When it comes to superhero stories, no one does it better than Marvel Comics. Since their inception in 1939, the company has churned out some of the best modern day mythology of all time. This legacy has brought Marvel to mainstream popularity, especially with the introduction of Marvel Studios' cinematic universe.
One aspect that puts Marvel ahead of many other comic book publishers is their focus on villains. For Marvel heroes, villains often reflect the protagonist's greatest flaws, while also having their own unique backstory. These particular Marvel villains have such great origin stories, it makes them stand out against their heroic foes.
10 Mystique
The X-Men franchise is chock-full of great villains. Mystique is no exception, proving herself to be one of Marvel's most iconic characters. What's compelling about the origin story of this character is the mystery surrounding the woman who originally went by Raven Darkhölme, who adopted the mutant persona later in life.
Most of Raven's origin, at least prior to the X-Men saga, is covered in the third volume of Wolverine's solo series. In the story arc titled "Get Mystique," Logan encounters Mystique in Mexico in 1921. It's during this time that Raven also meets Irene Adler, a mutant who eventually becomes Mystique's lover.
9 Galactus
Galactus is one of the most infamous villains in Marvel Comics, though he has yet to make a proper live-action debut. That is probably due to his ambitious backstory: Galactus was born as Galan, a humanoid who survives a multiversal reset. Afterwards, Galan is reborn as Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.
Galactus's mission was, as his title suggests, to destroy planets in his conquest. By doing this, he takes on heralds who seek out uninhabited worlds for him to consume. One of these heralds is the Zenn-La citizen Norrin Radd, who is transformed by Galactus into the subservient Silver Surfer.
8 Erik Killmonger
Most Marvel fans know Erik Killmonger from 2018's Black Panther movie, where the character has earned acclaim as one of the MCU's best villains. This appearance has its roots in Killmonger's comic book origins, which are just as profound. An exile from Wakanda, Erik takes up residence in Harlem, later earning a PhD at M.I.T.
However, Erik is lured back into the world of crime by Ulysses Klaw, a figure from his past. He does some odd jobs for Wilson Fisk as he becomes a mercenary, eventually giving himself the name "Killmonger." By the time he returns to Wakanda, T'Challa has opened up the country's borders, making Erik hungry for revenge.
7 Thanos
After the third and fourth Avengers movies, Thanos has become an icon of pop culture. However, he used to just be an obscure, epic villain in comic book history. The child of an Eternal, Thanos was born with Deviant genes, giving him hideous purple skin. As a result, his own mother actually attempted to kill him.
However, Thanos was allowed to live, and became a reclusive and brilliant teenager. Tragically, Thanos discovered a love for killing, eventually turning the blade against his own mother. Eventually, he garnered the title of "The Mad Titan" and set his sights on one goal: winning the affection of Death, his first love.
6 Hela
The Enchantress is the least of Thor's worries when it comes to villains. Hela made her MCU debut in Thor: Ragnarok, and while her comic book iteration is just as fearsome, there are differences in her origin. For one, Hela in the comics is the daughter of Loki, who was promised to become ruler of the dead by Odin.
However, Hela's reign over souls wasn't as awe-inspiring as he had hoped. Odin still held control over the souls of Asgardians and their human worshippers. As a result, Hela became power-mad, stealing parts of Odin's soul to take control over the dead. Thankfully, Thor was able to stop her from finishing her violent conquest.
5 Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains, perfected on-screen by Willem DaFoe's fearsome portrayal. The comic version of Norman Osborn isn't so different from the screen adaptation. Desperate to prove himself to his abusive father, Norman made a deal with Mephisto that made Oscorp financially successful.
As a result, Norman became corrupt with power, estranging himself from his son, Harry. After a fight, Harry switches the chemicals in Norman's superhuman serum, causing Norman to fully lose his grip on reality. This leads Norman to adopt the persona of Green Goblin, with the goal of becoming the biggest crime lord in New York City.
4 Doctor Doom
Victor Von Doom was born in Latveria, and as a child, his mother was killed by Mephisto in a deal gone wrong. As a result, the young Doom sought to learn magic in the hopes of bringing her back, but he was never able to. Eventually, Victor enrolled in college in New York, where he first meets Reed Richards and Ben Grimm.
Desperate to prove himself to his peers, Doom tried to invent a machine to astral project himself into other dimensions. This was another attempt at reuniting with his mother, but the machine disastrously malfunctions and scars Victor's face. Blaming Richards, Doom masks his face and becomes a villain of The Fantastic Four.
3 Jean Grey
Similar to characters like Wanda Maximoff, Jean Grey's status as a villain is debatable. She rose to prominence as a member of the heroic X-Men, though she becomes destined for a dark path. Jean Grey was a mutant whose telepathic powers were awakened after she watched her best friend die as a child.
Jean's powers are closely tied to an entity known as the Phoenix, which becomes her X-Men moniker. Eventually, the Phoenix becomes corrupted, turning Jean Grey into the Dark Phoenix, an enemy of the X-Men. As Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey's kill count was in the millions, though she was kept in control by Professor X.
2 Magneto
Unfortunately, the X-Men have bigger problems than Jean Grey when it comes to villains. Max Eisenhardt was a former inmate of Auschwitz, who after escaping learned that he could manipulate magnetic fields. Adopting the name Erik Lehnsherr, this powerful condition causes Max to be seen as othered by society.
Max decides to use his powers to conquer the Earth in the name of mutants. Sadly, this transformation into the villain known as Magneto puts Max at odds with Charles Xavier, his former friend. While Xavier forms the supergroup known as the X-Men, Magneto becomes the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
1 Loki
Perhaps one of Marvel's most iconic and tragic villains is Loki Laufeyson, the brother of Thor. Born the son of ice giants, Odin took pity on the infant Loki and adopted him. Throughout Loki's childhood, the god became envious of the way Thor was treated by Asgardians, turning him spiteful and villainous.
Eventually, Loki began to master spell-crafting, deciding he would use it to conquer the world. In one instance, Loki became jealous of Thor's relationship with Lady Sif, leading him to cut off Sif's hair in the middle of the night. This is one of the earliest moments where Loki and Thor became as adversaries, but it wouldn't be the last.