10 Most Embarrassing Moments For Comic Book Villains

Batman laughing at the Joker? Things don't get much worse than that...

Batman Beyond Return of the Joker
Warner Bros.

Although the principle has been moulded in recent times, when you open a comic book (or watch a comic book film), it's usually a given that - at the end of the day - the villain will lose, and the hero will win. All that matters is the scale of the victory.

It’s fair to say that there've been plenty of comic book villains out there who've had to deal with their fair share of humiliating defeats over the years. Whether it be through the simple act of underestimating their opponent, or falling victim to a particularly dastardly writer, evildoers on both sides of the Marvel-DC divide have fallen victim to defeats so great that they'll be in no rush to remember.

It's not just the unpowered who've managed to get humiliated either - some of DC and Marvel's most powerful tyrants have been taken down by the most unlikely of sources, some super-powered, others not.

But what are the worst of the worst? The takedowns so savage that even the strongest of healing factors would struggle to repair them? From rodent-based attacks to street side muggings, here are the defeats that left even the strongest of villains feeling very, very small.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.