The strongest samurai swords are made in the hottest forges. The same applies to heroes. Great heroes are made by facing powerful adversaries. That is the reason Superman was revamped several decades ago. The running joke among fans was why did we need the JLA when Superman was so powerful. There must be a sense of urgency and trepidation when a hero faces an opponent, and thus a good villain is essential to a great story.
Motivations Matter
Everyone loves a great origin story. These tales reveal what drives the character. Their motivations generally reveal how far the will go in their battle with the hero. When the MCU began Kevin Feige understood that choosing the right hero mattered, but the wrong villain would doom the story. Evil exists in many forms. Writers use this uniqueness like tools; a different villain for a different story. Villains still seem to have several common themes though that fuel their evilness.
The Greater Good
A few villains view themselves as the "hero" of the story. Thanos was driven by the need to depopulate the universe to protect it. Ra's al Ghul wants to save the environment by putting it in perfect homeostasis. These characters are driven by a purpose. They view themselves as beyond such petty restraints as good or evil because their goal is just. Generally, goal driven villains who believe they are in a right will sacrifice much to achieve their end game. They rationalize their bad acts with the understanding that they are the only ones with enough courage to do what must be done.
Gold Strandard
Another class of villains want something and understand they may not be the hero but it does not matter. All that matters is they get what they want because they want it. Baron Zemo was a villain who craved revenge and did not care who got in his way or how many people suffered the same fate that drove him in the MCU. The Vulture wanted financial gain and it did not matter if he put his own family in jeopardy. He wanted his. Galactus eats planets and knows that is not a good thing but all that matters is his continued survival. Sometimes what separates these characters from the first group is only that they know they are not on the side of the angels.
Good Person Doing Bad Things
These type of villains draw upon the sympathy of the viewer. They are are only bad because of some event or condition that they cannot overcome. Vader started out on the good path but tragedy and manipulation caused him to stray. Under that mask was once an innocent child. The MCU's Scarlet Witch lost all that she loved. Viewers watching might have lost someone too and would do the same to bring back their own loved ones. Fans know they are doing bad, but this group of villains are not truly evil. Fans are always hoping for a redemption story and sympathy makes their fate interesting.
Pure Evil
This is where Kevin Feige dropped the ball in the MCU. In the Dark Knight trilogy Alfred summed up the Joker's motives to Bruce by saying some just want to watch the world burn. Sometimes evil exists and there is no rhyme or reason as to their motivation no matter how hard others try to rationalize it. Joker, Freddy Krueger, and others do not have any reason for their evil motives except their are bad. Fans love evil. Horror pictures have protagonists but the evil characters are the ones that draw money even though they receive a fraction of the screen time or story line. The MCU never delivered on someone who wanted to watch the world burn and instead went with the first three. Those type of villains get old, but the MCU did not realize this and it is costing them. Do not follow their same path.
Knowledge is Power
Understanding what makes a good villain can help investors find undervalued issues to bet on. This knowledge can let collectors differentiate truly memorable characters (Harley Quinn) from poor copies (Punchline). Investors and collectors are now not motivated by movie or tv announcements. This will allow people to uncover villains that are undervalued but with great potential. Here are a few villains keys that both collectors and investors should target.
Ready, Aim....
An Evil Act
There are many Joker keys that are highly prized by collectors. Investors know this and try to buy them because that interest only raises the price of those issues. Batman: The Killing Joke #1 is one issue that always seems to be overlooked. Television and animated films have covered this story. The damage inflicted to Barbara Gordon has not been undone by many writers. Dead characters have been raised from the dead but for the most part Gordon's injury remains. That is because it is a significant event in comic book history. A 9.8 has a FMV of $200. A book with such a lasting impact on the DC story telling universe should not be that low.
A Mindless Killer
Ryan Reynolds said it on the screen. Fans waited for the Wolverine vs Sabretooth battle. The reason is that Sabretooth is a perfect foil for Wolverine; a pure psychotic killer who can go toe to toe with the best of them and give as good as he gets. Sadly fans only received an appetizer and not the full meal. If ever portrayed possessing the intellect of Lex Luthor imagine how truly formidable he could be. Even if this never happens he will always be tied together with Wolverine. A 9.6 copy for $950 makes Iron Fist #14 a nice book to hunt. If possible go up to the $.35 variant edition.
Girl Power
When Captain Marvel was announced many fans assumed Deathbird would play into the characters story. She was introduced in Ms. Marvel #9. Sadly this connection has not been utilized yet, but that does not preclude it from happening. Imagine realizing that mutants exist throughout the universe. Her significance in comic books should still make this book much more sought after. One point of interest for both collectors and investors is that her first appearance is in a female comic midrun. This might make it rarer than one might imagine. Less than 500 copies exist in the CGC census and still a 9.8 has a FMV of only $300. That is too low for a character who could have bridged the MCU and mutants because of her connections to both. A white cover adds to the difficulty in finding high grade copies.
A Cold Book that Should be Hotter
Two possible Omega level villains in one book should be on everyone's radar. That was true a while back but fans have turned on Fantastic Four King Size Special #6. The first appearance of both Franklin Richards and Annihilus is a prize everyone should still seek out. Annihilus has such potential as an invading army leader. He could be someone who truly does not care about anything and only wants to destroy. Franklin Richards is so powerful he can create his own universe. Imagine it is he who has been behind all those time branches seen in Loki. A villain who must be defeated to save worlds yet is tied to a super hero family could be a great hook. That is truly bad. What is more tragic is that an issue with two first key first appearances and work by Jack Kirby in a 9.0 has a FMV of $1000. Others may have abandoned this book because of the lack of exposure in the MCU but do not make that mistake.
Something Something Dark side
Darth Vader is villain gold. Darth Sidius created and turned Vader. His first cameo happens in the same issue as Boba Fett's first appearance. That book has been sought after for years, but his true first appearance beyond the mere cameo is in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #2. A Star Wars key over 40 years old that has a 9.8 FMV of $120 with less than 600 copies in the CGC census. There has probably been no greater evil in the Star Wars universe than Palpatine and still his first full appearance is a little over a hundred dollars. That is $30 more than the first issue in the same grade. Some fans have realized the significance of this issue and seeking it out while the price is affordable. Have you?
A Tool for Every Job
Villains serve many purposes so there are many different types. The MCU used them well up to Avengers: Endgame and then Kevin Feige and the writers lost their way. Villains once appeared to always have the upper hand on the heroes. People were more invested in the stories because of the perceived threat level the villains represented. Then their importance was lost. Cookie cutter stories with poorly fleshed out characters that never were more powerful than the heroes they faced littered the screens. They did not do their jobs. Others were miscast or portrayed much like a screw driver does not pound in a nail well. Writers failed and the MCU has suffered. Do not follow the same fate.
Fun in the Quest
More villains exist than heroes. That mean there are more opportunities for collectors and investors to still score great deals. The key is to avoid the pitfalls that Kevin Feige seems to now prone to falling in. Seek out quality and potential rather than trying to repeat past successes. Fixer uppers are always possible. Sabretooth was once unimportant and then a great storyline brought him to a higher status. Joker was once a mere clown until Neal Adams used him and demonstrated the depth of evil the character would go to hurt Batman. Put in the time to find those hidden gems.
GoCollect Call to Arms
Now it is up the readers. What other villains do readers believe are undervalued but with great potential. A book that I wanted to add to the main article was Fantastic Four # 20. This is an early Fantastic Four issue with Jack Kirby art that also has the first appearance of Molecule Man. He is a character that is omega level heavy hitter and yet relatively unknown by non-comic book fans. Even Comic book fans do not respect him. This issue also has a letter from George R.R. Martin. A key book with crossover appeal is always desirable. So what villain key books do readers believe should be on the sights of both collectors and investors. Please let us know in the comment section.
Related Quote
"Well, you need the villain. If you don't have a villain, the good guy can stay home."
Christoper Waltz
