For a lot of people, the best and most exciting part of any comic book movie are the villains. And why not? Unlike the heroes, villains aren't bound by rules, morals or obligation - they do whatever they want, when then they want to do it. And aside from usually being gifted with awesome abilities like super intelligence or super strength, comic book villains are almost aways of the eccentric kind. Whereas heroes have to play into the light, presenting themselves in a serious or stoic manner, a villain gets to play into the shadows: weird, quirky or just batsh*t crazy. Since the early 2000s, cinema has gifted us with an elite smörgåsbord of brilliantly-realised villains, all of whom have been played memorably by a variety of talented actors: from Heath Ledger to Ben Kingsley, Kevin Spacey to Michael Shannon, these performers have relished the chance to chew the scenery and go wild. Join us, then, as we count down 20 particularly awesome comic book villain moments from across the span of filmic adaptions, where these frightening, delusional, maniacal, insane, bewildering, or conflicted characters totally owned...
20. Falcone Explains "Fear" To Bruce - Batman Begins
It's often forgotten that there are two big villains in Batman Begins - Ra's al Ghul, and gangster Carmine Falcone. After a failed attempt to murder the man who murdered his own parents, Bruce Wayne ventures to the underground club where Carmine Falcone, the largest criminal boss in Gotham, takes his refuge, to prove hat he's not afraid. In a badass monologue, Falcone schools Bruce on the power of "fear," thus indadvertedly putting him onto the path that eventually leads to... well, Batman. Still, Falcone is notably chilling here. He totally owns Bruce. And Gotham.
19. Ma-Ma On The Gatling Gun - Dredd
Lena Headey's villainous Ma-Ma was one of the best things about the brilliant Dredd movie from 2013 - scarred, ruthless, and like a God to each and every one of her terrified male underlings, there was no moment quite as owning as the one which saw her taking control of an insanely large Gatling gun, attempting to take Judge Dredd down. After all, he's intruding on her territory - what do you expect? The malevolence in her gaze as she tries to murder him is brilliantly executed by Headey - the image of Ma-Ma stuck on the gun turret long sticks in the mind.
