Shaking in Our Boots

Comic book villains can be fascinating to read about and watch, in spite of their terrifying actions. They come in all shapes and sizes, from diabolical geniuses to absurd monsters. They have all sorts of evil plans and incredible powers to keep their heroes (and readers) up at night. With that in mind, here are 5 contenders most fans know well.

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1. The Candlemaker

The Candlemaker is a creature composed entirely of human imagination and fear made into a physical form. He can manifest the dark imaginings of those around him into reality. In addition to his macabre, candlelit appearance, his other main powers are his ability to warp reality and his unpredictability.

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2. Carnage

Carnage is one of the most crazed and unstable villains. Tied to the symbiote for life, he is at the top of the list when it comes to Spider-Man’s most dangerous opponents. Carnage is unpredictable, his brand of twisted fun usually involving wanton destruction and mayhem, leaving a trail of chaos to the point that even Venom gets unnerved by it.

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3. Scarecrow

You can’t talk about terrifying without mentioning Dr. Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow. His fear-inducing gas lets him make even the toughest victim a quivering mass of terror. Crane is both genius and madman because he studies and preys on fear, making him one of the scarier criminals around, literally.

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4. Purple Man

The Purple Man, Zebediah Killgrave, has the power to control people with his words. It makes him a pretty scary manipulator in the Marvel universe. He's terrifying not because he's strong, but because he can make even some of the most powerful heroes do anything he wants them to do.

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5. Mr. Bloom

Mr. Bloom is an enigmatic villain who thinks that Gotham City needs chaos in order to evolve. With his monstrous plant-like body and power to grant others lethal abilities, he makes hope into a grotesque weapon. A sinister presence with a steady voice and warped ideals, he's one of Batman's most disturbing and unpredictable antagonists.

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