revealed that the female Beetle is his daughter. Though David Walker also used him in his Power Man and Iron Fist run.

Oh yeah that's right. I remember them mentioning that in Ant-Man as well. Didn't know about him being in Power Man And Iron Fist, so that's cool. I feel like he should've also popped up at some point in Defenders, but I don't recall him being there.

[Frontier]

Oh yeah that's right. I remember them mentioning that in Ant-Man as well. Didn't know about him being in Power Man And Iron Fist, so that's cool. I feel like he should've also popped up at some point in Defenders, but I don't recall him being there.

I think he may have been mentioned by name in Defenders, like in the intro recaps, but I'm also pretty sure he didn't make a physical appearance.

[comicscollector]

A-List are only the main villains as Norman Osborn,Otto Octavious and Kingpin.
B-List can be either classic villains as Electro or be villains that right from the start were estabilished as credible villains to Spider-Man as Morlun and Carnage.
C-List are villains that fall short from being B-List villains due not being as capable as the B list villains,as Master of the Light.
D-List villains are usually more the less powerfull members of villains teams as the weaker members of the Enforcers.
E-List are villains that in their powers,inteligencie and abilities are more a funny concept that being a villain as the other A to D List villains as Kangaroo,Grizzly or the Big Wheel.

[Alan2099]

B List - Villains who have been in more than 5 stories

Any classification that would list The Big Wheel and Slyde as a B-listers is wrong.

[Hypestyle]

is the Looter still alive? just wondering.

[ngroove]

A - Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, Carnage, Hobgoblin, Mysterio, Lizard, Sandman, Electro, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, Rhino, Scorpion, Kingpin
B - Shocker, Chameleon, Jackal, Morbius the Living Vampire, Beetle, Boomerang, Speed Demon, Hydro Man, Tombstone, Hammerhead, Spider Slayers, Spot

[Michael Watkins]

is the Looter still alive? just wondering.

yes. he's in a villains anonymous support group.

[Mister Mets]

Well, Tombstone is the main villain in the Spectacular animated series. Make of that what you will.




Hey, I like Screwball.

Tombstone was a big bad because Kingpin was unavailable.

A-List are only the main villains as Norman Osborn,Otto Octavious and Kingpin.
B-List can be either classic villains as Electro or be villains that right from the start were estabilished as credible villains to Spider-Man as Morlun and Carnage.
C-List are villains that fall short from being B-List villains due not being as capable as the B list villains,as Master of the Light.
D-List villains are usually more the less powerfull members of villains teams as the weaker members of the Enforcers.
E-List are villains that in their powers,inteligencie and abilities are more a funny concept that being a villain as the other A to D List villains as Kangaroo,Grizzly or the Big Wheel.

Villains who were made to be credible threats by writers who failed to establish them as credible threats would not be B-list, right?

[Frontier]

Tombstone was a big bad because Kingpin was unavailable.

And it worked surprisingly well .

[comicscollector]

Villains who were made to be credible threats by writers who failed to establish them as credible threats would not be B-list, right?

Yep.
Lightmaster as a exemple,looked like he was supposed to be a recurring villain in the early stories that have him,but he apeared in just a few stories.So i would say he is more of a C-List villain.