Top 10 Female Villains in Marvel (Comics & MCU)

Even though we often look at some of the most iconic villains in Marvel as men who want to rule the world or destroy things, we also can’t forget that there are female Marvel villains that can be just as sinister and dangerous as their male counterparts. Of course, like some of the male villains in Marvel, these female villains are complex characters with stories contributing to their rise as villains.

While there are a lot of female villains in Marvel Comics and the MCU, some stand out more than others. It is the fact that they stand out well and have their own amazing stories and powers that allow them to be as iconic as they are. So, in that regard, let’s look at the top female villains in Marvel.

10. Agatha Harkness

In the comics, Agatha Harkness has always been one of the characters the Scarlet Witch has clashed with. Of course, we saw her debut in the MCU during the events of the WandaVision series, as she was secretly the one pulling the strings behind the entire mess in the town of Westview. As a nosey neighbor, Agatha was responsible for pushing Wanda and making her awaken her powers as the Scarlet Witch.

While not as powerful as Wanda, Agatha is an adept sorceress and a powerful witch who has been around for centuries. Her powers allow her to tap into the near-infinite magical energy found on the planet, making her powerful. But she is on this list because Kathryn Hahn did such a great job portraying her in WandaVision that she became an internet sensation and was popular enough to earn her own show.

9. Lady Deathstrike

While we’ve seen a version of her in the classic Fox X-Men movies, Lady Deathstrike is a character that has a deeper and more complex storyline than what the second X-Men live-action movie would suggest. Born Yuriko Oyama, she is the daughter of the first scientist to bind adamantium with bones. She also became obsessed with Wolverine, an unintended successful creation of her father. That was why she also became similar to him in the sense that she had her bones bonded with adamantium.

Because she is quite similar to Wolverine, Lady Deathstrike has adamantium claws and a body that repairs itself through technology. She is a cyborg with a body that can repair automatically and connect with computers. As such, her abilities are similar to Wolverine’s mutant powers but were synthetically created when she became a cyborg. Of course, she is just as skilled as Wolverine in her fighting abilities.

8. Moonstone

Moonstone may appear in the upcoming The Marvels movie, featuring three prominent female heroines: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. Moonstone is likely to appear as the main enemy of the Marvels in that movie. Of course, she has a history with Captain Marvel in the comics.

Karla Sofen got hold of ancient Kree relics called the Moonstones and became Moonstone. She eventually absorbed the essence of the Moonstones and allowed them to fuse with her nervous system as she acquired superhuman strength, speed, and durability that rival Captain Marvel. On top of that, she can manipulate light and gravity, making her an incredibly tough opponent.

7. Titania

Titania is another one of the Marvel Comics characters that made their way to the MCU but differently as she was introduced as a social media influencer with legal problems during the events of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. However, her storyline in the comics is a bit different compared to what we saw in the MCU series, which has gotten mixed reviews from fans and critics alike.

Born Mary MacPherran, Titania was a high school outcast that eventually became the superpowered Titania when she joined Doctor Doom’s army. She gained superpowers that made her strong enough to fight She-Hulk on par. Of course, while she is weaker than She-Hulk, she can still kick butt and is highly resistant to physical injury, making her a worthy rival for the Jade Giantess.

6. Emma Frost

Emma Frost is one of the most complex characters in Marvel because she started as a villain but has now become one of the leaders of the X-Men. Of course, she is on this list because, as mentioned, she used to be a villain and was once a member of the Hellfire Club, wherein she was called the White Queen.

Often portrayed as a ruthless and amoral character, Emma Frost is an Omega-level mutant with telepathic abilities that are on par with Professor X. In that regard, she is a powerful character with psychic abilities right at the top. And she can even assume a diamond form that makes her body incredibly hard and durable while making her immune to telepathic and psionic attacks.

5. Mystique

Mystique is another one of the popular X-Men villains with a past that can be quite complex yet very understandable. You will understand why she became a villain if you know what she went through. And like the other mutants in Marvel, she was an outcast that struggled to find her place in the world due to how mutants were often seen as pests that needed to be eradicated.

Nevertheless, Mystique has always been one of the most dangerous villains in the X-Men storyline because of her ability to shape-shift into anyone. This makes her a versatile character that can be useful in many situations, such as espionage, assassinations, and sabotage. However, she is also proficient in combat as she possesses enhanced strength and a healing factor.

4. Hela

Introduced into the MCU as the older sister that neither Thor nor Loki ever met because Odin imprisoned her long before Thor was born due to how dangerous and ambitious she was, Hela was a character that Thor couldn’t defeat. She is the Goddess of the Dead and an incredibly powerful goddess that has shown the ability to defeat the God of Thunder numerous times in the MCU and the comics.

In the comics, Hela has an origin story quite different from the MCU, but she is still just as powerful. On top of the standard superhuman abilities that most Asgardians have, Hela has the Touch of Death in the comics, meaning she can easily kill weaker people with just a single touch. In the MCU, she is known for her ability to produce blades out of nowhere and is so powerful that Thor needed to unleash Surtr and trigger Ragnarok to defeat her.

3. Dark Phoenix

Arguably one of the strongest characters in the history of Marvel Comics and one of the greatest threats the X-Men has seen, Dark Phoenix is a corrupted form of Jean Grey. Possessing the Phoenix Force as its host, Jean Grey became possessed by the power of this ancient cosmic entity, which embodies creation and destruction in the universe. As such, she obtained the power to manipulate matter and energy at the smallest scale possible.

Known for being a cosmic entity of pure passion, the Phoenix Force turned Jean Grey into a weapon of destruction, especially after the Hellfire Club corrupted her. She became a chaotic character that killed and destroyed for no logical reason. And it was only when Jean Grey could take control of herself and sacrifice her life Dark Phoenix was finally defeated.

2. Scarlet Witch

We’ve seen Scarlet Witch performing acts as a hero in the MCU, but she started and ended her MCU career as a villain. She initially worked with Ultron to take revenge on Tony Stark and the Avengers but became an Avenger herself. However, after getting corrupted by the Darkhold, Wanda became the corrupted Scarlet Witch and was obsessed with getting her hands on America Chavez’s powers so that she could travel to another universe and be with the sons that she never had in her universe.

While we know that Scarlet Witch is powerful enough to kill Thanos on her own and was able to destroy the Illuminati singlehandedly, her counterpart in the comics is much more powerful. She was responsible for an entire event that changed reality, as a simple phrase allowed Wanda to push the mutants to extinction. As such, she is an incredibly powerful character who can rewrite reality.

1. Lady Death

As one of the cosmic entities that stand on top of the pantheon of every universe in Marvel, Lady Death is incredibly powerful and omnipotent in terms of her powers. She is the personification of the concept of death, and that’s why she is an important aspect of the universe. However, while she may be a character that’s neither evil nor good, there have been instances where she served as an antagonist.

Death doesn’t fight her battles, but she is often associated with Thanos, who is obsessed with her. Thanos commits all of his heinous acts to woo Death and make her fall in love with him. This is where Death’s status as a villain arises as she is one of the reasons why Thanos is such a prick as he wants to kill as many people as possible to impress Lady Death. As such, she belongs on this list even though she and her fellow members of the Cosmic Pantheon are necessary entities that are neither good nor bad.

Liked this article? Follow us on Bluesky for the latest Marvel & DC news!