History Main / ThematicRoguesGallery

* The ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' franchise's most dangerous enemies are those who wish to disrupt the unity between the people of Berk and their dragons.

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

*** In a similar vein to Goseiger, we had ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'', a mystical elements-of-nature-themed team. They fought, in turn, biker bugs, samurai marine life, mythical monsters, and again finally robots.

* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. [[Characters/DaredevilSupportingCharacters Elektra]] and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Characters/{{Darkhawk}}, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMoonKnight Moon Knight]], Characters/LukeCage and Characters/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.

* The ''ComicBook/XMen'' mostly fight other mutants and anti-mutant terror cells. The most frequent non-mutant adversaries they face are aliens such as the Brood, the Shi'ar, and/or enemies thereof, and Mojo and Spiral, as well as the occasional magical enemy like Belasco. On several occasions, they've also been pitted against contract killer Arcade. ''X-Men'' is a prime example of villains being {{Retool}}ed to fit the pattern too: Juggernaut (who originally got his powers from a gemstone possessed by a deity) became a mutant in [[Film/XMenTheLastStand the movie]], while alien Spiral became a mutant in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel continuities.
* While ComicBook/IronMan's [[ArchEnemy archnemesis]] is the magical/[[GreenRocks alien powered]] psychic Mandarin, most of the rest of his Rogues Gallery consists of people like Iron Monger, the Crimson Dynamo (and there have been ''fourteen'' [[LegacyCharacter Crimson Dynamos]]), Dreadknight, Controller, Titanium Man etc, all of whom wear PoweredArmor.
** It should be noted that the Mandarin isn't so much magic-powered as it's alien tech that just looks like it's magic-powered.
** Another underlying theme is how Iron Man's enemies are related to capitalism in some way. [[YellowPeril The Mandarin]] was created when Mao Zedong was at the height of his power in RedChina and has since gone on to become a reactionary feudalist who wants to turn back the economic and social clock to the days of Imperial China. The Titanium Man, the Unicorn and the Crimson Dynamo represented UsefulNotes/{{Soviet Russia|UkraineAndSoOn}} at a time when the UsefulNotes/ColdWar was at its height. The American villains also apply; the original Blizzard was a dishonest employee fired by Tony Stark for stealing from the company, the original Firebrand was an anarchist who wanted to destroy big business, and guys like Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer were {{Corrupt Corporate Executive}}s who utilized underhanded and illegal means to get a competitive edge on Stark, who, while amoral and hedonistic before the near-death experience that made him a superhero, was never as cut-throat as either of them. Obadiah Stane's son, Ezekial, is an anarchocapitalist libertarian.
* There's nary a ''ComicBook/GhostRider'' villain who isn't a demon or demonically powered. And if they aren't either of those, they have a wicked sick awesome vehicle. This and the above occasionally overlap. The few who don't fit either category are artifacts from his days as a more normal superhero, where none of his villains would've looked out of place fighting Captain America or the Fantastic Four. Granted, guys like the Water Wizard and the Orb weren't exactly the greatest threats the world has ever seen... Archangels have also been added to his rogues gallery.
* Virtually everyone ComicBook/{{Static}} fought got their powers from [[MassSuperEmpoweringEvent the same chemical accident]] Static himself did.
* ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'s entire RoguesGallery has almost no non-ocean related villains. Admittedly, there was a lot of variety among them otherwise, and once he moved to Sub Diego, there was a lot of more usual crime to foil (like robbery and such). Marvel's ComicBook/SubMariner has the same thing going on, even though he can also fly. It's when people mess with that formula that things get weird.
* ComicBook/MartianManhunter's enemies either have Shapeshifting or psychic abilities to match him, are martian themselves or have something to do with [[KryptoniteFactor fire]].
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{justified|Trope}} during ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski''. A character named Ezekiel Sims talks about this phenomenon for the ''X-Men'', ''Captain America'', and ''Thor'', as well as Peter's own tendency to fight animal-themed villains - such as Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, and the Rhino. And the Scorpion, and the Jackal, and the Black Fox, and the Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}}, and the Grizzly, and the Gibbon, and the Kangaroo, and the Walrus, and the White Rabbit, and...
-->'''Ezekiel:''' You ever hear the phrase "you know a man by his enemies"? Look around… Captain America ended up with guys like Baron Zemo and the Red Skull. The X-Men got Magneto. Thor's got Loki… One type attracts another, similar type. Gods against gods, patriots against people who think they’re patriots, mutants against mutants. The kind of enemy you get tells someone a lot about the kind of person you are. Now consider your situation. From the very beginning, more than anyone else out there, you have been beset by totemistic pretenders. And the kicker is… they probably don't even realize what they're doing. Vultures and crocodiles, scorpions and cobras, jackals and cats and foxes and octopi and everything in between. ''Look'' at them, Peter. Look at the pattern.
** The main theme of Spidey's gallery, however, is Power and Responsibility. Like Spidey, many of his enemies got their powers by chance, either being offered it by somebody out of nowhere (Rhino, Scorpion, Eddie Brock) or like Peter as the result of a FreakLabAccident (Ock, Osborn, Sandman, Curt Connors). In both cases they chose to use their powers irresponsibly, and unlike Spider-Man they were ''always'' either looking for it or at least given the choice not to attain it or reject it, rather than having it totally thrust on them as Peter did (Ock, Osborn and Connors all had accidents, but there were ''also'' always messing with science and power they should not have been, or at least should have been more careful with- thus, they pursued power irresponsibly).
** Later Ezekiel used it again as an argument for totemic theory of Spidey's origin - the fact that Peter was fighting more magic-themed villains (Morlun, Shatarra, Shade) lately was supposed to be a proof that his powers come from Spider-God Anansi. Subverted when it was revealed that most of those guys [[spoiler: were supposed to be Ezekiel's enemies and Peter was fighting his battles]].
*** Most of Spider-Man's enemies either had AnimalMotifs and/or were the results of science gone bad. More generally than that, several villains who became {{Rogues Gallery Transplant}}s when it became clear they were outmatched by their original adversaries (Boomerang vs. the Hulk, anyone?) mean that almost all of Spidey's rogues (with the exceptions of Doctor Octopus and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsNormanOsborn Green Goblin]]) are street-level villains.
*** When you think about the potential some of these street-level villains' powers and skills have they become much more than street-level. Sometimes it's even blatantly clear how strong they can be. The fact that most of the these guys are still stuck fighting Spider-Man, and haven't moved on to bigger levels of villainy than doing things like robbing banks, can be explained by a lack of ambition, as well as by the fact that Spider-Man wouldn't be a match for such seemingly unbeatable villains on his own.
** It's also worth noting that Spider-Man's main villain, the Green Goblin, has inspired a {{legacy|Character}} of his own and a couple {{Jack the Ripoff}}s. Then you have ComicBook/{{Venom}}, who keeps spawning, so that Peter's rogue gallery can basically be summed up as about 50% animal, a bunch of PuppeteerParasite aliens, assorted goblins and a few, like [[ShockAndAwe Electro]] and [[DishingOutDirt Sandman]], who are just kind of "other."
* Most of Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}'s RoguesGallery are out and out lunatics without any real superpowers. Some have argued that this is an indicator of Batman's own obsessive nature - he too is almost mad, in his own way. In addition, since Bats himself is just a man CrimeFightingWithCash, making his villains equally normal [[CompetitiveBalance keeps things balanced]] - Batman would be ''screwed'' if someone like [[RealityWarper Mxyzptlk]] decided to make the short journey from [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Metropolis]] to Gotham.

* ComicBook/DoctorStrange had a lot of mystic opponents. This seems to be because it was stated MANY times that he has no greater strength or agility than any other man. Oddly enough, in his early adventures, he [[KungFuWizard let his fists do the talking]] about as often as he whipped up a spell to take care of things. {{Justified|Trope}} when he was the Sorcerer Supreme and it was his job to protect the [[{{Muggles}} mundane world]] from supernatural threats.
* Characters/{{Wonder Woman|TheCharacter}}'s best villains are definitely female, possibly because she's the one major heroine who [[WouldntHitAGirl writers felt comfortable]] pitting against non FemmeFatale villainesses. Her only major villain who isn't female or a misogynist is Ares, the God of War and ancient enemy of the Amazons and Themyscira. They also tend to be mythological and/or magical in nature, like Wonder Woman herself. As of The ComicBook/New52, she's been rubbing elbows with the gods. Her first major enemy is [[WomanScorned Hera]], then [[PsychopathicManChild Hades]], then [[WickedCultured Apollo]] and Artemis. She's currently being set up to go head to head with another of Zeus' [[ReallyGetsAround many many MANY]] children, specifically his firstborn son.
** Another common theme most of her enemies have in common is tied in with deceit -- either they some form of trickery, magical illusions, mind control, or are just skilled manipulators to achieve their goals. This starkly contrast against Wonder Woman's belief in honesty, plus that fact she's sometimes [[RedBaron referred to as]], "The Spirit of Truth".
* Most [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner Hulk]] villains are big and very strong - heck, many of them are even green. Those who aren't, like Leader and [[Characters/MarvelComicsAIM M.O.D.O.K.]], tend to be exact opposites: small, weak but very intelligent, with lots of high-tech to help them. But still often green. And then, that whole strong and green thing is because several have a similar origin. In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'', Leader and the Abomination actually got their powers ''from'' the Hulk, and Doc Samson likely would have too.
** Less obviously, Hulk's rogues tend to be like the Green Giant himself: monstrous outcasts who crave the love and acceptance that will never be. The Abomination has deep self loathing and pines for his lost humanity, the U-Foes are freakish versions of the Fantastic Four whose powers keep each other from touching despite their bond, Xemnu is the last of his race, and even the Leader seeks to create a utopia where Gamma Mutates and humans can live in harmony.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] is mostly known for fighting symbols of some un-American concept - many of them represent fascism or Nazism (Captain America has met the [[YouClonedHitler clone of Hitler]] several times, not to mention his [[ShadowArchetype personal nemesis]] the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]]), some represent communism, and other, less obvious political positions represented by his villains include OneWorldOrder (Flag-Smasher), censorship (The Watchdogs, MoralGuardians gone vigilante), blind patriotism to corrupt government (many, many "evil" Captain Americas), vigilantism (the Scourge of the Underworld), technocracy (Advanced Idea Mechanics), unrestrained capitalism (Roxxon Corporation), and corrupt labor unions (Serpent Society), though the writers are usually careful to note that these are extreme versions of their viewpoints, and that they aren't commenting on the philosophies themselves. On the other hand, he's messed with many non-political villains, including the [[AxCrazy Animus]], [[PlayingWithFire Solarr]], the [[WeirdTradeUnion Serpent Society]], the [[ButtMonkey Porcupine]], and even other heroes' enemies, including the [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Scorpion]], [[ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} Mister Hyde]], and Marvel's version of the [[ComicBook/GhostRider Scarecrow]]. In that vein, he also tends to fight a lot of {{Nebulous Evil Organi|sation}}zations. He's clobbered whole rooms full of {{Mooks}} from A.I.M., HYDRA, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., and more.
* When [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]] isn’t fighting off threats of alien races like the Kree, Skrulls or Brood, she tends to fight self-made women and/or geneticists like Grace Valentine, Moonstone, Dr Minerva, Dr Eve and Toxic Doxie.
* Averted by ComicBook/TheFlash, who has only a few speedster villains. In fact, the only speedster a given Flash is likely to face is their personal EvilCounterpart. His rogues gallery is otherwise populated by a very eclectic group, with few villains having much in common with one another. Ironically, the Flash rogues are a rather tightly knit group in spite of this.

* Averted by ComicBook/{{Firestorm|DCComics}}. While his ArchEnemy Killer Frost represents the thematic conflict between fire and ice, he also has villains as diverse as self-cloning Multiplex, the mind-controlling Mindboggler, the werewolf-like Hyena, the rope assassin Slipknot, and the sand-manipulating Sand Demon.
** Firestorm tends to have villains with other elemental powers like Killer Frost, Brimstone, Sand Demon, Goldenrod, Naiad, and Stratos. Characters whose powers are nuclear power formed like Pozhar or Tokamak. Ones with personal grudges against the Firestorm hosts like Plastique, the 2000 Committee, or Cliff Carmichael, the new Thinker. Or a combination of all three, like Typhoon. While Firestorm is a fusion of two people, his foil, Multiplex, is a fission of one. Magic powered beings like Black Bison and the Hyena are the outliers.
* Averted by [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]], oddly enough. While Goldilocks did fight divine villains from Asgard (most notably his evil half-brother [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]] and the seductive [[FemmeFatale Amora]], also called [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheEnchantress The Enchantress]]), Thor also quickly gained a rogues gallery of recurring mortal villains that could just as easily have been enemies of Spider-Man or the Hulk, including the Wrecker, the Absorbing Man, the Grey Gargoyle, Mister Hyde, and the Cobra. Many of these guys would also become {{Rogues Gallery Transplant}}s when they branched out and started tangling with other mortal heroes.

* ComicBook/FantasticFour villains tend to be of the "EvilGenius bent on world conquest" mold, (like [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]], the Mad Thinker, the Wizard, Diablo, Maximus the Mad, the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, even Mole Man...) or alien would-be {{Galactic Conqueror}}s (like Blastaar and son, Annihilus...)
* Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}'s enemies don't have an immediately obvious unifying theme, but a closer glance shows that the underlying connection between this collection of {{mad scientist}}s, {{alien inva|sion}}ders, {{cyborg}}s, [[RoboticPsychopath robots]], and ray-gun wielding gangsters is one of pulp science-fiction. There's not a single Superman rogue who wouldn't be out of place in a thirties pulp novel, or a 1950s B-movie, which given Superman's status as a popularizer of many sci-fi tropes, makes perfect sense.
** As the character evolved, another unifying theme emerged in his enemies — HumansAreFlawed. All of Superman’s villains are - to varying degrees - normal people who lucked into power, [[HumansAreBastards but don’t care in the slightest how their actions affect others]]. Superman is, in contrast, a firm believer that HumansAreGood, and fights for a [[TheFutureWillBeBetter better tomorrow]]. Ultimately showing that superpowers, like with any tool, is an entirely neutral force, and people will act on its dark or light impulses depending on what’s in the heart of the user.
* Most of Characters/{{Supergirl|TheCharacter}}'s enemies are female and sci-fi related. Lesla-Lar and Blackstarr are mad scientists, Superwoman, Reign and the Worldkillers are genetically-engineered super soldiers, Kraken is an alien armed with weather-controlling gear, Reactron is a soldier clad in powered armor... plus several of her Rogues (Lesla-Lar, Black Flame, Shyla Kor-Onn, Lar-On...) are also Kryptonian.
* ComicBook/GreenLantern has a lot of enemies who can--like him--create weapons and monsters out of thin air: Tattooed Man, Star Sapphire, Evil Star, Effigy, etc. The granddaddy is of course [[Characters/GreenLanternThaalSinestro Sinestro]], a former Green Lantern with a yellow power ring. Played even straighter with the introduction of entire Corps to oppose the GL Corps who use power rings of different colors, such as red, orange, and black. Sinestro even starts his own Yellow Corps as well. Also inverted by giving Green Lantern some new allies who also use power rings of different colors, such as blue and indigo.
* Most of ComicBook/{{Spawn}}'s enemies are demons, angels or people from his past life.
* The ComicBook/BlackPanther regularly tangles with villains who are tailored to fight an African king, ranging from political rivals who seek to usurp his throne (Man-Ape and Erik Killmonger), apartheid-supporting white supremacists (the Supermacists), and outsiders who seek to loot the country's wealth for themselves (ArchEnemy Klaw). More recently, he (or rather his [[ComicBook/{{Shuri}} sister]], who's [[TakingUpTheMantle taken up the mantle]] due to him literally being at death's door) took on Morlun, an enemy of [[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Spider-Man]] who feeds on animal totems, including that of the Panther. This is in addition to his frequent tussles with fellow African heads of state like Moses Magnum, Dr. Crocodile, and Afrikaa.
* The ComicBook/DoomPatrol specialize in weird cases and opponents. For just a few examples: the sentient transgender street, a Cloudcuckoolander Dadaist turned CorruptCorporateExecutive, a woman made of porcelain nanomachines, a sentient and infectious face-and-mind-eating black hole, and ComicBook/AmbushBug.
* [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. [[Characters/DaredevilSupportingCharacters Elektra]] and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Characters/{{Darkhawk}}, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMoonKnight Moon Knight]], Characters/LukeCage and Characters/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.
* Many of Characters/{{Starman|DCComics}}'s enemies were carnies like the Ragdoll, Bliss and his mook Crusher.
* ComicBook/{{Sleepwalker}}'s enemies are either street-level villains (the Chain Gang, 8-Ball, Spectra, the Bookworm, Lullaby, Mr. FX, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, etc.) or demonic entities (Cobweb, Psyko, Mr. Jyn, Eddie Cicala).
* ComicBook/SwampThing routinely encounters plant-based enemies. Sometimes this was handled well. The elemental Wood-Rue, for example, was an old DC loser who was revived as a hideous and terrifying foe. Sometimes it went not-so-good, such as when Swamp Thing fought vegetable aliens flying vegetable space ships with vegetable weapons. Yeah.
* The Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles usually fight villains of the mutant and ninja varieties (the latter primarily being members of the Foot Clan). They also fight a lot of superscience themed villains and villainous creations, such as Baxter Stockman and his robotic Mousers.
* [[WordOfGod According to]] Creator/ScottMcCloud each member of ComicBook/{{Zot}}'s rogues gallery represents a different, harmful vision of the future, with their threat levels directly corresponding to how likely he considered that future to be. Though [=McCloud=] admits he screwed up on the last part with [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the Blot]], a fairly minor villain who represented a corporate-run future.
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' took the "nature vs mechanics" theme of the first Sonic game and extended it, giving a few villains other than Robotnik and Eggman who used technology to reach their goals; Snively, ADAM, Iron Dominion (and Iron Queen), and The Dark (Egg) Legion. Many of these started by serving Robotnik/Eggman or are serving him now. They also use a number of magical villains; Ixis Nagus, Enerjak, Mammoth Mogul, Iron Queen (again), [[spoiler: Geoffery St. John]], and Dr. Finitivus.
* The ComicBook/{{Runaways}}' initial enemies were their own parents, collectively known as the Pride. Afterwards, they often fought against people who were somehow connected to the Pride, either former allies or old enemies.
* The ''ComicBook/MetalMen'' mostly fight robots. Usually they're robot aliens or monsters and the question of who built them is never addressed. {{Discussed|Trope}} in Metal Men #20, when the Metal Men read their fan mail and find that readers are pretty tired of robot monsters and want them to go up against something else.
* ''ComicBook/KismetManOfFate'': As a member of the European Resistance in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Kismet usually fought ThoseWackyNazis.

* ''ComicBook/KBarKate'' usually fought corrupt ranchers out to squeeze in on her father's territory.
* ''ComicBook/{{Typhon}}'' fought many insane underwater rulers in his submarine adventures.
* ''ComicBook/SuperAmerican'' fought military commanders out to invade the United States, as befits his codename.
* Most of ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}'s villains tend to be supernatural ranging from other evil vampires (like {{Dracula}}), demonic entities ([[TheAntiGod Mad God Chaos]] and [[TheVamp the Red Queen]]), evil cultists ([[BiblicalBadGuy the Black Pope]]), twisted undead ([[DragonInChief Von Kreist]]) and other monsters. In fact, she was born and trained by her mother Lilith specifically to hunt down monsters that tormented mankind in order to atone for creating them in the first place.
* ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}:'' Traditionally the Marvel Family's antagonists are pretty diverse, but over time DC has been trying to emphasize the series' magical elements [[DerivativeDifferentiation to help differentiate them]] from Franchise/{{Superman}}. As a result, the ComicBook/New52 changed Sivana, formerly a MadScientist, into a wizard and has Mr. Mind come from a MagicalLand instead of another planet.

-->'''Ezekiel:''' You ever hear the phrase "you know a man by his enemies"? Look around… Captain America ended up with guys like Baron Zemo and the Red Skull. The X-Men got Magneto. Thor's got Loki… One type attracts another, similar type. Gods against gods, patriots against people who think they’re patriots, mutants against mutants. The kind of enemy you get tells someone a lot about the kind of person you are.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{justified|Trope}} during ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski''. A character named Ezekiel talks about this phenomenon for the ''X-Men'', ''Captain America'', and ''Thor'', as well as Peter's own tendency to fight animal-themed villains - such as Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, and the Rhino. And the Scorpion, and the Jackal, and the Black Fox, and the Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}}, and the Grizzly, and the Gibbon, and the Kangaroo, and the Walrus, and the White Rabbit, and...

Even when characters are ''known'' to live in a shared continuity such as the Franchise/TheDCU or Franchise/MarvelUniverse, villain types will rarely leak from one comic to another - [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] rarely finds himself up against the PoweredArmor villains ComicBook/IronMan faces on a daily basis. Of course, a shared continuity makes this much easier to justify, too. Spider-Man isn't going against the powered armor villains because Iron Man has it handled, that's why.

** ComicBook/IronMan's PoweredArmor appeals to the engineer in PoweredArmor-wearing villains; [[Characters/IncredibleHulkBruceBanner the Hulk]]'s strength from radiation appeals to villains who want to use radiation to power themselves and their henchmen; the animal totem of [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] calls forth the likes of genetic engineers that will themselves attempt other animals in themselves or in their allies, exceptions such as Sandman, Electro or Hydroman are not far fetched as much as an element replaces an animal and becomes the focus of the wild side in them; Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}'s insanity appeals to the insane and his gimmicks to those prone to them.

Finally, depending on the hero, his or her RoguesGallery may have ''multiple'' themes. Not all of [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]]'s enemies fit the AnimalMotifs theme, but the ones that don't tend to be the results of science gone bad. Indeed, some spider-villains ([[Characters/MarvelComicsOttoOctavius Doctor Octopus]], the Lizard, the Scorpion) fit '''both''' themes. This is pretty much destined to happen in well established and long running series, so most superhero comics fit this.

* Most Characters/{{Incredible Hulk|BruceBanner}} villains are big and very strong - heck, many of them are even green. Those who aren't, like Leader and [[Characters/MarvelComicsAIM M.O.D.O.K.]], tend to be exact opposites: small, weak but very intelligent, with lots of high-tech to help them. But still often green. And then, that whole strong and green thing is because several have a similar origin. In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'', Leader and the Abomination actually got their powers ''from'' the Hulk, and Doc Samson likely would have too.

* Averted by [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson Thor]], oddly enough. While Goldilocks did fight divine villains from Asgard (most notably his evil half-brother [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]] and the seductive [[FemmeFatale Amora]], also called [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheEnchantress The Enchantress]]), Thor also quickly gained a rogues gallery of recurring mortal villains that could just as easily have been enemies of Spider-Man or the Hulk, including the Wrecker, the Absorbing Man, the Grey Gargoyle, Mister Hyde, and the Cobra. Many of these guys would also become {{Rogues Gallery Transplant}}s when they branched out and started tangling with other mortal heroes.

* The ComicBook/BlackPanther regularly tangles with villains who are tailored to fight an African king, ranging from political rivals who seek to usurp his throne (Man-Ape and Erik Killmonger), apartheid-supporting white supremacists (the Supermacists), and outsiders who seek to loot the country's wealth for themselves (ArchEnemy Klaw). More recently, he (or rather his [[ComicBook/{{Shuri}} sister]], who's [[TakingUpTheMantle taken up the mantle]] due to him literally being at death's door) took on Morlun, an enemy of [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] who feeds on animal totems, including that of the Panther. This is in addition to his frequent tussles with fellow African heads of state like Moses Magnum, Dr. Crocodile, and Afrikaa.

* Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. [[Characters/DaredevilSupportingCharacters Elektra]] and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Characters/{{Darkhawk}}, ComicBook/MoonKnight, Characters/LukeCage and Characters/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.

-->-- '''Lore Sjoberg''', ''[[http://brunching.com/legionofdoom.html The Book of Ratings]]''

*** ''Anime/VoltesV'' fought Beast Fighters, fighting robots that mimicked Earth animals.

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{justified|Trope}} during Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski run]] on ''[[ComicBook/SpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man]]''. A character named Ezekiel talks about this phenomenon for the ''X-Men'', ''Captain America'', and ''Thor'', as well as Peter's own tendency to fight animal-themed villains - such as Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, and the Rhino. And the Scorpion, and the Jackal, and the Black Fox, and the Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}}, and the Grizzly, and the Gibbon, and the Kangaroo, and the Walrus, and the White Rabbit, and...

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]] is mostly known for fighting symbols of some un-American concept - many of them represent fascism or Nazism (Captain America has met the [[YouClonedHitler clone of Hitler]] several times, not to mention his [[ShadowArchetype personal nemesis]] the [[Characters/MarvelComicsRedSkull Red Skull]]), some represent communism, and other, less obvious political positions represented by his villains include OneWorldOrder (Flag-Smasher), censorship (The Watchdogs, MoralGuardians gone vigilante), blind patriotism to corrupt government (many, many "evil" Captain Americas), vigilantism (the Scourge of the Underworld), technocracy (Advanced Idea Mechanics), unrestrained capitalism (Roxxon Corporation), and corrupt labor unions (Serpent Society), though the writers are usually careful to note that these are extreme versions of their viewpoints, and that they aren't commenting on the philosophies themselves. On the other hand, he's messed with many non-political villains, including the [[AxCrazy Animus]], [[PlayingWithFire Solarr]], the [[WeirdTradeUnion Serpent Society]], the [[ButtMonkey Porcupine]], and even other heroes' enemies, including the [[Franchise/SpiderMan Scorpion]], [[ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} Mister Hyde]], and Marvel's version of the [[ComicBook/GhostRider Scarecrow]]. In that vein, he also tends to fight a lot of {{Nebulous Evil Organi|sation}}zations. He's clobbered whole rooms full of {{Mooks}} from A.I.M., HYDRA, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., and more.

* Most Characters/{{Incredible Hulk|BruceBanner}} villains are big and very strong - heck, many of them are even green. Those who aren't, like Leader and [[Characters/{{AIM}} M.O.D.O.K.]], tend to be exact opposites: small, weak but very intelligent, with lots of high-tech to help them. But still often green. And then, that whole strong and green thing is because several have a similar origin. In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'', Leader and the Abomination actually got their powers ''from'' the Hulk, and Doc Samson likely would have too.

* ''WesternAnimation/SWATKats'' villains were all magical, terrorist, mutant or robotic anthropomorphic cats.

Even when characters are ''known'' to live in a shared continuity such as the Franchise/TheDCU or Franchise/MarvelUniverse, villain types will rarely leak from one comic to another - [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]]'' rarely finds himself up against the PoweredArmor villains ComicBook/IronMan faces on a daily basis. Of course, a shared continuity makes this much easier to justify, too. Spider-Man isn't going against the powered armor villains because Iron Man has it handled, that's why.

* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'', a denizen of DreamLand, will almost always face off against nightmarish {{Big Bad}}s, who love [[TeleportSpam teleporting around]] (inspired by Nightmare from ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'') and often [[OneWingedAngel turn into gigantic eyeball abominations]] (inspired by Dark Matter/Zero from the ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' games). Examples include Dark Mind, Drawcia, Dark Nebula, [[spoiler:Magolor]], Star Dream, Void Termina and so on. In fact, those guys may even share certain moves, despite having no apparent connection to each other and being featured in separate, standalone entries. A common trend in modern Kirby games is for them to have secret "Soul" forms that can be fought as {{Bonus Boss}}es as well.

In some series, particularly LongRunners that have been developed over many years or even decades, some members of the RoguesGallery may not fit the theme. Character/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}, for instance, has gathered a respectable number of enemies who have actual super-powers, although the overall theme of his RoguesGallery is that of the crazy BadassNormal whose crimes are based around some sort of specific theme.

* ComicBook/GreenLantern has a lot of enemies who can--like him--create weapons and monsters out of thin air: Tattooed Man, Star Sapphire, Evil Star, Effigy, etc. The granddaddy is of course Sinestro, a former Green Lantern with a yellow power ring. Played even straighter with the introduction of entire Corps to oppose the GL Corps who use power rings of different colors, such as red, orange, and black. Sinestro even starts his own Yellow Corps as well. Also inverted by giving Green Lantern some new allies who also use power rings of different colors, such as blue and indigo.

* Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. Characters/{{Elektra}} and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; [[Characters/MarvelComicsTheKingpin The Kingpin]] took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Characters/{{Darkhawk}}, ComicBook/MoonKnight, Characters/LukeCage and Characters/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'': all their recurring villains are witches and warlocks; Gargamel, Hogatha, Balthazar and Chlorhydris, and all have animals as accomplices.

* Most of Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}'s RoguesGallery are out and out lunatics without any real superpowers. Some have argued that this is an indicator of Batman's own obsessive nature - he too is almost mad, in his own way. In addition, since Bats himself is just a RichIdiotWithNoDayJob, making his villains equally normal [[CompetitiveBalance keeps things balanced]] - Batman would be ''screwed'' if someone like [[RealityWarper Mxyzptlk]] decided to make the short journey from [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Metropolis]] to Gotham.

* Franchise/{{Godzilla}} mostly fights other {{Kaiju}}. This is justified by the setting (there aren't many other kinds of adversary around) and the fact that a giant monster ripping your city apart is probably the only reason you'd ''ever'' risk calling [[GodzillaThreshold the big lizard]]. On a deeper level, said kaiju tend to be either {{alien|Invasion}}s ([[ArchEnemy King]] [[PsychoForHire Ghidorah]] and his {{exp|y}}ies, Dhesighidorah and Kaiser Ghidorah, [[EvilKnockoff Mecha]][[MechanicalMonster godzilla]] [[RoboticPsychopath I]], [[PsychoForHire Gigan]], [[EvilTwin [=SpaceGodzilla=]]]) whose origins contrast with Godzilla's role as a rather reluctant protector of earth, or fellow mutants ([[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Anguirus]], [[GiantFlyer Rodan]], [[TunnelKing Baragon]], [[GiantEnemyCrab Ebirah]], [[{{Planimal}} Biollante]], [[TheSwarm Desto]][[HeroKiller royah]], [[AntiVillain Titanosaurus]], [[BigCreepyCrawlies Megaguirus]]) who, like Godzilla, have become monsters through no fault of their own (some, like [[MuckMonster Hedorah]] and [[GoneHorriblyWrong Orga]] are a fusion of both). It's worth noting that while several of the mutant kaiju have become Godzilla's allies, all of the aliens have remained evil to the end.

Even when characters are ''known'' to live in a shared continuity such as the Franchise/TheDCU or Franchise/MarvelUniverse, villain types will rarely leak from one comic to another - ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' rarely finds himself up against the PoweredArmor villains ''ComicBook/IronMan'' faces on a daily basis. Of course, a shared continuity makes this much easier to justify, too. Spider-Man isn't going against the powered armor villains because Iron Man has it handled, that's why.

* If your hero is not all that powerful, putting them up against a galaxy-eating EldritchAbomination is going to end in tears - "ComicBook/{{Galactus}} would kill ComicBook/CaptainAmerica." Mismatches like that are just asking for trouble.[[note]]Fun fact: In "What if The Avengers Became Pawns of Korvac" Captain America found himself in the classic Ultimate Nullifier standoff against Galactus. Unlike Reed Richards however, Cap pulled the trigger, erasing them both from existence.[[/note]]
** The reverse is also true as powerful heroes fighting guys below their weight class does not play well into drama: Franchise/{{Superman}} versus purse snatchers is sort of humiliating for everyone involved.

** ComicBook/IronMan's PoweredArmor appeals to the engineer in PoweredArmor-wearing villains; [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]]'s strength from radiation appeals to villains who want to use radiation to power themselves and their henchmen; the animal totem of Franchise/SpiderMan calls forth the likes of genetic engineers that will themselves attempt other animals in themselves or in their allies, exceptions such as Sandman, Electro or Hydroman are not far fetched as much as an element replaces an animal and becomes the focus of the wild side in them; Franchise/{{Batman}}'s insanity appeals to the insane and his gimmicks to those prone to them.

In some series, particularly LongRunners that have been developed over many years or even decades, some members of the RoguesGallery may not fit the theme. Franchise/{{Batman}}, for instance, has gathered a respectable number of enemies who have actual super-powers, although the overall theme of his RoguesGallery is that of the crazy BadassNormal whose crimes are based around some sort of specific theme.

Finally, depending on the hero, his or her RoguesGallery may have ''multiple'' themes. Not all of Franchise/SpiderMan's enemies fit the AnimalMotifs theme, but the ones that don't tend to be the results of science gone bad. Indeed, some spider-villains (ComicBook/DoctorOctopus, the Lizard, the Scorpion) fit '''both''' themes. This is pretty much destined to happen in well established and long running series, so most superhero comics fit this.

* Just about every villain in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' is either a Pokemon trainer of some kind or a Pokemon of some kind. Or both, in the case of Mewtwo.

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{justified|Trope}} during Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's [[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManJMichaelStraczynski run]] on ''[[ComicBook/SpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man]]''. A character named Ezekiel talks about this phenomenon for the ''X-Men'', ''Captain America'', and ''Thor'', as well as Peter's own tendency to fight animal-themed villains - such as Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, and the Rhino. And the Scorpion, and the Jackal, and the Black Fox, and the ComicBook/BlackCat, and the Grizzly, and the Gibbon, and the Kangaroo, and the Walrus, and the White Rabbit, and...
** The main theme of Spidey's gallery, however, is Power and Responsibility. Like Spidey, many of his enemies got their powers by chance, either being offered it by somebody out of nowhere (Rhino, Scorpion, Eddie Brock) or like Peter as the result of a FreakLabAccident (Ock, Osborn, Sandman, Curt Connors). In both cases they chose to use their powers irresponsibly, and unlike Franchise/SpiderMan they were ''always'' either looking for it or at least given the choice not to attain it or reject it, rather than having it totally thrust on them as Peter did (Ock, Osborn and Connors all had accidents, but there were ''also'' always messing with science and power they should not have been, or at least should have been more careful with- thus, they pursued power irresponsibly).

*** Most of Spider-Man's enemies either had AnimalMotifs and/or were the results of science gone bad. More generally than that, several villains who became {{Rogues Gallery Transplant}}s when it became clear they were outmatched by their original adversaries (Boomerang vs. the Hulk, anyone?) mean that almost all of Spidey's rogues (with the exceptions of Doctor Octopus and the [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]]) are street-level villains.

* Most of Franchise/{{Batman}}'s RoguesGallery are out and out lunatics without any real superpowers. Some have argued that this is an indicator of Batman's own obsessive nature - he too is almost mad, in his own way. In addition, since Bats himself is just a RichIdiotWithNoDayJob, making his villains equally normal [[CompetitiveBalance keeps things balanced]] - Batman would be ''screwed'' if someone like [[RealityWarper Mxyzptlk]] decided to make the short journey from [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Metropolis]] to Gotham.
** Ironically, Batman ''did'' have his own interdimensional imp villain, ComicBook/BatMite. In fact, Aquaman had one as well, Qwisp. Neither appeared in continuity in decades - until Qwisp popped up as a villain in Grant Morrison's run on [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] in the 90s. Morrison was also the one to bring back Bat-Mite. It's debatable in that Bat-Mite wasn't as ''malicious'' as Mister Mxyzptlk was to Superman, and he leaves on his own accord if he really angers Batman. Also, Bat-Mite admires Batman, unlike Mxyzptlk. ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfBatman'' had his heart in the right place, if his actions did more unintended harm.
** There's also a theory that Batman's Rogues each exemplify a single aspect of his personality, but taken to extremes: ComicBook/TwoFace the Batman/Bruce Wayne duality, ComicBook/TheJoker his mental instability, ComicBook/TheScarecrow his use of fear as a weapon against criminals, and so on.
** And this isn't counting the list of Bat Rogues who are essentially [[EvilCounterpart "Batman, except at this causal fork in his life, Bruce went one way, and this guy went the other".]] To illustrate. [[ComicBook/ThePenguin Oswald Cobblepot]] is also the orphan of rich parents, except Bruce's parents loved him and wanted him to not value material possessions. Tommy Eliot is in the same boat as The Penguin, except that Hush actually killed his parents to get to their inheritance faster, and then trained himself into a Jack of All Trades of Batman-like proportions for... some reason. Roman Sionis's parents were good friends of the Waynes, only they put on a show of being charitable philanthropists while being greedy dicks in private, the duality leading to Sionis's obsession with masks. Also, [[ComicBook/RedHood Jason Todd]] is an official Batman-trained caped crusader... who kills (as a way to stop the [[CardboardPrison revolving door policy of Arkham]]), etc.
** One could also potentially argue that there is a much more secondary, but still fairly common theme among many of Batman's foes. Specifically, they seem to fit classic horror tropes such as MonsterClown (The Joker), monster (Clayface and Killer Croc), mad doctor (Hugo Strange, Professor Pyg), zombies (Solomon Grundy), bats (Batman himself and Man-Bat), and less obvious ones like killer plants (ComicBook/PoisonIvy), living dolls (Scarface) and living scarecrows (Scarecrow).

* Franchise/WonderWoman's best villains are definitely female, possibly because she's the one major heroine who [[WouldntHitAGirl writers felt comfortable]] pitting against non FemmeFatale villainesses. Her only major villain who isn't female or a misogynist is Ares, the God of War and ancient enemy of the Amazons and Themyscira. They also tend to be mythological and/or magical in nature, like Wonder Woman herself. As of The ComicBook/New52, she's been rubbing elbows with the gods. Her first major enemy is [[WomanScorned Hera]], then [[PsychopathicManChild Hades]], then [[WickedCultured Apollo]] and Artemis. She's currently being set up to go head to head with another of Zeus' [[ReallyGetsAround many many MANY]] children, specifically his firstborn son.

* Most [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Incredible Hulk]] villains are big and very strong - heck, many of them are even green. Those who aren't, like Leader and ComicBook/{{MODOK}}, tend to be exact opposites: small, weak but very intelligent, with lots of high-tech to help them. But still often green. And then, that whole strong and green thing is because several have a similar origin. In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk2008'', Leader and the Abomination actually got their powers ''from'' the Hulk, and Doc Samson likely would have too.
* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is mostly known for fighting symbols of some un-American concept - many of them represent fascism or Nazism (Captain America has met the [[YouClonedHitler clone of Hitler]] several times, not to mention his [[ShadowArchetype personal nemesis]] the ComicBook/RedSkull), some represent communism, and other, less obvious political positions represented by his villains include OneWorldOrder (Flag-Smasher), censorship (The Watchdogs, MoralGuardians gone vigilante), blind patriotism to corrupt government (many, many "evil" Captain Americas), vigilantism (the Scourge of the Underworld), technocracy (Advanced Idea Mechanics), unrestrained capitalism (Roxxon Corporation), and corrupt labor unions (Serpent Society), though the writers are usually careful to note that these are extreme versions of their viewpoints, and that they aren't commenting on the philosophies themselves. On the other hand, he's messed with many non-political villains, including the [[AxCrazy Animus]], [[PlayingWithFire Solarr]], the [[WeirdTradeUnion Serpent Society]], the [[ButtMonkey Porcupine]], and even other heroes' enemies, including the [[Franchise/SpiderMan Scorpion]], [[ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} Mister Hyde]], and Marvel's version of the [[ComicBook/GhostRider Scarecrow]]. In that vein, he also tends to fight a lot of {{Nebulous Evil Organi|sation}}zations. He's clobbered whole rooms full of {{Mooks}} from A.I.M., HYDRA, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., and more.
* When ComicBook/CarolDanvers isn’t fighting off threats of alien races like the Kree, Skrulls or Brood, she tends to fight self-made women and/or geneticists like Grace Valentine, Moonstone, Dr Minerva, Dr Eve and Toxic Doxie.
* Averted by Franchise/TheFlash, who has only a few speedster villains. In fact, the only speedster a given Flash is likely to face is their personal EvilCounterpart. His rogues gallery is otherwise populated by a very eclectic group, with few villains having much in common with one another. Ironically, the Flash rogues are a rather tightly knit group in spite of this.

* Averted by ComicBook/TheMightyThor, oddly enough. While Goldilocks did fight divine villains from Asgard (most notably his evil half-brother ComicBook/{{Loki}} and the seductive [[FemmeFatale Amora]], also called ComicBook/TheEnchantress), Thor also quickly gained a rogues gallery of recurring mortal villains that could just as easily have been enemies of Spider-Man or the Hulk, including the Wrecker, the Absorbing Man, the Grey Gargoyle, Mister Hyde, and the Cobra. Many of these guys would also become {{Rogues Gallery Transplant}}s when they branched out and started tangling with other mortal heroes.

* ComicBook/FantasticFour villains tend to be of the "EvilGenius bent on world conquest" mold, (like ComicBook/DoctorDoom, the Mad Thinker, the Wizard, Diablo, Maximus the Mad, the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, even Mole Man...) or alien would-be {{Galactic Conqueror}}s (like Blastaar and son, Annihilus...)
* Franchise/{{Superman}}'s enemies don't have an immediately obvious unifying theme, but a closer glance shows that the underlying connection between this collection of {{mad scientist}}s, {{alien inva|sion}}ders, {{cyborg}}s, [[RoboticPsychopath robots]], and ray-gun wielding gangsters is one of pulp science-fiction. There's not a single Superman rogue who wouldn't be out of place in a thirties pulp novel, or a 1950s B-movie, which given Superman's status as a popularizer of many sci-fi tropes, makes perfect sense.

* Most of ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s enemies are female and sci-fi related. Lesla-Lar and Blackstarr are mad scientists, Superwoman, Reign and the Worldkillers are genetically-engineered super soldiers, Kraken is an alien armed with weather-controlling gear, Reactron is a soldier clad in powered armor... plus several of her Rogues (Lesla-Lar, Black Flame, Shyla Kor-Onn, Lar-On...) are also Kryptonian.
* Franchise/GreenLantern has a lot of enemies who can--like him--create weapons and monsters out of thin air: Tattooed Man, Star Sapphire, Evil Star, Effigy, etc. The granddaddy is of course Sinestro, a former Green Lantern with a yellow power ring. Played even straighter with the introduction of entire Corps to oppose the GL Corps who use power rings of different colors, such as red, orange, and black. Sinestro even starts his own Yellow Corps as well. Also inverted by giving Green Lantern some new allies who also use power rings of different colors, such as blue and indigo.

* The ComicBook/BlackPanther regularly tangles with villains who are tailored to fight an African king, ranging from political rivals who seek to usurp his throne (Man-Ape and Erik Killmonger), apartheid-supporting white supremacists (the Supermacists), and outsiders who seek to loot the country's wealth for themselves (ArchEnemy Klaw). More recently, he (or rather his [[ComicBook/{{Shuri}} sister]], who's [[TakingUpTheMantle taken up the mantle]] due to him literally being at death's door) took on Morlun, an enemy of Franchise/SpiderMan who feeds on animal totems, including that of the Panther. This is in addition to his frequent tussles with fellow African heads of state like Moses Magnum, Dr. Crocodile, and Afrikaa.

* ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. ComicBook/{{Elektra}} and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; ComicBook/TheKingpin took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}}, ComicBook/MoonKnight, ComicBook/LukeCage and ComicBook/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.
* Many of ComicBook/{{Starman}}'s enemies were carnies like the Ragdoll, Bliss and his mook Crusher.

** Played for laughs in the episode "Return of Birdgirl", where the Justices League (a composite parody of the ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' and the [[UsefulNotes/AmericanCourts U.S. Supreme Court]]) was constantly being interrupted by emergency messages asking for help with threats outside of their jurisdiction. A rampaging giant ape? You get hung up on (and Not-Scalia calls you a moron). If "someone has made an appeal to the Doctrine of Precedent in fav -- Ahh! Giant Ape!", though, they're on their way!

** Comicbook/{{Aquaman}} lives underwater, his powers are attuned to be most effective underwater and the ocean is the domain of the planet he is responsible for protecting. Many threats to the world's oceans come from the ocean, and are therefore also beings whose abilities are attuned to be most effective underwater. And both he and them are already there in the ocean, so they will naturally be the first to confront each other.

** ComicBook/IronMan's PoweredArmor appeals to the engineer in PoweredArmor-wearing villains; [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]]'s strength from radiation appeals to villains who want to use radiation to power themselves and their henchmen; the animal totem of Franchise/SpiderMan calls forth the likes of genetic engineers that will themselves attempt other animals in themselves or in their allies, exceptions such as Sandman, Electro or Hydroman are not far fetched as much as an element replaces an animal and becomes the focus of the wild side in them; Franchise/{{Batman}}'s insanity appeals to the insane and his gimmicks to those prone to them.

* The heroes of ''Manga/{{Cyborg 009}}'' often found themselves up against evil cyborgs created by the same evil organization that created them. The titular character in particular tends to fight foes with the same [[SuperSpeed acceleration]] power as him, because they're [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere the only ones who can really give him a good fight]].

* The ''Comicbook/XMen'' mostly fight other mutants and anti-mutant terror cells. The most frequent non-mutant adversaries they face are aliens such as the Brood, the Shi'ar, and/or enemies thereof, and Mojo and Spiral, as well as the occasional magical enemy like Belasco. On several occasions, they've also been pitted against contract killer Arcade. ''X-Men'' is a prime example of villains being {{Retool}}ed to fit the pattern too: Juggernaut (who originally got his powers from a gemstone possessed by a deity) became a mutant in [[Film/XMenTheLastStand the movie]], while alien Spiral became a mutant in the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel continuities.

* There's nary a ''Comicbook/GhostRider'' villain who isn't a demon or demonically powered. And if they aren't either of those, they have a wicked sick awesome vehicle. This and the above occasionally overlap. The few who don't fit either category are artifacts from his days as a more normal superhero, where none of his villains would've looked out of place fighting Captain America or the Fantastic Four. Granted, guys like the Water Wizard and the Orb weren't exactly the greatest threats the world has ever seen... Archangels have also been added to his rogues gallery.

* Comicbook/{{Aquaman}}'s entire RoguesGallery has almost no non-ocean related villains. Admittedly, there was a lot of variety among them otherwise, and once he moved to Sub Diego, there was a lot of more usual crime to foil (like robbery and such). Marvel's ComicBook/SubMariner has the same thing going on, even though he can also fly. It's when people mess with that formula that things get weird.

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d and {{justified|Trope}} during Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's [[ComicBook/JMSSpiderMan run]] on ''[[Comicbook/SpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man]]''. A character named Ezekiel talks about this phenomenon for the ''X-Men'', ''Captain America'', and ''Thor'', as well as Peter's own tendency to fight animal-themed villains - such as Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, and the Rhino. And the Scorpion, and the Jackal, and the Black Fox, and the ComicBook/BlackCat, and the Grizzly, and the Gibbon, and the Kangaroo, and the Walrus, and the White Rabbit, and...

** It's also worth noting that Spider-Man's main villain, the Green Goblin, has inspired a [[LegacyCharacter legacy]] of his own and a couple {{Jack the Ripoff}}s. Then you have Comicbook/{{Venom}}, who keeps spawning, so that Peter's rogue gallery can basically be summed up as about 50% animal, a bunch of {{Puppeteer Parasite}} aliens, assorted goblins and a few, like [[ShockAndAwe Electro]] and [[DishingOutDirt Sandman]], who are just kind of "other."

* Comicbook/DoctorStrange had a lot of mystic opponents. This seems to be because it was stated MANY times that he has no greater strength or agility than any other man. Oddly enough, in his early adventures, he [[KungFuWizard let his fists do the talking]] about as often as he whipped up a spell to take care of things. {{Justified|Trope}} when he was the Sorcerer Supreme and it was his job to protect the [[{{Muggles}} mundane world]] from supernatural threats.
* Franchise/WonderWoman's best villains are definitely female, possibly because she's the one major heroine who [[WouldntHitAGirl writers felt comfortable]] pitting against non FemmeFatale villainesses. Her only major villain who isn't female or a misogynist is Ares, the God of War and ancient enemy of the Amazons and Themyscira. They also tend to be mythological and/or magical in nature, like Wonder Woman herself. As of The Comicbook/{{New 52}}, she's been rubbing elbows with the gods. Her first major enemy is [[WomanScorned Hera]], then [[PsychopathicManChild Hades]], then [[WickedCultured Apollo]] and Artemis. She's currently being set up to go head to head with another of Zeus' [[ReallyGetsAround many many MANY]] children, specifically his firstborn son.

* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is mostly known for fighting symbols of some un-American concept - many of them represent fascism or Nazism (Captain America has met the [[YouClonedHitler clone of Hitler]] several times, not to mention his [[ShadowArchetype personal nemesis]] the ComicBook/RedSkull), some represent communism, and other, less obvious political positions represented by his villains include OneWorldOrder (Flag-Smasher), censorship (The Watchdogs, MoralGuardians gone vigilante), blind patriotism to corrupt government (many, many "evil" Captain Americas), vigilantism (the Scourge of the Underworld), technocracy (Advanced Idea Mechanics), unrestrained capitalism (Roxxon Corporation), and corrupt labor unions (Serpent Society), though the writers are usually careful to note that these are extreme versions of their viewpoints, and that they aren't commenting on the philosophies themselves. On the other hand, he's messed with many non-political villains, including the [[AxCrazy Animus]], [[PlayingWithFire Solarr]], the [[WeirdTradeUnion Serpent Society]], the [[ButtMonkey Porcupine]], and even other heroes' enemies, including the [[Franchise/SpiderMan Scorpion]], [[Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} Mister Hyde]], and Marvel's version of the [[Comicbook/GhostRider Scarecrow]]. In that vein, he also tends to fight a lot of {{Nebulous Evil Organi|sation}}zations. He's clobbered whole rooms full of {{Mooks}} from A.I.M., HYDRA, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., and more.

* Comicbook/FantasticFour villains tend to be of the "EvilGenius bent on world conquest" mold, (like ComicBook/DoctorDoom, the Mad Thinker, the Wizard, Diablo, Maximus the Mad, the Red Ghost and his Super-Apes, even Mole Man...) or alien would-be {{Galactic Conqueror}}s (like Blastaar and son, Annihilus...)

* Most of Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'s enemies are female and sci-fi related. Lesla-Lar and Blackstarr are mad scientists, Superwoman, Reign and the Worldkillers are genetically-engineered super soldiers, Kraken is an alien armed with weather-controlling gear, Reactron is a soldier clad in powered armor... plus several of her Rogues (Lesla-Lar, Black Flame, Shyla Kor-Onn, Lar-On...) are also Kryptonian.

* Most of Comicbook/{{Spawn}}'s enemies are demons, angels or people from his past life.
* The ComicBook/BlackPanther regularly tangles with villains who are tailored to fight an African king, ranging from political rivals who seek to usurp his throne (Man-Ape and Erik Killmonger), apartheid-supporting white supremacists (the Supermacists), and outsiders who seek to loot the country's wealth for themselves ({{Arch Enemy}} Klaw). More recently, he (or rather his [[ComicBook/{{Shuri}} sister]], who's [[TakingUpTheMantle taken up the mantle]] due to him literally being at death's door) took on Morlun, an enemy of Franchise/SpiderMan who feeds on animal totems, including that of the Panther. This is in addition to his frequent tussles with fellow African heads of state like Moses Magnum, Dr. Crocodile, and Afrikaa.
* The Comicbook/DoomPatrol specialize in weird cases and opponents. For just a few examples: the sentient transgender street, a Cloudcuckoolander Dadaist turned CorruptCorporateExecutive, a woman made of porcelain nanomachines, a sentient and infectious face-and-mind-eating black hole, and ComicBook/AmbushBug.
* Comicbook/{{Daredevil}} fights a lot of [[PsychoForHire mob-employed costumed killers]], or martial artists with a supernatural bent. These two themes frequently cross-over (e.g. ComicBook/{{Elektra}} and Lady Bullseye and both agents of the Hand- a mystical ninja cult- as well as professional assassins; ComicBook/TheKingpin took control of the Hand). More generally, Daredevil, Spider-Man, ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}}, Comicbook/MoonKnight, ComicBook/LukeCage and ComicBook/IronFist's rogues all tend to be either street-level villains, or more powerful crime lords and mercenaries.
* Many of Comicbook/{{Starman}}'s enemies were carnies like the Ragdoll, Bliss and his mook Crusher.

* Comicbook/SwampThing routinely encounters plant-based enemies. Sometimes this was handled well. The elemental Wood-Rue, for example, was an old DC loser who was revived as a hideous and terrifying foe. Sometimes it went not-so-good, such as when Swamp Thing fought vegetable aliens flying vegetable space ships with vegetable weapons. Yeah.

* [[WordOfGod According to]] Creator/ScottMcCloud each member of [[ComicBook/{{Zot}} Zot's]] rogues gallery represents a different, harmful vision of the future, with their threat levels directly corresponding to how likely he considered that future to be. Though [=McCloud=] admits he screwed up on the last part with [[CorruptCorporateExecutive the Blot]], a fairly minor villain who represented a corporate-run future.

* ''Comicbook/{{Shazam}}:'' Traditionally the Marvel Family's antagonists are pretty diverse, but over time DC has been trying to emphasize the series' magical elements [[DerivativeDifferentiation to help differentiate them]] from Franchise/{{Superman}}. As a result, the Comicbook/{{New 52}} changed Sivana, formerly a MadScientist, into a wizard and has Mr. Mind come from a MagicalLand instead of another planet.

* Franchise/{{Godzilla}} mostly fights other {{Kaiju}}. This is justified by the setting (there aren't many other kinds of adversary around) and the fact that a giant monster ripping your city apart is probably the only reason you'd ''ever'' risk calling [[GodzillaThreshold the big lizard]]. On a deeper level, said kaiju tend to be either [[AlienInvasion aliens]] ([[ArchEnemy King]] [[PsychoForHire Ghidorah]] and his [[{{Expy}} expies]], Dhesighidorah and Kaiser Ghidorah, [[EvilKnockoff Mecha]][[MechanicalMonster godzilla]] [[RoboticPsychopath I]], [[PsychoForHire Gigan]], [[EvilTwin [=SpaceGodzilla=]]]) whose origins contrast with Godzilla's role as a rather reluctant protector of earth, or fellow mutants ([[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Anguirus]], [[GiantFlyer Rodan]], [[TunnelKing Baragon]], [[GiantEnemyCrab Ebirah]], [[{{Planimal}} Biollante]], [[TheSwarm Desto]][[HeroKiller royah]], [[AntiVillain Titanosaurus]], [[BigCreepyCrawlies Megaguirus]]) who, like Godzilla, have become monsters through no fault of their own (some, like [[MuckMonster Hedorah]] and [[GoneHorriblyWrong Orga]] are a fusion of both). It's worth noting that while several of the mutant kaiju have become Godzilla's allies, all of the aliens have remained evil to the end.

* Every villain in [[Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man franchise]] is created, intentionally or accidentally, at Oscorp - much like this version of Spidey himself.

* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Fairly OddParents}}'' [[ShowWithinAShow in-show]] comic book "The Crimson Chin", where each of the villains is themed around a different body part and metal. The Copper Cranium, the Bronze Kneecap, the Iron Lung...

* Generally averted in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', considering the sheer range of bizarre villains it featured. Even the general theme of quirky harmless villains didn't really hold up--there was very little amusing about Slade, Trigon, or the Brotherhood of Evil, for example. That said, enemies that would face a single Titan primarily were often tailored to them--Robin often faced evil or amoral martial artists (Slade, Red X, Katarou), Starfire aliens (Blackfire, the Gordanians, the Chrysalis eater), and Raven supernatural beings or events (Malchior, Trigon, and her own repressed demon nature), for example. Just to round out the list: Beast Boy faces empowered teen archetypes (The geeky Control Freak, the wannabe Adonis, or the rebel Punk Rocket) and Cyborg deals with tech villains (Atlas, Fixit, Gizmo and Brother Blood, who turned himself into one by copying Cyborg's own tech.)
* Most of ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'''s major enemies are aliens or alien-related in some way, partially because the fact he wears the most powerful weapon in the Universe stuck on his wrist makes him a primary target for all the psychos from outer space who would like to get their hand on it. Notably, this ''isn't'' a hard-and-fast rule-- his RoguesGallery does also include other types of villains, such as Dr Animo (an EvilutionaryBiologist of human origin), Hex and Charmcasters (two dark mages), and an EldritchAbomination. Technically however, said dark mages are more his cousin Gwen's enemies than his, so you could argue Ben fight mostly aliens and scifi-themed villains, while Gwen faces mostly magic-related ones.

** ComicBook/IronMan's PoweredArmor appeals to the engineer in PoweredArmor-wearing villains; [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]]'s strength from radiation appeals to villains who want to use radiation to power themselves and their henchmen; the animal totem of Franchise/SpiderMan calls forth the likes of genetic engineers that will themselves attempt other animals in themselves or in their allies, exceptions such as Sandman, Electro or Hydroman are not far fetched as much as an element replaces an animal and becomes the focus of the wild side in them; Franchise/{{Batman}}'s insanity appeals to the insane and his gimmicks to those prone to them.

* Most Comicbook/IncredibleHulk villains are big and very strong - heck, many of them are even green. Those who aren't, like Leader and ComicBook/{{MODOK}}, tend to be exact opposites: small, weak but very intelligent, with lots of high-tech to help them. But still often green. And then, that whole strong and green thing is because several have a similar origin. In ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'', Leader and the Abomination actually got their powers ''from'' the Hulk, and Doc Samson likely would have too.

* ALL ''Franchise/DragonBall'' main villains after and including King Piccolo up to Omega Shenron from ''[[Anime/DragonBallGT GT]]'' were sadistic [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Arrogant Kung Fu Guys]] equipped with [[EverybodyWasKungFuFighting supernatural]] [[SupernaturalMartialArts kung fu]], including the standard {{Flying Brick}} KiManipulation power set (the only exceptions are the Androids, and they were really never the big bad of their arc, and had energy attacks that were functionally the same as Ki), whose main motivations were to prove their superior power and rub in that fact to weaker beings. They all also tended to be [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]] of the opinion that HardWorkHardlyWorks, to contrast them with Goku. Although to be fair, the villains were all very creative and different from the last

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'' nearly every major antagonist is a powerful mage or magical monster. The only exceptions were a pair of martial artist brothers who spent a lifetime training to counter mages and got curbstomped by Natsu anyway, and the BigBad King Faust of the Edolas arc who was an ordinary person piloting a magical HumongousMecha. Some of the main ''Fairy Tail'' characters also fights different types of enemies. Natsu either fights the BigBad -- since he is a) TheHero and b) his SuperMode is usually the only thing powerful enough to beat the BigBad -- or other Dragon Slayers. Erza more often than not fights other weapon users. Lucy usually has to fight other mages who use SummonMagic; one of her more powerful enemies was a fellow Stellar Spirit Mage. Grey's foes have less in common: a water manipulator, a fellow ice maker, a guy who could make things soft, and (his most powerful foe to date) a guy with the power to slow down time in a localized area and summon magical motorcycles.
** The one time Natsu's main opponent wasn't the BigBad or a Dragon Slayer was the Deliora arc. He fought against the DragonWithAnAgenda who was actually much stronger than the BigBad.

** On a related note, some of these fans have always used this trope to defend the RoguesGalleryTransplant of the [[spoiler:real Mandarin[[note]]who was established to exist in ''Film/AllHailTheKing'' following the divisive reactions to the Mandarin twist[[/note]]]] to ComicBook/ShangChi in ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings''. Namely, [[spoiler:the Mandarin's aforementioned magical abilities, martial arts skills and Chinese heritage]] would make him a thematically fit villain for a film centered on a superpowered martial artist and Asian lead such as Shang-Chi.

But oh no! Here comes the Legion of Evil: [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Dr von Trope]], [[KickTheDog The Dog Kicker]], TheChessmaster, {{Superdick|ery}}, Mr. {{Macekre}}(''and'' his [[{{Bowdlerise}} Brotherhood of Bowdlerization]]), and Sir {{Jerkass}}! Together they'll bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt...

Yes, it seems that for the vast majority of heroes, many if not all of their opponents will share the same powers, backgrounds and personalities as our heroes. {{Super Speed}}sters will face other speedsters, {{Psychic|Powers}}s will fight psychics, [[DoAnythingRobot Robots]] will battle robots, and {{Badass Normal}}s will fight other badass normals.

Deeper than that, villains will often have similar motivations and personalities to the hero as well. A light-hearted, jokey hero will get lots of equally light-hearted villains to [[YouFightLikeACow exchange insults with]], while a dark, angsty hero will get a RoguesGallery of emo villains to have dark, nihilistic discussions with mid-battle. A hero with an animal theme will end up being constantly annoyed by animal themed villains, while an [[ElementalPowers Elemental]] hero will always find bad-guys with [[ElementalRockPaperScissors comparable elemental themes]].

* Averted by ComicBook/{{Firestorm}}. While his ArchEnemy Killer Frost represents the thematic conflict between fire and ice, he also has villains as diverse as self-cloning Multiplex, the mind-controlling Mindboggler, the werewolf-like Hyena, the rope assassin Slipknot, and the sand-manipulating Sand Demon.