History AffablyEvil / ComicBooks

* Mistress Ilsa. A slave dealer whose specialty is Arcanic children, she is pretty unquestionably a villain. However, she isn't terrible about it. She lies to the children about their fate at the Cumaea compound ([[PragmaticVillainy though that might have been to keep them from struggling]]), she offers Maika her cigarette in a small act of simple kindness, and when Maika is unchained and led into the Cumaea compound, she wishes her well and asks her to send her best to her daughter, who apparently she doubts she'll ever see again.

* Mistress Ilsa. A slave dealer whose specialty is Arcanic children, she is pretty unquestionably a villain. However, she isn't terrible about it. She lies to the children about their fate at the Cumaea compound ([[PragmaticVillainythough that might have been to keep them from struggling]]), she offers Maika her cigarette in a small act of simple kindness, and when Maika is unchained and led into the Cumaea compound, she wishes her well and asks her to send her best to her daughter, who apparently she doubts she'll ever see again.

* The ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'''s ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, during Creator/ChrisClaremont's first run, went from revenge-obsessed wacko to head of Xavier Institute to not quite back again, thanks in large part to his portrayal as an Affably Evil WellIntentionedExtremist.

** [[DependingOnTheWriter Sometimes]] the Joker fits the bill. If he's not depicted as an outright sinister creep, he tends to be played up as a silly, fun-loving prankster seemingly unaware or apathetic to the horrendous nature of his crimes. Sort of par for the course when you [[MonsterClown look like a happy clown.]]

* SelfDemonstrating/LexLuthor is frequently this. On the other hand, it's sometimes [[FauxAffablyEvil nothing more than a façade]]. It's a case of DependingOnTheWriter.

* SelfDemonstrating/DoctorDoom, the main enemy of the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', fits this like a glove, proving to be surprisingly likable and charming even ''as'' he commits various evil deeds, to the point where he's had several moments past the MoralEventHorizon {{retcon}}ned, ignored, or smoothed over into WellIntentionedExtremist territory because of fandom outrage. Doom mocks your belief in the MoralEventHorizon!

* The ''{{Sleepwalker}}'' villain 8-Ball carries himself with a swaggering, casual manner. He is completely unfazed by the appearance of the bizarre alien Sleepwalker, and simply tries to smooth-talk Sleepy when he demands to know what 8-Ball and his gang are doing. He even cheerfully accepts Sleepwalker's claim of being an alien without blinking an eye, and kindly explains the Earthly concepts of money and power to Sleepwalker...before he attempts to murder Sleepy by dropping a bank vault on him.

* The ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'''s SelfDemonstrating/{{Magneto}}, during Creator/ChrisClaremont's first run, went from revenge-obsessed wacko to head of Xavier Institute to not quite back again, thanks in large part to his portrayal as an Affably Evil WellIntentionedExtremist.

** ComicBook/TheRiddler, in his own quirky, InsufferableGenius way. When he's not, you know, having a crazed VillainousBreakdown.

* Otto Octavius, better known as Franchise/SpiderMan's nemesis, DoctorOctopus, once rented a room from Aunt May, and behaved like a perfect gentleman, even helping her around the house. He also came very near to marrying her, after she somehow inherited a nuclear plant. May's inability to understand that he was a bad person was a running gag for a long while.

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* Charon from ''Negation'' is the epitome of this trope. The cosmic-powered ruler of a universe-spanning empire that everyone lives in fear of acts like a laid-back, ridiculously mellow guy without a care in the world. [[spoiler:Justified in that he purged himself of all his negative emotions eons ago.]]

* ''TransformersShatteredGlass'': Dirge is supposed to be a hero, but really works for Alpha Trion and his insane schemes for peace. This does not stop him from being cheery and polite, even to his prisoners.
* ''TransformersWingsOfHonor'': Portrays Runabout and Runamuck this way, despite being physically the oldest of most of their colleagues (who are teenagers, and quite nice themselves), act the youngest, explaining the war (and some [[MythologyGag deleted scenes]]) to Jhiaxus, with child like enthusiasm. They befriend an amnesic Side-burn, race with him, and give him dating advice.

* SelfDemonstrating/LexLuthor is sometimes this, DependingOnTheWriter

** [[ScaryBlackMan Barracuda]] is a giant M60 wielding psychopath, but also an endless well of optimism and cheer.

* [[Franchise/TheDCU DC's]] VandalSavage (who, having been alive since caveman days, is ''a little bit more'' than ReallySevenHundredYearsOld) has often acted quite genteel towards Earth's heroes. OTOH, he did have an unsatisfactory minion for dinner with some of his colleagues and other subordinates. Sorry, he had the minion ''as'' dinner. And he did pressure his daughter to marry somebody, or at least to have a child. I'd categorize him as FauxAffablyEvil; sociopath who is surprisingly persuasive. Not actually likable, but still fairly persuasive, if only through the controversial "agree or I burn your parents alive" technique.

** MAX!Bullseye never once drops his friendly, pleasant manner no matter who he's speaking with, but is [[PsychoForHire seriously, ]]''[[PsychoForHire seriously]]'' [[PsychoForHire unwell]].

** H'el is rather nice to fellow Kryptonian, {{Supergirl}}, who also wants to return to her old life on Krypton. He later [[spoiler:convinces her to join him in his quest to ressurect Krypton]], but manipulates her to estrange her from Franchise/{{Superman}}.
** H'el was also friendly to Superman, initially. When they first meet, H'el hugs Superman and even calls him his "little brother". Superman was already suspicious, but H'el threatening to snap {{Superboy}}'s neck caused the two to become enemies.

* The ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'''s SelfDemonstrating/{{Magneto}}, during ChrisClaremont's first run, went from revenge-obsessed wacko to head of Xavier Institute to not quite back again, thanks in large part to his portrayal as an Affably Evil WellIntentionedExtremist.

* TransformersShatteredGlass: Dirge is supposed to be a hero, but really works for Alpha Trion and his insane schemes for peace. This does not stop him from being cheery and polite, even to his prisoners.
* TransformersWingsOfHonor: Portrays Runabout and Runamuck this way, despite being physically the oldest of most of their colleagues (who are teenagers, and quite nice themselves), act the youngest, explaining the war (and some [[MythologyGag deleted scenes]]) to Jhiaxus, with child like enthusiasm. They befriend an amnesic Side-burn, race with him, and give him dating advice.

-->'''Kathy:''' You haven't...given up your soul or anything?\\

* An alternate reality version of Mister Sinister proves to be one of these in ''Comicbook/CableAndDeadpool''. Not only is he nice enough to let Deadpool use his bathroom, he has a completely normal conversation with him and doesn't antagonize him at all. He even sits down with {{Deadpool}}, Cannonball, and Siryn for a delightful meal...which was laced with barbiturates to incapacitate them so that he could dissect them later.

* [[MeaningfulName Mr. Lamb]], one of the late villains created by Creator/FloydGottfredson in ''[[ComicBook/MickeyMouseComicUniverse The Syndicate of crime]]''. Sincere tears come when MickeyMouse and Eega Beeva refuse to join his gang and prefer to die: ''[[PlayedForLaughs "This is going to hurt us more than it does you!"]]''