Given the long list of superheroes under the Marvel banner, they need a lot of powerful villains to give them a hard time. So many of the Marvel bad guys have become as iconic as the heroes and we’ve seen many of them brought to life on the big screen, whether it be in the MCU or another studio. However, like the female heroes of the Marvel universe, the female villains don’t always get the attention they deserve.
Compared to the number of male villains Marvel has created, there are relatively few female villains. But they have proven to be some of the most powerful characters in the comics and always provide a good fight for the heroes. Check out Marvel’s most powerful female villains.
10. Madame Masque
Madame Masque is a mysterious and formidable foe who was first introduced in Iron Man #17. Previously, she was known as Whitney Frost, the daughter of the crime lord Count Nefaria who brought her into his life of crime. She soon became an accomplished villain in her own right, and after a plane crash scarred her face, she donned a gold mask and a new name.
Madame Masque has proven to be a skilled fighter and expert spy. She has been a long time enemy of Iron Man along with being an occasional love interest of Tony Stark. Though she has yet to appear in a Marvel film, she was a villain in the Agent Carter series.
9. Mystique
Mystique is now known as one of the X-Men’s best heroes in the Fox series which just came to a close in Dark Phoenix. However, that version of Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, seems to retcon what he knows of her being a deadly and evil mutant.
Mystique has the ability to shapeshift into anyone else. This obviously makes her a perfect spy and infiltrator. She is also a highly skilled assassin and a fighter who can go toe-to-toe with just about any of the X-Men. She is usually seen as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, though she has also been known to strike out on her own.
8. Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary made her first appearance in Daredevil #254. She was a prostitute working at a brothel where Matt Murdock came to after tracking down a criminal. After getting involved with the ensuing altercation, Mary was accidentally knocked out of a window. The accident caused her to develop three distinct personalities — a quiet pacifist (Mary), a lustful killer (Typhoid) and a ruthless maniac (Bloody Mary).
Mary is also a mutant who possess such powers as limited telekinesis, pyrokinesis and mind control. She is usually an enemy of Daredevil, but she did appear in the second season of the now-canceled Iron Fistseries, played by Alice Eve.
7. Selene
Selene is another mutant baddie who made her debut in New Mutants #9. She is one of the oldest characters in the Marvel universe, with her confirmed to have been around at least as long as Apocalypse. She is a member of the Hellfire Club and sometimes seen as their leader which means she has several run-ins with the X-Men.
Her long life is the result of her main ability which allows her to drain the life force from others to rejuvenate herself. She was seen recently in Dark Phoenix, although it was a small role as a member of Magento’s Brotherhood, which hardly addressed the interesting aspects of her character.
6. Nebula
In the MCU, Nebula has become one of the most valuable heroes around. After finding some redemption in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Nebula joined forces with the Avengers in their fight against her father Thanos. But as Endgame reminded us, it wasn’t too long ago that Nebula was a loyal participant in her father’s evil plans.
She is a cybernetically enhanced being which grants her super strength and the ability to heal herself quickly. She is also a skilled fighter, and although we didn’t get to see this moment in the films, she briefly wielded the Infinity Gauntlet.
5. Lady Deathstrike
Lady Deathstrike made her first appearance in Daredevil #197, though she is most known as an X-Men villain. She is the daughter of Lord Dark Wind, the criminal scientist who came up with the process of bonding adamantium to the skeleton, which gave Wolverine his famous claws. Unlike Wolverine, Lady Deathstrike requested having his procedure done to make her a more effective killer.
Deathstrike is a mercenary and assassin, which means she is one of the most skilled fighters in the Marvel Universe. She also possesses the healing factor of Wolverine. In X2: X-Men United, Lady Deathstrike had a memorable supporting role in which she proved she is more than a match for Wolverine.
4. Emma Frost
Emma Frost eventually became one of the key members of the X-Men, even marrying Cyclops, but she was once one of their most deadly enemies. Making her first appearance in The Uncanny X-Men #129, Frost is a powerful telepath who, after being disowned by her rich family, built her own empire.
For a time, Frost was sort of like a villainous version of Charles Xavier. Their powers made them some of the most powerful mutants of all and as leader of the Hellfire Club, Frost began recruiting young mutants to form her own team of supervillains. She was played by January Jones in X-Men: First Class.
3. Enchantress
Enchantress is one of Thor’s most famous foes, making her debut in Journey into Mystery #103. She is a powerful sorceress whose magic abilities rival Loki’s. She has teamed up with Loki on several occasions to take of Thor, however, Enchantress has also tried to seduce the God of Thunder many times before.
Her magic abilities are extensive but she is particularly skilled as a mind-controller. She is protected by Skurge, who loves her even though she only uses him as her personal muscle. She has proven to be one of Thor’s most formidable enemies.
2. Hela
Hela is the Goddess of Death who was introduced in Journey into Mystery #102. She is appointed by Odin as ruler over the dead which seems like a pretty ideal position for her. However, over the years, she begins to develop a hatred for Odin and as a way of getting back at him, she attempts to take Thor’s soul.
Being a God, you can bet Hela is powerful, being one of the few characters Thor cannot beat physically. In Thor: Ragnarok, Hela was presented as Odin first-born and an immensely powerful being who draws her energy from Asgard.
1. Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix is the most powerful mutant of all time. In the comics, Jean Grey discovers a deep power residing within herself which is unleashed in the form of the Dark Phoenix. This turns her into a god-like being who is unstoppable — even by mutants as powerful as Professor X and Magneto.
This classic X-Men story has been told in many different ways with X-Men: The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix being the cinematic versions of the tale. Each iteration shows the Dark Phoenix’s powers are unmatched and limitless.
