History BigBad / MarvelUniverse

** Gene Khan is the anarchist of the Makluan Rings arc that runs throughout the show's two seasons, outlasting Stane and Hammer. He was searching for the Makluan rings, initially only seeking five but later learning there were ten, because he believed it was his destiny, and it was revealed that he was the one that caused the plane crash that lead to Howard being presumed dead and Tony nearly dying (requiring the Iron Man suit to save him). He usurps his manipulative stepfather Zheng Tong as the Mandarin and poses as Tony's [[FalseFriend friend]], using his help to take several of the rings. In reality, Howard Stark was not dead, and Gene took him prisoner to use Howard's expertise on the rings so he could get them. [[spoiler:When he finally gets all ten rings, he brings the Makluan species to Earth in the finale, only for the Makluan Overlord to betray him and become the show's FinalBoss, leading Gene to pull a HeelFaceTurn and become an ally of Tony.]]

** Obadiah Stane serves as a central threat in the first season and the first part of the second season. He wants to turn Stark Industries into a weapons manufacturer and weaponize the Iron Man armor, having taken over the company following the presumed death of Howard Stark. Doing everything in his power to ensure Tony cannot take the company back when he is old enough for his birthright to demand it, he eventually hires the Ghost to steal designs from Tony, kicking off the show's version of "Armor Wars", and eventually becoming Iron Monger. Being the father of Tony's love interest Whitney also complicates things between them.

** Obadiah Stane Is the central case of the first season and the first part of the second season; he wants to turn Stark Industries into a weapons manufacturer and weaponize the Iron Man armor along with wanting to take Stark Industries from Tony Stark.
** Gene Khan (The Mandarin) is the anarchist of the Ten Rings arc. He was searching for the ten rings because he believed it was his destiny, and it was revealed that he was the one that caused a plane crash that nearly killed Tony. It was shown that Tony's father, Howard Stark, was not dead; Gene Took him prisoner to use Howard's expertise on the rings so he could get them.

* Characters/MarvelComicsThanos Thanos]], the Mad Titan: he alternates as the Big Bad in storylines from the original Captain Marvel, Silver Surfer and the Cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe:

** ''ComicBook/{{Shadowland}}'': The Beast of the Hand, the demon served by the [[{{Ninja}} Hand]], who is [[DemonicPossession slowly possessing]] [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] as his attempt to lead the Hand and turn it into a force for good [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes terribly arwy]].

** ''ComicBook/TheMuirIslandSaga'': An "[[BatFamilyCrossover X-family crossover]]," the BigBad is the [[LivingShadow Shadow King]], who is using ComicBook/{{Polaris}} as a link between the physical world and the Astral Plane so that he might absorb "negative energy" through her and become [[GodhoodSeeker all-powerful]].

** ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'': This starts as a GoodVersusGood event, so it's difficult to pin down a BigBad. A case can be made for the Phoenix Force being the BigBad at the beginning. It's coming to Earth, and the X-Men believe it wants Hope as it's host and that together the two can fully restore the mutant species. The Avengers, on the other hand, don't want the Phoenix Force anywhere near Earth given how [[ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga dangerous and uncontrollable it has proved in the past]] and because it has already wiped out multiple alien civilizations simply because it couldn't be bothered to go around their planets. Then the Avengers accidentally fragment the Phoenix Force into five in an attempt to kill it, with a fragment ending up in [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]], the [[Characters/MarvelComicsEmmaFrost White Queen]], [[Characters/XMen70sMembers Colossus]], Characters/{{Magik}}, and the [[Characters/SubMarinerNamorAndSupportingCharacters Sub-Mariner]] respectively. The Phoenix Five start off [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility using their powers to reshape the world into more peaceful, just, and prosperous place]], but the [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity power of the Phoenix Force proves too much for their mortal minds]] and they begin [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans resorting to more totalitarian and brutal means to create a better world]], ultimately becoming a [[BigBadDuumvirate Big Bad Pentarchy]]. After the other four are taken out by Avengers, X-Men, and betrayal within their own ranks, Cyclops ends up as the host of the full Phoenix Force and becomes Dark Phoenix and the sole BigBad. Completely beyond rationality at this point, his out-of-control power threatens to destroy the world.

* Thor had his stepbrother Loki and the fire demon Surtur for the longest time serving as his main enemies, though with the dawn of the cinematic universe, and thus Loki's shift into a more morally ambiguous role as a result, as well as Surtur taking on a more consistently dead role, Malekith the Accursed rose up to compete for the role, which was cemented with storylines such as ''ComicBook/TheWarOfTheRealms''.

* Doctor Doom has a big habit of being this, as does [[Characters/MarvelComicsMagneto Magneto]], and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]], in the wider Marvel Earth. [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] is sometimes this when it comes to more purely criminal scales. They recur so much as local Big Bads in their respective corners of the Marvel Universe, that they eventually joined forces (manipulated by Trickster God Loki, obviously) during the ''Acts of Vengeance'' crossover (see below), along with the Mandarin and the Wizard.
* Thanos, the Mad Titan: he alternates as the Big Bad in storylines from the original Captain Marvel, Silver Surfer and the Cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe:

* Mephisto himself is nothing to snuff at, either. The [[SatanicArchetype nearest equivalent Marvel has to Satan]], he has taken the time to torment nearly every hero in the Marvel Universe. Aside from giving ComicBook/SpiderMan fans ComicBook/OneMoreDay (thus proving himself the epitome of evil), he has made efforts to take the souls of [[IncorruptiblePurePureness pure hearted heroes]] like ComicBook/BlackPanther and the ComicBook/SilverSurfer, messed with the ComicBook/FantasticFour on several occasions (one of which got him destroyed, leading to a convoluted chain of events that led to him accidently kicking off the process that drove the Scarlet Witch insane), and just generally causes havoc. He's strong enough to at least tussle with the likes of Odin and Galactus, created the demon Blackheart as a son who has proved to be every bit as evil as his dad, turned Johnny Blaze into the ComicBook/GhostRider, abducted the mother of Doctor Doom, and helped to create Daimon Hellstorm. There was also ComicBook/TheAvengersJasonAaron, with his role in working with various alternate selves to create a Multiversal Masters of Evil, as well as creating simulacrums of the ComicBook/SquadronSupreme and orchestrating the Power Elite.

** ''Damnation'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsDemons Mephisto]], who becomes ruler of Las Vegas when [[Characters/MarvelComicsSorcererSupreme Doctor Strange]] magically resurrects the city and its lost inhabitants (destroyed during ''ComicBook/SecretEmpire''). Unfortunately, doing this creates a tear in the fabric of reality, allowing Mephisto to manifest his [[HellOnEarth power and realm on Earth]]. As more people succumb to temptation while in Las Vegas and forfeit their souls to him, his power grows.

** ''Venom'': he was introduced as Spider-Man's next great villain in 1988 (in "Amazing Spider-Man" #299-300), then returned as antagonist in ASM #315-317, #332-333, #346-347, and #374-375, after which he became a vigilante anti-hero.
*** [[Characters/VenomEddieBrock Venom]] in his series has various archenemies like Crime Master and Lord Ogre as well as the Third Sin-Eater as well as his psychotic AntagonisticOffspring Carnage. Knull is also this for the venom franchise as a whole being the god of symbiotes (as well as being the original wielder of the Necrosword, which is used by Thor antagonist Gorr the God Butcher). Later Meridius for the 2021 series.

** ''[[ComicBook/Inferno1988 Inferno]]'': ''Inferno'' has a heck of a BigBadEnsemble. [[BigRedDevil S'ym]] is the one who takes over [[Characters/{{Magik}} Magik]]'s hell dimension of Limbo and conceives of the demonic invasion of Earth. He coerces his rival [[EvilSorcerer N'astirh]] into organizing the actual logistics of the invasion, but N'astirh quickly dispenses with his act of subservience and actually has bigger plans to merge Limbo with Earth and is [[TheChessmaster manipulating practically all of the major players to accomplish this]]. The [[LadyOfBlackMagic Goblin Queen]], aka [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops']] estranged wife Madelyne Pryor, has the power necessary to perform N'astirh's ritual, and while she knows the demon is using her for his own ends she's become so [[WomanScorned full of hate]] she's still willing to [[OffingTheOffspring kill her own son]] and [[PutThemAllOutOfMyMisery doom the world]]. When N'astirh's (apparently) killed, she [[DragonAscendant takes over the]] BigBad position and still endeavors to go through with the EvilPlan anyways. There's also Mr. Sinister, whose [[GreaterScopeVillain creation and manipulation of Madelyne sent her down the path of madness]] and who's waiting in the wings for a chance to snatch [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean Grey]] and an infant [[Characters/CableNathanSummers Nathan Summers]].

** ''ComicBook/TheInfinityWar'': The Magus, the anthropomorphic manifestation of [[{{Characters/Warlock}} Adam Warlock's]] evil. Having acquired [[RealityWarper reality-warping]] [[PowerCrystal Cosmic Containment Crystals]] from the Crossroads, a nexus between dimensions, his ultimate goal is to merge Reality-616 (the Marvel Universe) with a reality where he rules supreme, as well as reactivate the inert Infinity Gauntlet.

** ''ComicBook/MaximumCarnage'': [[Characters/CarnageCletusKasady Carnage]], who puts together a vicious team of killers to go on a city-wide murder spree ForTheEvulz that takes the collective effort of several heroes to stop.

** ''ComicBook/{{Shadowland}}'': The Beast of the Hand, the demon served by the [[{{Ninja}} Hand]], who is [[DemonicPossession slowly possessing]] [[Characters/DaredevilMattMurdock Daredevil]] as his attempt to lead the Hand and turn it into a force for good [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes terribly arwy]].

** ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'': A BigBadEnsemble of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Ultron]] and [[LadyOfBlackMagic Morgan le Fay]]. [[Characters/MarvelComicsUltron Ultron]] takes over the world in mere ''minutes'' at the very beginning of the event by seizing control of every computerized device on the planet. Its so bad that [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong time travel is seen as the only way to stop him]]. Unfortunately, [[Characters/WolverineJamesLoganHowlett Wolverine's]] time-travel solution is to kill [[Characters/AntManHeroes Hank Pym]], Ultron's well-meaning creator. This creates a world ''almost'' as bad as the one ruled over by Ultron, as without Hank a series of DisasterDominoes fell that resulted in the [[EvilSorcerer sorceress]] Morgan le Fay [[TheMagicVersusTechnologyWar rallying the forces of magic and myth against the forces of science and rationality]], a war Morgan is ''winning''.

** ''Vendetta'': Stryfe, who still hates [[Characters/CableNathanSummers Cable]] as much as he always did and now blames Bishop for his capture by Apocalypse after the former X-Man cut-and-run in ''Messiah War''. He seeks to get revenge on both by convincing Cable's surrogate daughter Hope to kill a [[HeelFaceTurn repentant]] Bishop, which would be a betrayal of everything Cable has taught her.

** ''ComicBook/DeathOfWolverine'': Abraham Cornelius, one of the [[GovernmentConspiracy Weapon X]] scientists who bonded [[MadeOfIndestructium adamantium]] to [[Characters/WolverineJamesLoganHowlett Wolverine's]] bones. Despite Weapon X being defunct (at the time), he wants to recreate the success the project had with Wolverine and needs the latter's HealingFactor to do it. Ironically, he has no idea that Wolverine's healing factor has been [[DePower burnt out]].

** ''ComicBook/SecretEmpire'': [[Characters/CaptainAmericaTitleCharacter Captain America]], whose memories and personality have been altered by the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]] and his [[RealityWarper sentient Cosmic Cube Kobik]] into believing he has been a [[DeepCoverAgent HYDRA sleeper agent]] all this time. After [[ComicBook/CaptainAmericaSteveRogers several issues]] of meticulous plotting, ''ComicBook/SecretEmpire'' sees him execute his plan to take over the United States and [[DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans refashion in into a fascist state]].

** ''ComicBook/DarkWeb'': A BigBadDuumvirate of [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Marvel Girl's]] clone the [[Characters/MarvelComicsMadelynePryor Goblin Queen]] and [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man's]] clone [[Characters/MarvelComicsScarletSpider Ben Reilly, aka Chasm]], both of whom [[CloneAngst suffer existential angst over their nature]] and have grievances, somewhat justified in the former's case and unjustified in the latter's, against their genetic templates. The two agree to help each other achieve their respective goals (Chasm's being to steal Spidey's [[TransferableMemory memories]], [[spoiler: Madelyne's to retrieve a [[MemoryJar copy of Jean Grey's memories]] of her son [[Characters/CableNathanSummers Nathan]]]]). The Goblin Queen lends her [[LegionsOfHell demonic army of Limbo]] to Chasm to [[HellOnEarth invade New York City]] and capture Spider-Man, while Chasm provides a distraction for and assistance (in the form of his [[UnholyMatrimony girlfriend]] Janine Godbe, aka Hallow's Eve) in infiltrating the X-Men's headquarters, something Madelyne cannot do herself due to an agreement to not harm [[ComicBook/XMenTheKrakoanAge Krakoa]]. [[spoiler: When Marvel Girl willingly shares her memories, Madelyne tries to end the invasion, prompting an incensed Chasm to steal her position as ruler of Limbo and unleash its full fury on the city, becoming the crossover's sole BigBad.]]

** ''ComicBook/CarnageReigns'': [[Characters/CarnageCletusKasady Cletus Kasady]] (or more specifically his [[BrainUploading codex copy]]), currently possessing [[Characters/IronManHeroes Iron Man's]] [[OrganicTechnology Extrembiote]] and on a murder spree to [[FameThroughInfamy ensure]] ''[[FameThroughInfamy he]]'' [[FameThroughInfamy is remembered]], not just [[SharingABody as a part of Carnage]].

*** ''Film/SpiderMan3'': [[Characters/VenomTheSymbiote The Venom symbiote]], whose influence over Peter leads him to [[TookALevelInJerkass take a level in jerkass]] and come dangerously close to JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope, before bonding to Eddie Brock in order to kill Spider-Man as revenge for rejecting it.

*** ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarnage Carnage]], [[BigBadDuumvirate alongside]] his host, [[Characters/CarnageCletusKasady Cletus Kasady]], who want to kill Venom so they can spread chaos to their hearts' content unopposed by another symbiote.

** ''Film/XMen1'': [[Characters/XMenFilmSeriesMagneto Magneto]], who intends on sacrificing Rogue to power a machine capable of turning normal humans into mutants, but is unaware that the artificial mutations are unstable and will kill the affected.

** ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'': Mystique and Bolivar Trask compete for the title of main villain; it's Trask's Sentinels that lead to the BadFuture, but it's Mystique killing him and being captured for experimentation that leads to the Sentinels getting approved by the government, making her the one whose EvilPlan needs to be stopped. [[spoiler:That is, until Magneto [[HijackedByGanon hijacks both their plans]].]]

* ''VideoGame/MarvelsAvengers'': [[spoiler:Monica Rappaccini. Five years ago, hoping to steal Terrigen Crystals, Monica hires [[Characters/MarvelComicsTaskmaster Taskmaster]] to attack San Francisco, inadvertently causing A-Day and leading to the [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent mass empowering]] of many Inhumans. In the present, Monica acts as second-in-command of [[Characters/MarvelComicsAim A.I.M.]] to George Tarleton. In her position, Monica kidnaps and tortures Inhumans in order to replicate their powers through Adaptoids, as well as subjecting Tarleton to a regenerative serum derived from Captain America. When Tarleton, now calling himself M.O.D.O.K., finds out about Captain America, he kills Monica, and serves as the FinalBoss. After M.O.D.O.K.'s defeat, Monica, who survived through a clone body, takes over A.I.M. as the new Scientist Supreme and continues her experiments.]]

** ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'': [[spoiler:[[Characters/SpiderManPS4OttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]], the EvilMentor of Spider-Man]], who teams up with Mister Negative to form the Sinister Six and releases the Devil's Breath onto New York in an attempt to expose Norman Osborn's crimes.

** ''VideoGame/SpiderManInsomniac'':
*** ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'': [[spoiler:[[Characters/SpiderManPS4OttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]], the EvilMentor of Spider-Man]], who teams up with Mister Negative to form the Sinister Six and releases the Devil's Breath onto New York in an attempt to expose Norman Osborn's crimes.
*** ''The City That Never Sleeps'' [=DLC=] has Hammerhead try and take control of New York's criminal underworld after the absence of supervillains creates a power vacuum.
*** ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'': A BigBadEnsemble between the Tinkerer/[[spoiler:Phin Mason, Miles Morales' [[BigBadFriend friend]]]], the leader of the Underground whose vendetta against Roxxon threatens to destroy Harlem, and Roxxon President Simon Krieger, who distributes the deadly Nuform and plans on rebuilding Harlem in his own image. While Krieger is definitely the more evil of the two, he's a NonActionBigBad and so the Tinkerer serves as TheHeavy and the FinalBoss.
*** ''VideoGame/MarvelsSpiderMan2'': For the first half of the game, Kraven the Hunter is the main villain, as he captures several of Spider-Man's previous villains with the intent of [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunting them]], a threat that forces Spider-Man to use the Venom symbiote to stop him. However, Kraven is [[DiscOneFinalBoss defeated just before the start of the third act]], and [[spoiler:killed by]] Venom, allowing the latter to take the stage as the main villain and FinalBoss.

* ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'': [[spoiler:[[Characters/SpiderManPS4OttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]], the EvilMentor of Spider-Man]], who teams up with Mister Negative to form the Sinister Six and releases the Devil's Breath onto New York in an attempt to expose Norman Osborn's crimes.
** ''The City That Never Sleeps'' [=DLC=] has Hammerhead try and take control of New York's criminal underworld after the absence of supervillains creates a power vacuum.
** ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'': A BigBadEnsemble between the Tinkerer/[[spoiler:Phin Mason, Miles Morales' [[BigBadFriend friend]]]], the leader of the Underground whose vendetta against Roxxon threatens to destroy Harlem, and Roxxon President Simon Krieger, who distributes the deadly Nuform and plans on rebuilding Harlem in his own image.
** ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2PS5'': Kraven the Hunter captures several of Spider-Man's previous villains with the intent of [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunting them]], a threat that forces Spider-Man to [[spoiler:use the Venom symbiote to stop him]]. [[spoiler:Venom then starts to take the stage as villain, gradually making Spider-Man more agitated before he eventually gives it up, leading to Harry Osborn merging with it and killing Kraven, with the goal to [[WellIntentionedExtremist heal the world]] via an invasion of symbiotes]].

** ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'': The Phalanx, a race of parasidic aliens bent on world domination.

* ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'': [[spoiler:[[Characters/SpiderManPS4OttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]]]], who teams up with Mister Negative to form the Sinister Six and releases the Devil's Breath onto New York in an attempt to expose Norman Osborn's crimes.

** ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'': A BigBadEnsemble between the Tinkerer/[[spoiler:Phin Mason]], the leader of the Underground whose vendetta against Roxxon threatens to destroy Harlem, and Simon Krieger, who distributes the deadly Nuform and plans on rebuilding Harlem in his own image.
** ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2PS5'': Kraven the Hunter captures several of Spider-Man's previous villains with the intent of [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunting them]], a threat that forces Spider-Man to [[spoiler:use the Venom symbiote to stop him]]. [[spoiler:Venom then starts to take the stage as villain, gradually making Spider-Man more agitated before he eventually gives it up, leading to Harry Osborn merging with it and killing Kraven, with the goal to heal the world via an invasion of symbiotes]].

** ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'': Skrull Empress Veranke, who leads a secret infiltration of Earth's governments, militaries, and superhuman communities with the goal of [[TakeOverTheWorld conquering Earth]], which she believes is the Skrulls' by divine mandate.