10 Comics Villains Who CHEATED Their Powers

I kinda HAD to put Mysterio at the top of this list. Other villains have cheated to get ahead, or fool the hero, or find some clever trick to evade capture or disobey the rules of their own powers. But cheating and trickery are Mysterio's entire schtick, so it felt wrong to put him anywhere but at the top.

Mysterio is a failed illusionist who, when the stage didn't sate his ego like he thought it would, decided to become a thief, using his mastery of sleight of hand and special effects to make everyone think he's more powerful than he really is. Which is to say, not very powerful at all.

He wouldn't be using these tricks if he was in any way capable on his own, after all. And while occasionally Mysterio has gotten a taste of true power, he always defaults back to the parlor tricks because that really is all this dude's got.

But, to be fair, he's a pretty damn good illusionist, so who are we to judge?