8 Greatest Comic Villains Created in the 2010s Who Changed Superhero Stories

Gotham’s New Nightmares

The Batman Who Laughs combines Bruce Wayne’s intelligence with the Joker’s cruelty. Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, he first appeared in Dark Days: The Casting and was seen in full in Dark Nights: Metal #2 in September 2017.

On Earth-22, Batman becomes this figure after killing the Joker and being affected by a toxin from the Joker’s heart. He uses Dark Metal batarangs to corrupt victims and kills the Bat-Family and Justice League. The character headlined major crossovers, including Death Metal, and has not appeared in a live-action film.

The Court of Owls first surfaced in Batman (Vol. 2) in 2011, with its masked members appearing in person in issue #6 in February 2012. The secretive society of Gotham’s wealthy elite controls the city through corruption and assassins known as Talons, undermining Batman’s confidence that he understands Gotham.

Marvel’s God-Killers

Jason Aaron and Esad Ribić introduced Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: God of Thunder #2 in November 2012. Armed with All-Black the Necrosword, he seeks to kill gods wherever he finds them.

Gorr’s family starved on a barren world while their prayers went unanswered. His loss leads him to question whether gods deserve worship when they abandon those in need. Christian Bale played Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Knull properly debuted in Venom #3 in 2018, created by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. He seeks to kill Celestials and commands symbiote dragons, can snuff out stars, and can corrupt cosmic deities. His story expanded symbiotes beyond their earlier links to Spider-Man and Venom.

A New Threat in Gotham

Mr. Bloom debuted in Batman (vol. 2) #43 in August 2015. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo describe him as an “anti-Joker,” a label tied to his anonymity. His gaunt, weed-like appearance accompanies a twisted form of justice. Bloom sends power-granting seeds throughout Gotham. The available account ends before explaining what happens next.