Next Stop: World Domination! Trivia Quiz

Answer: DC Comics

If Superman is DC Comic's greatest hero then Lex Luthor, as the Man of Steel's greatest rival, would need to be DC's greatest mortal villain. Luthor has been many things; a mad scientist, a corrupt businessman and a ruthless politician but above all, he is evil. Yes, there have been times when he has appeared to be saving the world but the whole design has been to further his own self-interests. The man has the greatest mind on the planet but he is also the most selfish man on this Earth and it is this failing that so often brings about his downfall.

In the new DC Universe he has assembled a team called Totality that he claims is "a shield to protect the world". Headed by Luthor, it also includes among its ranks the likes of Mr Terrific, Talia al Ghul, Hawkgirl, the Martian Manhunter and Vandal Savage, a more potent mix of moralities you will struggle to find.

Answer: DC Comics

You will find Captain Cold in the Flash's gallery of rogues, in fact he is the leader of the Rogues. His real name is Leonard Snart and he operates with a code of honour. Unusual yes, but this has endeared him in the hierarchy of villainy. In the "New 52" reboot of the character, his team's code is not to kill.

Those not familiar with him in the comic world will probably be aware of him in the television series "DC Legends of Tomorrow", where he appears as a killer with a heart of gold. This is a major modification of his character as, in the comic book world, he never steps outside of his villainy. Snart does not possess any innate super-powers or mutations but relies on his wits, his instincts and his cold guns to succeed. Having said that, in the New 52 universe, he was, temporarily, endowed with meta-human cold powers.

Answer: DC Comics

Ra's al Ghul is a master strategist and, in this, he is Batman's equal. One only needs to recall how he masterfully managed to deceive the Caped Crusader to provide his DNA for Damian, the cloned son of his daughter Talia, in an effort to destroy the city of Gotham. Blessed with immortality he is the leader of the League of Assassins and he seeks to shape the world into his own design.

He too is not averse to aligning himself with the forces of good but you can bet your bottom dollar that he has only done so because it will further his own needs and plans.

Answer: DC Comics

Deathstroke is an arch-nemesis of the Teen Titans. He is a master assassin, a cold-blooded killer, a man who doesn't hesitate to kill and shows no remorse in the process. Despite this, over the years he has run the gauntlet between villain and hero, though, on those occasions it is usually because the Earth has been confronted by a greater evil. Perhaps he has the making of a true anti-hero and it will be interesting to see where the writers lead us with him.

Answer: DC Comics

The Clown Prince of Crime is, undoubtedly, Batman's greatest mortal enemy. One of the purest pieces of evil that was designed by the team at DC, the Joker remains high on the public enemy list because he doesn't know where or when to stop. He is always seeking ways to go that little bit further, strike a little deeper and create ways to be blacker than evil already is. Unafraid to take on the whole world he did, on one occasion, manage to secure the powers of Mr Mxyzptlk and virtually took on the whole DC Universe.

Answer: Marvel Comics

This was not meant to be subterfuge as most would know of Norman Osborn as the human behind the Green Goblin. But Norman has been the antagonist under so many guises that to simply record him as the Goblin would have been a disservice. In his own form he has been the leader of the team known as HAMMER, a replacement for SHIELD, he has been the Iron Patriot, the Red Goblin and, as you're aware, the Green Goblin.

It is as the latter that he has built his reputation upon and become one of Spiderman's greatest enemies, to the point that he kills Spidey's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy ("The Night Gwen Stacy Died" - "The Amazing Spiderman" #121 & 122 - [1973]). During this storyline he (Norman) is apparently killed but, like all good villains, he finds a way to come back from the dead.

Answer: Marvel Comics

More than a being, Galactus is a force of nature. Plagued by a boundless hunger Galctus stalks the universe seeking to sate itself. Consuming planets, its shadow is enough to strike fear into any universe that it ventures into. It is little wonder that it is attracted to our Earth and the rich bounty that it possesses. Such is his threat that the Fantastic Four cannot combat it alone and you will often find them teaming up with other heroes and villains as necessary.

The creation of this character is an interesting story in itself, as it supposedly occurred when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee discussed the prospect of "what would happen if the Fantastic Four confronted God".

Answer: Marvel Comics

If your knowledge of Doctor Doom stems solely from the "Fantastic Four" series of movies you would struggle to rate this man as a serious threat to the world, but, in the Marvel Comic's Universe this man is villainy supreme. He is smarter than Reed Richards, a man he hates with a passion, and he has sorcery powers that were, at one point, touted as being the equal of those of Doctor Strange. Capable of using his genius intellect to combine science with magic, throw in his ability to mind transfer, super strength and an indomitable will and you wind up with one serious supervillain.

Answer: Marvel Comics

In recent times we have seen Magneto graduate to being one of the good guys, aligning himself with the X-Men and a range of other mutants on the mutant nation of Krakoa. Forget that because we came to know and love him as a bad guy. He was a supervillain who, in his own eyes, had a perfectly moral reason for his actions... protecting mutant-kind.

Whilst we can all sympathize with that, the fact that it comes at the expense of human-kind makes him an out and out evil. Magneto first appeared in "Uncanny X-Men" #1 (1963) and is without doubt one of the most compelling characters, if not the biggest menace in the Marvel Comic's Universe.

Answer: Marvel Comics

One of the oldest villains on the books of the Marvel universe, the Red Skull is the nemesis of Captain America and, many believe, is the exact opposite of the shield bearing Avenger. Indoctrinated with the Nazi ideals of World War II, the Skull adhered to these principles well after that conflict had been resolved.

Undaunted by failure he achieved, possibly, his greatest success in the "Secret Empire" (2017) saga, a crossover series that picks up from the "Avengers: Standoff!" storyline and sees Steve Rogers (Captain America) as a Hydra sleeper agent who eventually conquers the United States and has the Avengers turn against him. Eventually the "real" Steve appears, saves the day and the Red Skull "apparently" meets his doom.

Answer: Other Comics

The Violator appears in the first edition of Spawn in 1992. He is sent to Earth by Malebolgia, the ruler of the Eighth Circle of Hell, with the task of keeping an eye on Al Simmons (Spawn). Violator, whose best incarnation is that of a psychotic clown... short, fat, balding and covered in blue face paint, enough to scare any child, feels that he is far superior to Malebolgia's latest spawn that he harasses Simmons to the nth degree. Despite the fact that he gets killed off numerous times, he winds up back in Hell where his master restores him to life and returns him to Earth.

The "Spawn" comic is published by Image Comics.

Answer: Other Comics

Flintheart is an South African/American Pekin duck that was created by the team at Disney. He is touted as the "Second Richest Duck in the World" and, along with the likes of the Beagle Boys and John D. Rockerduck, does his utmost to rid Scrooge McDuck, his main rival, of his fortune. Flint, like Scrooge, has a massive appetite for wealth, is extremely ambitious, manipulative and ruthless.

He has been drawn similar to Scrooge but, unlike Donald Duck's uncle, he does not have an ounce of compassion in his make-up.

Answer: Other Comics

Guillermo Del Toro does a great job of radically transforming Karl Kroenen in his 2004 film "Hellboy", into an obsessed assassin, with a penchant for masochism, a desire for perfection and a fear of germs, hence the tight fitting gas-mask and suit. In the comics though, Koenen is an unremarkable German scientist seeking ways to extend life and building the perfect army for the Nazi effort. He appears to be obsessive-compulsive about germs and bacteria and, as a result, similar to the movie version, constantly wears the protective bodysuit and mask.

In both versions though the pair align themselves with Grigori Rasputin and try to assist the mad monk in his plans to destroy the world. The "Hellboy" comics were created by Mike Mignola and are published by Dark Horse Comics.

Answer: Other Comics

Omni-Man is from the planet Viltrumite, a race that is dying out. They send Omni-Man to Earth with a view to conquering it. Disguised as best-selling author (not a reporter) Nolan Grayson, Omni-Man could be Superman's evil twin. He has super speed, super strength, is invulnerable and he has one thing that Superman doesn't... a super-sized moustache.

Omni marries an Earth woman and, together, they have a son. Yes, the son grows up with super powers as well. When Omni reveals his plans to his son and tries to recruit him, his son rebels and Omni, realizing that he cannot kill his son, flees. He is captured by the Viltrumites and sentenced to death for the failing in his mission. Rescued at the last minute by Allen the Alien he looks to turn to the good side.

Omni-Man is a part of the "Invincibles" Universe which is published by Image Comics.

Answer: Other Comics

Shredder is a master of ninjutsu, the leader of a group of assassins known as the Foot Clan and is the arch-nemesis of Splinter and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Forget the Shredder that you know from the Archie Comic's series, where he's more of a goofball, the original working by Eastman and Laird produced a much darker version.

Shredder, in the original version published by Mirage Comics, is pushed toward the dark side when Hamato Yoshi (the owner of the rat known as Splinter), a revered Ninja warrior, kills his (Shredder's) brother in a fight over a woman. He ventures to New York City where he tracks down Yoshi and kills him and believes that is the end of the story. What he doesn't realize is that Splinter will will transform into the giant ninja master rat that becomes the sensei to four equally skilled turtles.

Unlike the 1990 film "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", in the comics the Turtles confront and kill Shredder in their first meeting but Shredder is brought back to life by a mystic, reanimating him using the worms that had eaten his body. Told you it was darker.