# Lamest villain evah! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458 "2007-07-04T03:21:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/21 "2007-07-04T12:04:46Z")
[QUOTE=Tengu] Superman’s got a bunch. I can’t remember his name, but the guy from the story that revealed the super-hypnosis thing had a record player strapped to his chest, and gets my vote for the lamest (although he existed mostly to be trounced by Superman, and set up the whole hypnosis thing). [/QUOTE] The Spellbinder. Funnily enough, he was originally a Batman villain (Detective 358, Dec 1966). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/22 "2007-07-04T12:05:05Z")
Well, I have to tell you it was more than a bit disappointing to find out that Darth Vader became DARTH VADER because he was an easily-controlled snot with mommy issues. No, he’s not the lamest ever but DV has undergone quite a severe fall from his Big Bad days of '77-'99. ---
**Author:** ![Smitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Smitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smitty)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/23 "2007-07-04T12:13:13Z")
For someone who is actually a well known villain, [The Riddler](http://www.seanbaby.com/superfriends/riddler.htm) is pretty damn weak. To quote Sean Baby: > [@](#): > > The Riddler is about as tough as someone who scratches their name on a bathroom wall. They’re easy to catch, since the entire crime is labelled, but it’s not really worth the effort to go get them. There are actual dangerous criminals out there. If someone doesn’t want to get attacked by the Riddler, they can put a palm on his forehead and shove. Even if you’re an old lady running into him on the street and your only weapon is a purse, that’s one more purse than the Riddler has. While you’re hitting him in the head, all he can do is make up a nursery rhyme about how he’s going to try to find a band-aid later. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/24 "2007-07-04T13:53:27Z")
Easily: [Stilt-man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiltman) and [The Kangaroo.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_%28comics%29) Poor Stilty. Killed by being shot in the crotch by a rocket launcher. “Not the end I’d wish for, lad.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/25 "2007-07-04T16:04:00Z")
[Eye-Scream](http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/iscrm.htm) can turn himself into any flavor of ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/26 "2007-07-04T16:49:50Z")
[QUOTE=Smitty] For someone who is actually a well known villain, [The Riddler](http://www.seanbaby.com/superfriends/riddler.htm) is pretty damn weak. To quote Sean Baby: [/QUOTE] Damn you, I just spent 40 minutes on that website laughing my ass off. It’s all so true! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/27 "2007-07-04T16:58:11Z")
I found [these guys](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzQO08V3K-s) looking for that other Legion of villians… they seemed pretty lame. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/28 "2007-07-04T17:12:48Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Well, there’s the [Purple Piledriver](http://nightwing.superman.ws/collectibles/swanartpage.htm), though a careless Google turns up not-safe-for-work sites. [/QUOTE] C’mon, show some sympathy. He’s a guy with a lumpy helmet versus one of the most formidable superheroes going. You have to wonder what he thought he was doing. I’m not even sure he could hold down a good job with a power like that. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/29 "2007-07-04T19:22:52Z")
When I asked some comic book experts for the lamest Marvel villains, the first one that came to mind was the Kangaroo. Alas, I had to make do with the Rhino, since the Kangaroo was dead (or was at the time. With comics, death tends not to stick). ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/30 "2007-07-04T19:45:21Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] The Ten-Eyed Man has eyes on his fingers [/QUOTE] And, one hopes, a bidet. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/31 "2007-07-04T20:18:11Z")
The entire villain crew from Under Seige 2 with maybe the exception of the hot chick. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/32 "2007-07-05T00:45:30Z")
[QUOTE=Snooooopy] Batroc ze Leapair! [/QUOTE] A definite contendah. I’d put him with Kangaroo and Stilts in the Leg Envy department. Kinda makes you wonder what difference between being really good at something and having an super power is. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/33 "2007-07-05T00:54:50Z")
[QUOTE=Diceman] The _Captain Planet_ villains. In the real world, pollution is a byproduct, something that nobody wants, but most people are willing to live with. In the Captain Planet world, however, pollution was an end in itself. It was like a fetish or something. The bad guys trashed the environment because they got off on it. You could possibly make an exception for Plunder (the eeevil Big Businessman) who was motivated by money, but the rest of them (Greedly, Blight, Scum, Duke Nukem) rarely ever displayed any sort of rational motivations. They were just indulging their pollution fetishes. [/QUOTE] I agree ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/34 "2007-07-05T02:19:27Z")
Two came to my mind. From the Flash’s Rogues Gallery comes [Rainbow Raider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Raider), who became a criminal because he’s colorblind. And in Superman’s corner is [Terra-Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra-Man). I don’t know much about the current incarnation of the character, but originally he had an Old West theme, with futuristic alien weapons that looked like six-shooters and lariats and such. He also had one of the most convoluted and stupid origins. Why was he called Terra-Man? Well, you see, he was from Earth… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/35 "2007-07-05T02:41:43Z")
Torgo from _Manos and the Hands of Fate_. I’m still not entirely sure he was supposed to be a villian he was so bad. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/36 "2007-07-05T03:28:36Z")
What about Ambush Bug? > **[Ambush Bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambush_Bug)** > > Ambush Bug is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. His real name is supposedly Irwin Schwab, but he has mental problems that prevent him from truly understanding reality around him, so even his true identity might be no more than a delusion on his part. His origin is disputed, although the most commonly accepted origin is that Brum-El (a historical allusion to Beau Brummell, as well as a reference to Superman's father Jor-El) of the planet Schwab sent his clothes ... His only powers seem to be Teleportation, and being annoying. Unless mental illness is a superpower. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/37 "2007-07-05T03:50:16Z")
Ambush Bug is a super _hero_ not a villain. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/38 "2007-07-05T04:00:55Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio] Aquaman fights a villain named the Fisherman. Recently, there was an attempt to revise him into something less laughable by revealing that The Fisherman was actually under the compulsion of a parasitic alien, and was biding its time before it could signal for invasion. Still pretty damn lame. [/QUOTE] How is that _less_ laughable? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/39 "2007-07-05T04:09:19Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] Ambush Bug is a super _hero_ not a villain. [/QUOTE] He started as a villain, then switched sides so he could pester Superman more often & more effectively. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458/40 "2007-07-05T04:35:01Z")
[QUOTE=JohnT] Well, I have to tell you it was more than a bit disappointing to find out that Darth Vader became DARTH VADER because he was an easily-controlled snot with mommy issues. No, he’s not the lamest ever but DV has undergone quite a severe fall from his Big Bad days of '77-'99. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but Darth could actually do things. Granted, the Sith Lord had him totally pwned, but he could strangle people and slice them up with his light saber and he had a pretty intimidating voice. Which put him way ahead of The Riddler, and light years ahead of Torgo, who was, let’s face it, severely disabled and probably retarded. In the movie category, I have to give the nod to Torgo, so far. He just wasn’t very good at anything, and bad at most things. Bet he smelled bad, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lamest-villain-evah/410458.md?page=3)