While the world sings the praises about Captain America: The Winter Soldier, there is more to the Captain and his villains than just the Winter Soldier, Hydra and the Red Skull. Before I begin this Pick 10 column, I have to say that when I was a kid I thought Captain America was boring. It was not until I was older and read Uncanny X-Men 268 that I started to realize that Captain America is pretty bad ass and can hold his own against some my other favorite heroes and villains.
This book had art from the always awesome Jim Lee and it told the story of Cap’s first meeting with Wolverine, which being a fan of Wolverine was awesome to read. I figured I’d write this column to share some of my favorite rogues who traded blows with The 1st Avenger. Please note that this list is in no real particular order and if you have a favorite you’d like to share, feel free to say so in the comments. With that said, let’s get into this Pick 10 shall we?
10. Taskmaster : Long time enemy of The Avengers and trainer of super villains. I have always felt the Taskmaster was extremely underutilized. I was happy to see him get more exposure in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Let’s hope we see him mix it up with Cap and The Avengers on the big screen.
9. Serpent Society/ Serpent Squad: The Serpent Society has always had awesome designs and powers. While they always lose, their members are all individually dangerous. Cobra, Puff Adder, Constrictor and Diamondback have always been favorites. There was even a period where Diamondback was in a relationship with Captain America.
8. Winter Soldier: You’re probably saying “how can he rank Winter Soldier so low on the list” but the truth is that Winter Soldier, while influential in the recent Cap stories, is not the pinnacle of villainy like some of Cap’s other rogues. If anything, he gave the Captain America story some depth both as an nemesis and later on as an ally.
7. Baron Strucker: Baron Strucker had a brief appearance in the 1st post-credit scene from Captain America: Winter Soldier which many of you saw. (You did see it right?) Strucker has been a thorn in the side of both Captain America and The Avengers and has aligned himself with numerous people off of this list with the goal of world domination. I am looking forward to Strucker’s involvement both on the big screen and hopefully on the small screen as well in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
6.Batroc: Batroc is known for his awesome mustache and terrible purple and yellow costume, but the mercenary got a serious bump in credibility after Georges St. Pierre’s solid work in Winter Soldier. While Batroc is a bit player, he has been utlized by writers far better then he used to be.
5. Sin: Sinthea Schmidt is the daughter of the Red Skull – which should automatically tell you how dangerous she is. Her recent involvement in making Cap’s life a living hell is on par with many of her father’s schemes. I would not be shocked if her character made it to the big screen to mix it up with the Captain.
4. M.O.D.O.K.: Probably one of the characters I hate most in the Marvel universe. M.O.D.O.K is a freaky looking villain who used to lead A.I.M (Advanced Idea Mechanics). When he’s not leading A.I.M, he enjoys being a floating pain in the ass. If there is a villain that would translate well to TV with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, it’s this guy. However, fans of Marvel vs. Capcom will probably disagree with my assessment about being shitty.
3. Crossbones: Crossbones has already appeared on the big screen! How is that possible? Well, the leader of the S.H.I.E.L.D Strike Team is Brock Rumlow and considering his fate in Captain America: Winter Solider, the donning of the trademark skull mask is not far behind. Plus wherever Crossbones is the Red Skull is not far behind.
2. Baron Zemo: Baron Zemo 1 & 2 have been long-standing pains in the ass with their terrible gear. The original Baron wore the super cool pink and fur ensemble. The second Baron has a bit more awesomeness to him, minus the Pepto Bismol uniform as he was leader of the Masters of Evil and also the Thunderbolts as Citizen V. Baron Zemo has been a villain I love to hate, but his impact on Captain America and the Marvel universe can’t be ignored.
1. Red Skull: Every hero has their #1 nemesis and Captain America is no exception as the Red Skull is as iconic as they come. The battle between the Cap and the Skull is a perfect representation of good vs. evil and has been done effectively by every writer; with their latest conflict being a multi-layered saga that tied into the iconic Civil War storyline. Batman has The Joker and Spidey has the Goblin and Captain America would be nothing without the Red Skull.
Who is your favorite Captain America villain? Did they make the list? Sound off in the comments below.
