1. Loki - Thor/Avengers Assemble
There was literally no other villain from Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that couldve toppled this guy from claiming the number one spot. Everything about Loki as a villain is brilliant, from his jet black hair to his arrogant attitude and even his flaws. Loki has the deepest and strongest character arc out of any villain on this list, as in Thor he is a jealous younger brother who causes contradictory emotions and annoys us because of his scheming ways, yet we also feel sympathy for him as his older brother Thor is a bit of jackass in the first half of the film. As Thor progresses, Lokis villainy and scheming go to new levels as he claims rule of Asgard yet also defeats the Frost Giants. However, his treatment towards the Frost Giants turns into genocide, and therefore arguably one of the most evil acts any Marvel villain has enacted in a film, as he wishes to wipe out their entire race, as well as his own compromised identity. Lokis tyrannical attitude stems from his need for his father, Odin, to be proud of him. As Thor ends, and Lokis fate remains uncertain, there is still a sense of pity and sympathy towards the character, and the fact that a villain can evoke these emotions from us emphasises he is a truly great character, almost to a Shakespearian degree. Tom Hiddlestons performance as Loki was such a hit with Marvel and fans alike that he was invited back for Marvels most anticipated film, Avengers Assemble. The fact Loki lived to fight another day in another film is a feat within itself, as in superhero films a villains character arc and life span only usually lasts one film. They are introduced, they become the threat and then they are either defeated indefinitely or killed. The fact Loki not only returns, but returns as a truly detestable villain as he even attempts to kill his own brother, therefore showing further character development from the sympathetic character he once was, shows just how popular a character he is. Loki brings with him a whole army of Chitauri to destroy and tyrannically rule over earth, and the only thing that can stop him is a super-group of the worlds mightiest heroes. The fact there seems to be no bounds to Loki's villainy, as well as the extents to which S.H.E.I.L.D need to go to to stop him, emphasises just how brilliant and threatening a villain he is. The fact Loki doesnt meet his demise at the end of Avengers Assemble shows that Marvel know when they have something good, and much like RDJ, they arent too keen to let Hiddleston and his crowd-pleasing Loki depart from our screens just yet. The fact that the biggest moment of the jam-packed trailer for the Thor sequel, Thor: The Dark World, was the reveal of a rather disheveled looking Loki, continues to show that Loki is such a fun, entertaining fan-favourite villain. I know many people have made a big deal out of the appearance of Thanos at the end of Avengers Assemble, and though he may have been the mastermind behind Lokis invasion of earth, the guy wasnt really a character, and only had like a second of screen time, but hopefully once Marvels Phase Two of their epic and awesome Marvel Cinematic Universe is done and dusted, Thanos as well as some other fan favourite villains may be ranking highly on my list. Who are your favourite Marvel villains? Feel free to comment below and tell me how wrong my list is.