And down the stretch they come. It is now time for the top 10 villains of the last 25 years. Here are numbers 10 through 6…
“Captain America
~ Johann Schmidt AKA Red Skull
10. Bane (The Dark Knight Rises), played by Tom Hardy
The man who broke Batman’s back and destroyed half of Gotham in the process. Once you get pass the Vader-like voice, the character of Bane is a fitting end to the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy. Bane reminds us how vulnerable Batman truly is. With that said, it also reminds us when he rises up against evil, Batman is the very definition of a superhero.
9. Magneto (X-Men, X-Men: United),played by Ian McKellen
The incomparable Ian McKellen and his role of Magneto is the perfect counterpart to Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier. They are so evenly matched that if it wasn’t for their personal views, you would’ve thought they were one of the same. He is also one of the coolest villains you’ll ever see.
8. Col. William Stryker (X-Men),played by Brian Cox
Col. Stryker is a bad, bad man with incredible resources. He kidnaps Xavier’s students and Xavier himself all the while using his own mutant son. He was intent on killing them all until Magneto stepped in. Because of what motivates him and the logic in which he justifies himself makes Stryker one of the most scariest villains in comic book film history.
Although not at the same level as Cox, Danny Huston deserves a special acknowledgement who played Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
7. Sebastian Shaw (X-Men First Class), played by Kevin Bacon
What’s a villain list without a Nazi? In so many ways Shaw is the one responsible for the man or in this case mutant, that Erik Lehnsherr’s Magneto would become. After all he did murder his mother in front of him. And Shaw is responsible for Magneto’s trademark helmet. Power hungry with world domination on his mind plus Kevin Bacon’s usual charm, makes Sebastian Shaw an easy pick.
6. Red Skull (Captain America
Until Johann Schmidt ripped off his face to reveal his true self, I wasn’t sure how the Red Skull was going to look. I wasn’t disappointed with the look or by the performance of Hugo Weaving. A commanding performance and a villain who stands head and shoulders above most.
Tomorrow, the final five will be revealed.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
