History Sandbox / MagnificentBastardMarvelCinematicUniverse

Sections by release date. For examples from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmAToI here]]; for the Film/SpiderManTrilogy and Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]]; for the ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderManSpiderVerse Spider-Verse]]'' see [[MagnificentBastard/MarvelAnimation here]].

Sections by release date. For examples from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmAToI here]]; for the Film/SpiderManTrilogy and Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]]; for the [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManSpiderVerse Spider-Verse]] see [[MagnificentBastard/MarvelAnimation here]].

Sections by release date. For examples from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmAToI here]]; for the Film/SpiderManTrilogy and Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]]; for the WesternAnimation/SpiderManSpiderVerse the see [[MagnificentBastard/MarvelAnimation here]].

* ''Series/WandaVision'': [[Characters/MCUAgathaHarkness Agatha Harkness]] is a witch who desires [[Characters/MCUScarletWitch Wanda Maximoff]]'s Chaos Magic for her own purposes. Infiltrating Westview and Wanda's sitcom fantasies, Agatha plays the role of "[[NosyNeighbor Agnes]]", engineering scenarios such a dog dying or "[[Characters/MCUAvengers Pietro]]'s resurrection" to emotionally string Wanda and [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]] away from each other. Capturing Wanda in her basement, Agatha examines her past before attacking Wanda and her loved ones to absorb the Chaos Magic. In a last ditch effort, Agatha frees the people of Westview from Wanda's spell, guilt tripping Wanda into lowering the Hex and emotionally wrecking her into almost making a deal to allow her, Vision, and her twins to live in a more perfect fantasy to keep the latter three existing.

* ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'': [[Characters/MCUGorr Gorr the God Butcher]] was once a loyal worshipper of his people's god Rapu. However, when most of his people die--including Gorr's young daughter, Love--Rapu is revealed to be nothing but a [[JerkassGods callous jerk]]. An enraged Gorr is chosen by the [[ArtifactOfDoom Necrosword]], which can kill gods, and after [[KillTheGod killing Rapu]], decides that [[RageAgainstTheHeavens all gods must die]]. Gorr starts his crusade, kidnapping the children of New Asgard to use as bait for [[Characters/MCUThor Thor]], later realizing that Thor's Stormbreaker axe is the key to reaching the wish-granting cosmic entity Eternity, which will allow him to kill all the gods in one fell swoop. After hurting Thor's friends to force him to recall Stormbreaker, Gorr manages to obtain the axe before Thor and company can retreat. In the final battle, even though Jane Foster uses Mjolnir to destroy the Necrosword, Gorr manages to reach Eternity. However, after being told by Thor that all he wants is love and actually seeing the love between Thor and a dying Jane, Gorr uses his wish to resurrect his daughter, dying happily after Thor agrees to raise Love.

[[AC:''Series/CloakAndDagger2018'']]
* [[VigilanteMan Mayhem]], Detective Brigid O'Reilly's LiteralSplitPersonality, represents all her murderous rage and inner darkness, yet resolves to direct her malice towards those who deserve it. Putting her skills to work investigating, dismantling, and butchering her way through the monstrous D'Spayre's sex trafficking ring, Mayhem even impersonates her passive self to gain access to police resources and trick Tandy into aiding her, while her brilliant detective work results in the rescue of dozens of victims. Despite her propensity for lethal measures--whether attempting to murder D'Spayre's comatose pawn or trying to slaughter entire gangs of the nascent loa's allies--Mayhem remains a strained yet ultimately stalwart ally of the titular heroes, sabotaging D'Spayre's efforts to MindRape them while trapped in the Darkforce and merging with her other self to protect the duo in their final confrontation with the wannabe god. Undeterred in her ruthless mission even with the trafficking ring shattered and her empathy restored, Brigid closes the series by stringing up [[CorruptCop Detective Connor]]'s corpse in the police station as a warning to all who would follow in his corrupt wake.

[[AC:''Series/CloakAndDagger2018'']]
* [[VigilanteMan Mayhem]], Detective Brigid O'Reilly's LiteralSplitPersonality, represents all her murderous rage and inner darkness, yet resolves to direct her malice towards those who deserve it. Putting her skills to work investigating, dismantling, and butchering her way through the monstrous D'Spayre's sex trafficking ring, Mayhem even impersonates her passive self to gain access to police resources and trick Tandy into aiding her, while her brilliant detective work results in the rescue of dozens of victims. Despite her propensity for lethal measures--whether attempting to murder D'Spayre's comatose pawn or trying to slaughter entire gangs of the nascent loa's allies--Mayhem remains a strained yet ultimately stalwart ally of the titular heroes, sabotaging D'Spayre's efforts to MindRape them while trapped in the Darkforce and merging with her other self to protect the duo in their final confrontation with the wannabe god. Undeterred in her ruthless mission even with the trafficking ring shattered and her empathy restored, Brigid closes the series by stringing up [[CorruptCop Detective Connor]]'s corpse in the police station as a warning to all who would follow in his corrupt wake.

* ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'': [[Characters/MCUVulture Adrian Toomes]] was once a hard working man who made a living salvaging Chitauri technology from [[Film/TheAvengers2012 The Incident]]. After having his occupation taken by Damage Control, he became a career criminal, taking the moniker [[RazorWings The Vulture]], and turning what was left of his salvaging company into an underground arms dealership, that would steal said technology and sell it to criminals. Toomes made sure not to leave any evidence for government officials to track his operations, while also making sure they aren't too big so that the Avengers won't view them as a threat; This process worked great for Toomes and his criminal business lasted for eight years without any problems. However, when he does face a problem in [[Characters/MCUSpiderMan Spider-Man]] he isn't afraid to fight Spider-Man himself on several occasions; Spider-Man barely manages to survive those encounters with him. He is also able to uncover Spider-Man's civilian identity, Peter Parker, simply by analyzing Peter's behavior, and finds an opportunity to intimidate Peter from interfering with his operations. When this fails he sends [[ShockAndAwe The Shocker]] to distract Peter and later fights him for the final time so he wouldn't foil Toomes' latest heist job. Although threatening to kill Peter and his loved ones, it's shown that Toomes greatly respects him, showing gratitude for saving his daughter's life, as well as his own, by not selling out his SecretIdentity in prison, cementing Adrian Toomes as one of the most [[NobleDemon honorable,]] yet cunning foes in the films.
* ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'': [[{{Determinator}} Ghost]], real name [[TragicVillain Ava Starr]], is a former S.H.I.E.L.D. operative who used the phasing abilities she got as a young child on multiple missions with success. With help from [[ParentalSubstitute Dr. Bill Foster]], Ava seeks to get a hold of Dr. Hank Pym's Quantum technology in order to extract the matter needed to reverse her painful condition and save her life. On multiple occasions, Ghost tracks down the heroes and gets the shrunken lab from them while hindering their attempts to get it back, eventually expanding it again in the middle of a busy street. She also utilizes her impressive fighting skills against both [[Characters/MCUAntMan Ant-Man/Scott Lang]] and the Wasp/Hope van Dyne when the occasion calls for it as well. Nearly succeeding in getting the energy while knowing full well that it could destroy Janet van Dyne who's trapped in the Quantum Realm, Ghost has a [[HeelFaceTurn change of heart]] after a returned Janet uses her abilities to temporarily normalize her again and gives them the chance to get Ava more energy while being happy that Foster remains by her side.

* [[BigGood Enoch]] is a Chronicom anthropologist sent to record human evolution. Learning of an extinction-level event that will occur in the near future, Enoch kidnaps the [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D. agents]] and sends them to the year 2091 in order to prevent the end of the world. Later assisting Leo Fitz in reuniting with his friends by [[TheSlowPath cryogenically freezing him]], Enoch and Fitz infiltrate the Kree Inhuman auction to save the latter's teammates, Enoch sacrificing himself so S.H.I.E.L.D. can return to the present. With the timeline changed, Enoch helps Fitz go on the run, before reluctantly betraying both him and Simmons to the Hunters when informed they want to learn how to time travel in order to save Chronyca-2. [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch Later rescuing his friends]], Enoch defeats a Hunter sent after him before stealing his skin to infiltrate the Chronicom forces and once again save [=FitzSimmons=]. Having stolen a Chronicom Time Stream, the three spend years preparing to stop the Hunters, returning to the time they left to put their plan into motion. Secretly scattering throughout history pieces of a time machine later used to contact Fitz and successfully execute the rest of their plan, Enoch ultimately [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices]] himself once more so that S.H.I.E.L.D. can escape a time loop, dying content that [[UndyingLoyalty he is and always has been their friend]].
* Season 2: Jiaying is the mother of series protagonist Skye/Daisy Johnson and the leader of the Inhuman community known as Afterlife, who developed a grudge against humanity after being tortured by [[MadScientist Daniel Whitehall]] for her immortality. Jiaying uses her husband Cal’s desire to re-assemble their family to bring Skye into the fold. Cal works with Whitehall with plans to betray him, who dies at the hands of Coulson. When Skye’s distaste for Cal’s creepy behavior prevents the reunion, Jiaying plays off [[FantasticRacism her teammates' fear of her newly developed Inhuman abilities]]. She has her right hand man Gordon bring Skye over to Afterlife. Introducing Daisy to her new home, she trains her to see her powers as a beautiful thing. When Jiaying discovers the Monolith on the Iliad, she plans war with S.H.I.E.L.D. and lures them with peace talks, even offering Cal as a trojan horse prisoner. She pretends to negotiate with Gonzales, only to kill him with a [[DeadlyGas terrigen crystal]]. [[WoundedGazelleGambit She wounds herself]], and has [[FalseFlagOperation Afterlife strafed to begin a war]]. To conceal this deception she murders the prophetic Raina, unaware Daisy was watching. She then goes to the Iliad and kills Oliver to demonstrate the terrigen crystals. Jiaying threatens to put them in the ship’s vents unless Weaver expands the S.O.S. beacon, to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. into a trap. Confronted by Daisy, Jiaying declares her intent to spread the terrigen gas worldwide, feeling that it would be the only way to keep Inhumans safe.

** [[TheDreaded Andrew Garner]] is a psychologist and an Inhuman researcher who becomes an Inhuman himself. Developing an urge to [[OneWingedAngel transform into the monstrous Lash]] and [[HunterOfHisOwnKind kill other Inhumans]], he [[MaskOfSanity keeps up appearances]] with his colleagues at S.H.I.E.L.D. Lash is able to evade detection from both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ATCU who are unwittingly providing an Inhuman army for HYDRA. Cornered by HYDRA assassins, he transforms into Lash and [[AssassinOutclassin kills them]], and [[FieryCoverup sets the store ablaze to cover his tracks]]. Upon being discovered by May, he kidnaps her and takes her to an abandoned Culver University building. Cornered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ATCU, he is able to overpower them until May uses there former relationship to talk him down and get him into containment. Finding himself in HYDRA's custody, he talks Simmons into setting him free. After protecting her from HYDRA, he proceeds to slaughter the Inhumans that they were holding in stasis. After spending months on the run, Garner hands himself into S.H.I.E.L.D. to take one last shot at taking out Hive. He attacks Hive, fighting off his Alpha Primitives, and sets Daisy Johnson free from his influence. Dying from being stabbed InTheBack by Hellfire, Lash carries Daisy to safety in his final moments.

* [[TheQueenpin Madame Gao]] is a leader of [[Characters/MCUTheHand The Hand]] who works with [[Characters/MCUKingpin Wilson Fisk]], first coming into conflict with [[Series/Daredevil2015 the Defenders through her heroin trade in New York City]]. A manipulator extraordinaire, Gao operates by gaining leverage on powerful figures, having [[Series/IronFist2017 deeply ingrained herself into Danny Rand's family company]] and uses it as a front for her drug trade. A charismatic leader, Gao's followers have unwavering loyalty to her, her drug factory workers having willingly blinded themselves as a sign of faith in her. Ever calm in the face of her enemies, Gao manipulates Danny and his friends when they capture her, manipulating them into doubting each other and mocks them by pretending to be under the effects of their truth serum.

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': [[HonestAdvisor Hernán "Shades" Alvarez]] is a charismatic criminal of Harlem who during his time at Seagate Penitentiary ran a prison fight ring along with Comanche and a corrupt warden. Upon returning to Harlem, he became the HyperCompetentSidekick of the Stokes family, the most powerful crime family in Harlem, brokering deals for the family to gain high tech weaponry. Despite his loyalties, he has no problems turning against his masters when they turn against him, such as when he planned to kill Cottonmouth only to find Mariah Dillard committing the act which Shades helped her coverup by [[FrameUp framing]] Luke Cage and Diamondback for the deed, killing any witnesses in the scenes, and successfully sending Luke back to prison. During that time Shades becomes enamored with Mariah helping her become the leader of her crime family with him as her lover, only to become [[EvenEvilHasStandards horrified]] of her decision to massacre an entire restaurant full of innocents, so much so that he orchestrates her entire downfall by becoming an informant for the police. Always maintaining his cool and suave demeanor, Shades even accepts his final defeat with grace.

** The Deviant [[SuperPersistentPredator Kro]] was trapped under the ice for centuries, escaping the Eternals' purge. Thawed out on the eve of Tiamut's emergence, Kro kills Ajak and [[PowerParasite absorbs her healing power]], using it to enhance his fellow Deviants before setting out to confront their former hunters in a series of surprise attacks. Kro manages to kill Gilgamesh and achieve [[ItCanThink true sapience]], learning of the Deviants' true purpose as mere failed experiments and vowing to avenge his fallen brethren. Adapting to his newfound powers with ease, the lone Deviant mimics Gilgamesh's voice to put the maddening Thena into a trance, coming within seconds of [[HeroKiller slaying his third Eternal within a single week]].

** The Deviant [[SuperPersistentPredator Kro]] was trapped under the ice for centuries, escaping the Eternals' purge. Thawed out on the eve of Tiamut's emergence, Kro kills Ajak and [[PowerParasite absorbs her healing power]], using it to enhance his fellow Deviants before proactively setting out to surprise and confront their former hunters. Kro manages to kill Gilgamesh and achieve [[ItCanThink true sapience]], learning of the Deviants' true purpose as mere failed experiments and vowing to avenge his fallen brethren. Adapting to his newfound powers with ease, the lone Deviant mimics Gilgamesh's voice to put the maddening Thena into a trance, coming within seconds of [[HeroKiller slaying his third Eternal within a single week]].

''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Alexander Pierce]] is the U.S. Secretary of Defense, a member of the World Security Council, and a commanding member of [[Characters/{{MCUHYDRA}} HYDRA]], who have evolved from a Nazi science cult to a fascist conspiracy group dedicated to bringing about OneWorldOrder under their banner. Pierce had the Winter Soldier assassinate his old friend Nick Fury so Pierce can take control of [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and Project Insight, intending to use the project to massacre hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people, who could stand in HYDRA's way. Along the way he frames Captain America as a rogue agent who has to go on the run, kills his fellow members of the World Security Council, and shoots his housekeeper just for walking in on a meeting he has with the [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes Winter Soldier]]. He does all of this with calm, affable composure towards his enemies, attempting to make them understand that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans.

** The man once known as [[FromNobodyToNightmare Alveus]], upon [[Characters/MCUTheKree Kree]] experimentation, was forever transformed into "[[HiveMind Hive]]." Through sheer intellect and force of will, Hive drove the Kree from earth, rallying all [[Characters/MCUInhumans Inhumans]] to his side in the process, and though banished from earth by treacherous followers, Hive nonetheless [[Characters/MCUHYDRALeadership laid the groundwork]] for the formation of [[Characters/{{MCUHYDRA}} HYDRA]], the death cult organization that has haunted the world for centuries after. In the present, Hive manipulates himself back to earth with help from Gideon Malick, and immediately amasses a small following of Inhumans. Using Malick before murdering him once he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlives his usefulness]], Hive stays one step ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D. throughout the series, even turning Daisy Johnson to his side and using her as a mole. Though driven temporarily insane, Hive is revealed to have exaggerated even this as a plot to be captured then use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own devices to enact his final plan of turning a chunk of humanity into Inhumans so as to create a perfect, peaceful paradise. Hive's final moments are spent calmly reflecting that [[WellIntentionedExtremist he truly wanted what was best for Inhumans]], and dies realizing and admitting that perhaps humanity isn't as deserving of destruction as he once thought.

* [[CynicalMentor Stick]] is a member of [[Characters/MCUDimensions the Chaste]] and mentor of both [[ChildSoldiers Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios]]. Harboring Elektra, who is actually a [[LivingWeapon Black Sky]] that the Hand seek, Stick murders a Chaste member who finds out. He also trains a young Matt to overcome his blindness and teaches him to fight, intending to recruit Matt into the Chaste. Years later, Stick would continue to attempting to manipulate Matt into joining the Chaste, using Elektra to seduce him, as well as taking advantage of Matt having a common enemy in [[Characters/MCUTheHand Hand]] lieutenant, Nobu Yoshioka. Tricking Matt into being a diversion, Stick kills the Black Sky, [[WouldHurtAChild merely a child]]. Stick later returns and saves Elektra from being near-fatally poisoned, but later sees Elektra has become a liability and decides to have her assassinated. Even captured and tortured by the Hand twice, Stick demonstrates NervesOfSteel and never breaks, even cutting off his hand to escape Alexandra. Guiding the [[Characters/MCUDefenders Defenders]] in the war against the Hand, Stick learns that the Hand desire the Iron Fist, so decides to kill Danny Rand to prevent the Hand from capturing him, very nearly succeeding by paralyzing Luke Cage.

* ''Series/WandaVision'': [[Characters/MCUAgathaHarkness Agatha Harkness]] is a witch who desires [[Characters/MCUScarletWitch Wanda Maximoff]]'s Chaos Magic for her own purposes. Infiltrating Westview and Wanda's sitcom fantasies, Agatha plays the role of "[[NosyNeighbor Agnes]]", engineering scenarios such a dog dying or "[[Characters/MCUAvengers Pietro]]'s resurrection" to emotionally string Wanda and [[Characters/MCUVision Vision]] away from each other. Capturing Wanda in her basement, Agatha examines her past before attacking Wanda and her loved ones to absorb the Chaos Magic. In a last ditch effort, Agatha frees the people of Westview from Wanda's spell, guilt tripping Wanda into lowering the Hex and emotionally wrecking her into almost making a deal to allow her, Vision, and her twins to live in a more perfect fantasy to keep that latter three existing.

** Khonshu is the Egyptian God of the Moon and the patron of the eponymous Moon Knight. Cunning and ruthless to a fault, Khonshu nevertheless values the independence of humanity and strives to stop his hated rival Ammit from slaying millions around the globe based purely on their potential guilt. Khonshu wins his "Fists of Justice" through insidious manipulation; when his previous champion Arthur Harrow abandoned him, Khonshu earned the loyalty of Marc Spector by granting him a LeonineContract after the latter had been betrated and left for dead, transforming Spector into the Moon Knight. With his influence on Marc's life cast [[AmbiguousSituation possibly even back to the day that Marc was a child]], Khonshu ends up giving Marc and his alter Steven Grant their freedom--[[ExactWords while concealing that he has a third alter, Jake Lockley]], who has been loyal to Khonshu from the start. Khonshu ends the series cornering Arthur Harrow and allowing Jake to execute him, driving off ready to keep using Marc as his pawn for however long he sees fit.

* "[[Recap/WhatIfS1E3WhatIfTheWorldLostItsMightiestHeroes The World Lost its Mightiest Heroes?]]": [[Characters/MCUOtherLokiVariants "King" Loki]] shows himself to be just as cunning and competent a god as in the Sacred Timeline. Arriving on Earth after Thor's death, Loki decimates the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sent against him before parlaying with Nick Fury to discuss finding Thor's killer. Disguising himself as Fury and luring out the murderer, Hank Pym, Loki surprises and brutalizes Pym in a duel, taking him down and leaving him to be arrested. Without ever losing his cheery disposition, Loki then summons his armies of Asgard and [[TakeOverTheWorld conquers all of Earth with ease]], taking advantage of the weakened state Pym left it in, and is ultimately only beaten by the interference of the Watcher much later, after Loki has nearly taken down all of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as Earth's last defenders.
* "[[Recap/WhatIfS1E6WhatIfKillmongerRescuedTonyStark Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?]]": [[Characters/MCUErikKillmonger Erik "Prince Killmonger" Stevens]] here [[AdaptationalIntelligence opts to use subtle and pragmatic means]] to achieve his goals. He saves the life of Tony Stark to denounce Obadiah Stane and gives himself access to Stark Industries robotics. Refining drones for his own purposes, Erik murders both Rhodes and Prince T'Challa of Wakanda, [[FalseFlagOperation framing it as a murder to enhance tension between the nations]]. Killing Tony Stark in a "Wakandan Assassination," he then kills Ulysses Klaue to return to Wakanda and become the Black Panther, preparing for war after achieving all he wanted. Later helping the Guardians of the Multiverse against the mad AI Ultron, Erik tries to seize the Infinity Stones at the end to remake the world how he desires it, even [[WeCanRuleTogether offering the Guardians a chance to join him]] on his crusade.

** ''Film/IronMan2'': [[EvilCounterpart Ivan Vanko]], aka [[LightningLash Whiplash]], is the son of Anton Vanko, a disgraced colleague of Howard Stark. Vowing to destroy Tony Stark's reputation for his father's pitiable fate, Ivan developed his own arc reactor from his father's designs with limited materials and attacked Iron Man at a Grand Prix in Monaco for the sole purpose of disproving Iron Man's invincibility. Despite losing, Ivan observed that Tony was suffering from palladium poisoning and was content with knowing that Tony would be dead soon before being broken out of prison by Tony's rival [[Characters/MCUHammerAdvancedWeaponsSystems Justin Hammer]], making a deal to team up to take Tony down. Taking advantage of Hammer's resources while [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending to be incompetent]], Ivan created Hammer Drones and his own PoweredArmor for Hammer's presentation before hijacking the drones' programming and setting them loose on the crowd. Joining the fray, Ivan's suit proved a match for Iron Man and his friend [[Characters/MCUWarMachine War Machine]], and despite losing again, Ivan [[TakingYouWithMe used his death to set off explosives in every piece of machinery he made]], nearly killing Iron Man. With his determination and skills, Ivan Vanko proved to be the ultimate match to Iron Man.
* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Alexander Pierce]] is the U.S. Secretary of Defense, a member of the World Security Council, and a commanding member of [[Characters/{{MCUHYDRA}} HYDRA]], who have evolved from a Nazi science cult to a fascist conspiracy group dedicated to bringing about OneWorldOrder under their banner. Pierce had the Winter Soldier assassinate his old friend Nick Fury so Pierce can take control of [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and Project Insight, intending to use the project to massacre hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people, who could stand in HYDRA's way. Along the way he frames Captain America as a rogue agent who has to go on the run, kills his fellow members of the World Security Council, and shoots his housekeeper just for walking in on a meeting he has with the [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes Winter Soldier]]. He does all of this with calm, affable composure towards his enemies, attempting to make them understand that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans.

* [[Characters/MCUClintBarton Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye]], is the least physically powerful hero to have ever been part of the Avengers, but more than makes up for his [[BadassNormal lack of superhuman capabilities]] with his master archery, cunning mind and ruthless nature. A long-time agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who played a critical role in the recruitment of Natasha Romanoff to his organization's fold, Clint went on to [[Film/TheAvengers2012 overcome Loki's brainwashing and officially join the Avengers]] to save the world from the Chitauri invasion. Later assisting in the [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron takedown of Ultron]] and inspiration of Wanda Maximoff to heroism, Clint allies with Captain America in the "[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]" conflict, convincing Wanda and Scott Lang to join Cap's side in combating the Sokovia Accords. [[Film/AvengersEndgame At his lowest point]] following "the Snap" claiming the lives of his family, Clint becomes the brutal "Rōnin", carving a bloody path of death across the globe to kill as many criminals as he can, dismantling entire organizations before once more teaming with the Avengers to travel through time and reverse the Snap and Thanos's invasion. [[Series/Hawkeye2021 In his later outing]], Clint saves Kate Bishop from the Tracksuit Mafia, turns lieutenant Maya Lopez on the Tracksuit's leader to splinter the group, and tutors Kate on taking up the Hawkeye mantle once the Tracksuits are decimated by his schemes, Clint hoping to finally retire with his family in peace.

* [[Characters/MCUThanos Thanos]] the Mad Titan, after the death of his home world, is obsessed with reducing the population of the universe to save it and prove himself right. Forming an army of fanatics, Thanos travels from world to world, killing off half of the population of each, while taking children to raise as new warriors in his army, including his favorite daughter [[Characters/MCUGamora Gamora]]. [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Seeking the Infinity Stones]] to wipe out half the universe in one snap of his fingers, Thanos tricks and traps the heroes, staying one step ahead to reclaim the stones, even sacrificing Gamora to claim the Soul Stone at one point even as it destroys him to do so. Attacking Wakanda and repeatedly showing brilliant and effective use of the Stones, Thanos completes his gauntlet and performs the snap, before then destroying the stones to prevent his work from being undone. [[Film/AvengersEndgame When his past self from 2014 arrives]], Thanos has his daughter [[Characters/MCUNebula Nebula]] infiltrate the heroes, posing as her future self to not repeat any failures, resolving to wipe out the universe and make a new, grateful one himself before engaging in the ultimate battle for the fate of all existence.

* [[Characters/MCUHelmutZemo Baron Helmut Zemo]] was once a baron of Sokovia. Overcome with grief over losing [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron his family during the Avengers' battle with Ultron]], Zemo decides to [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar enact vengeance against them]]. Knowing he is no match for them in strength, Zemo instead devises an intricate plan to break them up by launching an attack on a UN conference, Zemo frames [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes Bucky Barnes]] for it and extracts information from him. Zemo uses a media leak to trick [[Characters/MCUTonyStark Tony]] into following [[Characters/MCUSteveRogers Steve]] and Bucky to the HYDRA compound in Siberia so he can accomplish his real plan to provoke Tony into a murderous rage against Steve and Bucky, fracturing the Avengers. In spite of being captured by [[Characters/MCUTChalla T'Challa]], Zemo still wins, [[GracefulLoser gracefully accepts his capture]], and even offers to let T'Challa kill him to avenge his father. [[Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier Later]], Zemo allies with [[Characters/MCUSamWilson Sam Wilson]] and Bucky Barnes to bring down a new batch of super soldiers, giving them aid yet manipulating them, destroying the serum, and ultimately wiping out the last super soldiers from behind bars. Zemo stands out in a world full of super-powered and supernatural beings with only his intelligence, able to cement himself as one of the work's most successful villains.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'': [[WellIntentionedExtremist Alexander Pierce]] is the US Secretary of Defense, a member of the World Security Council, and a commanding member of [[Characters/{{MCUHYDRA}} HYDRA]], who have evolved from a Nazi science cult to a fascist conspiracy group dedicated to bringing about OneWorldOrder under their banner. Pierce had the Winter Soldier assassinate his old friend Nick Fury so Pierce can take control of [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D.]] and Project Insight, intending to use the project to massacre hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people, who could stand in HYDRA's way. Along the way he frames Captain America as a rogue agent who has to go on the run, kills his fellow members of the World Security Council, and shoots his housekeeper just for walking in on a meeting he has with the [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes Winter Soldier]]. He does all of this with calm, affable composure towards his enemies, attempting to make them understand that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans.

** [[TopGod Arishem]] is the leader of the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Celestials]], a race of ancient, god-like beings responsible for [[CosmicKeystone generating cosmic forces]] and shepherding the spread of life throughout the universe. Taking it upon himself to ensure the continuation of this all-important cycle, Arishem seeds new Celestials within planets so they may feed off the energy generated by intelligent life. Using the World Forge, Arishem personally constructed the monstrous Deviants and the synthetic Eternals, the former to hunt predators that may endanger sapient life and the latter to cull the Deviants' omnicidal hunger. With an army of loyal, near-immortal beings at his command to oversee countless growing Celestials throughout the universe, the Prime Celestial wipes the Eternals' minds after the "emergence" is complete and sends them to repeat the cycle on other worlds, using their old memories to study the malfunctioning Deviants. Although the Eternals of Earth destroy Tiamut to save the planet from its [[ApocalypseHow apocalyptic birth]], Arishem declares his intention to spare humanity if shown that they're worthy, vowing to return for judgement.
** The Deviant [[SuperPersistentPredator Kro]] was trapped under the ice for centuries, escaping the Eternals' purge. Thawed out on the eve of Tiamut's emergence, Kro kills Ajak and [[PowerParasite absorbs her healing power]], using it to enhance his fellow Deviants before setting out to confront their former hunters. Kro manages to kill Gilgamesh and achieve [[ItCanThink true sapience]], learning of the Deviants' true purpose as mere failed experiments and vowing to avenge his fallen brethren. Adapting to his newfound powers with ease, the lone Deviant mimics Gilgamesh's voice to put the maddening Thena into a trance, coming within seconds of [[HeroKiller slaying his third Eternal within a single week]].

* ''Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever'': [[GodEmperor Namor]], the [[UniversallyBelovedLeader sovereign ruler]] of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, is a mutant worshiped as a god. Disgusted by the cruelties of the surface world, Namor resolved to [[WellIntentionedExtremist protect his kingdom]] and people, even if it meant invading the surface. When an American crew attempts to harvest vibranium in an underwater deposit, Namor kills them, leading to Wakanda being accused of the terrorist attack. Electing to execute Riri Williams for her invention, Namor effortlessly bypasses Wakanda's security system to make an ultimatum with Shuri and Queen Ramonda. Despite his willingness to provoke a war between Talokan and Wakanda, Namor expresses genuine respect for Shuri, even consoling her over the loss of [[Characters/MCUTChalla her brother]]. He then [[TheBadGuyWins ends the film in triumph]], revealing that his surrender was a calculated move to push Wakanda into a corner so that when the time came, Wakanda would be forced to ally with him.

-->-- '''[[Characters/MCUBaronHelmutZemo Helmut Zemo]]''', ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''

* [[Characters/MCUHawkeye Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye]], is the least physically powerful hero to have ever been part of the Avengers, but more than makes up for his [[BadassNormal lack of superhuman capabilities]] with his master archery, cunning mind and ruthless nature. A long-time agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. who played a critical role in the recruitment of Natasha Romanoff to his organization's fold, Clint went on to [[Film/TheAvengers2012 overcome Loki's brainwashing and officially join the Avengers]] to save the world from the Chitauri invasion. Later assisting in the [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron takedown of Ultron]] and inspiration of Wanda Maximoff to heroism, Clint allies with Captain America in the "[[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar Civil War]]" conflict, convincing Wanda and Scott Lang to join Cap's side in combating the Sokovia Accords. [[Film/AvengersEndgame At his lowest point]] following "the Snap" claiming the lives of his family, Clint becomes the brutal "Rōnin", carving a bloody path of death across the globe to kill as many criminals as he can, dismantling entire organizations before once more teaming with the Avengers to travel through time and reverse the Snap and Thanos's invasion. [[Series/Hawkeye2021 In his later outing]], Clint saves Kate Bishop from the Tracksuit Mafia, turns lieutenant Maya Lopez on the Tracksuit's leader to splinter the group, and tutors Kate on taking up the Hawkeye mantle once the Tracksuits are decimated by his schemes, Clint hoping to finally retire with his family in peace.
* [[Characters/MCULoki Loki Odinson]] successfully brings the Frost Giants into Asgard to trick his brother [[Characters/MCUThor Thor]] into attacking Jotunheim. After having Thor exiled and taking over Asgard during Odin's sleep, Loki attempts to destroy Jotunheim after betraying the giants, killing his birth father Laufey, all to win Odin's approval. After a brutal attack on Earth, a captive Loki assists Thor [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld against the Dark Elves]], faking a betrayal of him and then his own death to take Asgard over. After his failures, Loki finally grows enough to save the Asgardians and fight alongside Thor to [[Film/ThorRagnarok destroy their monstrous sister]], before being accosted by the Mad Titan Thanos. Loki attempts a ruse to trick and kill Thanos, his final words being to declare himself as "Odinson" and [[DefiantToTheEnd defiantly inform Thanos he will never win]].

* [[Characters/MCUKingpin Wilson Fisk]] is one of the MCU's most brilliant and skilled street-level threats. [[Series/Daredevil2015 In his introductory series]], Fisk runs a complex scheme to make himself the hero to Hell's Kitchen, all while bringing organized crime under his thumb for the supposed betterment of the city. Falling prey to his own insecurities and impulsivity, Fisk is defeated and imprisoned, but slowly rebuilds himself as more dangerous and clever than ever. Shedding his former flaws, Fisk becomes a force to be reckoned with, arranging for the Punisher to dispose of his obstacles, outmanuevers and crushes all his opposition and arranges for his own release from prison under 'house arrest' where he still dominates organized crime as the true kingpin. Steadily manipulating others into his grasp, he arranges for Benjamin Poindexter to impersonate Daredevil on several murders as to frame him, all while rising even further and even getting his hooks into FBI agents. Even when temporarily defeated, he makes a deal with Daredevil for the safety of his beloved Vanessa and seals it with an honorable handshake. [[Series/Hawkeye2021 Returning to power]] following the Blip, Fisk has asserted total control over crime in New York, operating through his puppets the Tracksuit Mafia, Eleanor Bishop and Maya Lopez to eliminate all obstacles to his reign, having even used the Rōnin for his ends while never overlooking even the smallest threats to his empire and striking fast to eliminate them.
* [[Characters/MCUBaronHelmutZemo Baron Helmut Zemo]] was once a baron of Sokovia. Overcome with grief over losing [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron his family during the Avengers' battle with Ultron]], Zemo decides to [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar enact vengeance against them]]. Knowing he is no match for them in strength, Zemo instead devises an intricate plan to break them up by launching an attack on a UN conference, Zemo frames [[Characters/MCUBuckyBarnes Bucky Barnes]] for it and extracts information from him. Zemo uses a media leak to trick [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony]] into following [[Characters/MCUCaptainAmerica Steve]] and Bucky to the HYDRA compound in Siberia so he can accomplish his real plan to provoke Tony into a murderous rage against Steve and Bucky, fracturing the Avengers. In spite of being captured by [[Characters/MCUBlackPanther T'Challa]], Zemo still wins, [[GracefulLoser gracefully accepts his capture]], and even offers to let T'Challa kill him to avenge his father. [[Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier Later]], Zemo allies with [[Characters/MCUFalcon Sam Wilson]] and Bucky Barnes to bring down a new batch of super soldiers, giving them aid yet manipulating them, destroying the serum, and ultimately wiping out the last super soldiers from behind bars. Zemo stands out in a world full of super-powered and supernatural beings with only his intelligence, able to cement himself as one of the work's most successful villains.

* ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'': [[Characters/MCUGorrTheGodButcher Gorr the God Butcher]] was once a loyal worshipper of his people's god Rapu. However, when most of his people die--including Gorr's young daughter, Love--Rapu is revealed to be nothing but a [[JerkassGods callous jerk]]. An enraged Gorr is chosen by the [[ArtifactOfDoom Necrosword]], which can kill gods, and after [[KillTheGod killing Rapu]], decides that [[RageAgainstTheHeavens all gods must die]]. Gorr starts his crusade, kidnapping the children of New Asgard to use as bait for [[Characters/MCUThor Thor]], later realizing that Thor's Stormbreaker axe is the key to reaching the wish-granting cosmic entity Eternity, which will allow him to kill all the gods in one fell swoop. After hurting Thor's friends to force him to recall Stormbreaker, Gorr manages to obtain the axe before Thor and company can retreat. In the final battle, even though Jane Foster uses Mjolnir to destroy the Necrosword, Gorr manages to reach Eternity. However, after being told by Thor that all he wants is love and actually seeing the love between Thor and a dying Jane, Gorr uses his wish to resurrect his daughter, dying happily after Thor agrees to raise Love.

Sections by release date. For examples from ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries'', see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmAToI here]]; for the Film/SpiderManTrilogy and Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]].

Sections by release date. For examples from the Film/SpiderManTrilogy and Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]].

** ''Film/IronMan2'': [[EvilCounterpart Ivan Vanko]], aka [[WhipItGood Whiplash]], is the son of Anton Vanko, a disgraced colleague of Howard Stark. Vowing to destroy Tony Stark's reputation for his father's pitiable fate, Ivan developed his own arc reactor from his father's designs with limited materials and attacked Iron Man at a Grand Prix in Monaco for the sole purpose of disproving Iron Man's invincibility. Despite losing, Ivan observed that Tony was suffering from palladium poisoning and was content with knowing that Tony would be dead soon before being broken out of prison by Tony's rival [[Characters/MCUCompanies Justin Hammer]], making a deal to team up to take Tony down. Taking advantage of Hammer's resources while [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending to be incompetent]], Ivan created Hammer Drones and his own PoweredArmor for Hammer's presentation before hijacking the drones' programming and setting them loose on the crowd. Joining the fray, Ivan's suit proved a match for Iron Man and his friend [[Characters/MCUWarMachine War Machine]], and despite losing again, Ivan [[TakingYouWithMe used his death to set off explosives in every piece of machinery he made]], nearly killing Iron Man. With his determination and skills, Ivan Vanko proved to be the ultimate match to Iron Man.

* [[Characters/MCUKingpin Wilson Fisk]] is one of the MCU's most brilliant and skilled street-level threats. [[Series/{{Daredevil}} In his introductory series]], Fisk runs a complex scheme to make himself the hero to Hell's Kitchen, all while bringing organized crime under his thumb for the supposed betterment of the city. Falling prey to his own insecurities and impulsivity, Fisk is defeated and imprisoned, but slowly rebuilds himself as more dangerous and clever than ever. Shedding his former flaws, Fisk becomes a force to be reckoned with, arranging for the Punisher to dispose of his obstacles, outmanuevers and crushes all his opposition and arranges for his own release from prison under 'house arrest' where he still dominates organized crime as the true kingpin. Steadily manipulating others into his grasp, he arranges for Benjamin Poindexter to impersonate Daredevil on several murders as to frame him, all while rising even further and even getting his hooks into FBI agents. Even when temporarily defeated, he makes a deal with Daredevil for the safety of his beloved Vanessa and seals it with an honorable handshake. [[Series/Hawkeye2021 Returning to power]] following the Blip, Fisk has asserted total control over crime in New York, operating through his puppets the Tracksuit Mafia, Eleanor Bishop and Maya Lopez to eliminate all obstacles to his reign, having even used the Rōnin for his ends while never overlooking even the smallest threats to his empire and striking fast to eliminate them.

* ''Film/BlackPantherWakandaForever'': [[GodEmperor Namor]], the [[OneHundredPercentAdorationRating sovereign ruler]] of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, is a mutant worshiped as a god. Disgusted by the cruelties of the surface world, Namor resolved to [[WellIntentionedExtremist protect his kingdom]] and people even if it meant invading the surface. When an American crew attempts to harvest vibranium in an underwater deposit, Namor kills them leading to Wakanda being accused of the terrorist attack. Electing to execute Riri Williams for her invention, Namor effortlessly bypasses Wakanda's security system to make an ultimatum with Shuri and Queen Ramonda. Despite his willingness to provoke a war between Talokan and Wakanda, Namor expresses genuine respect for Shuri even consoling her over the loss of [[Characters/MCUTChalla her brother]] and [[TheBadGuyWins ends the film in triumph]] revealing that his surrender was a calculated move to push Wakanda into a corner so that when the time came, Wakanda would be forced to ally with him.

* "[[DarkActionGirl Dottie Underwood]]" is a [[Characters/MCURussianGovernmentMilitary Red Room]] graduate and [[TheDragon accomplice]] to Fennhoff. Seducing Howard Stark so that he would show her his vault of inventions, Underwood later befriends Peggy Carter as her neighbor. Spying on Carter without detection, Underwood makes contact with Fennhoff and helps him to capture Stark, evading arrest from both Peggy and other S.S.R. agents. Upon finally being captured, Underwood easily resists giving up information and humiliates her interrogators, before being broken out by Peggy to help spy on Whitney Frost. Underwood continues to laugh off torture when captured by Frost's minions, only breaking when Frost uses her Zero Matter powers on her. Psychotic yet flirtatious, especially in her rivalry with Peggy, Underwood ends the series a [[KarmaHoudini free woman]] after escaping both Frost and Peggy's custody.

* [[BigGood Enoch]] is a Chronicom anthropologist sent to record human evolution. Learning of an extinction-level event that will occur in the near future, Enoch kidnaps the [[Characters/{{MCUSHIELD}} S.H.I.E.L.D. agents]] and sends them to the year 2091 in order to prevent the end of the world. Later assisting Leo Fitz in reuniting with his friends by [[TheSlowPath cryogenically freezing him]], Enoch and Fitz infiltrate the Kree Inhuman auction to save the latter's teammates, Enoch sacrificing himself so S.H.I.E.L.D. can return to the present. With the timeline changed, Enoch helps Fitz go on the run, before reluctantly betraying both him and Simmons to the Hunters when informed they want to learn how to time travel in order to save Chronyca-2. [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch Later rescuing his friends]], Enoch defeats a Hunter sent after him before stealing his skin to infiltrate the Chronicom forces and once again save [=FitzSimmons=]. Having stolen a Chronicom Time Stream, the three spend years preparing to stop the Hunters, returning to the time they left to put their plan into motion. Secretly scattering throughout history pieces of a time machine later used to contact Fitz and successfully execute the rest of their plan, Enoch ultimately [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices]] himself once more so that S.H.I.E.L.D. can escape a time loop, dying content that [[UndyingLoyalty he is and always has been their friend]].

* ''Film/IronMan'': The {{Big Bad}}s of the first two films:

** ''Film/IronMan2'': [[EvilCounterpart Ivan Vanko]], aka [[WhipItGood Whiplash]], is the son of Anton Vanko, a disgraced colleague of Howard Stark. Vowing to destroy [[Characters/MCUIronMan Tony Stark]]'s reputation for his father's pitiable fate, Ivan developed his own arc reactor from his father's designs with limited materials and attacked Iron Man at a Grand Prix in Monaco for the sole purpose of disproving Iron Man's invincibility. Despite losing, Ivan observed that Tony was suffering from palladium poisoning and was content with knowing that Tony would be dead soon before being broken out of prison by Tony's rival [[Characters/MCUCompanies Justin Hammer]], making a deal to team up to take Tony down. Taking advantage of Hammer's resources while [[ObfuscatingStupidity pretending to be incompetent]], Ivan created Hammer Drones and his own PoweredArmor for Hammer's presentation before hijacking the drones' programming and setting them loose on the crowd. Joining the fray, Ivan's suit proved a match for Iron Man and his friend [[Characters/MCUWarMachine War Machine]], and despite losing again, Ivan [[TakingYouWithMe used his death to set off explosives in every piece of machinery he made]], nearly killing Iron Man. With his determination and skills, Ivan Vanko proved to be the ultimate match to Iron Man.

** Arthur Harrow is the [[AffablyEvil delightfully pleasant]] leader of the Disciples of Ammit, seeking the restoration of Ammit and the [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans cleansing of all evil from the face of Earth]]. A former avatar of Khonshu who grew disillusioned with the depravity he saw in the world and Khonshu's method of dispensing justice only after evil had been done, Harrow reshapes himself into a reserved, charismatic schemer and devotes his life wholly to Ammit. Harrow hopes to unleash Ammit from her prison and assist her in killing every last person on the planet who has, is, or [[PrecrimeArrest ever will]] perpetrate evil, leaving only Harrow's diverse, educated followers to prosper in the aftermath. Outdoing Moon Knight and skillfully weaving his way around Khonshu's attempts to expose his scheme to the Ennead, Harrow successfully decimates the Ennead; duels Moon Knight and Scarlet Scarab at once; and offers himself up for judgement before Ammit upon her release, showing himself to be truly willing to die for his cause for the evil he has committed.

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'' & ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'': [[Characters/MCUYonduUdonta Yondu Udonta]], a former Kree battle slave and later Ravager, was hired to kidnap the children of Ego to deliver them to him for a fortune. Upon realizing the children were being murdered, Yondu rescued the last of them, [[Characters/MCUStarLord Peter Quill]], and raised him as a [[ParentsAsPeople flawed but devoted father]]. Yondu proceeds to hunt down the Power Stone in Peter's possession, keeping a step ahead of employers and enemies alike before showing little but pride in Peter swapping the Stone out for a troll doll. After a mutiny in the second film, Yondu is able to almost singlehandedly avenge his loyalists and wipe out his enemies before heading to save Peter from Ego and ultimately proves instrumental in stopping the mad Celestial. Acknowledging Peter as his true son, Yondu chooses to [[HeroicSacrifice give his life for Peter]], honored at the end with a funeral as a true Ravager.

Sections by release date. For examples from Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse, see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]].

Sections by release date. For examples from ''Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse'', see [[MagnificentBastard/FilmJToY here]].