Isaacs Picture Conclusions

Infiltration 1.0 – Top Ten Comic Book Movie Villains

Alright folks, Zoë clocking in here. While Eric is chained up in the basement with ergot poisoning out doing some severely hardcore manual labour, I hijacked was tasked to entertain you for the day. Now I am seriously having issues as to how to go about this, but I am sure that I will find a way to make this work.

I am not going in for Disney princesses or some serious male makeout fantasies (goodness knows my blog suffered at the hands of beefcakes and boobs for a while), so I had to think about this. While my thoughts are running rampant, they have convened on the fact that I can still not really forgive Eric for hating on The Godfather. More of that will feature over at Cinema Parrot Disco at some stage though.

So enough skirting of the issue. I’m going to take my role as entertainer for the day seriously, and hence I am going to present my top ten entertaining comic book movie villains. Bear in mind this is short notice and I have given it as much thought as a random kidnapping and silencing can merit, so this is not necessarily the definitive list (with the exception of number one, no debate).

10. Whiplash (Iron Man 2)

whiplash_large

I had fun with this. Mickey Rourke was good when he took on the mantle of Ivan Vanko, aka Whiplash. Under the “supervision” of Justin Hammer, Vanko comes into the game to make a statement: Iron Man can be injured, and if he is injured, why does everyone hero worship him the way that they do? Never mind that, I thought his electrified whips were just brilliant, fun (this is the sadist in me) and scary. He was pretty damn smart, too.

9. Howard Saint (The Punisher)

howard saint

Here’s my reasoning: whatever anyone has to say about John Travolta, he was good here. I like him. Really, I think he’s a pretty decent actor and he has had some brilliant roles (I am highlighting Pulp Fiction here – I don’t think anyone can disagree with that). Then he popped up in The Punisher as the millionaire crime lord Howard Saint, and I was on board. I liked what he did with the character. He was rich, he was entitled, he was a father and a business man and he was certainly vindictive. He was manipulating and cold, too, and I liked that. Definitely someone worth going up against Frank Castle, no two ways about it.

8. Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2)

doctor octopus

Alfred Molina did a good job with Doctor Octopus, though I feel he was criminally underused and that it could have been such a bigger, better role. Nevertheless, he was entertaining, he was such a sad man, he was intent on getting what he wanted and by any which means necessary to get there.

7. Loki (Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World)

loki

I know I will be unpopular with this, but Loki is in actual fact not my most favourite comic book movie villain in the MCU. Let’s put it like this: Tom Hiddleston is fantastic and gives Loki his best, and gives him a lot of character and what not. It is the writers that are to blame. He is awesome when he is being all hardcore and sarcastic and what not, but then there are other times where he is bogged down by cheese and lameness, which sucks, cause he really should be phenomenal all the time.

6. The Scarecrow (Batman Begins)

BBFC-27

Yes, much love here for Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, I am a massive fan and it shows that each movie he brought managed to bring a villain with it to that was sure to excite and delight the audience. Cillian Murphy came to us as the Scarecrow, and damn he was awesome. With a voice you could easily listen to for ages and a calm and slightly scary demeanor which suddenly snaps into something freaky, it is no wonder that he would have been a favourite of mine. Murphy was excellent here.

5. Magneto (X-Men franchise)

magneto

I have always enjoyed Magneto. He is someone (yes, this will be said), that I have always understood on some level. Sir Ian McKellan was amazing at this. I have always perceived Magneto to be the realist and Professor X to be the idealist. Magneto suffered at the hands of Nazis (its a theme haha) and came out scarred, knowing the darkest depravity of the human mind. Using his abilities, he wants his world order, to be the superior beings, to stop the mere humans, the ones that will alienate them and hate them and hunt them. He is compelling, and I must say that I like him. I do not always agree with him, but one can definitely understand how his reasoning works.

4. Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)

bane

I absolutely hated Bane’s portrayal in Batman & Robin, and, while we are at it, Schumacher should have been shot for that. He is not supposed to be some… oh goodness, getting all worked up. We will move right along. I loved what Tom Hardy did with the character, and I honestly believe that Christopher Nolan did the villains in his films justice. Bane was no exception. He was smart, ruthless and terrifying and incredibly well matched for the Batman.

3. The Winter Soldier (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

captain america the winter soldier fight

Yes… we all know how much I freaking loved the Winter Soldier. I just thought that this was thrilling, the first real offer of a serious villain from the MCU. I mean Loki is good, but I think that they are too inconsistent with his character (as I have said). The Winter Soldier was absolutely badass, hardcore and kitted out in a fantastically awesome outfit with a fearful arm. Brainwashed, angry and an order-obeying super soldier of death, the Winter Soldier was excellent, menacing and scary. Finally.

2. General Zod (Man of Steel)

general zod

While I enjoyed Man of Steel, I can certainly acknowledge that there were flaws. Michael Shannon being cast as General Zod was definitely not one of them. Shannon was a master of showcasing Zod to the audience, always lingering on the edge of madness, driven by a mission that is not totally unheard of or crazy, we can understand him wanting to save his race. Shannon keeps Zod’s crazy in check but only just-just, making it a thrill to see how he goes about taking Earth, playing with Clark Kent as well as watching the measures he is willing to go to to stop

1. The Joker (The Dark Knight)

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I mean come on… I know people are probably sick of hearing this and all but I don’t give a fuck. What Heath Ledger came and did here was just crazy. He was off his rocker, and brought something insane to the table with his portrayal of the Joker. Unhinged, smart, cunning, sly, manipulative… there are so many ways to continue describing the Joker, but the best would probably be legendary.

Honourable Mentions:

The Green Goblin (Spider-Man)
Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Two Face (The Dark Knight)
Catwoman (Batman Returns)
Ra’s al Ghul (Batman Begins)
Lucifer (Constantine)

are you

BIRTHDAY WISHLIST

Now that all that is done, while Eric is bashing at the door working like a slave, I should also mention next on the agenda is that I have a birthday wishlist to present to you fellow readers because, of all the readers out there, you sort of appeal to a specific set of things, and I am thinking that between you all something can be organised. I mean it is a really basic list that can be rocked. So I would like:

a) Sebastian Stan. Whoever organises this I will be eternally grateful to.
b) Bags and bags of Tootsie Rolls (this is directed at you Americans) and boxes and boxes of unfrosted strawberry  Pop Tarts.
c) Star Trek Stardate Collection (it has since been taken care of – I should seriously start writing things down, apparently it works)
d) A massive map of Middle Earth for my lounge. This would thrill me. No end.
e) Joseph to tell me what he thought of The Goldfinch, finally.
f) Heath Ledger’s dramatic rise from the grave. I mean this in the sense of desperately seeking some secretive necromancer that frequents Eric’s site… you don’t even need to tell us who you are, just bring the man back, he was amazing.
g) An interview / meeting with Miguel. There is business and shankings that need to be discussed with him and Dark Cara.

THE SPIDER-MAN DEBATE

On another note completely (again), on Twitter last night there was quite the Peter Parker / Spider-Man showdown between that useless tool that is Tobey Maguire and the new kid on the block, Andrew Garfield. The war raged to the extremes and got insane – but that is not my question. My question is this: who do you, dear and fair readers, prefer and why? Team Garfield or Team Maguire???

Spider-Man versusFurthermore, who is joining next Wednesday for the next awesome Shitfest Social? I cannot tell you how much fun that is going to be.

In any event, there, I have ransacked and taken over though I have not totally desecrated everything The IPC stands for, and at some stage Eric may escape return to you fair people, I am sure he is dearly missed!

121 comments

  2. Natasha

    I love your list! It was excellent! I especially loved Whiplash – completely cool and entertaining, Loki and Bane – my eternal love for Hardy was once again justified with him as Bane…

    You do not need to worry about Stan my friend, he is already on his flight here 😀

    TEAM GARFIELD

    And lastly, Zoë, you need to stop locking people up in your basement! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Zoë

      Yay, thank you kindly! I am so glad to hear that! Yes… yes he was a phenomenal Bane!

      Oh my gosh REALLY?! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek the weekend REALLY can’t get here fast enough!!!!!

      This is why we are best friends.

      Good thing I don’t have a basement *innocent whistle*

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. table9mutant

    Hehehe! Nice work, Zoe!!! But you’ve taken it FAR too easy on Eric. ; ) love your list! Knew what your number one would be, of course, but TOTALLY agree. No one will EVER top him. What a loss. : ( You lost me a bit at John Travolta, though… Lol.

    You KNOW I’m Team Garfield! ; ) More on that debate will be at the end of my review for it plus there’ll be a POLL, everyone! So come on over to my blog once I’ve reviewed The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and you’ll be able to vote for Team Garfield or Team Maguire!!! *self-promotion* ; ) Damn… I better get that written soon…

    Oh – and I agree that Eric is insane for not liking The Godfather. I hope you’re forcing him to watch it over & over again while you have him chained up. Bwahaha! I can’t wait to read your thoughts on it… ; )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. Joseph@thecinemamonster

    Okay, let’s start off here lol. Excellent list, everyone’s there who should be, especially Doctor Octopus, who never gets enough love. You got the likes of Bane, Magneto, Joker, Scarecrow, Winter Soldier, and Zod…and with an abundance of villains, no one will fault you for leaving a few off the list. So excellent job, Zoe!

    I am not the biggest fan, but I’d definitely side with MaGuire! The new Spider Man films suck balls!

    I’m almost done The Goldfinch!!!!! Apparently it’s getting a movie adaptation and it won like book of the year or something!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. snapcracklewatch

    Great list Zoe! You never disappoint. Even though I will admit I am not the biggest super hero comic book type fan, I can still appreciate them. I think Michael Shannon can play the crap out of any villain and he does Zod justice. I also agree with your Mickey Rourke choice, he did a great job, he plays a really cool villain well. Bane is good too, only because I love Tom Hardy. lol… you know me I love my hot men. Loki is just friggin cool can’t deny that. The Joker I don’t think one person could argue that and it’s okay that you mentioned it, had you picked another number 1, I think people would wonder why you didn’t pick the joker. Please resurrect him so I can see Brokeback Mountain part 2 also!

    Did you bring your riding crop? I really hope you did. Let the evil laughter commence.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  12. theipc

    You know, one thing I have to add to this… I really didn’t give a fuck for Bane… I thought his voice was overly irritating – almost to the point of being laughable. Oh well. I also think it’s funny that all of the 30+ YO guys out here like Maguire (except for Mike who….) and the ladies like Garfield….. this will be an interesting Sociology experiment….

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  13. Skeletor

    Right on, Zoë!!! I am OBSESSED with villains, this hit my sweet spot! I have to say, I am with Mr. IPC on Bain’s voice…..and agree it was laughable at times. But this comes with a clause: Tom Hardy is fucking DEEEEEELICIOUS, and televisions can be muted!! Oh yeah.

    Anyways. Ahem. Tom Hardy. I mean, Tom Hardy. Shit! I can’t stop thinking about it! Where was I? Oh yes. Sooooo, I pick that other dude that played Spider-Man, but not because I find him physically attractive. Actually, I wouldn’t look twice at him crossing the road…not quite my type. I like the weirdos. Also, chicks with big boobs. But the point is, I pick the other dude because Toby McGuire is a gigantic vagina. HUGE. So, big Team Garfield on that one.

    The content of your post was phenomenal. Villains need more props fo’ sho’. As a kid, I always found myself rooting for the bad guys, which brings about a question: where in Jesus Fuck is Lord Vader?? 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Skeletor

      PS – I fucking LOVE that you put Loki on here, but 100% agree that he was lacking something. Wish they would have done more with that role. Like….fire the writers.
      PS Again – Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow was a character of complete balance. I think I jizz in my pants every time I see that movie. And 28 Days Later. And all the shitty movies he was in between.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    • Skeletor

      For serious, though….if Toby McGuire tried to save me, I’d kick him in the grapes he calls a sack and save myself. And the kiss where he’s upside down tonguing Mary Jane reminded me of my first kiss. It was the 6th grade and Daniel Keyston shoved his tongue down my throat, and then his gum got stuck on my front teeth. It damaged me until I was an adult. **shudder**

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
    • Zoë

      YAY! I am with you there, the villains rock. Awwww, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed Bane and how he was put together and all, and I liked the voice! LOL! Hardy has some serious fans, I love it!

      Oh my, come back, this way, out of the Hardy light 😛 ANOTHER FOR TEAM GARFIELD! And you are SOOOO right about Maguire. I mean freaking really now?!

      I am glad to see I was not the only kid running around with the wrong quotes! I am a MASSIVE Vader fan! But these were only comic book movie villains in the most classic sense of it (not branching out to things like Freddy vs Jason vs Ash type of thing, but as we know them to be from Batman, Superman, Captain America, etc). Vader would be SO high up on a regular villain list. MORE LOVE HERE!! WHOOP!!

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  14. garylee828

    Zoe,

    As far as your list goes, I have to say Bane should be #2. I’m a huge Michael Shannon fan, and he was great as Zod, but the script limited him. He really didn’t do much. Bane on the other hand was cut-throat and brutal.

    Actually, my #2 may have to be Jack Nicholson’s Joker, which should be on this list.

    I totally agree about Heath being #1. No debate there. But Jack’s Joker was also great, and I think people tend to forget that since it was from the previous Batman franchise. *Also, Terrence Stamps’s General Zod deserves to be on this list somewhere.

    I still have not seen “Winter Solider” but Eric has got me interested in seeing it, and now you have, as well. I cannot say where he ranks on the villain list, but your description here definitely has caught my attention. I will try to see it when I get a chance.

    I liked Rourke’s villain in “Iron Man 2” as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Zoë

      Hi Gary! The script was a little limiting for Shannon, but every moment he was on screen he dominated it. I thoroughly enjoyed Bane.

      Nah, I don’t forget about Nicholson’s Joker, he was good but I must be honest and say he has never been a serious or particular favourite of mine. I know that makes me a minority but it is the truth.

      I must say the Winter Soldier truly thrilled me no end. He was definitely something Marvel has gotten right, something that they have been battling with for years.

      Rourke’s villain was enjoyable, definitely!

      Like

      Reply
  15. garylee828

    PS: Oh yeah, as far as McGuire or Garfield, I vote Garfield all the way; he’s a great actor with a lot of versatility. He co-starred with Heath in his last movie.

    If you haven’t seen “Boy A” with Garfield, I highly recommend it. He plays a young adult, fresh out of prison after participating in a crime when he was a teen, and learning to find his place in society. I was thoroughly impressed by his performance.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. jjames36

    Great work, Zoe!

    Most of these villains I can get behind. More or less. But Bane? General Zod? Doctor Octopus? Bah to all of them, at least the versions that appeared in movies (which are the only versions I know).

    And Team Maguire all the way, even if two of the three movies aren’t very good. At least, unlike the Garfield movies, they aren’t stupid unnecessary.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. Victor De Leon

    Awesome list Zoe! All great picks. Glad you put Doc Ock in there! I know it’s unhip to admit this but I dig Maguire’s flicks over the new kid. But I am looking forward to ASM 2. Even though the reboots seem a bit unnecessary. Once again, nice work!

    Like

    Reply
  22. caragale

    My phone was being a dick last week when I tried to comment on this, but I will comment now. First of all, I am extremely relieved that Joker is your number one. Otherwise, I would’ve had to seriously reconsider out friendship. Secondly, HELL YEAH TEAM GARFIELD. Thirdly, I hope I can come to the Social tomorrow!!! Working on acquiring a copy of the DVD. 🙂 Lastly, an interview with Miguel? Hmm. Are you sure that’s what you want? Ever since he got back from NYC, he won’t stop saying “I’m walkin’ here” or demanding street vendor hot dogs. I think I need to get him a hobby…

    Like

    Reply
    • Zoë

      I see that it was unresponsive. Who else would bear that mantle, really now?! WHOOOOOOOP FOR GARFIELD. You better be here later. I am ever geared up and ready for it. Yes, interview, I have some serious shankings that need to be discussed. I will mind where I walk so as to avoid being shouted at and all that.

      I thought his hobby was shankings… not working out as healthily as expected!

      Like

      Reply
  23. Kim @ Tranquil Dreams

    Love the Top 10! But yay! Joker as number 1 and I totally love The Winter Soldier 🙂
    I’m definitely Team Garfield. Talking about that, I probably should start planning my trip to the theatres for Amazing Spiderman 2.
    And why did you have to remind me of Schumacher’s Batman movies? *shivers* I just remember the meaningless neon lights EVERYWHERE!
    As much as I love Eric, you should infiltrate the IPC more 😉

    Like

    Reply
    • Zoë

      🙂 Thanks Kim! Both fantastic villains!

      Team Garfield ALL THE WAY. I would love to hear what you think about it.

      Meh. Just meh. I mean WHY?!

      😀 Really? I feel so loved haha!

      Like

      Reply

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