
I was flipping through the Marvel Previews recently and came across the image to the left. To be honest, I didn't even stop since she didn't look like any character I had ever seen.
But as I started to look more closely at the magazine I was tried to find Daredevil and BAM! I realized this is a cover for Daredevil #111.
So this is Lady Bullseye.
Yep.
Lady Bullseye.
Bullseye with boobs.
Now I will give the creative team the benefit of the doubt and of course will pick up this issue (I'm a completist after all). But they better do this right or it could go horribly wrong.
Imagine this being done to any other character's villain. Lady Green Goblin? Lady Joker? Lady Lex Luther (snicker).
Lady Ultron? Oh...never mind.
So with the introduction of this new character I thought I would complete a much needed Daredevil writing exercise and list my Top 10 favorite villains. Complete with thesis statements and purdy pictures.
Remember now, DD is not known for his cool villains. His most well known villains are, well, unknown. He has Bullseye. He has Kingpin. Who was actually a carry over from Spider-Man (Wilson's first appearance was in Amazing Spidey #50 true believers!).
Also, this list does not use the terms "best", "coolest" or "greatest" to describe itself. The term "favorite" does a much better job...since these are my favorites. And really, nothing else should matter dammit!
This post will consist of Part One (Villains ranked 8-10). Make sure to catch Part Two, Three and Four to get to Numerous Uno!
#10 - Stilt-Man
I know. And I completely agree. Stilt-Man blows! But (butt monkey!) as a kid I thought he was pretty cool. As an adult I can understand that all you have to do is yank the damn pansy out of his suit. Or simply trip him and down he goes 20 stories to his doom.
But wait! That is the beauty of Stilt-Man. DD is always acting out this stupid morality play in his mind (okay not stupid...he's a hero) so he can't just trip old Stilty because of all the people he could injure or kill.
It's as if Stilty's best offense is a good defense.
Which is pretty stupid.
Old Stilt-Man has been through a lot over the years though. And I'm not talking the new one that popped up in the latest Marvel Team-Up book, I still don't think anyone knows who that guy is. I'm talking about the original.
Wilbur Day!
You can say that old Wilbur isn't a good villain because he always loses, but don't all villains? I mean, Joker never kills Batman (all you Barbara Gordon fans settle down). Lex Luther has never bested Superman. So old Wilbur tried his best.
For heaven's sake, he even took on Thor once!
He even hooked up with and married the Circus of Crime's Princess Python. He fought against Spider-Man, Captain America and countless others. He kept trying and trying and trying to improve his suit. Diligence stands for something man!
And then Frank Miller had Turk beat him over the head, steal the Stilt-Suit and Wilbur was never the same. Although Wilbur actually helped DD take down Turk by "manipulating the gyroscopes that keep the battlesuit balanced". Amen brother.
And in case you still don't feel the magic with Wilbur Day, he later saved Spider-Man's life (yes THE Spider-Man). Sure Spider-Man saved Mr. Stilts from a blast which knocked himself unconscious and in peril. But do you think Osborn would have made sure Spidey was safe?
Okay, maybe Stilt-Man is a lame as villain. But I love him anyway!
#9 - Mysterio
Mysterio, aka Quentin Beck, was the best Mysterio. Sure, sure, he was originally a Spidey villain (aren't they all?) but Spidey had actual cool villains. Mysterio couldn't keep up with the likes of the Green Goblin, Venom and The Spot (woot!), so he started slumming in Daredevil's end of town.
What I loved best about Beck was the run that relaunched DD into the comic book spotlight, written by Kevin Smith and drawn by Joe "I'm-gonna-rule-Marvel-someday" Quesada. Go back and read Volume 2, #1-7 (thru issue 8 if you want to be really particular). Buy the TPB if you have to! It's a great story arc and Quentin was a big SOB through all of it.
On a related note, the TPB of these issues has a forward by Ben Affleck about four years before he ruined the chance that there would ever be a good Daredevil movie made. Ugh...if only we knew then what we knew now. But I digress...
Mysterio is up there for me because he killed Karen Page. I know, I know...technically Bullseye killed Karen, but Mysterio made the whole thing possible. And then at the end, when he realizes he is done, he does the deed himself and goes out like Kraven the Hunter. His words, not mine.
What an SOB. What a villain!
#8 - The Owl
Leland Owlsley. What a dusch bag! He actually was a wealthy finance dude and went a little too far with his financing schemes. So the IRS comes knocking he does what any other embezzling weasel would do, he starts The Owl Gang.
And he was around as early as Daredevil #3! So this has to make him a classic DD villain. Up until this issue DD was destined to only fight Spidey losers like Electro (Vol 1, #2). You could say that The Owl put DD on the map.
Okay, no you couldn't.
Leland then turns to drugs (a serum to boot!) and starts slowly becoming more....um....owly.
He's stayed a lasting member of DD villainy and actually is becoming cooler by the decade. Who knows what is up next for Leland. But he was old, fat, and smart. And he had a headquarters that looked a lot like Nite Owl from The Watchmen. No kidding...check it out:

Copyright infringement anyone? For shame Alan Moore.
Alright that does it for Part One of my Top 10 Favorite Daredevil Villains. Make sure to stay tuned for the Top 7 coming soon!
And yes, I really am breaking this up in to a 3-3-3-1 format because they are really long posts....
Make sure to give me your comments...we love to hear what you think.
"Now read these comics and learn something will ya!"

Labels: Comics, Marvel Comics, Top 10 Lists