History Main / HistorysCrimeWave

* The [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of UsefulNotes/IvanTheTerrible, Borgia, UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun and UsefulNotes/Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* The TropeNamer is in ''All-Star Comics'' #38 where the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard, he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are UsefulNotes/{{Nero}}, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan and UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun.
* The [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of UsefulNotes/IvanTheTerrible, Borgia, UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun and UsefulNotesCaligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* ''Leading Comics'' #3 has the Seven Soldiers of Victory working against Dr Doome (not Victor) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, Alexander the Great, Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The TropeNamer is in ''All-Star Comics'' #38 where the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard, he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

** Axe of Violence - A demonically-enhanced Lizzie Borden with an axe replacing one hand.
** Coldsteel - A demonically enhanced Josef Stalin now an 8 ft. giant with superhuman strength.

* In a way VandalSavage as he has been many historical characters, like Caesar, Genghis Khan and Jack the Ripper.

* ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes: In ''Adventure Comics'' #314, a villain called Alaktor recruits history's three greatest villains (Nero, John Dillinger and Adolf Hitler) to take on the Legion.
* In ''All-Select Comics'' #7, the sorcerer Terdu summons a group of villains from the past, whom he dubs the 'Men of Evil', to battle ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and Bucky. The Men of Evil were Captain Kidd, JackTheRipper, Frank and Jesse James, Bluebeard, Gyp-the-Blood, and three gangsters (names unrevealed) who had died in the electric chair decades earlier.

* ''TheDivineComedy'' has a much larger number in the Inferno section, some known to us only through the poem. Oddly, it also includes some scattered mythological villains, like Antaeus.

* In the 1960s ''{{Spider-Man}}'' series, a villain from an earlier episode, the Waxmaster Parafino, makes Wax Robots (?) of 'History's Greatest Villains. Blackbeard, Jesse James and 'the Executioner of Paris' (?) are used, though waxworks of a masked man with a dagger, and a rich-looking man are seen.
* ''{{Futurama}}'' has a Holodeck malfunction causing Amy and Kif to get attacked by Jack the Ripper, Attila the Hun, the fictional Professor Moriarty, and Evil Lincoln.
* An episode of ''TimeSquad'' featured a team of historical bad guys, including Black Bart and Lizzie Borden.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': One ''Treehouse of Horror'' had Billy the Kid leading a gang of historical villains, including the most evil German in history — Kaiser Wilhelm!
* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown''; In "The Sands of Time", Jack Spicer uses a time-travel Shen Gong Wu to assemble a team of history's villains to help him conquer the world; Genghis Kahn, Blackbeard, Billy the Kid, [[OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and Mrs. Cornhaven, his old school teacher.]]

[[AC:[[LiveActionTV]]]]

** Another episode offers an [[InvertedTrope Inversion]] in which another bunch of aliens create psychic images of the Earps and Doc Hollkiday, popularly remembered as the ''heroes'' of the OK Corral gunfight, and put Kirk and his landing party int he roles of the "villainous" Clantons and McLowrys.

See also JuryOfTheDamned.

* The [[Comicbook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]] villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* The CaptainMarvel villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* The trope namer is in ''All-Star Comics'' #38 where the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard, he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.

* A Lethal Legion ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers West Coast]]'' was made by the Demon Satannish ressurecting four dead criminals and giving them powers. They were

* ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'': In ''Adventure Comics'' #314, a villain called Alaktor recruits history's three greatest villains (Nero, John Dillinger and Adolf Hitler) to take on the Legion.

* ComicBook/TheLegionOfSuperHeroes'': In ''Adventure Comics'' #314, a villain called Alaktor recruits history's three greatest villains (Nero, John Dillinger and Adolf Hitler) to take on the Legion.

* ''TheDivineComedy'' has a much larger number in the Inferno section, some known to us only through the poem.

* ''{{Futurama}}'' has a Holodeck malfunction causing Amy and Kiff to get atatcked by Jack the Ripper, Attila the Hun, and Evil Lincoln.

History's Crime Wave is when historical criminals are used in a work of fiction. This may involve HistoricalVillainUpgrade. The villains don't have to be on Earth; they just have to be historical, though this can also extend to mythological villains.

See also JuryOfTheDamned.
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!!Examples:

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* ''Leading Comics'' #3 has the Seven Soldiers of Victory working against Dr Doome (not Victor) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, Alexander the Great, Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The trope namer is in ''All-Star Comics'' #38 where the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard, he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The CaptainMarvel villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.
* In one ''TheMightyThor'' comic he goes to the demon Mephisto's realm and encounters a group of villains.
* A Lethal Legion ''[[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers West Coast]]'' was made by the Demon Satannish ressurecting four dead criminals and giving them powers. They were
** Axe of Violence - A demonically-enhanced Lizzie Borden with an axe replacing one hand.
** Coldsteel - A demonically enhanced Josef Stalin now an 8 ft. giant with superhuman strength.
** Cyana - A demonically enhanced Lucrezia Borgia with poisoned claws.
** Zyklon - A demonically enhanced Heinrich Himmler who can belch deadly gas fumes from his mouth.
* In a way VandalSavage as he has been many historical characters, like Caesar, Genghis Khan and Jack the Ripper.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Possibly the oldest example is in ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' as Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees mythological villains being punished for their crimes, like the trickster Sisyphus, the husband-murdering daughters of Danaë, and the cannibalistic Tantalus.
* ''TheDivineComedy'' has a much larger number in the Inferno section, some known to us only through the poem.
* ''Return to Groosham Grange'' has the waxworks of Hitler, a French Revolutionary and others brought to life from Madame Tussaud.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In the 1960s ''{{Spider-Man}}'' series, a villain from an earlier episode, the Waxmaster Parafino, makes Wax Robots (?) of 'History's Greatest Villains. Blackbeard, Jesse James and 'the Executioner of Paris' (?) are used, though waxworks of a masked man with a dagger, and a rich-looking man are seen.
* ''{{Futurama}}'' has a Holodeck malfunction causing Amy and Kiff to get atatcked by Jack the Ripper, Attila the Hun, and Evil Lincoln.

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Examples:

* In one Thor comic he goes to the demon Mephisto's realm and encounters a group of villains.
* A Lethal Legion was made by the Demon Satannish ressurecting four dead criminals and giving them powers. They were

* TheDivineComedy has a much larger number in the Inferno section, some known to us only through the poem.

* Futurama has a Holodeck malfunction causing Amy and Kiff to get atatcked by Jack the Ripper, Attila the Hun, and Evil Lincoln.

* Possibly the oldest example is in ''TheOdyssey'' as Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees mythological villains being punished for their crimes, like the trickster Sisyphus, the husband-murdering daughters of Danaë, and the cannibalistic Tantalus.

Cyana - A demonically enhanced Lucrezia Borgia with poisoned claws.
Zyklon - A demonically enhanced Heinrich Himmler who can belch deadly gas fumes from his mouth.

History's Crime Wave is an example of historical criminals being used. This may be involved with HistoricalVillainUpgrade. The villains don't have to be on Earth, they just have to be historical, though this can also extend to mythological villains.

* Leading Comics #3 has the Seven Soldiers of Victory working against Dr Doome (a different one) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, Alexander the Great Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The trope namer is in All-Star Comics #38 where the JusticeSocietyofAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The ''CaptainMarvel'' villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun, and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* Possibly the oldest example in the ''Odyssey'', as Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees mythological villains being punished for their crimes, like the trickster Sisyphus, the husband-murdering daughters of Danae, and the cannibalistic Tantalus.
* Dante's ''[[TheDivineComedy Inferno]]'' has possibly the largest number, some we only know of through the poem.
* ''Return to Groosham Grange'' has the waxworks of Hitler, a French Revolutionary and others brought to life from Madam Tussaud.

* In the 1960s ''Spider-Man'' series an enemy from an earlier episode, the Waxmaster Parafino, makes Wax Robots (?) of 'History's Greatest Villains. Blackbeard, Jesse James and 'the Executioner of Paris' (?) are used, though waxworks of a masked man with a dagger, and a rich-looking man are seen.

History's Crime Wave is when historical criminals are used in a work of fiction. This may involve HistoricalVillainUpgrade. The villains don't have to be on Earth; they just have to be historical, though this can also extend to mythological villains.

----
Examples:

* ''Leading Comics'' #3 has the Seven Soldiers of Victory working against Dr Doome (not Victor) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, Alexander the Great, Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The trope namer is in ''All-Star Comics'' #38 where the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard, he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman, who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The CaptainMarvel villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* Possibly the oldest example is in ''TheOdyssey'' as Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees mythological villains being punished for their crimes, like the trickster Sisyphus, the husband-murdering daughters of Danaë, and the cannibalistic Tantalus.
* Dante in ''The Inferno'' has possibly the largest number, some known to us only through the poem.
* ''Return to Groosham Grange'' has the waxworks of Hitler, a French Revolutionary and others brought to life from Madame Tussaud.

* In the 1960s ''{{Spider-Man}}'' series, a villain from an earlier episode, the Waxmaster Parafino, makes Wax Robots (?) of 'History's Greatest Villains. Blackbeard, Jesse James and 'the Executioner of Paris' (?) are used, though waxworks of a masked man with a dagger, and a rich-looking man are seen.
----

History's Crime Wave is an example of historical criminals being used. This may be involved with HistoricalVillainUpgrade. The villains don't have to be on Earth, they just have to be historical, though this can slo extend to mythological villains.

See also JuryoftheDamned.

* Leading Comics #3 has the Seven Soldiers of Victory working against Dr Doome (a different one) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, Alexander the Great Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The trope namer is in All-Star Comics #38 where the JusticeSocietyofAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by Historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life. The villains are Nero, Goliath, Captain Kidd, Caesare Borgia, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The CaptainMarvel villain Ibac could be considered a type of this trope. Lucifer gave a crook the ability to turn into Ibac, with the powers of Ivan the Terrible, Borgia, Attila the Hun, and Caligula. This doesn't explain how he gains enormous strength and durability.

* Possibly the oldest example in the Odyssey as Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees mythological villains being punished for their crimes, like the trickster Sisyphus, the husband-murdering daughters of Danae, and the cannibalistic Tantalus.
* Dante in the Inferno has possibly the largest number, some we only know of through the poem.
* Return to Groosham Grange has the waxworks of Hitler, a French Revolutionary and others brought to life from Madam Tussaud.

* In the 1960s Spider-Man series an enemy from an earlier episode, the Waxmaster Parafino, makes Wax Robots (?) of 'History's Greatest Villains. Blackbeard, Jesse James and 'the Executioner of Paris' (?) are used, though waxworks of a masked man with a dagger, and a rich-looking man are seen.

* Leading Comics #3 has the SevenSoldiersofVictory working against Dr Doome (a different one) who has used a time machine to summon up the Time Tyrants, AlexandertheGreat Emperor Nero, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
* The trope namer is in All-Star Comics #38 where the JusticeSocietyofAmerica investigate Gotham City murders claimed to be performed by Historical villains. Though they turn out to be the disguises of an insane wax museum guard he succeeds in killing every member in the issue except WonderWoman who has to use the purple ray to bring them back to life.