Villains in the Making
Some superheroes seem perfectly catered to their role serving on the side of justice, meanwhile others have left plenty of creative room to explore their darker side. In the same vein, plenty of villains are just gray enough that they make for decent heroes. With that in mind, here are 20 characters that work great in the opposite role.
1. Batman
The truth is, there are numerous versions of Batman that became the villain, from characters like the Batman Who Laughs to Owlman. The fact that Batman has such dark motivations and often isolates himself from the real world makes it all too easy for him to let his humanity go.
2. Superman
On the other hand, Supes never had much humanity to begin with, considering he was an alien from another world. Many people have played with the “what if” idea surrounding Superman. What if he let his power get to his head? What if he lost Lois? What if he landed anywhere but Earth? While most of his iterations retain their moral code, plenty of other media from Invincibles' Omniman to The Boys’ Homelander have explored the darker side of absolute power.
3. Hulk
Hulk had all the makings of a villain, and a terrifying and monstrous one at that. Nobody in the original facility probably thought Banner would end up a good guy after the experiment gone wrong. After all, Hulk is destruction incarnate, and he can’t help but put the people around him in danger. With the right manipulation, this character could easily be a tool for mass catastrophe.
4. Thor
Thor has always been ruled by his arrogance, after all, he quite literally is a God on Earth. His innate right to rule followed by his lack of understanding for humanity was all the ground he needed to become quite the villain.
5. Green Lantern
Hal Jordan and his ring seem to go hand-in-hand, and luckily, his willpower and ability to handle whatever the universe throws at him has kept him afloat. But there is certainly a darker side to Hal Jordan, with different iterations going crazy and collecting the rings of other lanterns.
Jim Capaldi from Springfield PA, United States of America on Wikimedia
6. Spider-Man
There was a very pivotal moment in Spider-Man’s story where the passing of Uncle Ben could have kept him on a dark path. He became a bit rebellious and angry, and was certainly eager to take his anger out on others. But if the people surrounding him hadn’t grounded him down, he could have turned into quite a villain.
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7. Captain America
Captain America’s story will always be complicated by his connection with the American military. As most people know, the military is focused more so on protecting national interests than they are preserving justice. This leads to difficult storylines where the Captain has to choose between his military roots and moral code. If he kept true to his loyalty, he could end up more a villain than a true hero.
8. Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer has a pretty complex storyline, especially due to his connections with Galactus. However, his choice to protect the lives of others rather than leverage his power to become a space menace in his own right sets him apart. That being said, if he ever did want to turn to the dark side, he’d be quite the threat.
9. Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider seems like the perfect villain, he has that terrifying look and connections to the Devil himself. After all, he is an agent for vengeance, but one that manages to retain just enough control to target the baddies rather than the goodies.
10. Spawn
Spawn was also intended to be a villain after he was released from Hell. But his personal vendetta and desire to keep his family safe has prevented him from going completely dark. That being said, if the man ever did choose to lead the armies of Hell, there would be little anyone could do to stop him.
Now that we have talked about heroes that would make for great villains, here are some villains that teeter the line as heroes anyway.
1. Magneto
It’s very hard to hate Magneto, especially when his storyline makes perfect sense. The man is mostly interested in protecting his fellow mutants and defending them from the discrimination and cruelty of humans. Considering Magneto’s tragic origins, it makes sense that he knows exactly what he’s fighting for.
William Tung from USA on Wikimedia
2. Loki
In recent times, Loki has managed to secure himself a spot as an anti-hero, and after all, he had all the tendencies needed to become one. His mischievous nature never translated to evil, and he was fueled more so by a desire to outshine his brother than to cause mass suffering.
3. Venom
Recent movies have also turned Venom into something of an anti-hero, but in the comics, this symbiote has stayed pretty dastardly. What makes him the perfect vessel for becoming a hero is his connection to Eddie Brock, who as a human, struggles with hurting others.
4. Poison Ivy
Depending on where you land on the whole environmental activism issue, Ivy might have done nothing wrong in your eyes. Sure, she is trying to wipe out humanity and cover the world in plants, but she’s essentially fighting for the Earth and a green future.
5. Two-Face
You can bring up the hero argument without considering Two-Face. For a long time, Harvey Dent was a hero, using his legal prowess to lock away bad guys and keep Gotham safe. After his accident, it was completely possible for him to continue on his good path rather than let his desire for revenge consume him.
6. The Punisher
Plenty of people see Frank as a hero, while others use him as the villain in the stories of other characters. The issue with Frank is he isn’t fueled by a desire for justice, he simply wants revenge, and isn’t afraid to get violent to achieve it. That being said, his military skills and proclivity to stop criminals is perfect ground for becoming a hero.
7. Lex Luthor
In his own way, Lex Luthor is doing a lot of good for Metropolis and Earth as a whole. He has plenty of charitable organizations and is building futuristic sustainable technologies. The only issue is his grudge with Superman. If he could just get over that, he could be quite the force for good.
8. Killmonger
Despite his violent tendencies, Killmonger certainly had his heart in the right place. As a war hero, he was dedicated to his country and was willing to do whatever it took to secure his people. It’s hard to fault a guy for that.
9. Dr. Doom
Dr. Doom started off innocent enough, a scientist who let his vendetta against Reed Richards get the best of him. Despite that, he has continued to put the Earth first and isn’t afraid to break a few Geneva Conventions to ensure the planet thrives.
10. The Lizard
Another Spider-Man villain who got dealt a bad hand, or arm, was Curt Connors. He simply wanted to create a formula to help people regrow limbs, but that unfortunately backfired. If the experiment had gone successfully, or if the doctor was able to retain his sanity, he probably could have continued to strive toward his good intentions.
