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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 12:15pm | IP Logged | 1
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Yes, potential so important, whether we are discussing a baseball player or a comic character.
Dormammu has the potential to rule the world. Didn't a character, perhaps Dr. Strange, once say that if Dormammu ever leaves the Dread Dimension and heads to Earth, he will be unstoppable?
Nightmare is another one. Perhaps not on the same power level as some, but entering people's dreams is pretty damn pervasive! ;)
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Ronald Joseph Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 April 2011 Location: United States Posts: 1784
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 12:51pm | IP Logged | 2
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Hmm...I notice I couldn't name the Hulk's major villain. Abomination seems the obvious choice, but he's not smart enough. The Leader is definitely smart enough, but was never that compelling.
I'd actually go with General Ross. Powerful* and pervasive. He's been a thorn in Banner/The Hulk's side since Day One, literally.
*And I don't mean powerful in that horribly stupid Red Hulk ("Rulk") way. I meant powerful military-wise.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 1:06pm | IP Logged | 3
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Stretching the definition a bit, I feel (not criticizing, merely observing). I've found it hard to call the likes of Gen. Ross a villain, not in the truest sense of the word (just like Lt. Gerard isn't really a villain in THE FUGITIVE).
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Ronald Joseph Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 April 2011 Location: United States Posts: 1784
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 1:25pm | IP Logged | 4
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Stretching the definition a bit, I feel (not criticizing, merely observing). I've found it hard to call the likes of Gen. Ross a villain, not in the truest sense of the word (just like Lt. Gerard isn't really a villain in THE FUGITIVE).
Fair enough.
But...if all Hulk wanted was to be left alone (as was the case for quite a long time) and those recurring military attacks led by General Ross resulted in a rampage that damaged property and (most likely) took innocent lives, it's hard for me to not think of him as a villain. To paraphrase JB, "a calm Hulk is Banner." Why willingly piss him off?
Sticking strictly to the parameters set in the original post, The Leader or Abomination would have to be my picks. But they just feel...wrong.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 1:30pm | IP Logged | 5
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Oh yes, not criticizing. And you've made a compelling case for Ross being a villain.
One could also argue the same about J. Jonah Jameson. We see the destructive power of biased media on a daily basis, often ruining lives. That seems pretty villainous.
I mean, if a civilian were to throw a rock at Spider-Man, but accidentally hit a child, then if that civilian had been reading Jameson's biased articles, that makes Jameson responsible in a certain sense.
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Jason Larouse Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2011 Posts: 515
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 1:35pm | IP Logged | 6
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Jameson has drifted further away from being a straight up villain as time goes on.
In the original Ditko issues he pretty much created Scorpion and then when Scorpion's first act is to kill a dude JJ is like "Uh better cover this up so that nobody finds out I'm involved".
And then there's the Spider-Slayers.
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Ronald Joseph Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 April 2011 Location: United States Posts: 1784
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 1:37pm | IP Logged | 7
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Oh yes, not criticizing. And you've made a compelling case for Ross being a villain.
Thanks! But. Y'know, I'm starting to wonder if I'm blurring the lines between nemesis and villain...
Edited by Ronald Joseph on 27 August 2016 at 1:45pm
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 2:43pm | IP Logged | 8
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In the original Ditko issues he pretty much created Scorpion and then when Scorpion's first act is to kill a dude JJ is like "Uh better cover this up so that nobody finds out I'm involved".
***
He should have faced some legal/police action for that. ;)
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Matthew Wilkie Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 09 March 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1139
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 4:38pm | IP Logged | 9
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I think Secret Wars damaged many of Marvel's main villains and they took a long time to recover.
Magneto was placed with the heroes, Ultron was subservient to others while the less said about Doom the better.
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Ronald Joseph Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 April 2011 Location: United States Posts: 1784
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 4:45pm | IP Logged | 10
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I think Secret Wars damaged many of Marvel's main villains and they took a long time to recover. Magneto was placed with the heroes, Ultron was subservient to others while the less said about Doom the better.
And let's not forget about Klaw-aw-aw...
Ugh.
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Jeremy Simington Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 April 2011 Location: United States Posts: 687
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 5:05pm | IP Logged | 11
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Great question, great thread. After much pondering, I just don't think anyone matches Dr. Doom, not even Magneto. I love that Doom has supreme confidence in himself. He knows that he's the smartest guy on the planet and therefore thinks he should rule everyone, full stop. It's all internal motivation. Magneto strikes me as more externally motivated. He's focused on revenge on humans (and any mutants who get in the way) mainly because of the bigotry of some humans toward mutants. Yes, I know that he also has a superiority complex and wants to rule all humans and mutants, but it just strikes me as less pure than Dr. Doom's drive to rule the world. There's also no question in my mind that Doom could actually rule the world effectively whereas Magneto couldn't get the mail delivered. I don't mean to knock Magneto, he's a strong #2, but Dr. Doom is in a class by himself.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 27 August 2016 at 5:18pm | IP Logged | 12
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For me, one of the things that makes Doom great is his adaptability. Whether it's going toe-to-toe with a character who uses strength (Hulk), taking on a scientific opponent (Reed) or dabbling in magic against a supernatural foe (Mephisto), Doom truly is a "jack of all trades". And nothing seems to faze him. All in a day's work him to go toe-to-toe with an omnipotent being or enter a demonic realm!
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