Bad Guys

[AlexF]

After working through yet another endless poll of superhero comics characters over on 'Comics Should Be Good', I noticed how a lot of the villains in that world can be more fun than the heroes. 2000AD, of course, doesn't always and so obviously have heroes and villains, favouring more complex and morally ambiguous characters on both sides. Also, with regular killing, not too many bad guys last all that long.

But I'm curious to see which villains from the comic have stuck in people's minds - especially from the last 10 years or so of the Prog. Has there been anyone recently to rival the likes of Judge Death, Torquemada or even Artie Gruber?

[robert_ellis]

PJ Maybe?

[Colin YNWA]

The villainous cast of Nikolai Dante was hard to beat. From Dmitri Romanov and Tsar Vladimir to less frequent greats, including my personal favourite Hawksmoore. All fantastic.

I've also been a big fan of Aimee Nixon's fall from 'grace' - its been a fantastic tale.

[Greg M.]

PJ Maybe?

He's one of the absolute greats, but, terrifyingly, he's been around nearly 30 years! That makes me feel old.

[Dark Jimbo]

PJ Maybe?

He's one of the absolute greats, but, terrifyingly, he's been around nearly 30 years!

The last six or seven years have arguably been his apotheosis, though - elevating him from merely a worthy member of Dredd's rogues gallery to the unrivalled top dog (anyone who still thinks Judge Death is Dredd's greatest foe simply hasn't been paying attention.)

Good shout with the Dante crew, too - Count Pyre was a villian of a very classic mould.

My own shout-out goes to Chief Judge Martin Sinfield - rather than a ranting madman, charismatic sociopath or machiavellan schemer, he was a great example of the 'banality of evil' that offered us something really different in a Dredd foe. An undistinguished career desk-jockey who saw a chance to play both ends against the middle and engineer himself something better - and, antagonistic as he may have been, didn't actually become a full-fledged villian until he started drugging Francisco. Even then - like all the really great villians - he genuinely believed he was entirely in the right.

[Greg M.]

For me, a great villain needs a great visual design, so Cinnabar Brenneka fits the bill. Unnerving and partially blue - two top qualities for a 2000AD character.

[Colin YNWA]

Good shout with the Dante crew, too - Count Pyre was a villian of a very classic mould.

My own shout-out goes to Chief Judge Martin Sinfield - rather than a ranting madman, charismatic sociopath or machiavellan schemer, he was a great example of the 'banality of evil' that offered us something really different in a Dredd foe.

Not wishing to get all mutual congratulatory but that is a fantastic call. Delightfully worth villain of the worst and most real kind

[Link Prime]

Yeah, good call on Sinfield- great character.
I still can't sleep most nights worrying about poor Judge March

2000AD doesn't normally feature too many clear-cut villains when I think about it, but Konstantin Romanov was a pretty decent baddies' baddie.

[maryanddavid]

Probably very much in the minority but I thought A.H.A.B. was a great bad guy, I was disappointed at the time it didn't get a second outing.

[Hawkmumbler]

Oh, Dante is steeped in great villains, but Dimitri Romanov is another kind of evil. A truly superb villain and, ironically, a bit of a bastard.

And I'll chip in with the Lloiger, as GMOZZ actually broke the mould by giving his other worldly evils very Han personalities. Iok Sotot, for all his stupidity, is great pantomime fair.

[Colin YNWA]

Oh and another one that might not be said to qualify as she certainly appeared more than 10 years ago and isn't a villain in the classic sense, more a foil and had very villainous tendencies, but Judge Edgar was a quite brilliant opponent for Dredd.

A great example of the way 2000ad has always had unclear lines for both the 'heroes' and its 'villains' - a massive strength of the comic.

[I, Cosh]

My own shout-out goes to Chief Judge Martin Sinfield - rather than a ranting madman, charismatic sociopath or machiavellan schemer, he was a great example of the 'banality of evil' that offered us something really different in a Dredd foe. An undistinguished career desk-jockey who saw a chance to play both ends against the middle and engineer himself something better - and, antagonistic as he may have been, didn't actually become a full-fledged villian until he started drugging Francisco. Even then - like all the really great villians - he genuinely believed he was entirely in the right.

Yeah. The one-two of Sinfield's banal corruption and Francisco's helpless ineptitude were both really interesting directions.

The one that sticks in the mind was Watsisname Blood Moon. Thought he could've made an interesting recurring villain for Alpha but, as ever, Wagner knows best and killing him worked too.

[AlexF]

Not surprised to hear John Wagner creations shining through!

I have really enjoyed seeign Aimee Nixon turn from conflicted hero to outright crazed villain - especially interesting to hear Rob Williams suggest that he hadn't planned it that way, it just made sesne as he was writing subsequent Low Life stories.

Thanks all for joining in!

I keep wanting to name villains from Defoe but for that I love the series, beyong the main charcater I can never quite remember anyone's name. La Voisin? Mene Tekel? Were they goodies or baddies?

The no-face tri-corner hat dude from Red Seas (and maybe elsewhere in the Edgiverse) is pretty sinister.

The other-dimensional I/we alien thingy from Damnation Station was neat, too. Again, the name escapes me so it can't have been that memorable.

[auxlen]

IMO the best baddies for me captured my young self. they may not have been the most sohisticated but they made an impression...

Traitor general
thrill suckers (seriously worried my pre-pubescent self)
Captain skank
Judge death (before he became a comedy character)
And that weird blind many armed thing in the one i cant remember. drawn by steve dillon. city of the damned?
damn my old brain.

[Pyroxian]

And that weird blind many armed thing in the one i cant remember. drawn by steve dillon. city of the damned?

The Mutant Judge Child?