dangioffre
5 Story Arcs
Jun 6, 2026
Staff
Ranked
Definitive Villain Origin Stories
The specific story arcs that pulled back the curtain to reveal how the greatest antagonists came to be. The best villain backstories in comics.
The Killing Joke
Mini-Series Arc
Ended
1
The Killing Joke is the definitive Joker origin story, a chilling meditation on the thin line between sanity and madness.
The Dark Knight Returns
Mini-Series Arc
Ended
2
The Dark Knight Returns gave us an aged Bruce Wayne's final war on crime, redefining Batman and the superhero genre.
Year One (Batman)
Main Story
Ended
3
Year One tells Bruce Wayne's origin with a gritty realism that has informed every Batman adaptation since.
World War Hulk
Crossover Event
Ended
4
World War Hulk is the ultimate villain origin payoff, as Hulk returns from space to take revenge on the heroes who exiled him.
Kree/Skrull War
Crossover Event
Ended
5
The Kree/Skrull War is Marvel's first great cosmic epic, establishing the alien politics that underpin the Marvel universe.
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