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twistedtummies2 · 1 year

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Top 12 Arch-Enemies in Comics

I’ve probably spoken of this before in the past (in fact, I’m almost certain that I must have at least once before), but the origin of the word “Nemesis” comes from Greek Mythology. (Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this, stay with me.) Nemesis was the name of a minor goddess: she was neither evil nor good, but was, instead, a punisher of hubris. Her job was to ensure that those who frankly got too high on their hobby horses would find retribution, and be made to see the error of their ways, usually through some tragedy or another. She was objective in her perspective, simply carrying out her goals: ensuring those who believed themselves to be invincible would get a swift reminder that they were not.

Over the centuries, the word “nemesis” has become synonymous with another phrase: “arch-enemy.” In fiction, the arch-enemy is an antagonistic presence who, it might be said, fills the role Nemesis would play in the world of the protagonist, hence why the terms have become so firmly linked. While a protagonist may have many different enemies and obstacles to deal with, the arch-enemy - their nemesis - provides a specific challenge none of the others can manage. They are the ultimate hurdle the hero must overcome, in heroic fiction; the bane of their entire existence. David fought many battles, but it is for Goliath he is most well-remembered; Sherlock Holmes only fought Professor Moriarty twice, but people will always recall him before names like Jack Stapleton or Sebastian Moran. The arch-enemy is the character who shows the hero’s mettle in a way no other villain can; contrariwise, for the villain, the hero gives them a sense of focus, that one unsurmountable obstacle, that persistent thorn in their side, which prevents them from ever seizing the day forever. As you might guess from my educating ramblings, the concept of the arch-enemy is a fascinating one to me. Nine times out of ten, when a heroic character I like HAS an arch-enemy of note, that character becomes my favorite villain in their rogues gallery. It’s not simply due to popularity’s sake: to me, the idea of the arch-nemesis is just something I latch onto firmly, and truly love with all my heart. I thought it would be fun, therefore, to take a look at some of my favorite nemeses in fiction…and there’s no better place to start than with comics. After all, most of my favorite such relationships come from comic books, and especially superhero fiction. (I say “especially” because there will be at least one, arguably two, exceptions on this list.) I may do other lists for other mediums, but I figured this would be the easiest to start off with. Most of these choices will be from DC or Marvel; there are two exceptions (three, if you count the Honorable Mentions), but only two. With that said, I think I’ve bored you all enough. Let’s get into the good stuff! These are My Top 12 Arch-Enemies in Comics!

12. TMNT vs. Shredder.

I actually debated whether or not to include this rivalry for a bit, for two reasons. The primary one is that, to be perfectly honest…I have not read very many TMNT comics. And unless you count the Batman crossover series, all of the ones I HAVE read have actually been spinoffs of versions in other media. As a result, I really don’t have that much knowledge of the Shredder OR the Turtles in the original source material itself, nor how it’s changed and morphed over the years. I can really only judge based on interpretations in other media. This is not the case for the rest of the nemeses on this list: I have at least read SOME mainstream comics with all of them, even if not very many. However, I ultimately decided I needed to include this one because, arguably, the TMNT are the most successful non-DC-or-Marvel superhero team out there, at least among those born from comic books. With that said, the other reason I placed this rivalry at the bottom is because the Shredder’s relationship with the Turtles is different from that of all the others on this list: the Shredder isn’t so much the arch-foe of a specific character, but rather the antagonist of a collective group. I guess you could argue he’s Splinter’s nemesis, in particular, but honestly, it’s never really felt that way to me: the Shredder is really the arch-villain who challenges the TMNT as a whole. He’s an opponent so dangerous, that it takes all four of them, and often with help from others, to overcome him in whatever nefarious plots he’s hatching. He’s still an effective arch-enemy, he’s just a different type of arch-enemy. I will say that I think it’s fascinating that, originally, the Shredder was never MEANT to be the arch-foe of the Turtles; he was basically just meant to be “the first boss” while other enemies would arrive over time. But people liked the character so much, he sort of just became the arch-nemesis by default: sometimes a rivalry is so strong from the start, it just cannot be topped.

11. Daredevil vs. Kingpin.

I rank these two low because the issue with Kingpin is…he’s not SOLELY focused on Daredevil. Kingpin actually started out as an enemy of Spider-Man, and to this day he’s still a frequent enemy of the Wall-Crawler. In fact, Kingpin has appeared in more Spidey-related media than Daredevil-related media, at least partially because there’s just naturally more out there of the former than the latter. He’s even been the main villain of multiple major storylines for Spider-Man, and played huge roles in various portrayals in other media. It’s just odd to have a character who is effectively “shared” between two different heroes in such an extreme fashion. HOWEVER, while Wilson Fisk may be AN enemy of Spider-Man, he is not his ARCH-enemy: the title of nemesis for him undeniably goes to Matt Murdock. Daredevil and the Kingpin have been at each other’s throats for decades, and many of the worst things that have happened in Murdock’s life have been the result of Fisk’s ill-doings. Over time, the relationship between the two has taken on new layers and complexities: in a way, each is trying to help the city they live in, and trying to do what they think is best for themselves and those they care for most. What ultimately sets them apart is that Kingpin will go to certain lengths Daredevil will not attempt, and it’s these extreme measures that paint one as the antagonist, and one as the deeply flawed but ultimately heroic protagonist.

10. Mr. Fantastic vs. Dr. Doom.

In some ways, this superhero/supervillain rivalry has similarities to the past two. Victor Von Doom has bedeviled multiple heroes over the years, not just Reed Richards. On top of that, it cannot be ignored that Mr. Fantastic is really the leader of the Fantastic Four, and it’s the group as a whole that Doom plays antagonist towards. HOWEVER, I think this pair of nemeses trumps both of those earlier ones for one simple reason: the sheer level of OBSESSION that Doom, in particular, has with his heroic counterpart in this diabolical duet. Dr. Doom may fight Spider-Man, Iron Man, and even the X-Men on occasion, but to him, they are merely minor itches he has to occasionally scratch. Once he’s done with them, he typically moves on without much concern. Even with the rest of the Fantastic Four, Doom is much the same way: they are persistent little pests, but simple pests all the same: easily dealt with, at least in his own conceited mind. But Doom can NEVER treat Mr. Fantastic with that same nonchalance: practically everything he does is either directly or indirectly his way of thumbing his nose at Reed Richards, and when he does go after the Four, it’s almost always with their de-facto leader most keenly in his sights. As a result, while other enemies may come and go, and the Four typically come in a pack…it is Mr. Fantastic, specifically, who will forever be the center of Doom’s hate-filled world.

9. Flash vs. Reverse-Flash.

It’s not uncommon for the nemesis of a heroic character to be something of a dark mirror of the hero themselves. There are many ways to achieve this, some more obvious than others. The relationship between Flash and the Reverse-Flash (sometimes called Zoom, or Professor Zoom, depending on the version in question) is one of the most overt examples of this idea. Both are characters with the same basic powers, and costumes that complement each other, using the same basic colors. What sets them apart is, very simply, that one is good, and the other evil. Different people have taken on the mantle of the Reverse-Flash over the years: the most noteworthy and long-lasting is Eobard Thawne, a time-traveling mad scientist whose twisted obsession with Barry Allen, the second and arguably most well-known Flash, led him to a life of crime. Another is Hunter Zolomon, a former ally to Wally West, the third Flash: Zolomon was once a competent psychiatrist, but a series of unfortunate incidents in his life caused him to ultimately go mad himself, and he spiraled into the darkness, eventually becoming another Reverse-Flash. There are other interpretations out there, of course, but these two are arguably the most well-known, as well as my personal favorites. No matter who wears the costume or takes the title on both sides, the rivalry between the two speedsters is seemingly endless: it is a simple and classic race of good vs. evil, with no finish line in sight.

8. Wonder Woman vs. Cheetah.

Much like with the Reverse-Flash, there have been several people to take on the title of the Cheetah. But no matter who has the name and spots, the character has been one of Wonder Woman’s longest-lasting adversaries, as well as probably her single most well-known. But what makes the Cheetah such a great antagonist to Wonder Woman? I have to admit, for a long time, I never fully got it: even though she was my favorite Wonder Woman villain, as she was so many people’s, I could never really explain what made her so excellent. How does a woman-feline hybrid compare to a warrior demigod? Where is the connection? Only in recent years has the significance of these two characters and their rivalry truly struck me: while the Cheetah’s name and appearance has been adopted by many villainesses - some more sympathetic than others - all of them provide a look at the same basic ideal Wonder Woman, herself, offers. Wonder Woman is, in my opinion, one of the strongest and best female protagonists in the history of fiction: she is powerful, fierce, and more than willing to throw down the gauntlet with gusto, as well as more than capable of taking care of herself. At the same time, however, she does still have her romantic side, and - more importantly - she stands as a beacon of truth and compassion. Wonder Woman is a largely selfless character: she does so much of what she does for the sake of other people, almost never for herself. The Cheetah provides a twisted mirror of this same exact vision: she, too, is strong and battle-ready, and many versions of the character have some element of sympathy to them - some tragic or understandable side to their character. However, what makes Cheetah the villain is that she chooses to use her power for selfish purposes. It is this skewed mirror image that makes the pair so perfectly matched, as they offer two different outlooks on the same exact concept.

7. Green Lantern vs. Sinestro.

Sinestro has been the nemesis of the Green Lantern - and especially the second Lantern, Hal Jordan - for many years. Over time, the character has become more complex and layered. From the beginning, though, his backstory already set him up as a fascinating figure: he was a former Green Lantern Corps member, himself, once upon a time, who ultimately turned to the dark side and went rogue, becoming mad with power. In the early days, the character was something of a bad seed: someone who was rotten from the beginning, and represented a failure of the Corps. This isn’t surprising, since he looks like a demon and is LITERALLY NAMED “SINESTRO.” However, in more modern times, the character has been reimagined as a more tragic character, with his backstory making him a friend and mentor to Hal Jordan, and he has even taken on a heroic (or, at least, anti-heroic) role on some occasions. Ultimately, however, the pull of power and fear is too great, and Sinestro returns to his wicked ways. Broken friendship or not, the character is a perfect foil for Hal Jordan. This was a person who was chosen to become a Green Lantern, rather than more or less stumbling upon the power the way Jordan did; furthermore, his power is the polar opposite of Jordan’s, being constructed from fear-fueled yellow energy, against which Jordan’s green energy is typically weak. He is, in short, someone with many advantages on his side, which makes each encounter with Hal and the others in the Corps a special challenge.

6. Captain America vs. Red Skull.

A lot of times, the relationship between two nemeses takes time to germinate. The arch-enemy of a hero is not always readily apparent or available. It took five issues for Doctor Doom to make his first appearance in the Fantastic Four. It took about two years for Sinestro to appear before Hal Jordan, and that was almost twenty years into the existence of the Green Lantern as a character, on the whole. To give an example outside of comics, Sherlock Holmes never even so much as mentioned Professor Moriarty until six years into the detective’s existence. I say all this because, with Captain America and Red Skull…this is not the case. For as long as there has been a Captain America, there has been a Red Skull: the two characters appeared for the first time in the same issue of the same book. Granted, the Skull was a different character in that first story from the one we know now, but the point stands: the two have always coexisted. What is great about Captain America and Red Skull’s relationship is it is the single most simple of all the ones here. It is truly a black-and-white story: the Red Skull is practically evil incarnate. A character who represents treachery, cruelty, destruction, death, and overwhelming control - all the worst qualities humanity has had to deal with in its long history. Captain America stands up for the ideals not only sought after by American culture, but by all good people: honesty, compassion, rejuvenation, life itself, and the spirit of democracy. There is no compromise, no deeper meaning to the struggle: they are avatars for all that is ideal and all that is corrupt, all that is light and all that is dark. Sometimes, that simplicity is all it takes. Just as there has always been a Captain America and a Red Skull, there will always be evil…and, we can only hope, there will always be good to try and overcome it.

5. The Shadow vs. Shiwan Khan.

The fact I have a whole AU inspired by this duo should give you some idea of how much I love them. I’m cheating a little bit here, since these characters actually got their start in old pulp magazines (and equally old radio programs, for the Shadow in particular), not in comics themselves. However, the comics are where they’ve managed to survive best over the decades, so I’m still going to count them here. For those who don’t know, the Shadow is a character who is credited as being the father of the modern superhero: he was an inspiration for Batman, the Punisher, multiple Alan Moore creations, and even Darkwing-friggin’-Duck, of all characters, just to name a few. While the Shadow has had many enemies, by far the most prolific is the Golden Master, Shiwan Khan. The relationship between these two adversaries can best be described as what you would get if Ra’s Al Ghul was blended with the Joker: Khan is an unhinged criminal mastermind, who has the same powers and abilities as the Shadow himself. But while the Shadow uses his powers to combat evil and seek vengeance against its perpetrators, all in some symbolic quest to seek penance for his own dark past…Khan is the exact opposite. He uses his abilities to try and conquer the world, and revels in his own unabashed evil. While the two are forever at each other’s throats, Khan - in multiple renditions - expresses deep respect for the Shadow, and even seems to admire him in some twisted fashion. He’d honestly much rather have the Shadow as his partner than as his foe, but alas, such is life. As for the Shadow, in Khan, he sees a broken reflection of himself: not just who he COULD be, but who he ONCE WAS. And while he despises the villain endlessly, he does hold a certain level of respect for him, also. It’s that mixture of recognition and bitterness that makes their struggle so intense and fascinating, and it’s been there since the two first appeared. Every version of the pair worth its salt holds that idea close. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Both of these enemies do: how they react to that knowledge is what makes them nemeses.

4. Professor X vs. Magneto.

While Magneto is, indeed, the overall arch-enemy of the X-Men as a team…it’s really with Professor X, himself, that the relationship is most strong. Really, you can see these two characters as the commanders of two opposing armies: Charles Xavier as the leader of an army of light with the X-Men, and Erik Lehnsherr the leader of an army of darkness with his Brotherhood of Mutants. Just like with Captain America and the Red Skull, these two forces have been at odds since the very beginning, as the very first X-Men story was also the first appearance of Magneto. The relationship between these two specific characters has become more complicated over the years: while some characters here are former friends turned enemies, Magneto and Professor X are STILL friends, as well as nemeses. Their radically different viewpoints on society and the world as a whole lead to conflict, but each recognizes the other as a decent person at heart, and each has a bizarre sense of trust, respect, and genuine care for the other. They will fight if need be, but neither would ever want to truly harm the other. They are not TRULY enemies, but simply two brothers-by-bond, working on opposite sides of the same war. It is their inability to compromise for their respective beliefs that make each of them antagonists to the other. The result is one of the most compelling and intriguing relationships between two arch-rivals in all of comic book history.

3. Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin.

Much like with Wonder Woman and Cheetah, while I have always loved the rivalry between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin, I could never fully explain why. Over time, I’ve come to realize it’s because the best versions of this classic villain - by which I mean the original and most well-known and popular Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, and his immediate successor and son, Harry - each, once again, provide a twisted mirror image to Spidey himself. First of all, the gimmicks are surprisingly compatible: Spider-Man is based around…well…a spider. And typically, spiders are pretty creepy, and are associated with horror and Halloween. The Green Goblin adopts the imagery of such things with great gusto, from his signature costume to his bat-like glider to his infamous pumpkin bombs. So even though they don’t have the sort of obvious reflection characters like the Flash and Reverse-Flash have, there is still a parallel to be seen. More importantly, however, are their personalities: Peter Parker’s eternal struggle is to keep the hard-learned lesson of “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” in mind. He believes he has to use his power to help other people as often as possible, and while he doesn’t always make the right choices, and those choices aren’t easy, you know that lesson will eventually help work him back around to what the responsible option really is. Norman Osborn is a man who uses his power irresponsibly: he believes that wealth and control are things he deserves to have, and the more powerful he becomes, the more of those things he craves. No amount of it is enough: he’s a person born with a silver spoon who never learned the lesson Peter did, and when you combine that with a heavy dose of psychosis and psychopathy, it is a dangerous concoction. He can’t cope with things that threaten his power, and lashes out as a result, believing he is in the right simply because he has what others do not. Harry, meanwhile, is sort of the opposite of his father, and yet also very similar: he is a vengeful runt-of-the-litter who never felt fully appreciated or noticed by his family and friends. When he gets his power, he uses it to try and fulfill his own selfish ambitions and desires, seeking the things he never felt he had before. This is true of other Goblins, and, indeed, of nearly all of Spidey’s Villains, when you think about it: Peter Parker’s hard-earned lesson is something none of his rogues took to heart when they, themselves, got their abilities. As a result, he realized he had to try and aid the world, while they felt the only way to go on was to exploit it. What makes the Goblin so particularly prominent in Spidey’s Rogues Gallery is the personal connections he has to the two main wearers of the mask: one was his best friend, the other his best friend’s father, and both are responsible for some the ugliest, nastiest, most horrible things to ever happen to Peter Parker in his long career as a superhero. Not only that, but both know about his true identity, which obviously raises the stakes significantly. As a result, the Green Goblin is a particularly unwelcome enemy, and as time has gone on, the struggle between these two has only grown increasingly more intense and dangerous.

2. Superman vs. Lex Luthor.

“Superman’s worst foe is Lex Luthor: a wealthy genius who uses his power for evil…Superman’s best friend is Batman, a wealthy genius who uses his power for good.” This quote from Internet reviewer Linkara is honestly a good explanation of not only what makes the relationship with Batman in question interesting…but also Lex Luthor himself. Over the years, Luthor has been depicted as everything from a classical mad scientist to a crooked businessman, but always one thing remains static: he is only human. Unlike Superman, he can’t just fly into the air, run at supersonic speed, punch people halfway to Milwaukee with a single strike, or shoot red-hot lasers out of his eyes. He has to use his brain, and his own sense of grit, to do battle with the Man of the Steel. In Luthor’s eyes, Superman is a symbol of his own envy and obsession with control: he cannot stand the idea that this alien from outer space, who - in his own mind - has life far too easy, has the respect and love he can never achieve. At the same time, he cannot stand the idea that this guy has so much power - more physical power than he does, really - and cannot fathom how he can use it simply to do good. He is someone who has learned to value profit and effort, and in Superman he sees something totally alien not only to his planet, but his entire philosophy of life. On the other side of the coin, Superman sees Luthor as a man who could be so much more than he chooses to be. No amount of political or economic power can make Luthor a better person, and Superman has seen far too much to believe the fellow will ever truly change his ways, even if - deep down - he’d like to imagine he can. Some versions of the characters depict them as another case of friends gone wrong, but even if you don’t use that setup, their conflict is intriguing in both how simple it is, and how complex it is. It is one man from humble beginnings with incredible power against a man from noble stock who has no real idea what power really is. A poignant duel that will never cease.

1. Batman vs. Joker.

It might seem overly predictable and populist to elect Batman and the Joker as my number one choice…but it also happens to be my honest and truthful opinion. The Joker is my favorite villain, and, in many ways, he is the quintessential arch-nemesis. Not just in superhero fiction, but I would argue in fiction in general. The numerous ways you can look at the relationship between these two characters has been studied, analyzed, and discussed so many times, and by so many people far wiser than I am, I don’t really know what I can say that others have not said a million times before. There are so many different angles you can take with depicting these two characters, so many different approaches you can have to how their grand war with each other plays out. They are perhaps the most perverse depiction of good vs. evil any story can have: a colorful clown with a childish disposition and a bag full of deadly toys, who battles a man dressed in the trappings of a bizarre, Gothic figure of power, standing up for justice. Each knows so much about the other, yet so little at the same time. Each would love to kill the other, yet each can never bring themselves to do it without feeling something is now wrong with the world they live in. They are the strangest and yet the most perfect pair of nemeses that has ever been created, and even the worst versions of these characters often can have some value in the way their immortal fight plays out. Some incarnations of the Joker are sympathetic to some degree, others are completely rotten to the core; regardless, no amount of tragedy can make up for the crimes he has committed, and especially the atrocities he’s inflicted upon Batman: while other villains on this countdown are certainly responsible for some of the worst chapters in their hero’s career, perhaps none - aside from perhaps the Green Goblin - has so consistently and frequently managed to HURT the hero in increasingly despicable and awful ways than the Joker has hurt Batman. For these reasons and more, I see no reason not to name the Clown Prince of Crime and the Caped Crusader as My Favorite Arch-Enemies in Comics. Case dismissed.

Honorable Mentions Include…

Aquaman vs. Black Manta.

Dick Tracy vs. Flattop.

Hulk vs. The Leader.

Thor vs. Loki.

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