You may think being a Marvel villain is cool. But several times, Marvel Comics has shown us why being a Marvel Villain is practically a punishment worse than death.
A Marvel Villain Is Never Given The Chance For Redemption
The only Marvel villains who are exempt from this rule are the X-Men villains. Marvel has shown many times that a Marvel Villain does get a redemption arc. He or she may mend their ways. but that does not mean the world is trusting enough to give them a second chance. Every Marvel villain deserves a second shot but only the X-Men villains are trusted once they switch sides. The rest are just permanently branded as inhuman.
A Story Just As Tragic As The Hero But Never Taken As Seriously
Every hero in Marvel Comics has an origin story that is a total sob story. The villains of Marvel comics also have some pretty sad tales to tell. Some had abusive childhoods while others were driven out of their own businesses via illegal means. Some lost their loved ones while some were abandoned by society. Thanos for example, was driven out of his own home by his own people because he was born different. While the heroes get enough sympathy, the average Marvel villain is given the polar opposite treatment.
Almost Every Marvel Villain Is Broke As Heck
The most prolific and notorious ones have immense wealth. But the Kingpin and Norman Osborn are just the cream of the crop. Many Marvel villains live in abject poverty. While trying to rob a bank or commit other crimes, the heroes stop them and they are put to jail. They lose everything in the process when they come out after serving their time. The government does not do enough to help them reform so they have only one way left – return to a life of crime and lose everything again.
A Marvel Villain Doing Heroic Things Is Often Overlooked
A hero who has fallen from grace and committed horrific acts does not change their status as a benevolent entity. The Sentry killed many innocents during the Siege storyline. Despite that, he was given a hero’s funeral. Loki, who was also partly responsible for the attack on Asgard, was left horrified by the destruction. He tried to help the good guys and was later killed by the Sentry. Loki was never given a proper farewell despite him dying a hero’s death, trying to save his own people.
They Are Only Remembered For Being A Marvel Villain
Doctor Doom is perhaps the most iconic Marvel villain to ever exist. The ruler of Latveria is a master of magic and an expert in science and technology. Granted he is a ruthless despot but under his rule, Latveria is a total utopia where crime does not exist and everything from education to healthcare is free. Doom has done some heroic things in the past but he is always remembered for his evil ways. Reed Richards, his rival, has done some horrific acts too like neglecting his friends and family or even committing genocide but he is remembered for his good deeds. There is clearly some preferential treatment.
Supervillain Prisons Are Hellholes!!
It is illegal to treat convicts and criminals as inhuman when under legal custody. You cannot put them through torture and other forms of cruel punishment other than what the courts have ordered them to serve for. Marvel Villain prisons take it to a whole new level. Places like the Raft and Prison 42 put the supervillains in confinement through barbaric torture and illegal experimentation. Nobody bats an eye even though it is against the law.
