20 Most Violent Comic Book Characters

Midnighter

The Character: A member of rogue superhero team The Authority, Midnighter is married to other Authority member Apollo.

But even superheroes in the most loving of families can be prone to violent tendencies, and Midnighter is no different – his aggressive instincts are matched only by his near indestructibility.

Most Violent Moment: Midnighter is pivotal in taking out autocratic dictator Kaizen Gamorra – he drops a 50 foot long carrier onto Gamorra’s base. POW.

And that's just the violent punishment we can discuss on a family website.

If It Was Filmed: It would cost a fortune.

Herr Starr

The Character: Starr’s never had much luck. As a boy, he was blinded when bullies sliced a star into his right eye – an event that caused him so much distress that all of his hair fell out.

Joining and then leaving the German anti-terrorism unit GSG 9, Starr winds up as the sacred executioner of The Grail.

Most Violent Moment: In order to secure the position of Allfather, Starr murders the Grail Council using Chlorine gas. Wicked.

If It Was Filmed: You’d have to cast somebody with a good evil cackle to play Starr.

Davos

The Character: Also known as Steel Serpent. Power-hungry and ill-tempered, Davos has a vendetta against Iron Fist, who he’s stolen power from before – but he has never been able to keep a hold of it.

Most Violent Moment: Davos took his rage out on HYDRA after they failed to contain the renegade Iron Fist Orson Randall.

Davos destroyed hoards of HYDRA agents in a bloodbath before doing away with a Mechagorgon.

If It Was Filmed: You’d need buckets of corn syrup.

Bullseye

The Character: Consumed with hatred for Daredevil, mega-villain Bullseye is that most dangerous of cocktails – an assassin who’s also stark raving mad.

He may have no discernable superpowers, but put this guy behind a trigger, and he’s deadly as deadly can be.

Most Violent Moment: Bullseye gets two birds with one stone when he kills Elektra. She’s been hired by Bullseye’s previous employer Kingpin, and she also happens to be Daredevil’s new beau.

“You're good... but me, I'm magic,” he snarls in her ear after skewering her on her own sai. Shiver.

If It Was Filmed: It was filmed. We don’t want to talk about it.

Nemesis

The Character: “What if Batman was a total c*nt?” That basically sums up Nemesis, an unstoppable force of nature who’s got a vendetta against the police force. Next to nothing is known about his background.

Most Violent Moment: Nemesis makes his grand entrance by hijacking Air Force One, kidnapping the president and crash-landing the plane, killing everybody else onboard. Talk about a bloodbath.

If It Was Filmed: Tony Scott’s turning this comic into a movie. We’re sure he’ll find a way to retain all that violence.

Sabretooth

The Character: Subjected to the Weapon X experiment that gave Wolverine his adamantium claws, Sabretooth has an ongoing rivalry with the mullet-chopped X-Man.

Unlike Wolvie, he has fangs.

Most Violent Moment: Having joined the Marauders – a posse of mean-spirited mutants – Sabretooth helps his brethren slaughter hundreds of Morlocks.

If It Was Filmed: It’d get into the Guinness Book Of Records for most deaths in one scene.

Carnage

The Character: Psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady, who becomes infected with the Venom symbiote and transforms into a horrific mutated monster.

Most Violent Moment: As a kid, orphan boy Kasady lived at the St. Estes Home for Boys. He wasn’t happy there, and was bullied by the other orphans.

Kasady got his revenge, though, by murdering the disciplinarian administration, pushing a girl in front of a bus and burning the orphanage into ash.

If It Was Filmed: It’d get banned as a video nasty – that's how mean Kasady is.

Cyber

The Character: A spiteful juggernaut of a mutant, who victimised Wolverine during both World Wars.

Most Violent Moment: Wolverine bears the brunt of Cyber’s most violent tendencies when the villainous, uh, villain gouges out one of Wolvie’s eyes and then breaks his claws.

Then there was that time he set fire to a schoolhouse stuffed full of children…

If It Was Filmed: Hugh Jackman better get ready for the pain.

Phoenix

The Character: One of the most powerful mutants ever to have existed, Phoenix possesses both telekinetic and telepathic abilities which makes her a serious force to be reckoned with.

Most Violent Moment: Transformed into the Dark Phoenix after healing the M'Kraan Crystal, Phoenix is influenced by the Hellfire Club and snuffs out of the lives of 5bn people on a distant planet.

If It Was Filmed: It’d make Melancholia look like a walk in the park.

Scalphunter

The Character: A Native American who served his time busting chops in the Second World War, Scalphunter’s shot dead after murdering his fellow officers.

Except Scalphunter isn’t really dead, and is nurtured into a truly vicious villain by Mister Sinister.

Most Violent Moment: With a name like that, you’d pretty much expect this guy to bring the pain. Which he does when he shoots Annalee’s children in the head at point blank range. What is it with these guys and kids?

If It Was Filmed: You couldn’t film that. You just couldn’t. Unless you’re Michael Haneke and you’re making Funny Games. But otherwise no. Just no.

Got your suggestion for violent comic-book characters? Drop ‘em below…

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.