History Monster / Gamebooks

* ''Literature/CreatureOfHavoc'': [[SorcerousOverlord Zharradan Marr]] is the former cabal mate of Zagor and Balthus Dire, and easily the worst of the so-called "[[Characters/FightingFantasyAntagonistsDemonicThree Demonic Three]]". After the trio murdered their mentor, Volgerra Darkstorm, Zharradan struck out on his own, becoming the despotic ruler of the region around Trolltooth Pass, and aiming to extend his rule over the whole of the continent. Using mind-control drugs and fear to keep his soldiers in line, Zharradan assembled a slave-mining force and an army of cannibal monsters, sacrificing countless sapient beings to the mines and his army's hunger. Experimenting with [[TransformationHorror transformational magic]], Zharradan Marr transformed the Captain of the ''Galleykeep'' into the titular Creature of Havoc, then turned it loose in his dungeons, arranging for the Creature to encounter, kill, and cannibalize many members of the ''Galleykeep'''s former crew along the way. More than happy to discard his henchmen for [[YouHaveFailedMe failing him]] or [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outliving their usefulness]], Zharradan's final attempt at manipulating the Creature into killing Vallaska Roue and handing over the secrets of Elven magic that would grant him mastery over the very stuff of life, cemented his position as one of the worst beings on the continent of Allansia.

* Issue #1's "[[ComicBook/JudgeDredd House of Death]]": [[ArchEnemy Judge Death]] is, as usual, presented as a [[OmnicidalManiac maniac who desires to spread death across the world]]. Brought back with the dimensional generator, Judge Death used the [[ReligionOfEvil Brotherhood of Baal]] to kidnap and murder hundreds of people. When [[Characters/JudgeDreddTheCharacter Judge Dredd]] arrived to investigate the matter, Death sends his fellow [[Characters/JudgeDreddDarkJudges Dark Judges]] after him and then tries to kill him personally, succeeding in one of the endings, after which he proudly announces his intention to slaughter the entire population of Mega-City One.

* Issue #1's "House of Death": [[ArchEnemy Judge Death]] is, as usual, presented as a [[OmnicidalManiac maniac who desires to spread death across the world]]. Brought back with the dimensional generator, Judge Death used the [[ReligionOfEvil Brotherhood of Baal]] to kidnap and murder hundreds of people. When ComicBook/JudgeDredd arrived to investigate the matter, Death sends his fellow Dark Judges after him and then tries to kill him personally, succeeding in one of the endings, after which he proudly announces his intention to slaughter the entire population of Mega-City One.
* Issue #2's "Dragoncorpse" & Issue #4's "The Ring of Danu": [[AxCrazy Elfric]] is a Dev-El, who enjoys bringing death and destruction to all mortals, and especially to his ArchEnemy ComicBook/{{Slaine}}. Using an ancient dragon as his vessel, Elfric slaughtered the dwarves and destroyed their village [[UngratefulBastard the moment he was freed by them]] from a magical prison. Sending various monsters to kill and torture the remaining dwarves, Elfric accepted their offering of young women as [[HumanSacrifice sacrifices]], gleefully devouring them. Engaging in a battle with Sláine, Elfric, in one of the endings, managed to get his hands on a magical shield, Dormath-Death's Door, which he used to [[HellOnEarth unleash all the monsters from Hel upon Earth]], endangering the whole world. After being defeated, Elfric tried to thwart Sláine's efforts to gain the Ring of Danu the Earth Goddess, constantly trying to torture and kill him.
* Issue #5's "Space Zombies": [[InsaneAdmiral General Hayg]] is a former Souther general who [[AmbitionIsEvil decided to pursue his own ambitions]]. Seeing that the war between the Southers and the Norts will never end, Hayg betrayed his own people and kidnapped the Larson family, a family of genetic clones, which he wanted to use to create an army of zombie SuperSoldiers. Reducing the father of the family to a feral monster, Hayg sent him to kill ComicBook/RogueTrooper when the latter arrived to his base to stop him. Openly announcing his desire to use his army of zombies to destroy both the Southers and the Norts and slaughter millions, Hayg will try to trick Rogue Trooper to surrender to him in exchange for his sparing the child of the family, and upon succeeding in one of the endings, Hayg gleefully decided to [[WouldHurtAChild experiment on the child]] anyway, after he finishes torturing Rogue Trooper.

* ''The Gates of Death'': [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Ulrakaah]], the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen of Darkness]] and the [[MonsterProgenitor Mother of Demons]], was once a beautiful priestess who succumbed to vanity and evil, trying to conquer Titan. Becoming a demon, Ulrakaah returns with a dark army, unleashing a [[TheVirus demonic plague]] that warps its victims into demons, [[MonsterLord unleashing them upon Titan]] to massacre all they find so she can eventually reign over a twisted world of demonic, zombie slaves without care of who dies in the process.

[[AC:''Literature/FightingFantasy'']]

[[AC:''Literature/GiveYourselfGoosebumps'']]

* ''Return to Terror Tower'': [[EvilUncle King Robert]], first appearing in ''Literature/ANightInTerrorTower'', usurped control of medieval York by murdering his brother and sister-in-law, whose children, Princess Susannah and Prince Edward, he then locked away in Terror Tower, the entrance of which he then cursed so that anyone who tries to enter it without a key is [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]], a fate which has befallen dozens. When a family friend tried to rescue the children, he had the family friend killed and condemned to haunt the royal palace as a ghost until he is deposed. Using a magic amulet, he proceeded to brainwash every member of the royal court into serving him, rechristening one man the [[TheDragon Lord High Executioner]]. Under his tyranny, York descends into poverty and squalor; hypnotized soldiers routinely terrorize and steal from the peasantry, and haul suspected dissidents and any man, woman and [[WouldHurtAChild child]] who is to pay his exorbitantly high taxes off to the dungeons, where they are tortured and either beheaded or left to rot, being thrown scraps once a week. Eventually deciding to eliminate Eddie and Sue, he instructs the Executioner to smother them, and when a sympathetic wizard named Morgred uses three magic stones to send the children to the future, he sends the Executioner after them, and cows Morgred into serving him by threatening him with torture and painful death. In ''Return'''s worst possible ending, he steals Morgred's magic stones, has Eddie and Sue executed, and amuses himself by forcing their cousin to dance around the throne room while avoiding blades before having them stabbed to death.
* ''Literature/EscapeFromCampRunForYourLife'': [[TheQuisling Coach Rex]] is the owner of Camp Running Leaf, a children's sports camp which is secretly a front for a race of malevolent extraterrestrials known as the [[AliensAreBastards Xentronians]]. Hired by the Xentronians to provide them with slaves, Rex and his accomplices force the campers to consume special blue eggs that make them highly suggestible before having them participate in {{deadly game}}s as training for a life of slavery on Xentron, where they will eventually be worked to death or EatenAlive. Campers are mangled or killed in droves, while the one who bests all of the others and wins every competition is awarded the honor of being appointed the personal slave of the [[GreaterScopeVillain Overmaster of Xentron]], a position which Rex happily explains entails "much pain, and eventually a gruesome death". Rex also pays people to abduct children for him, and when a government agent is caught investigating the campgrounds, he has her murdered and her body dumped in a lake.
* ''Literature/TrappedInTheCircusOfFear'': [[EvilSorceress Mistress Barbara]], real name "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Barbarous]]", runs a CircusOfFear, tricking children into joining her traveling circus only to have them turned into an unperson and added into her collection of sideshow freaks. Her circus having operating for years and [[WouldHurtAChild abducting untold amounts of children]], Barbara uses her magical pendant to forcibly convert kids into various abominations, such as the kid with rotten flesh, the living bucket of sapient vomit, or the lizard boy, and deliberately allows her escaped victims to flee before ordering them hunted down, toying with them repeatedly before eventually capturing and devouring them alive, as well as using her magic to force a benevolent gypsy musician to play a magical tune that makes her victims [[InvoluntaryDance dance until they died of exhaustion]].

[[AC:''Literature/LoneWolf'']]
[[folder:Examples]]
* [[EvilSorcerer Vonotar the Traitor]] was once a member of the magician's guild of Sommerlund, but [[AmbitionIsEvil sought to learn evil magic in conjunction with good magic to become more powerful]]. He sold out his nation and his people when he revealed to the Darklords that all the Kai Order would be gathered at their monastery for the holy Feast of Fehmarn, which allowed the Darklords to massacre the Kai and pave the way for their invasion. He was given command of an undead fleet of warships and prevented aid from coming to Sommerlund by sea and sent numerous assassins out to kill Lone Wolf to prevent him from retrieving the Sommerswerd. When Lone Wolf succeeded and helped beat back the invasion, he captured and tortured a former guildmate to flee to the icy wastes of Kalte to escape the wrath of both Sommerlund and the Darklords. He took refuge with the Ice Barbarians but murdered their leader and enslaved them with magical jewelry, often forcing them to commit suicide if they resisted. Ultimately captured by Lone Wolf, he was flung through a magical gateway into another dimension where he gathered the worst criminals in Sommerlund's history and attempted to cross back over to Magnamund to wreak his vengeance. While he was ultimately slain by the coincidental arrival of Lone Wolf, he served as an effective StarterVillain and showed just how far men can fall to evil in their pursuit of power.
* [[EvilOverlord Zakhan Kimah]] is the cruel, tyrannical usurper king of Vassagonia. He began his career by leading the Sharnazim, Vassagonia's SecretPolice, and would root out and torture any potential dissidents to the Zahkan's rule. Ever power-hungry, he [[LesCollaborateurs made a pact with the Darklords]] and murdered the previous Zakhan, Moudalla, to seize control of the country. In exchange for the [[ArtifactOfDoom Orb of Death]], he lured Lone Wolf to Vassagonia in the guise of peace talks with the intent of handing him over to the Darklords. When Lone Wolf escaped capture, he had the innocent boat crew that carried Lone Wolf denounced as traitors, publicly executed, and [[DecapitationPresentation their heads stuck on pikes]] as examples. While Lone Wolf would ultimately end up escaping his grasp and slaying one of the Darklords, he stayed in their good graces by becoming the only human nation to ally with the forces of evil. He would go on to lead a great army for the Darklords and slaughter or enslave every village or town he came across as he made his way to the neighboring capital city of Tahou. Leading the assault on the city wielding the Orb of Death, he made it clear in his taunts to Lone Wolf that he intended to raze the city and murder every innocent inside the walls of Tahou.
* [[EvilutionaryBiologist Archdruid Cadak]] is the [[SorcerousOverlord lord]] of the Naar-aligned nation of Ruel and master of the [[{{Cult}} Cener Druids]]. Commanding his ancient cult to master the arts of poisons and plagues, he sought to make the world of Magnamund appropriate to Naar's tastes by creating a [[SyntheticPlague deadly plague]] that would wipe out all life on the planet with the exceptions of those he saw as worthy. Under his guidance, the Cener Druids bred terrible abominations to use as CannonFodder, used biological weapons on neighboring countries, and captured enemy soldiers and civilians to use as [[PlayingWithSyringes test subjects for their poisons and plagues]]. When Lone Wolf destroyed the deadly plague, he swore undying vengeance on him and all he held dear. He would go on to capture Lone Wolf's closest friend, the mage Banedon, and torture him while trying to lure Lone Wolf into a trap that would kill both of them. Failing that, he made one final attempt to enact Naar's unholy designs by using the powerful Deathstaff to summon the demoness Shamath and resurrect Vashna, the most powerful of the Darklords. he intended to use Vashna and his undead legions to overrun Magnamund and annihilate the rest of the world. His plans were again foiled by Lone Wolf and the wicked archdruid was slain, but Lone Wolf had not seen the last of him as he makes one final appearance in Naar's evil realm as Lone Wolf trekked through it. He pleaded with Lone Wolf to free him from his well-deserved torment, but he only intended to trick Lone Wolf into taking his place in eternal damnation.
[[/folder]]

[[AC:''Super Powers Which Way Books'']]
[[folder:Examples]]
* ''[[{{ComicBook/Supergirl}} Supergirl]]: The Girl of Steel'': [[Characters/SupermanBrainiac Brainiac]], an evil android that wants to [[GalacticConqueror conquer the universe]], is a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow dark presence in an otherwise lighthearted book]]. Brainiac captures Superman and lures Supergirl to a planet he is slowly cooking with red sun radiation rays. If Supergirl confronts Brainiac in his ship, he plans to capture Supergirl and experiment on her and Superman. If Supergirl frees Brainiac's alien prisoners and lets them bring her to him, Brainiac kills them without a second thought. If Supergirl confronts Brainiac on the planet, Supergirl finds that the population of the planet, a race of sapient rat creatures called Ridents, are being starved due to Brainiac's experiments destroying most of the food and the water on the planet. Brainiac is also capturing some of the Ridents and is using them as [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves]], forcing them to work in a mine and dig up a jewel that could grant him untold power.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}: Doomsday Prophecy'':
** [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] is as deadly as ever. In one story path, Joker sends Batman threatening messages through the Gotham Gazette newspaper, announcing his intentions to kill Batman and destroy Gotham City, by killing half the city's population. Joker attempts this by delivering enough poison to the citizens of Gotham City, either by dumping chemicals into the city's [[WaterSourceTampering water supply]]; adding poison to the Gotham gas line; or using planes to spread poison across Gotham City.
** [[AdaptationalVillainy The Riddler]], threatening to "end Batman", kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and attempts to use a CarBomb to kill him and Batman. Later, Riddler lures Batman to Washington DC, where he kidnaps an actor dressed as Batman and threatens to drop him from a great height if Batman does not reveal his secret identity. But his worst act is luring Batman to a puppet show called ''The Riddle'', held in a children's theater. Riddler sets the theater on fire, willing to let the [[WouldHurtAChild children in the audience die]], just to get the better of Batman.
[[/folder]]

[[AC:Others]]
* ''ComicBook/DiceMan'' issue #1's "[[ComicBook/JudgeDredd House of Death]]": [[ArchEnemy Judge Death]] is, as usual, presented as a [[OmnicidalManiac maniac who desires to spread death across the world]]. Brought back with the dimensional generator, Judge Death used the [[ReligionOfEvil Brotherhood of Baal]] to kidnap and murder hundreds of people. When Judge Dredd arrived to investigate the matter, Death sends his fellow Dark Judges after him and then tries to kill him personally, succeeding in [[MultipleEndings one of the endings]], after which he proudly announces his intention to slaughter the entire population of Mega-City One.
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated: Be the Hero #3--Web of Deception'': [[BountyHunter Lockdown]] is shown to be as [[PsychoForHire psychotic]] and [[LackOfEmpathy unempathetic]] as his cartoon counterpart. [[VillainTeamUp Allying himself with Blackarachnia]], Lockdown gets hired to kidnap Optimus Prime for her and strap the Autobot leader to a bomb that will not only mutate him into a techno-organic abomination but also destroy the city of Detroit in the process. When the other Autobots try to interfere, Lockdown disables them, along with immobilizing Sari and her friend with polyxylon resin, and then throws them all into Lake Erie, [[WouldHurtAChild leaving the two children to nearly drown to death]]. Not bothered at all by the fact that the detonation will kill thousands of people, Lockdown only betrays Blackarachnia to stop her plans when he finds out that he's being underpaid and decides to get a better deal by selling her off to a safari hunter in the Kvi Cluster.

%% NOTE: Due to the controversial nature of this trope, any changes (additions, removals, edits) should be discussed [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok here]].

* ''Journey to the Year 3000'', by Edward Packard: [[EvilOverlord Styx Mori]] is an evil dictator who controls the world in the year 3000. He has [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil enslaved]] everyone on the planet; the lucky ones are forced to build monuments to his ego like his summer palace, while the unlucky ones are put into [[POWCamp military prisons]] where they are beaten, starved and deprived of sleep. Some people have escaped to planets like Mars to be free from his tyranny, but he despises the idea of anyone living outside of his rule and sends his military forces to Mars to kill any rebels they find. He is shown to be very cruel in how he deals with dissent, attempting to send the main character in a rocket ship to either freeze to death on Mars or burn alive in the sun.

[[AC:''ComicBook/DiceMan'']]
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' in "House of Death": [[ArchEnemy Judge Death]] is, as usual, presented as a [[OmnicidalManiac maniac who desires to spread death across the world]]. Brought back with the dimensional generator, Judge Death used the [[ReligionOfEvil Brotherhood of Baal]] to kidnap and murder hundreds of people. When Judge Dredd arrived to investigate the matter, Death sends his fellow Dark Judges after him and then tries to kill him personally, succeeding in [[MultipleEndings one of the endings]], after which he proudly announces his intention to slaughter the entire population of Mega-City One.

* ''Literature/CreatureOfHavoc'': [[SorcerousOverlord Zharradan Marr]] is the former cabal mate of Zagor and Balthus Dire, and easily the worst of the so-called "Demonic Three". After the trio murdered their mentor, Volgerra Darkstorm, Zharradan struck out on his own, becoming the despotic ruler of the region around Trolltooth Pass, and aiming to extend his rule over the whole of the continent. Using mind-control drugs and fear to keep his soldiers in line, Zharradan assembled a slave-mining force and an army of cannibal monsters, sacrificing countless sapient beings to the mines and his army's hunger. Experimenting with [[TransformationHorror transformational magic]], Zharradan Marr transformed the Captain of the ''Galleykeep'' into the titular Creature of Havoc, then turned it loose in his dungeons, arranging for the Creature to encounter, kill, and cannibalize many members of the ''Galleykeep'''s former crew along the way. More than happy to [[BadBoss discard his henchmen]] for [[YouHaveFailedMe failing him]] or [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outliving their usefulness]], Zharradan's final attempt at manipulating the Creature into killing Vallaska Roue and handing over the secrets of Elven magic that would grant him mastery over the very stuff of life, cemented his position as one of the worst beings on the continent of Allansia.

!!''Literature/FightingFantasy''

!!Other Examples

''[[AC:Literature/ChooseYourOwnAdventure]]''
* ''Prisoner of the Ant People'' & ''War with the Evil Power Master'', by R.A. Montgomery: [[OmnicidalManiac The Evil Power Master]] is the leader of an alliance of planets that were angered by being rejected for membership in [[TheFederation the Lacoonian System]], and plans to conquer the Lacoonian System. In his first outing, he develops a [[DoomsdayDevice weapon that can destroy the universe]]. In his second outing, he is far more direct, destroying two planets, Haemog and Arouth, killing billions of beings. He threatens to destroy three more planets, including Earth, if the Lacoonian System does not surrender to him. From there the story branches into different paths: He takes the form of marine biologists and attempts to destroy the planet Lacoon, the System's capital; he destroys a colony on the planet Follop. In some endings, he is defeated, but at a terrible cost, with his destroying three more planets before he is defeated.
* ''Journey to the Year 3000'', by Edward Packard: [[EvilOverlord Styx Mori]] is an evil dictator who controls the world in the year 3000. He has [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil enslaved]] everyone on the planet; the lucky ones are forced to build monuments to his ego like his summer palace, while the unlucky ones are put into [[POWCamp military prisons]] where they are beaten, starved and deprived of sleep. Some people have escaped to planets like Mars to be free from his tyranny, but he despises the idea of anyone living outside of his rule and sends his military forces to Mars to kill any rebels they find. He is shown to be very cruel in how he deals with dissent, attempting to send the main character in a rocket ship to either freeze to death on Mars or burn alive in the sun.
* ''Tattoo of Death'', by R.A. Montgomery: [[BigBad Big Guy]] is the leader of the Red Flowers Gang and [[PsychoForHire Anaconda]] is his [[TheDragon right-hand man]]. Under Big Guy's direction, the Red Flower Gang is involved in a [[HumanTraffickers human trafficking operation]]. Big Guy takes money from poor families in China, and sends them from China to America in a tramp steamer, where living conditions are poor and many die during the trip. When the steamers reach America, Big Guy forces the Chinese immigrants into smaller boats a mile or two offshore, with many drowning or getting captured by immigration officials. Anaconda is Big Guy's point man in Los Angles, recruiting children to join the Red Flowers Gang. During the story, Big Guy and Anaconda are shown to be ruthless criminals, with Anaconda willing to [[BadBoss kill gang members]], who are [[WouldHurtAChild young boys]], for being a liability, either brutally killing them by hand or [[FedToTheBeast feeding them to a shark]]. One ending involves the protagonist tipping of the cops about Big Guy and Anaconda's operation, but when the cops investigate the drop off point, the criminals are long gone, having murdered all the immigrants they were transporting that day, leaving a trail of bodies scattered on the beach.

''[[AC:Literature/GiveYourselfGoosebumps]]''

* ''Escape from Camp Run-For-Your-Life:'' [[TheQuisling Coach Rex]] is the owner of Camp Running Leaf, a children's sports camp which is secretly a front for a race of malevolent extraterrestrials known as the [[AliensAreBastards Xentronians]]. Hired by the Xentronians to provide them with slaves, Rex and his accomplices force the campers to consume special blue eggs that make them highly suggestible before having them participate in {{deadly game}}s as training for a life of slavery on Xentron, where they will eventually be worked to death or EatenAlive. Campers are mangled or killed in droves, while the one who bests all of the others and wins every competition is awarded the honor of being appointed the personal slave of the [[GreaterScopeVillain Overmaster of Xentron]], a position which Rex happily explains entails "much pain, and eventually a gruesome death". Rex also pays people to abduct children for him, and when a government agent is caught investigating the campgrounds, he has her murdered and her body dumped in a lake.

''[[AC:Literature/LoneWolf]]''

''[[AC:Super Powers Which Way Books]]''
* ''[[{{ComicBook/Supergirl}} Supergirl]]: The Girl of Steel'': [[{{ComicBook/Brainiac}} Brainiac]], an evil android that wants to [[GalacticConqueror conquer the universe]], is a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow dark presence in an otherwise lighthearted book]]. Brainiac captures Superman and lures Supergirl to a planet he is slowly cooking with red sun radiation rays. If Supergirl confronts Brainiac in his ship, he plans to capture Supergirl and experiment on her and Superman. If Supergirl frees Brainiac's alien prisoners and lets them bring her to him, Brainiac kills them without a second thought. If Supergirl confronts Brainiac on the planet, Supergirl finds that the population of the planet, a race of sapient rat creatures called Ridents, are being starved due to Brainiac's experiments destroying most of the food and the water on the planet. Brainiac is also capturing some of the Ridents and is using them as [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves]], forcing them to work in a mine and dig up a jewel that could grant him untold power.

** ComicBook/TheJoker is as deadly as ever. In one story path, Joker sends Batman threatening messages through the Gotham Gazette newspaper, announcing his intentions to kill Batman and destroy Gotham City, by killing half the city's population. Joker attempts this by delivering enough poison to the citizens of Gotham City, either by dumping chemicals into the city's [[WaterSourceTampering water supply]]; adding poison to the Gotham gas line; or using planes to spread poison across Gotham City.
** ComicBook/TheRiddler is [[AdaptationalVillainy more sinister than usual]]. Threatening to "end Batman", Riddler kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and attempts to use a CarBomb to kill him and Batman. Later, Riddler lures Batman to Washington DC, where he kidnaps an actor dressed as Batman and threatens to drop him from a great height if Batman does not reveal his secret identity. But his worst act is luring Batman to a puppet show called ''The Riddle'', held in a children's theater. Riddler sets the theater on fire, willing to let the [[WouldHurtAChild children in the audience die]], just to get the better of Batman.

''[[AC:ComicBook/DiceMan]]''

* ''Return to Terror Tower'': [[EvilUncle King Robert]], first appearing in ''A Night in Terror Tower'', usurped control of medieval York by murdering his brother and sister-in-law, whose children, Princess Susannah and Prince Edward, he then locked away in Terror Tower, the entrance of which he then cursed so that anyone who tries to enter it without a key is [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]], a fate which has befallen dozens. When a family friend tried to rescue the children, he had the family friend killed and condemned to haunt the royal palace as a ghost until he is deposed. Using a magic amulet, he proceeded to brainwash every member of the royal court into serving him, rechristening one man the [[TheDragon Lord High Executioner]]. Under his tyranny, York descends into poverty and squalor; hypnotized soldiers routinely terrorize and steal from the peasantry, and haul suspected dissidents and any man, woman and [[WouldHurtAChild child]] who is to pay his exorbitantly high taxes off to the dungeons, where they are tortured and either beheaded or left to rot, being thrown scraps once a week. Eventually deciding to eliminate Eddie and Sue, he instructs the Executioner to smother them, and when a sympathetic wizard named Morgred uses three magic stones to send the children to the future, he sends the Executioner after them, and cows Morgred into serving him by threatening him with torture and painful death. In ''Return'''s worst possible ending, he steals Morgred's magic stones, has Eddie and Sue executed, and amuses himself by forcing their cousin to dance around the throne room while avoiding blades before having them stabbed to death.

* ''Literature/SlavesOfTheAbyss'': [[PhysicalGod Bythos]] is the all-powerful [[DimensionLord Master of the Abyss]] who has existed for several millennia and seeks to make himself stronger by abducting entire populations to be imprisoned into the PrisonDimension in his Abyss. Capable of [[BeeAfraid summoning swarms of enchanted hornets]], Bythos will sic his creations into towns and cities, where the hornets can sting hundreds of people at a time, causing the victims to be rendered unconscious before waking up in the eternal darkness of the abyss. If an adventurer escapes Bythos's initial hornet swarm and makes it into the Abyss to challenge Bythos, Bythos will cast a spell which will turn them into sapient crystal golems, still capable of thought and aware of their surroundings, but [[AndIMustScream having absolutely no control of their bodies]], where they will then be forced to serve Bythos for an eternity.

* ''Literature/CreatureOfHavoc'': [[SorcerousOverlord Zharradan Marr]] is the former cabal mate of Zagor and Balthus Dire, and easily the worst of the so-called "Demonic Three". After the trio murdered their mentor, Volgerra Darkstorm, Zharradan struck out on his own, becoming the despotic ruler of the region around Trolltooth Pass, and aiming to extend his rule over the whole of the continent. Using mind-control drugs and fear to keep his soldiers in line, Zharradan assembled a slave-mining force and an army of cannibal monsters, sacrificing countless sentient beings to the mines and his army's hunger. Experimenting with [[TransformationHorror transformational magic]], Zharradan Marr transformed the Captain of the ''Galleykeep'' into the titular Creature of Havoc, then turned it loose in his dungeons, arranging for the Creature to encounter, kill, and cannibalize many members of the ''Galleykeep'''s former crew along the way. More than happy to [[BadBoss discard his henchmen]] for [[YouHaveFailedMe failing him]] or [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outliving their usefulness]], Zharradan's final attempt at manipulating the Creature into killing Vallaska Roue and handing over the secrets of Elven magic that would grant him mastery over the very stuff of life, cemented his position as one of the worst beings on the continent of Allansia.

* ''Night of the Necromancer'': [[ItsAllAboutMe Unthank]] is the EvilChancellor to the hero, [[TheChessmaster tricking]] the noble lord into fighting a crusade, only to murder them upon their return to permit his Cult of the Dead to operate unrestrained. Unthank turns out to be the titular Necromancer, sacrificing innocent beings to the demonic Shadow King, having once handed over the souls of everyone in [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed his home village]] for {{immortality|Immorality}}, which he maintains via the death of innocents. Intending on sacrificing the hero's sister Oriana to summon the Shadow King, Unthank intends on giving the souls of the world to his dark master for power.

* ''Literature/{{City of Thieves|1983}}'' & ''The Port of Peril'': [[OurLichesAreDifferent Zanbar Bone]], aka the Night Prince, is an EvilSorcerer who [[SelfMadeOrphan murdered his own parents]] for their fortune, and began to sacrifice fellow students at his academy for power. Defeated, Bone later established his own base of operations where he also secretly rules Blacksand through Azek Vazur, causing untold atrocities and torture. Zanbar Bone happily sacrifices innocents for power, and unleashes his Moondog hellhounds to run rampant and kill innocents when he is denied a victim. Later revived, he leads his [[NightOfTheLivingMooks armies]] to the slaughter, rising to demonhood and being known as [[TheAntichrist the potential Antichrist]] of Titan.

* ''Stealer of Souls'': The [[SorcerousOverlord wicked archmage Mordraneth]] perfects the art of [[YourSoulIsMine robbing beings of their souls]], with every victim killed by his designs reaped, or pulled from the afterlife. In order to [[{{Necromancer}} create an army of living nightmares]], Mordraneth [[AndIMustScream tortures the souls in his captivity]], [[IKnowWhatYouFear subjecting them to their worst fears]] to manifest their nightmares, even attempting to wipe out his enemies' entire lands, while adding more to his soul collection. Unwilling to ever stop, Mordraneth will kill and enslave every soul he comes across if it fuels his ambition.

''[[AC:Literature/ChooseYourOwnAdventure]]'' is the TropeCodifier, and has its own evildoers:

''[[AC:Literature/LoneWolf]]'': While the evil god [[GreaterScopeVillain Naar]] and his direct creations, such as the [[BigBadEnsemble Darklords of Helgedad]], are [[MadeOfEvil incarnations of evil itself]], the same cannot be said for Naar's [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters mortal servants]]:

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/evil_power_master.jpg]]

!Note: [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff All spoilers are unmarked.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!

* ''Literature/{{Bloodbones}}'': [[GhostPirate Captain Cinnabar]] is the ruler of the Port of Crabs, and an evil pirate who [[RapePillageAndBurn raids]] villages along the coast of the Diamond Sea, slaughtering and enslaving those he encounters. Cinnabar raids the hero's village at Clam Beach, slaughtering almost their entire family and people, prompting the hero to seek revenge. To achieve immortality, Cinnabar serves the voodoo deity [[AncientEvil Quezkari]] and delivers people to become tormented, mindless zombies at the hands of the priestess Ramatu, while occasionally massacring entire ships and cursing their crews to living death, [[AndIMustScream sailing the waves eternally]]. Cinnabar also feeds the souls of his victims to Quezkari [[ImmortalityImmorality in exchange for immortality]], plotting to stop at nothing in order to become the immortal pirate lord of the waves where he may pillage and kill forevermore.

* ''Night of the Necromancer'': Unthank is the EvilChancellor to the hero, tricking the noble lord into fighting a crusade, only to murder them upon their return to permit his Cult of the Dead to operate unrestrained. Unthank turns out to be the titular Necromancer, sacrificing innocent beings to the demonic Shadow King, having once handed over the souls of everyone in his home village for immortality, which he maintains via the death of innocents. Intending on sacrificing the hero's sister Oriana to summon the Shadow King, Unthank intends on giving the souls of the world to his dark master for power.

* ''The Gates of Death'': Ulrakaah was once a beautiful priestess who succumbed to vanity and evil, trying to conquer Titan. Becoming a demon, Ulrakaah returns with a dark army, unleashing a demonic plague that warps its victims into demons, unleashing them upon Titan to massacre all they find so she can eventually reign over a twisted world of demonic, zombie slaves without care of who dies in the process.

* ''Literature/{{Bloodbones}}'': [[GhostPirate Captain Cinnabar]] is the ruler of the Port of Crabs, and an evil pirate who raids villages along the coast of the Diamond Sea, slaughtering and enslaving those he encounters. Cinnabar raids the hero's village at Clam Beach, slaughtering almost their entire family and people, prompting the hero to seek revenge. To achieve immortality, Cinnabar serves the voodoo deity Quezkarl and delivers people to become tormented, mindless zombies at the hands of the priestess Ramatu, while occasionally massacring entire ships and cursing their crews to living death, sailing the waves eternally. Cinnabar also feeds the souls of his victims to Quezkarl [[ImmortalityImmorality in exchange for immortality]], plotting to stop at nothing in order to become the immortal pirate lord of the waves where he may pillage and kill forevermore.

* ''Literature/BloodOfTheZombies'': In modern-day Earth instead of Titan, Gingrich Yurr is a psychotic eurotrash MadScientist. Despising humanity, Yurr seeks to cause a ZombieApocalypse to exterminate them all. In order to do this, Yurr begins kidnapping hundreds, performing inhuman experiments on them to transform them into the walking dead and unleashing them on innocents when he is of a mind to. Yurr intends to release them on the unsuspecting world to completely eradicate the living.

* ''Literature/{{City of Thieves|1983}}'' & ''The Port of Peril'': [[OurLichesAreDifferent Zanbar Bone]], aka the [[{{Necromancer}} Night Prince]], is an EvilSorcerer who [[SelfMadeOrphan murdered his own parents]] for their fortune, and began to sacrifice fellow students at his academy for power. Defeated, Bone later established his own base of operations where he also secretly rules Blacksand through Azek Vazur, causing untold atrocities and torture. Zanbar Bone happily sacrifices innocents for power, and unleashes his Moondog hellhounds to run rampant and kill innocents when he is denied a victim. Later revived, he leads his armies to the slaughter, rising to demonhood and being known as [[TheAntichrist the potential Antichrist]] of Titan.

* ''Literature/TowerOfDestruction'': Zeverin the mage is a [[APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil former student]] of the elven wizard Elokinan. Betraying and murdering his mentor and all his fellow mages, Zeverin enslaved their souls to eternal torment and allied with the Night Demon Relem to create a tower powered by pain and anguish. Forming a Sphere of Destruction, Zeverin begins obliterating random villages to test it, keeping prisoners locked up and tortured, including one of his renegade apprentices who he later murders via a [[RapidAging fast aging]] spell. Zeverin's ultimate plan is to open a path to the pits of hell and unleash demon hordes on Allansia, believing he will be allowed to rule what remains.
* ''Literature/{{Moonrunner}}'': Karam Gruul, the Inquisitor General of Brice, is a brilliant and devious killer who committed countless war crimes, including flame spells on a border and torture within his Tower of Inquisition. Escaping justice and intending on restarting the horrible war, Gruul also uses an undead serial killer to create victims, having others murdered and tortured, or mentally enslaved to become his creatures, including the story's hero who turns out to be his former Moonrunner, a lycanthropic creature forced to commit atrocities at Gruul's bequest, all so Gruul can cause as much horror as possible and escape justice forever.
* ''Literature/NightDragon'': The Bone Stalker Mage is a twisted half-dragon monster and the leader of the night dragon cult. Drugging entire populations, the Bone Stalker Mage initiates a system of human sacrifice, massacring others and attempting to awaken the Night Dragon itself. The Bone Stalker Mage has people turned into twisted abominations, even experimenting on baby dragons to make them monsters, all to eventually end the world and kill everyone by awakening the horrific Night Dragon.
* ''Literature/{{Spellbreaker}}'': Nazek is a mage who manipulates the hero into gaining access to Rissen abbey, whereupon he murders a mage to steal the Blakc Grimoire and summon the demon the Kurakil. Causing horror and misery across the land, Nazek initiates near pogroms that result in innocents burnt alive and demons running rampant to kill others. Intent on summoning the Kurakil, Nazek means to unleash it on the world, which will result in the mass slaughter of almost every living thing.