#10 Thunderbolts Really Masters of Evil

Occurred in: Thunderbolts #1
Principle Players: Baron Zemo II

Only one good thing came of Marvel's disastrous attempt to reboot its universe with the "Heroes Reborn" storyline. With the heroes of the 616 Marvel Universe gone to the other side of the sun, the world was in search of protectors. It was believed a new team of champions was discovered with the appearance of the mysterious Thunderbolts. But these do-gooders were in fact the new Masters of Evil, headed by Baron Zemo II. The shocking final page of the first issue revealed the truth and was one of the biggest surprises in comics history.

The first year of the Thunderbolts was dedicated to the rouse and the conflicting emotions among a band of villains pretending to be good, and perhaps enjoying heroism a little too much. While the series may not have had a long-lasting affect on the Marvel Universe, it may well have saved Marvel from creative self-destruction in the '90s.

#9 Angel's Wings Clipped

Occurred in: X-Factor #10
Principle Players: Angel, Harpoon

The original five X-Men had only recently created the public mutant investigations group X-Factor when their team was nearly destroyed. The Mutant Massacre, a major X-Men crossover event, had Sinister's Marauders attempting to wipe out the sewer-dwelling Morlocks. When X-Factor came to the aid of the Morlocks, Angel found himself on the wrong end of the mean-spirited mutant, Harpoon. The former X-Man lost his wings, just the first in a string of shocking moments to come for Warren Worthington III.

Not long after losing his feathers, Warren appeared to commit suicide, crashing his plane into the side of a mountain. In truth, he turned himself over to Apocalypse, who gave the former X-Man steel wings and new name -- Archangel.

#8 Joker Cripples Barbara Gordon

Occurred in: Batman: The Killing Joke
Principle Players: Joker, Barbara Gordon, James Gordon

It's not totally unexpected for a costumed hero to meet a major physical set-back on the job. But former Batgirl Barbara Gordon wasn't shot and paralyzed trying to save the city. She was crippled because she's Commissioner Gordon's daughter. The Joker had a brilliant plan -- push Jim Gordon to the edge of sanity, then give him an extra nudge to turn him into a raving lunatic. After all, if a sane man like Gordon can give into sanity based on circumstance, who could really blame the Joker for the cruel twist of fate that made him go loony?

Joker shot Barbara Gordon in front of her father, then undressed her and took a few tasteful photos. Though Batgirl was lost, an new kind of hero, Oracle, was born from the incident.

#7 Magneto Rips Out Wolverine's Adamantium

Occurred in: X-Men #25
Principle Players: Magneto, Wolverine

Magneto and the X-Men had been waging a polite war with one another for years. During the events of the "Fatal Attraction" storyline, Magneto took things to a new extreme. Determined to provide an orbiting sanctuary for "his people," Magneto gave the Homo Sapien powers-that-be a harsh warning. Mags unleashed an EM pulse from space that knocked out power for a good chunk of Earth, killing hundreds of thousands. The X-Men came after Magneto, still holding hope he could be saved. But when the Master of Magnetism ripped the Adamantium from Wolverine's bones, all hopes for a peaceful resolution ended. So did Xavier's patience.

Wolverine nearly died from the shock of losing the metal surrounding his bones and spent several years traveling the country with bone claws and an even bigger chip on his shoulders. Sadly, these events also lead to the previously-mentioned "Heroes Reborn" disaster years later.

#6 Doomsday Kills Superman

Occurred in: Superman #75
Principle Players: Doomsday, Superman

The Man of Steel did not fall to arch-foes Brainiac or Lex Luthor. He wasn't bested by Batman or General Zod. A total unknown, an inarticulate beast from ancient Krypton named Doomsday, dealt the final blows that killed Superman. There was no complex or sinister plot. It was merely strength versus strength. And with Doomsday intent on destroying Metropolis, the last son of Krypton put every ounce of strength into his final battle. Though he stopped the monster, Superman died in Lois Lane's arms.

Superman's death brought about many long-lasting changes to the DCU. The new Superboy debuted and Coast City was destroyed. That act lead to Hal Jordan's own turn at villainy. Though Superman's death was hardly a shocker, it was a powerful moment in DC's history.

#5 Ozymandias Drops "Alien Menace" on New York

Occurred in: Watchmen #11/12
Principle Players: Ozymandias


The greatest single story in the history of comics, Alan Moore's Watchmen ended with a mind-blowing bang. The tense murder-mystery had been building to this moment, but who could possibly have guessed the truth behind the death of the Comedian? As it turns out, Ozymandias, acting in, what he believed to be, the best interests of mankind, dropped a fake alien invader on New York. The beast released a psychic shockwave that killed millions. It was a wakeup call to the world to work together in preparation for an alien invasion that, in fact, would never come. As with the greatest villains, Ozymandias believed what he was doing was for the good of mankind.
If you've been holding out for the movie for the past 20 years, sorry for spoiling the story. Don't be afraid to pick up a comic book every once in a while.

#4 Bane Breaks Batman's Back

Occurred in: Batman #497
Principle Players: Bane, Batman

Superman fell to a new enemy and so did Batman. The difference, however, is that Bane wasn't a mindless beast bent on destruction. Instead, Bane proved himself the craftiest of Batman's foes. He studied the Dark Knight, released the inmates of Arkham to wear Batman down and broke his back only after the hero was already broken. It's not just that Bane snapped Bruce Wayne's back, he crushed his spirit unlike any other enemy had ever managed.

Though Bane would go on to become a rather dumb and uninteresting villain, his plan to break the Bat was both ingenious and successful.

#3 Bullseye Kills Elektra

Occurred in: Daredevil #181
Principle Players: Bullseye, Elektra, Daredevil

Though the scene has been overplayed to the point of losing all meaning, when it first occurred, the death of Elektra was a brilliant event. There was no great lead-up, no mega-crossover, it was merely part of Frank Miller's ongoing saga of Matt Murdock. Introduced to audiences only a year earlier, Elektra was Matt Murdock's college love and costumed rival. Though she had fallen on the wrong side of the law, Murdock was certain he could bring her redemption. He never got the chance. Kingpin's new assassin, Bullseye, took Elektra out -- with her own sai no less.

Just about every major Daredevil story-arc of the past 20 years has, in some way, touched upon this event. Whether it's Kevin Smith or Brian Bendis, every Daredevil writer has a take on the death of Elektra and its meaning to Daredevil. That's the sign of a truly powerful tale.

#2 Death of Gwen Stacy

Occurred in: Amazing Spider-Man #121
Principle Players: Green Goblin, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man

Many of the greatest runs in comics have come in the past two decades. Amazing Spider-Man, however, has never been quite as good as in the '70s, when Peter Parker was a college student with heaps of personal problems. Peter's best friend and roommate, Harry Osborn, was a junkie on the brink of self-destructio. Harry's father, Norman, was Spider-Man's greatest foe, the Green Goblin. And worst of all the Goblin knew the true identity of the Webslinger. When the "cured" Norman Osborn suddenly regressed back to insanity, he came looking for Parker. Instead he found Gwen Stacy, whom he took to the George Washington Bridge (or Brooklyn Bridge, depending on which set of eyes you use to read your comics). The Goblin dumped Stacy off the bridge, but she was caught by the trusty webline of Spider-Man. Tragically, either the shock of the fall or the sudden stop killed her.

Though it could be easily argued that this is the greatest moment in villainy, consider this: Peter Parker doesn't have Gwen's dress hanging in a glass case in his den.

#1 Joker Blows Up Jason Todd

Occurred in: Batman #428
Principle Players: Joker, Jason Todd, Jason's Mother

No event has scarred a character quite like the death of the second Robin. Jason Todd was a rambunctious, headstrong, arrogant sidekick, but he was still Bruce Wayne's surrogate son. When Todd discovered the identity of his birth mother, he ran from Gotham to the Mid-East. He found his true mother, but she betrayed him to the Joker. Beaten into submission by the Clown Prince of Crime, Todd awoke in time to find his mother at his side, right next to a ticking bomb. The two died in the explosion and Batman has never recovered.

There's a giant dinosaur in the Bat-Cave, along with a big penny and other memorabilia. All of it is window-dressing for artists. The only thing of significance in the cave is the haunting glass case holding Jason Todd's costume. What makes the event all the more monstrous -- readers paid a dollar a pop to call and vote whether or not Jason Todd should live or die. Less than 100 votes decided Todd's fate, but the voters could not have made a better choice. This remains the single most memorable villainous moment in comics.