10 James Bond Fates Worse Than Death

2012's absolutely excellent Skyfall brought us, among other things, a truly engaging and even sympathetic villain in the form of Raoul Silva, played with flamboyant menace by Javier Bardem. A cyber-terrorist who has been releasing the identities of NATO agents operating undercover in the field, leading to their grisly murders, Silva is captured all-to-easily by MI6.

Upon his capture and incarceration, Silva reveals his vengeful motive to Bond and M. It transpires that as a younger MI6 agent, he was handed over to the Communist Chinese government by M herself in exchange for a peaceful transition of power for Hong Kong.

During his captivity, throughout which he was tortured and interrogated mercilessly, he attempted suicide using a concealed hydrogen cyanide implant. The attempt failed, though not without leaving him horrifically physically and psychologically damaged.

Removing a facial prosthesis reveals the extent of Silva's enduring injuries - including a catastrophically damaged upper jaw, mutilated teeth and slurred, raspy speech. It's also heavily implied that without the prosthesis, he struggles to breathe properly. Silva's immense pain is clearly ongoing, making his reasoning all the more chilling and understandable.