The other week I wrote up my Top 5 DC Heroes without Powers (who aren’t Batman). But I realized during this exercise that the two biggest bads of the DCU are also without powers. This, obviously, has yielded a list, and to keep it interesting, I’ll be avoiding Messer’s Joker and Luthor.
5. The Riddler
I wanted to include Edward Nigma because even though on the surface he’s very similar to the Joker, he’s managed to assert himself as a villain in his own right. I think part of this must be due to the amazing portrayal of the character by Frank Gorshin during the 1960’s. I honestly think he might have been my favorite bad guy in the show, even outshining the mustache that could be plainly seen through Cesar Romero’s makeup. In the comics they’ve done their best to rationalize his compulsion through elaborate back-stories involving father issues and puzzle solving, but at the end of the day I like the purity of the idea that a scrawny nerd just wants to prove he’s smarter than the great detective, and what other way to do that than with an overly elaborate crime and riddle?
4. Captain Boomerang
It’s often argued that the Flash has the best rogue’s gallery in comics. Not to put too fine a point on it, they even took to calling themselves the Rogues. However, I’m not sure Captain Boomerang is the best example when trotting out this particular argument. Yet here he is on this list; not because he’s the best, far from it, but because he is ridiculous. I could see how a guy like Digger Harkness might make a good villain for Green Arrow, but the Flash is a founding member of the Justice League and by all means out of the Captain’s weight class. That being said, I kind of like the guy. He’s malleable enough to be interesting, sometimes cast as the dashing rogue, while in others he’s shown as the sad-sack over the hill loser. If you’re still not convinced, I suggest going and listening to a few episodes of Tom vs. The Flash as proof of Captain Boomerang’s glory.
3. Dr. Sivana
I couldn’t write a list on villains without powers without including at least one oversized brain into the mix. DC actually has quite a number of brainy villains; so many that they made a story line out of having them on all an island during 52, so it was hard to pick just one. I went Dr. Sivana because of how much he has in common with another bald mad scientist that wasn’t included on this list. Sivana is bald, brilliant, and fights against the world’s mightiest mortal Captain Marvel Shazam. He’s even the one who started calling him the “Big Red Cheese,” which may be the most lasting impact he’s yet had against his foe. Furthermore, he’s the originator of the phrase “Curses, foiled again!” which is pretty iconic in its own right. Anyone who self-describes as a mad scientist and tries to take on a magical being with the power of the gods deserves some recognition.
2. Captain Cold
Another captain AND another Flash rogue?! That’s right. Len Snart is the kind of criminal comics need more of. He’s tough, smart (but not too smart), and knows his limitations. He’s not out for world domination, he’s out to make a few bucks, hang out with his buds, and meet some women. And even though he’s working class, why not do all that with some flare? Got himself a cold gun, tossed on a parka, and some eskimo goggles and it’s off to the races! I love how Cold keeps the other rogues in line, and goes toe-to-toe with the Flash without actually hating the guy. That takes class, and it earns him a number 2 spot.
1. Two-Face
One thing that makes a villain great is an element of tragedy, and few can top the story of Harvey Dent. He may have been the closest thing Bruce Wayne had as a true and equal friend, but then it all fell apart. The best thing about Two-Face is that he could actually become a good guy at any moment, an idea I believe should be credited to Greg Rucka. He said, and I’m paraphrasing, that it’s possibly, however unlikely, that the coin will always land on the side of good, and that Harvey could keep doing the right thing over and over again. I know that it’s easy to spot a human-generated string of heads and tails precisely because humans don’t put in long enough strings of one or the other, e.g. you’d put only 3 or 4 heads in a row, but a truly random sample would likely have more if it was long enough. That tantalizing possibility for redemption keeps the character fresh. Batman is driven by his desire to help everyone, even his villains, and to have it all rely on odds and probability must be infuriating to the extreme. “At least chaos is fair.”
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I’m a way bigger Batman fan, but I gotta think Captain Cold is better than Two-Face, the Riddler is too. In the late 80’s Two-Face was written with this obsession for the #2 and all sorts of other twin/two related stuff that got pretty old pretty quick, while the Riddler has always been a welcomed face. For better or worse that impression stuck with me, and Captain Cold is just, well…cool.
But wouldn’t making Harvey Dent #2 been a little… obvious?
Yeah, I gotta disagree with you there WAC1. I think Two-face kinda belongs at the top of this list where he’s at. All great villains in my mind have a touch of tragedy to them especially in the Batman universe (ala Mr. Freeze as well and especially since Bats has a touch of that tragedy in his back story too). The thing that makes Two-Face such a fearsome villain in my mind is his unpredictability. Something The Ridder and Captain Cold just don’t have. You’re left never knowing which direction he might go unlike The Riddler or The Joker in that universe who are also calculating but much less likely to be unpredictable.
Captain Cold has superpowers in the New 52, right?
Not in my world.
Sure does, all the Rogues do. I dissaprove as it makes them somewhat credible.
Mirror Master was always my fav.
Captain Boomerang did throw energy boomerangs out of thin air pre-52. I’m pretty sure of it, they were dark/purple… The last issues of Red Robin portrayed it I reckon.
Captain Cold has powers in New 52.
This list is bogus! ;P
I’m ignoring all that nonsense. Captain Cold is a dude with a gun, and Captain Boomerang is an Aussie who throws stuff. Deal.
Ryan I wasn’t serious! My “;p” was proof of that. I’m well aware that continuity and “goût du jour” makes characters constantly change. I’m a purist who still think that Captain Cold should use his guns but it was well inserted in Flash New 52 though…
Anyway, I love those top fives, keep’em coming! 😀
I knew you were kidding. I don’t bother responding to comments that seem legitimately negative.
if you can find it, the issues with Two-Face and Renee Montoya interacting are FANTASTIC, I believe one is a No Man’s Land story and the other is collected in one of the old Gotham Central trades
Agreed. Those issues and Loeb’s version of the origin are probably why he’s my #1.
I like the Batman Annual 14 origin better. Have you read it?
Kind of disappointed to not see Scarecrow on that list. I guess you can’t make them ALL Batman villains, though.
Maxwell Lord? Talia Al Ghul? Deathstroke?
Maxwell mind-controlled Superman!
Deathstroke is a good call though. He can get by on a technicality!
But Deathstroke can use 90% of his brain, that is often written as pretty much a superpower…
Cold sadly has powers now.. though I do like the new take on the rouges.. I will forever miss the classic versions. Atleast the Flash team didnt scrap them all together though, showing they use to still be the rouges we all love… so there could be a chance they go BACK that way. But then again it makes more sense if they don’t. One way or another though ether Cold or Mr. Freeze have to go back to what they were, because they are WAY to simaler now with real powers.
Didn’t Two-Face show up in a backup story recently? I remember liking it…
Marvel list (excluding Red Skull and Kingpin–Dr Doom does magic so he doesn’t qualify)
In no particular order
Bartoc
Crossbones
Wizard
Viper (not counting the short period where she had a giant squid head)
J J Jamerson
Batroc is a good one. I don’t consider JJJ a villain, he’s just a jerk.
Surely that ain’t the best of Marvel’s unpowered villains?!
I would put Deadshot in there.