# All-Time Best Villian? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 1, 2001, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387 "2001-04-01T17:45:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/41 "2001-04-03T03:11:08Z")
No votes for Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom? Come on, he’s perfect in every way! Megalomaniacal! Extremely intelligent! Physically twisted! Armored! Hidden behind a mask! And just when you think you have him, you find he’s slipped through your fingers… And to add another new name to the list, I thought Frank Langella was a sensational villain as Dawg Brown in _Cutthroat Island_. ---
**Author:** ![VitrolicBump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a587f6/32.png) [@VitrolicBump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VitrolicBump)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/42 "2001-04-03T07:06:10Z")
Okay, so Maleficent is taken, but I love her style. The Evil Stepmother from “Cinderella” is quite devilish, as is the Evil Queen from “Snow White”. Chernabog, from “Fantasia”, just sends chills down my spine. For those who know Jim Henson productions, I love the nasty, vulture-like Skeksis in “The Dark Crystal” and Jareth (David Bowie) from “Labyrinth”. Also from Henson, on “Farscape” the T.V. series, is Scorpius; he is just vile. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/43 "2001-04-03T15:23:35Z")
MaxTorque: > [@](#): > > No votes for Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom? Come on, he’s perfect in every way! Megalomaniacal! Extremely intelligent! Physically twisted! Armored! Hidden behind a mask! And just when you think you have him, you find he’s slipped through your fingers… …and he didn’t originate in a movie. Heck, he never even appeared in a movie. Look more closely at the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/44 "2001-04-03T16:26:42Z")
1. Dark Helmet from “Spaceballs?” “Evil will always win because good is dumb.” 2. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) in “Seven” 3. Keyser Soze from “The Usual Suspects.” Any man who kills his family is a cold-blooded mutha. 4. Edward Norton in “Primal Fear” as Aaron, the altarboy accused of murder. 5. Stacy Keach in “American History X” as the head of a white power organization. 6. Anthony Perkins in “Psycho” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/45 "2001-04-03T16:40:41Z")
Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs.” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/46 "2001-04-03T17:39:05Z")
I’ll cast a sympathy vote for Shan Yu from _Mulan_ – spooky, quiet, and just oozed nasty all over the place. Heck, he had a whole _mountain_ dropped on him, and all that did was **piss him off!** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/47 "2001-04-03T19:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > \*\*…and he didn’t originate in a movie. Heck, he never even appeared in a movie. Look more closely at the OP. \*\* [The Fantastic Four](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0187635), starring Simon Templeton as Dr. Doom. And **excuse me** for seeing Snidely Whiplash, Boris and Natasha, and the MST3K Mads listed and making assumptions, Mr. Thread Cop. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/48 "2001-04-03T20:03:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Torque \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by cmkeller \* > > \*\*…and he didn’t originate in a movie. Heck, he never even appeared in a movie. Look more closely at the OP. \*\* > > [The Fantastic Four](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0187635), starring Simon Templeton as Dr. Doom. > > And **excuse me** for seeing Snidely Whiplash, Boris and Natasha, and the MST3K Mads listed and making assumptions, Mr. Thread Cop. \*\* I didn’t see the movie version, nor bought the bootleg, but was Dr Doom in the film version of FF, starring Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/49 "2001-04-03T21:00:42Z")
First, Max Torque, right on for your vote for Victor von Doom. I enthusiastically agree. Dr. Doom is way brainy, aristocratic, urbane, a practitioner of medicine, researcher, scientist, necromancer… you name it! And you gotta get behind a supreme monarch with humble Gypsy origins who loves his mama. And remember, he’s really only a villain to those outside of his beloved Latveria. Dr. Doom’s own subjects respect him – or else!!(And I bet he’s not scarred too badly behind that mask, either. As I recall, the early FF Dr. Doom issues have some conflicting stories about the doc’s origins, including the severity of the scarring he sustained.) Paltry, righteous Reed Richards pales before him!! (Muwhahahah!!!) I’ve been a Doctor Doom fan since I was five years old, and saw the old 1960’s FF cartoon… still my favorite. The FF cartoon they did in the 80’s just lacked something. The cartoon led me quite naturally to the comic book, and I was hooked. Anyhow. Sorry about that. I guess I just got a thing for Dr. Doom. As far as the movie question, Superdude: I picked up a bootleg version of the FF movie in 1995 at a sci-fi convention (where else?!), and that version did star Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm. Actually, it was a decent film. Really brought all of the characters to life quite nicely. That’s the only FF live-action movie that I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/50 "2001-04-03T21:13:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Creaky \* > \*\*First, Max Torque, right on for your vote for Victor von Doom. I enthusiastically agree. Dr. Doom is way brainy, aristocratic, urbane, a practitioner of medicine, researcher, scientist, necromancer… you name it! And you gotta get behind a supreme monarch with humble Gypsy origins who loves his mama. And remember, he’s really only a villain to those outside of his beloved Latveria. Dr. Doom’s own subjects respect him – or else!!(And I bet he’s not scarred too badly behind that mask, either. As I recall, the early FF Dr. Doom issues have some conflicting stories about the doc’s origins, including the severity of the scarring he sustained.) > > Paltry, righteous Reed Richards pales before him!! (Muwhahahah!!!) > > I’ve been a Doctor Doom fan since I was five years old, and saw the old 1960’s FF cartoon… still my favorite. The FF cartoon they did in the 80’s just lacked something. The cartoon led me quite naturally to the comic book, and I was hooked. > > Anyhow. Sorry about that. I guess I just got a thing for Dr. Doom. As far as the movie question, Superdude: I picked up a bootleg version of the FF movie in 1995 at a sci-fi convention (where else?!), and that version did star Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm. Actually, it was a decent film. Really brought all of the characters to life quite nicely. That’s the only FF live-action movie that I remember. \*\* Hey, Creaky (let me just say that I am a Daredevil fan myself)…was Doom _ **IN** _ the Jay Underwood movie? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/51 "2001-04-03T21:28:23Z")
Oops! Sorry, Superdude. All of that ranting, and I never did answer your original question. Yeah, Dr. Doom was in the Jay Underwood movie. That was the main reason my BF at that time and I purchased the film. I just HAD to see a live-action Dr. Doom do his stuff! (Incidentally, when said BF and I went our separate ways, he took the video with him, which was cool, because he was a big FF fan as well. But I never bothered getting a copy for myself, and haven’t seen the movie in years. I really should buy it. I’m sure I could find it online.) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/52 "2001-04-03T21:36:31Z")
Magneto, from the **X-Men**. That was a movie. I liked the way Steward and _brain fade, argh… what’shisname, yeah, him_ played the roles. Very much like the comic books do it. Vader, and later the Emperor in the Star Wars trilogy. I loved the scene where Vader’s faltering from the course of Evil, and the Emperor tries to convince Luke to join them. Luke does the defiant act, and the Emperor merely shrugs and says “Very Well… Jedi.” and then proceeds to try to kill him. Jim Carrey as the Riddler in Batman forever. Had way too much fun in the role. I wish they’d rewritten Two-faces role in that movie so as not to embarrass Tommy Lee Jones. Or how about Joker, from Batman? Too much Jack Nicholson, not enough mania, tho. Oh well. Yeah, and a vote for the guy from Tron. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/53 "2001-04-03T21:48:54Z")
This isn’t really a villian, but in the live action movie of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” the character of Raphael is written and portrayed as he was in the comic book, as opposed to the cartoon. That’s part of why I liked the movie so much. I thought they had the caracterization down pretty well. Even though Corey Feldman WAS Donatello. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/54 "2001-04-03T21:53:05Z")
The Black Knight from Monty Python & Holy Grail! Truly evil in all senses of the word. What a pain thresh-hold the man had. What a warped sense of honor. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/55 "2001-04-03T23:31:56Z")
Well, if I had to ;pick best villian EVER, it would be Apocolypse from X-Men, but since it has to be from a movie… Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey. He had that voice that just creeped you out. And to him, he was just following orders, so was her really evil? Who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/56 "2001-04-04T00:59:52Z")
Allright, this thread dragged me out of Lurkerland, and I have some very passionate views on the subject: I dont’s thimk anyone mentioned Anthony Perkins in Psycho, what’s up? Tim Roth in Rob Roy. Peter Lorre in M. Boris Karloff in The Body Snatcher. Ah, my favorite, Alan Arkin in Wait Until Dark. And all y’all who mentioned Alan Rickman…mmmmmmmmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/57 "2001-04-04T01:17:53Z")
“dont’s thimk” is supposed to be “don’t think”. That’s the way to impress 'em, girl. You get so excited about coming to dinner that you drool all over the table. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/58 "2001-04-04T02:49:53Z")
Go, Myrnalene!! Peter Lorre ruled, dude! Did you know that his real name was Laszlo Lowenstein? He was five feet, four inches tall. His father ran a bicycle factory in his native Vienna, Austria. He was twenty-eight when he made “M” for Fritz Lang. He had one daughter. And he was a totally great movie villain. My favorite Peter Lorre role was his portrayal of the evil Doctor in the movie version of “Arsenic and Old Lace”. The poor man really was a fine comic actor as well, but Jack Warner and Co. had him roped to a stultifying multi-year contract (like lots of stars at that time) that had him consistently cast as a heavy. Still, he’s awesome to watch in anything!! ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/59 "2001-04-04T03:01:12Z")
Ahh, yes, I also think that he was a very underrated and ill-used actor. His Dr. Gogle is “Mad Love” is another great portrayal of villanry… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387/60 "2001-04-04T13:04:30Z")
ALL AMATEURES! Best villains ever: Arnold as the Terminator Darth Vader The Gruber Brothers - Alan Reikman and Jeremy Irons Goldfinger ( “…no Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE!” ) Robert De Niro in ‘Cape Fear’ (He was also good in ‘The Untouchables’ as Capone) John Malkoviche’s character in ‘In the Line of Fire’ Any psycho played by Kevin Spacy ( ‘Seven’, ‘Usual Suspects’ ) Any character played by Christopher Walken (even if its a good guy) ( ‘True Romance’, ‘Suicide Kings’, ‘Last Man Standing’ ) Some other notable villains: Jack Nicolson as Colonel Jessup in ‘A Few Good Men’ Tim Roth in ‘Rob Roy’ Ving Rhaims in ‘Pulp Fiction’ ( wouldn’t want him to go “midevil on my ass” ) Gary Oldman in ‘The Professional’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-time-best-villian/60387.md?page=4)