By Eric Kohanik, ReMIND Magazine
Countless supervillains emerged throughout the 20th century, but only a few have truly persevered to become the most memorable throughout time:
The Joker
Although Batman has faced an extensive gallery of villains — Riddler, The Penguin and Mr. Freeze, to name but a few — the Joker is unquestionably the one who stands out the most. And for good reason. One of the zaniest supervillains around, the Joker has been a criminal mastermind as far back as the very beginnings of Batman, appearing in the Caped Crusader’s first comic book back in spring 1940. Over the years, the Joker also has tangled with other superheroes, including Superman and Wonder Woman, and his ongoing popularity makes him one of the greatest villains ever. There have been memorable onscreen portrayals of the character throughout the decades, thanks to three specific actors: Cesar Romero (in the 1960s TV version of Batman and 1966’s Batman: The Movie), Jack Nicholson (Batman, 1989) and Heath Ledger (2008’s The Dark Knight).
Lex Luthor
The archenemy of Superman has had a long and colorful association with the Man of Steel. And when it comes to knowing how to handle kryptonite, there are few who excel at it as well as this guy. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Alexander Joseph “Lex” Luthor first appeared in a 1940 comic book and, since then, his complex, psychotic and power-hungry supervillain persona has grown to the point where he also has come to clash with Batman and other superheroes. Although several actors have portrayed Lex Luthor on TV and movie screens, there are three who remain the most memorable: Gene Hackman (1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II), Kevin Spacey (2006’s Superman Returns) and Michael Rosenbaum (TV’s Smallville).
Catwoman
Female supervillains certainly can be memorable, too. Catwoman has been another adversarial challenge for Batman who also stretches back to the first comic book in 1940 (where she was simply called “the Cat”). Through the years, Catwoman’s love-hate relationship with Batman has been complex. And she remains one of the finest (and hottest) villains in the entire superhero universe. The character has been portrayed by a notable list of stars over the years. Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt all played the character in the 1960s. Since then, there have been others who have played the role as well. The most memorable: Michelle Pfeiffer (1992’s Batman Returns), Halle Berry (2004’s Catwoman) and Anne Hathaway (2012’s The Dark Knight Rises).
Magneto
Featured as an archenemy of the X-Men all the way back in the beginning with The X-Men issue No. 1 back in 1963, Magneto, over the years, has had a complex history. He has fluctuated from supervillain to an antihero of sorts, and even an outright hero, occasionally fighting alongside the X-Men. As his name suggests, he has the power to manipulate magnetic fields, to often devastating effect. Magneto generally believes that mutants like himself and the X-Men should be the dominant species on Earth, refusing to believe that mutants and humans can coexist. He has been portrayed on the big screen by Ian McKellen in the character’s older incarnation, and by Michael Fassbender as the character’s younger self.
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Photo Caption: Eartha Kitt as Catwoman