Who is your favorite team of villains? Rate them from one through five and also share a choice for a team that you felt was woefully underdeveloped or pathetic. I only have two brief rules for today's round: 1) A team is merely a group of more than one - so dastardly duos do indeed count, and 2) the team should not have any heroic tendencies; we are looking for true antagonists - so the reformed Thunderbolts do not count but the Masters of Evil do.
Down below are a number of examples to choose from; but don't let that stop you from finding others from the annals of comic history on which to comment.
My top 5:
1) The (newer) Masters of Evil - There have been many iterations of this team over the years, but I am focused on the large group that Zemo assembled during the siege on Avengers Mansion arc by Roger Stern and John Buscema. I thought this was the epitome of grand and dangerous teams.
2) The Frightful Four - Likewise there has been some variation in team members over the years, but I always enjoyed the Wizard and his rather motley group and their usually less than adequate plans. Perennial underachievers, I still rooted slightly for them during their Bronze Age exploits.
3) The Legion of Doom - You cannot grow up in the 70s without garnering some influence from the Superfriends. I thought this was a formidable group and would have liked to see a similar representation in the comics.
4) The Hellfire Club - Heavily influenced by their major first appearance heading into the Dark Phoenix storyline in Uncanny X-Men, I cannot dismiss how powerful this group can be. The later incarnations left me feeling flat, but just the fumes of their glory days carried them into my top five.
5) Flash's Rogue Gallery - I have to say that I like the teaming of the Rogues very much. In many ways the Flash's enemies are just as crazy and iconic as Spider-Man's villains.
And a team that needs some revamping:
Hammer and Anvil - When I was young I enjoyed this rather one-note duo when they appeared in Marvel Team-Up and The Incredible Hulk, but there is truly not much to them at all. Just knock their hard heads together and be back to your morning tea before even the rooster misses you.
So what are your choices for the most villainous assemblages? Are they sourced more heavily from Marvel or DC? Don't forget about the Madmen or Punch and Jewelee from the Charlton days! Make your picks, send in your comments, and let's rate the raucous!
