Most major Marvel villains have a nemesis with which they constantly do battle with. They are still significant threats, and occasionally it takes more than one hero to beat them. But ultimately those antagonists hold a specific grudge against a single vigilante or team. On the flip side, there are some villains that have come to form that aggressive bond with an array of characters who they would deem to be arch-nemeses.
Often a rivalry of this nature will be prompted by a villain experiencing a very personal defeat. Each time the villain and their respective heroes wage war with one another, those negative emotions intensify leading to storied conflicts. Both on the page and the screen, these specific relationships have become absolutely iconic, and it’s hard to imagine these antagonists like Kingpin or Norman Osborn without their opposites, Spider-Man, Daredevil, the Avengers, and more.
10 Thanos
Thanos is a brutal force seeking to appease Death itself. While the character’s storied history has taken him up against plenty of Earth’s mightiest heroes, many of the Infinity Gauntlet wielder’s most prominent threats are from beyond the stars. For starters, his family have become rivals for the Mad Titan.
Both Gamora and Nebula have had debts to collect from their father, with the sisters each individually attempting to take down Thanos. Thanos’ brother, Eros has also become a major nemesis for the Eternal, with Starfox doing everything in his power to put an end to his brother’s reign of terror. Each of these characters has a complex personal connection to Thanos and each has stood in his way.
9 Kingpin
Wilson Fisk is New York’s resident Kingpin of crime. The character has risen to unbelievable heights, becoming Mayor of the city in a corrupt campaign for dominance. Kingpin has been a thorn in the side of many street-level vigilantes, but two have become arch-nemeses.
Daredevil and Spider-Man each have their own feud with Kingpin. The characters have very different approaches to tackling the big man, but each carries notable stories from their career where they have been pushed to the limits by Fisk. The vigilantes have made it a mission to take down Kingpin’s criminal circle, but the personal vendetta that Echo has against Wilson Fisk makes her a noteworthy inclusion in the discussion.
8 Carnage
The Symbiote Carnage has bonded to Cletus Kasady to form a murderous match made in hell. Carnage has no shortage of enemies and in recent years the Symbiote’s ambitions have only grown. But Carnage has ensured that a hero and an anti-hero both have grudges to settle with the serial killer.
Eddie Brock and his Symbiote Venom will forever be tied to Carnage, considering the red monster is an offshoot of Venom itself. Spider-Man on the other hand has a hand to play in Symbiote lore, with Venom originally choosing Peter Parker as a host. Thus, Carnage and the web-head have battled many times. Venom and Spider-Man are even capable of putting their differences aside to face their common enemy.
7 Ultron
Ultron the murderous android has become a mainstay of Marvel Comics. The artificial intelligence has very few weaknesses and poses a global threat that really only the Avengers can take on. The expansive team does act as an arch-nemesis of sorts to Ultron, but there are a couple of standout members.
Firstly, Hank Pym is a natural nemesis for Ultron. Ant-Man actually created Ultron and is technically the father of the machine. Pym’s rejection of Ultron has led to a deep personal rift between the two. On that same theme, Vision is also an arch-nemesis of Ultron. The villain created Vision to be an ally, but his evolution has led him to reject his ‘father’ just as Pym did.
6 Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn has taken on many guises in his career. The entrepreneur has masqueraded as the Green Goblin and the Gold Goblin in recent years. He has made plenty of powerful enemies, but his stint as the leader of the United States’ security services only elevated him as a target.
As Green Goblin, Norman is a brutal villain for Spider-Man to conquer. But across the Multiverse, there are various Spider heroes that also see Norman as their nemesis and vice versa. His time as Iron Patriot ensured that he would tear down everything Iron Man had previously stood for. This Dark Reign era led to other arch-nemeses like the Avengers who had put an end to his corrupt regime. Plus, recently Osborn learned of Queen Goblin, his latest nemesis who literally took on his sins.
5 Namor
Namor is such a complex figure who has had many grudges to contend with. The character has a distrust and dislike for humanity, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t occasionally been a hero. He’s been both a threat to and a member of the Avengers, but ultimately he will always put his own people first.
Namor and Reed Richards are natural rivals, with The Fantastic Four battling Namor throughout their career. Namor’s love for Sue Storm only complicates that relationship. What’s more, as leaders of their people Namor and T’Challa have forged a rivalry with one another which has become violent in the past. Plus, Attuma has consistently opposed Namor’s plans for the Atlanteans, leading to their conflict.
4 Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom considers himself an expert in many different areas. His mastery over technology and science led to the construction of his Doombot army, while his leadership skills maintain his tight grip on Latveria. He also has a keen interest in Marvel’s supernatural secrets.
Doctor Doom thus has an arch-nemesis for each of his areas of study. He would consider Doctor Strange a rival for instance, since he wants to claim the title of Sorcerer Supreme. And then there’s Reed Richards, a man who he respects yet wants to surpass in every capacity intellectually. Other leaders like Namor and T’Challa are secondary nemeses who Doom keeps at arm’s length due to the threat they pose to his kingdom.
3 Mephisto
Mephisto is a calculating and cruel demonic figure, with hellish ambitions for Earth. As a supernatural threat, his plots have taken him across an array of heroes, a few of which he has come to loathe more than most humans. Mephisto’s grand plans usually have a personal impact on his prey, leading to a heightened rivalry.
It’s fair to say that Mephisto’s manipulations of Scarlet Witch, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man have each respectively turned them into arch-nemeses. Doctor Strange has also become one of the figure’s most prominent enemies considering his control over all things supernatural. Whether it’s Mephisto’s role in creating Wanda’s children, his part to play in the creation of Ghost Rider, or his altering of Peter Parker’s reality, he always manages to form a reason as to why a hero might hate him.
2 Red Skull
The Red Skull is a Nazi, a Hydra leader, and one of humanity’s greatest threats. The character has evolved throughout the Marvel timeline and although at times he could be deemed as overrated, there’s a reason he has shown so much longevity. It’s obvious who his main nemesis is.
Red Skull was always meant to fight Captain America, with Steve Rogers’ ideologies showcasing the stark contrast between these two bitter enemies. However, Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes would be deemed Red Skull’s arch-nemeses based on how they supported Steve in his downfall. Wilson in particular formed further layers to that relationship when he took down Skull after he transitioned from Falcon to Cap.
1 Magneto
Magneto has fought for both sides of the mutant cause, but his disdain for humanity has remained a consistent trait. The master of magnetism has been an X-Man, the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil mutants, and even a Krakoan Council member. It’s no wonder he has so many enemies.
Friend and foe Charles Xavier was Magneto’s arch-nemesis for years, with the two rarely seeing things the same way. But Magneto’s kids, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch have seen stints where they also oppose their father. Add that to Magneto’s specific rivalries among the X-Men, and it’s clear how he was easily inserted into so many stories as an antagonist.