Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...

George Tuska George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the

. The third version of the Masters of Evil debuted in ''The Avengers'' #222 and were created by

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...

, Steven Grant, and

Greg LaRocque Greg LaRocque (born February 24, 1954) is an American comics artist best known for his work on the ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''The Flash''. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, LaRocque worked as an assistant teacher at the Professional I ...

. The fourth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in ''The Avengers'' #270 and were created by

Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' (''Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfor ...

, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer. The fifth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in ''

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...

'' #28 and were created by

Jim Valentino Jim Valentino (born October 28, 1952) is an American writer, penciler, editor and publisher of comic books, best known for his 1990–1992 work on '' Guardians of the Galaxy'' for Marvel Comics, and for co-founding Image Comics, a company publis ...

,

Herb Trimpe Herbert William Trimpe (; May 26, 1939 – April 13, 2015) was an American comics artist and occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist on '' The Incredible Hulk'' and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolve ...

, and Steve Montano. The sixth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' #449, written by

Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...

and drawn by

Mike Deodato Mike Deodato (; born May 23, 1963), sometimes credited as Mike Deodato Jr., is the professional pseudonym of Brazilian comic book artist Deodato Taumaturgo Borges Filho. Early life Mike Deodato was born on May 23, 1963 in Campina Grande, Paraíb ...

, although they were actually created by

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.'' Early lif ...

and

Mark Bagley Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and '' Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...

. The seventh version of the Masters of Evil debuted in '' Thunderbolts'' #3 and were created by

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.'' Early lif ...

,

Mark Bagley Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and '' Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...

, and Vince Russell. The eighth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in ''

Secret Avengers ''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premie ...

'' #21.1 and were created by

Rick Remender Rick Remender (born February 6, 1973) is an American animator, comic book writer and television producer who resides in Los Angeles, California. As a comic book creator, he is best known for his work on '' Uncanny X-Force'', ''Venom'', ''Captain ...

,

Patrick Zircher Patrick Zircher () is an American comic book artist and penciller. Career Zircher's early career as an illustrator began with production of several completed works for '' Villains and Vigilantes'', ''Champions'' and other pen-and-paper role-pla ...

and Andy Troy. The ninth version of the Masters of Evil debuted in '' Thunderbolts'' #10 and were created by

Jim Zub Jim Zubkavich, known professionally as Jim Zub, is a Canadian comic book writer, artist, and art instructor best known for creating comics ''Skullkickers'' (2010), '' Wayward'' (2014), ''and Glitterbomb'' (2016) for Image Comics, and writing on ...

, Jon Malin,

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.'' Early lif ...

and

Mark Bagley Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and '' Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...

.

Fictional team biography

Baron Heinrich Zemo's Masters of Evil

The original Masters of Evil (consisting of existing Marvel Comics supervillains the

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

, the

Melter The Melter is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Melter, Bruno Horgan, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963). Publication history The character debuted ...

, and the Radioactive Man) was gathered by former

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

Baron Heinrich Zemo. Despite attempting to capture the Avengers with Adhesive X and spreading it over the city, the Avengers find an antidote with the help of Paste-Pot Pete, give it to the Masters in secret (causing them to accidentally free people), and then send most of the members to jail. Zemo is tricked into opening a container filled with tear gas inside his helicopter, but escapes anyway. Baron Zemo leads the team in his revenge on Captain America and the Avengers. The team had been joined by the Enchantress and the

Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...

, whom Zemo found in their exile to Earth that was imposed on them by Odin for attacking Thor. The Enchantress hypnotizes Thor into attacking the Avengers, but Iron Man breaks him out of the trance. Meanwhile, Captain America has been lured to South America to fight Zemo. After defeating Zemo, Captain America returns on Zemo's helicopter and stops Zemo from shooting the Avengers. However, the Enchantress casts a spell which gets the helicopter to the rooftop she and the Executioner are on. The Executioner knocks Captain America out by striking his shoulder, and takes him out of the helicopter, after which they all try to escape. The Masters are sent to another dimension in a space warp generated by Thor. Two issues later, the Enchantress returns them to Earth using a spell. Simon Williams is given superhuman strength with an ionic ray, though he is told he will die in a week unless given an antidote Zemo has. He captures the

Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...

and lures the Avengers into a trap, but sacrifices himself to save the Avengers.

Immortus Immortus (; Nathaniel Richards) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the future self of Pharaoh Rama-Tut, Scarlet Centurion, Kang the Conqueror, and Iron Lad / Kid Immortus, and a descend ...

appears and offers to help the Masters by defeating the Avengers. He succeeds in sending Captain America to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

in 1760. The Masters attack the Avengers, but Captain America manages to return. The Enchantress, sensing defeat, sends the villains back in time to before they met Immortus. In a later issue, Zemo kidnaps Rick Jones with an attractor beam and has the Enchantress and the Executioner release the Black Knight and the Melter (the Radioactive Man having been deported back to China). They attack the other Avengers, forcing Captain America to go alone to Zemo's kingdom to rescue Rick. The Executioner tells the Avengers that a battle in the city would hurt many people, meaning they should surrender. Captain America blinds Zemo with his shield and Zemo dies when he accidentally triggers a rock slide. The Black Knight and the Melter are then captured after Thor transports them to another dimension with different scientific laws, meaning their weapons rebound. The Enchantress and the Executioner escape by running away before the transportation happened.

Ultron's Masters of Evil

The second version, organized by the

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may ...

Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...

(under the alias the Crimson Cowl), consisted of the second

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

(who joined the team with the intention of betraying them),

Klaw Klaw or KLAW may refer to: *Klaw (surname) *Kawhi Leonard (born 1991), American basketball player nicknamed "the Klaw" *Klaw (Marvel Comics), a fictional villain * Klaw Theatre, a broadway theatre in Manhattan, New York City *KLAW Klaw or KLAW may ...

, the

Melter The Melter is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Melter, Bruno Horgan, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963). Publication history The character debuted ...

, the Radioactive Man and

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

. This incarnation made one more appearance. Ultron used this incarnation to blackmail New York.

Egghead's Masters of Evil

Criminal scientist Egghead organized a third version, consisting of Moonstone, the original

Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

,

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...

and longtime member

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

. After the team's defeat, Egghead kept only Moonstone and Tiger Shark; the Scorpion and Whirlwind were replaced with the original

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

, the Shocker, and veteran member the Radioactive Man. Egghead uses this incarnation to assist him in making technological breakthroughs.

Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil

First version

A fourth version was formed by Baron Helmut Zemo. This team uses over a dozen villains, consisting of the

Absorbing Man Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...

, Blackout, Black Mamba, the Fixer, Goliath, the

Grey Gargoyle Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Grey Gargoyle first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #107 (Aug. 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and J ...

, Mister Hyde, Moonstone, the Screaming Mimi,

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...

, Titania,

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

, the Wrecking Crew ( Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball and the Wrecker), and

Yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...

, created with the goal of overwhelming the Avengers with sheer raw power, whereas others had attempted to match the current line-up. The villains storm

Avengers Mansion Avengers Mansion is a fictional building appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It has traditionally been the base of the Avengers. The enormous, city block-sized building is located at 890 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New ...

in a multi-issue storyline titled "Avengers Under Siege". A flashback later revealed that Augustus Roman's family had died during the fight between the Avengers and the Masters of Evil.

Second version

The sixth incarnation was again assembled by Baron Helmut Zemo, and posed as superheroes known as the Thunderbolts. In addition to Zemo, the team consisted of the

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

, the Fixer, Goliath, Moonstone, and the Screaming Mimi. All eventually became heroes and renounced their criminal ways, though Zemo, the Fixer, and Moonstone all returned to villainy some time later.

Third version

Baron Helmut Zemo created an 11th incarnation consisting of Whiplash, the Man-Killer, Klaw, Tiger Shark, and the Wrecking Crew, all of whom had been members of previous incarnations of the Masters of Evil. Baron Zemo sent them out to persuade Atlas of the Thunderbolts, the former Goliath of Zemo's earlier incarnation of the Masters of Evil, to rejoin the team. Atlas resisted and only an unexpected reappearance of the Thunderbolt Jolt interrupted the Masters' plan. The Masters then went after the Winter Soldier, who was then leading the Thunderbolts, and captured him. Zemo and the Masters then assaulted the Thunderbolts in their base, capturing several of them. During the "Opening Salvo" part of the '' Secret Empire'' storyline, Baron Zemo has Kobik send Bucky back through time to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and another battle with the Thunderbolts, in which the Man-Killer was apparently killed by Kobik. Upon Atlas, the Fixer, and Moonstone joining the Masters of Evil, they worked to reassemble Kobik. As

Erik Selvig Erik Selvig is a fictional character portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård in Marvel Cinematic Universe films ''Thor'' (2011), '' The Avengers'' (2012), '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013), '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015), and '' Thor: Love and Thunde ...

hordes the fragments that he has, kisses them, and commits suicide, the Kobik-reprogrammed Captain America persuaded Baron Zemo to have the Masters of Evil join HYDRA's " Army of Evil." Baron Zemo did just that. The Masters of Evil assisted the Army of Evil in causing havoc in protest for what happened at Pleasant Hill.

Doctor Octopus' Masters of Evil

The fifth incarnation was organized by

Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...

, but bore little resemblance to previous incarnations. Its roster included

Gargantua ''The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel'' (french: La vie de Gargantua et de Pantagruel) is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais, telling the adventures of two giants, Gargantua ( , ) and his son Pantagruel ...

,

Jackhammer A jackhammer (pneumatic drill or demolition hammer in British English) is a pneumatic or electro-mechanical tool that combines a hammer directly with a chisel. It was invented by William Mcreavy, who then sold the patent to Charles Brady King ...

, Oddball, Powderkeg, and

Puff Adder The puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Venomous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. ...

, in addition to former members the

Absorbing Man Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...

, the Shocker, Titania, and

Yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...

. This incarnation initially fought the original

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...

- a superhero group from an alternate future timeline - but then fought with the Guardians against an army of doppelgangers.

The Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil

First version

The seventh incarnation was recruited by the Crimson Cowl (Justine Hammer). This version consisted first of the third Cyclone, the Flying Tiger,

Klaw Klaw or KLAW may refer to: *Klaw (surname) *Kawhi Leonard (born 1991), American basketball player nicknamed "the Klaw" *Klaw (Marvel Comics), a fictional villain * Klaw Theatre, a broadway theatre in Manhattan, New York City *KLAW Klaw or KLAW may ...

, the

Man-Killer Man-Killer is a name used by two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The second version Katrina Luisa Van Horn has been viewed by critics as a "caricature of feminists, who despised all men." Publicati ...

and

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...

and later expanded to include the Aqueduct, the Bison, Blackwing,

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

, the Cardinal, the Constrictor, Dragonfly, the second

Eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

, the Icemaster, Joystick, Lodestone, the

Man-Ape Man-Ape (M'Baku) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted as a frequent enemy of Black Panther. Man-Ape has made scattered appearances on animated television series an ...

,

Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...

, Scorcher, Shatterfist, Shockwave,

Slyde Slyde (Jalome Beacher), is a fictional character who is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Slyde first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #272 and was created by Tom DeFalco and Sa ...

,

Sunstroke Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstroke, b ...

, and Supercharger.

Second version

The eighth incarnation, led by the Crimson Cowl, consisted of Black Mamba, the Cardinal, the Cyclone, the

Gypsy Moth ''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as ''L. d. dispar'' and ''L. d. japonica'' bei ...

,

Hydro-Man Hydro-Man (Morris "Morrie" Bench) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics as an enemy of the superhero Spider-Man. Once an ordinary crewman, Morris Bench was accidentally knocked overboard while stationed on ...

, the

Machinesmith Machinesmith (Samuel "Starr" Saxon) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most notably as a regular enemy of Captain America. He specializes in robotics, and is able to make convincing robotic doubles ...

, and the

Man-Killer Man-Killer is a name used by two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The second version Katrina Luisa Van Horn has been viewed by critics as a "caricature of feminists, who despised all men." Publicati ...

. Both versions of the Crimson Cowl's Masters of Evil sought to master and control Earth's superhuman mercenaries. They even tried to get the Thunderbolts to join them.

The Shadow Council's Masters of Evil

Max Fury of the Shadow Council forms a ninth incarnation of the Masters of Evil, consisting of

Princess Python Princess Python is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Princess Python, Zelda DuBois, is a snake charmer who controls a gigantic snake to help with her crimes. She first appeared in ''T ...

, Vengeance, and

Whiplash Whiplash may refer to: * The long flexible part of a whip * Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury ** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles Film and television * ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer * ''Whiplas ...

. They were discovered by the

Secret Avengers ''Secret Avengers'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring a fictional black ops superhero team of the same name. The series started with Ed Brubaker on writing duties, depicting a black-ops sect of Marvel's premie ...

during a mission run by Captain America and Hawkeye. Max Fury later recruits the

Black Talon Black Talon is a brand of hollow-point pistol and rifle ammunition introduced in 1991 by Winchester, primarily intended for law enforcement and personal defense use. Black Talon rounds were known for the unique construction of the bullet and it ...

, the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

, Carrion, the Constrictor,

Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. S ...

, Diablo, Firebrand, the Griffin,

Killer Shrike Killer Shrike is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Simon Maddicks version of Killer Shrike first appeared in ''The Rampaging Hulk'' #1 (Jan. 1977) and was cr ...

, Lady Stilt-Man, the Pink Pearl, and the Squid to join the Shadow Council's Masters of Evil. Fury and the Masters of Evil capture John Steele after he attempts to escape

Bagalia The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...

(a country that the Shadow Council established) with the Serpent Crown and the Crown of Thorns. In order for the Masters of Evil to obtain the Crown of Wolves for the Shadow Council, Fury hired the Taskmaster to retrieve it. The Taskmaster demanded more money for the job and he hid in the Hole (a bar located in an underground city in Bagalia). Upon claiming the Crown of Wolves, Fury was unable to harness its power because he is a Life Model Decoy. When the Taskmaster donned the Crown of Wolves, he was unable to control the powers of the Abyss. Under the control of the Abyss, the Masters of Evil and the other people in Bagalia make their move. The Secret Avengers fight to keep the people under control of the Abyss from leaving Bagalia and invading other countries to spread the possession to other people. While possessed by the Abyss, the Taskmaster used its power to take control of the villains and have them board an airplane out of Bagalia to spread the campaign of the Abyss. While the others fight the possessed villains and other people, Venom uses his symbiote to break the Crowns and capture the Taskmaster. When the second incarnation of the Secret Avengers raid Bagalia to free the Taskmaster, they have to fight through the Masters of Evil. During this time, it is shown that a duplicate of the Bi-Beast, Madcap, the Ringer and a number of other supervillains have joined the Masters of Evil. The Masters of Evil are featured in "

Avengers Undercover ''Avengers Undercover'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in March 2014 as part of wave three of the ''Marvel NOW!'' relaunch. It serves as a sequel to ''Avengers Arena'', and concluded with September's issue #10. Pu ...

" as part of the second wave of comics that are part of the "

Marvel NOW! Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including '' U ...

" branding. Following the death of Max Fury, Baron Helmut Zemo had been sworn in as the new leader of the Masters of Evil. He is shown to have

Madame Masque Madame Masque (birth name Giulietta Nefaria but legally renamed Whitney Frost) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. An occasional love interest and enemy of Iron Man and the daughter of Count Nefaria, ...

as his right-hand woman, has the Constrictor as his bodyguard, and

Daimon Hellstrom Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Daimon made his live-action debut in the Hulu television series '' Helstrom'', played by Tom A ...

is in their company as their magic expert. The Anachronism, Cammi,

Chase Stein Victor Chase Stein (also known as Talkback''Runaways'' #6) is a superhero appearing in media published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by author Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, and debuted in '' Runaways'' #1 with most o ...

,

Death Locket Death Locket (Rebecca Ryker) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Death Locket first appeared in issue #1 of the '' Avengers Arena'' series as part of the '' Marvel NOW!'' event ...

,

Hazmat Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...

, and

Nico Minoru Minoru Nico (briefly known as Sister Grimm), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created in 2003 by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Adrian Alphona, the character debuted in ''Runaways (comics), Runaways ...

teleport to Bagalia in disguise and locate

Cullen Bloodstone Bloodstone (Cullen Bloodstone) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Bloodstone first appeared in issue #1 of the '' Avengers Arena'' series as part of the '' Marvel NOW!'' event ...

at the Hole (a Bagalian bar owned by Arcade). After a fight with the villains there, Cullen reveals that he has become a member of the Masters of Evil, having been accepted by them. The Constrictor and Madam Masque arrange for Cullen to teleport the group to a nearby swanky party at Massacrer Casino hosted by Arcade so that they can get revenge on him once and for all. Baron Zemo, Madame Masque, the Constrictor and Daimon Hellstrom watch as the young heroes try to avoid being killed, as Arcade has arranged the party at Massacrer Casino as the testing grounds for his newest version of "Murderworld": fancy parties at casinos where the rich and powerful can try and kill each other to prove their supremacy. After Arcade was killed, Baron Zemo, Madame Masque, the Constructor, and Daimon Hellstrom begin plotting their next move regarding the heroes. After the young heroes are apprehended during a

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...

raid on Bagalia, Daimon Hellstrom later teleports the S.H.I.E.L.D. lair back to Bagalia, where Baron Zemo offers the group a chance to join the Masters of Evil. Baron Zemo instructs the Constrictor, Daimon Hellstrom, and Madame Masque to take a portion of the Murderworld survivors and take them into Bagalia City. While the other young heroes take up Baron Zemo's offer to join the Masters of Evil (with a plan to take the group down from within), Cammi is the only one to decline. Baron Zemo hears that she is the only one not joining and says that they will respect her choice. Cammi flies away, only to be caught by the Constrictor and brutally slammed into a rock wall. Bleeding and semi-conscious from the surprise attack, Cammi lays under the Constrictor as he says "The man gave you a choice. You picked wrong."

Lightmaster's Masters of Evil

While the Shadow Council had their version,

Lightmaster Lightmaster (real name Dr. Edward Lansky) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Lightmaster first appeared in ''Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man'' #3 a ...

assembles a more traditional lineup (10th incarnation) when he and his henchmen, the Wrecking Crew, run afoul of the Superior Spider-Man and his Superior Six while attacking

Alchemax Alchemax is a fictional megacorporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually depicted as part of the 2099 universe. Publication history The Earth-928 version of Alchemax first appeared in '' Spider-Man 2099'' #1 ...

and attempting to steal its technology during a plot to blackmail New York City for money. Besides the Wrecking Crew, this roster includes the

Absorbing Man Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...

, Titania, Mister Hyde,

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

and the original Blackout.

West Coast version

To combat the

West Coast Avengers The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fi ...

,

Madame Masque Madame Masque (birth name Giulietta Nefaria but legally renamed Whitney Frost) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. An occasional love interest and enemy of Iron Man and the daughter of Count Nefaria, ...

formed a West Coast version of the Masters of Evil consisting of the Eel,

Graviton In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathem ...

,

Lady Bullseye Lady Bullseye (Maki Matsumoto) is a supervillainess appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A female counterpart of Bullseye, she was created by Ed Brubaker, Marko Djurdjevic, and Clay Mann, first appearing in ''Daredevil (M ...

, MODOK Superior, Satana, and Kate Bishop's parents

Derek Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of '' Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people-ruler". Common variants of the name ar ...

and Eleanor Bishop.

Multiversal Masters of Evil

When the Prehistoric Avengers fought a younger

Thanos Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, and first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 ( cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Deviant w ...

and sent him back to the future, Mephisto found out that an alternate version of Doctor Doom called Doom Supreme had witnessed this fight. Mephisto suggested to Doom Supreme to form a team of evil villains that would take on the Avengers. As a condition from the Council of Red, Doom Supreme is to save Earth-616 for last. He formed a Multiverse version of the Masters of Evil that consisted of Black Skull, an alternate version of Dark Phoenix and her Berserkers (made of an alternate version of Wolverine called Hound and an alternate version of Thor), Ghost Goblin, Kid Thanos, and

King Killmonger Erik Killmonger (né N'Jadaka) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Don McGregor and Rich Buckler, he first appeared in ''Jungle Action'' #6 (September 1973). The character is commonly depicte ...

. They traveled to the different parts of the Multiverse slaying their versions of the Prehistoric Avengers and rewriting the future to fit their ways. Their activities were opposed by the

Deathlok Deathlok (also referred to as Deathlok the Demolisher) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in '' Astonishing Tales'' #25 (Aug. 1974), created by Rich Buckler. At least three sub ...

s that work for Avenger Prime. Though they violated a condition that the Council of Red gave them. When they arrived, they were watched by Orb who viewed them through the eye of

Uatu Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a mem ...

the Watcher that he still had. Doom Supreme killed Orb and destroyed the eye. King Killmonger, Dark Phoenix, and the Berserkers then attacked Asgard which brought them into conflict with

Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...

's Phoenix form, Iron Man, Thor, and the Deathloks. The Deathloks find Captain America, Captain Marvel, and

Star Brand The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar objects of power in the world of the Marvel Comics. The name "Star Brand" is also often adopted by the wielders of these objects. Three of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in seri ...

as they are attacked by Black Skull and Ghost Goblin. As Captain America and Captain Marvel are overwhelmed, Star Brand shows up to attack them. As they retreat, Black Skull has Ghost Goblin dump his Noggin Bombs which are annulled when Star Brand matures and negates their explosions. Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos attack Avengers Mountain. They engage Black Panther, Namor, Valkyrie, and the Deathlok with them. As Doom Supreme regresses Valkyrie back to Jane Foster before he was headbutted by her horse, Namor struggles against Kid Thanos. Black Panther wields his Vibranium Dambe Boxer Cords and other defenses against magic while calling himself Red Panther. As the Deathlok reaches the brain of Avengers Mountain to put out a distress signal on what happened on Earth-616, Black Panther, Valkyrie, and Namor continue their fight against Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos until they retreat. The Deathlok detects that Avengers Mountain is about to self-destruct as Black Panther, Namor, and Valkyrie work to get out before the explosion. As Captain America, Captain Marvel, Star Brand, and the Deathlok with them are trying to reach Avengers Mountain, the Quinjet is struck by the Mjolnir of Berserker Thor killing the Deathlok in the process. Thor is locked in combat with Berserker Thor as Dark Phoenix watches as Berserker Thor refers to her as his mother. Echo's Phoenix form shows up to knock back Berserker Thor. Dark Phoenix then restrains Echo as Thor slays his Berserker counterpart. As Dark Phoenix gets away, Thor has Echo ask the Phoenix Force what he is. Echo states that he already knows. They then join Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Star Brand into heading to Avengers Mountain. Far from Avengers Mountain, Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos meet up with Iron Inquisitor and Mephisto in the form of a dog as he nears the corpse of Orb. Under Mephisto's orders, Doom Supreme unburn Uatu's eye fragment and puts it in his own eye. As Doom Supreme and Kid Thanos enter a portal to meet with their teammates and get back to work, Mephisto and Iron Inquisitor talk about what to do with the Multiversal Masters of Evil as Mephisto's dog form eats at the fragments of Uatu's eye. Then he has Orb's corpse dumped into the ocean. It was also revealed that the Multiversal Masters of Evil had conquered some of the worlds like how Black Skull had ruled over Earth-818 with the War Machines that he had that world's Tony Stark build. By the time Robbie Reyes and the Deathlok with him arrived, they met Earth-818's Tony Stark who operated as Ant-Man and saved him from the War Machines. Robbie and his Deathlok companion are later rescued from Black Skull by Ant-Man and his resistance consisting of Vision, Moon Knight (Mariama Spector), Wonder Man, and Infinity Thing. With help from the granddaughters of King Thor, Robbie, his Deathlok companion, and the Resistance defeated Black Skull and his alternate counterparts while liberating Earth-818. Ant-Man joins Robbie and his Deathlok companion in their quest to liberate the enslaved Earths from the Multiversal Masters of Evil. In a flashback, the Multiversal Masters of Evil invaded Earth-91 and slew that version of the Prehistoric Avengers who are all

Man-Thing The Man-Thing (Dr. Theodore "Ted" Sallis) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in ''S ...

s. Doom Supreme orders his Multiversal Masters of Evil to keep him out of their squabbles as King Killmonger claims that Doom Supreme has not even claimed his Earth yet. Doom Supreme claims that he claimed what he required from Earth-91 and to "pick the bones however they like". When the Multiversal Masters of Evil conquer another Earth and plan to return to Earth-616, Ghost Rider arrives where he controls Black Skull's symbiote enough to subdue King Killmonger and uses his Hell Charger to knock down Kid Thanos and Hound before it drags Dark Phoenix. Then he subdues Ghost Goblin before engaging Doom Supreme. After Deathlok and Ant-Man of Earth-818 arrive where the latter shrinks Doom Supreme, Dark Phoenix goes on the attack as Deathlok orders Ant-Man of Earth-818 to get Ghost Rider away while he buys them some time. Following Deathlok's death, Doom Supreme tells the Multiversal Masters of Evil that they need to regroup as he knows where they are going. Ghost Goblin asks Doom Supreme if he will restore himself to normal size as well. Doom Supreme then states that they will visit that location before heading to Earth-616 as he vows that "No Avenger gets out alive". At the time when the Avengers travel to prehistoric times and encounter the Avengers of that time, Agamotto breaks up the fight between them as Doom Supreme arrives where he removes Agamotto's eyes and kills the Prehistoric Star Brand. Then the rest of the Multiversal Masters of Evil arrive. As the Avengers go on the attack, Dark Phoenix takes them down much to the dismay of Kid Thanos and Ghost Goblin. When Hound goes on the attack, he is killed by the Prehistoric Ghost Rider. As the local ancestral ape-men hide in the caves, Odin and Valkyrie fight Doom Supreme, Echo and the Prehistoric Iron Fist fight Black Skull, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Namor fight Dark Phoenix, Captain America and Prehistoric Moon Knight fight Kid Thanos, Thor and Agamotto fight King Killmonger, and Nighthawk and Prehistoric Ghost Rider fight Ghost Goblin while Star Brand goes to the body of her prehistoric counterpart where the Prehistoric Ghost Rider depowers Ghost Goblin and kills him. When Dark Phoenix notes that this Earth is taking longer to conquer, Doom Supreme starts to cast a spell to wipe out the ancestral ape-men. As the fight rages on, Lady Phoenix arrives.

Membership

Related teams

Young Masters

During the " Dark Reign" storyline, a young version of the team - controlled by criminal mastermind

Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character, fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July ...

- debuts in the miniseries ''Dark Reign: Young Avengers''.

Bastards of Evil

A group calling themselves the Bastards of Evil debuted in the 2010 " Heroic Age" storyline. All members claim to be the children of supervillains who were discarded and disavowed by their parents. They include Aftershock (the supposed daughter of Electro), Warhead (the supposed son of the Radioactive Man), Mortar (the supposed daughter of the

Grey Gargoyle Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Grey Gargoyle first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #107 (Aug. 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and J ...

), Singularity (the supposed son of

Graviton In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathem ...

), and Ember (the supposed son of Pyro). It was later revealed that the Bastards are led by a child genius known as Superior (who claims to be the son of the

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

). It was also revealed that the Bastards were actually normal teenagers who were mutated by exposure to radiation by Superior as well as given false memory implants. The surviving Bastards are held in the Raft after their capture.

Reception

* In 2021, ''

CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

'' ranked the Masters of Evil 8th in their "Marvel: 10 Characters Baron Zemo Created In The Comics" list. * In 2022, '' Screen Rant'' included the Masters of Evil in their "15 Most Powerful Black Panther Villains" list. * In 2022, '' Screen Rant'' included The Masters of Evil in their "10 Most Powerful Hercules Villains In Marvel Comics" list.

Other versions

''Heroes Reborn'' (1996)

In an alternate reality depicted in the 1996 '' Heroes Reborn'' miniseries, the Masters of Evil consist of the

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

,

Klaw Klaw or KLAW may refer to: *Klaw (surname) *Kawhi Leonard (born 1991), American basketball player nicknamed "the Klaw" *Klaw (Marvel Comics), a fictional villain * Klaw Theatre, a broadway theatre in Manhattan, New York City *KLAW Klaw or KLAW may ...

, the

Melter The Melter is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Melter, Bruno Horgan, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963). Publication history The character debuted ...

, the Radioactive Man, and

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

After Klaw leaves the team, the

Crimson Dynamo Crimson Dynamo (Russian: Багровое Динамо, '; also Красное Динамо (Krasnoe Dinamo)) is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics who have all been powered ar ...

and the

Titanium Man The Titanium Man is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Titanium Man first appeared in ''Tales of Suspense'' #68 (September 1965) and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. Fic ...

join the Masters of Evil. The Black Knight tries to gain an "audience" with Doctor Doom only for him, Crimson Dynamo, and Titanium Man to be killed by Doom's

Doombot The Doombots are fictional robots appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. History The Doombots are robots that are modeled after their creator Doctor Doom. They are exact replicas of the real Doctor Doom and were created t ...

s. Following this, Whirlwind retires to start a new life.

"Heroes Reborn" (2021)

In an alternate reality depicted in the 2021 " Heroes Reborn" miniseries, the Masters of Doom exist as enemies of the Squadron Supreme of America and consist of

Doctor Juggernaut Doctor Victor Von Doom is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in ''The Fantastic Four'' #5 in July 1962. The monarch of the ficti ...

, the Silver Witch, the All-Gog, and the Black Skull. They escape from the Negative Zone and launch an attack on Washington D.C., only to be repelled by the Squadron.

''Marvel Adventures''

The Masters of Evil appear in ''

Marvel Adventures Marvel Adventures, formerly Marvel Age, was an imprint of Marvel Comics intended for younger audiences, including small children. Unlike the standard comics published by Marvel, which often take place in story arcs spanning several issues, each Marv ...

'', consisting of Baron

Helmut Zemo Helmut Zemo is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly as an adversary of the superhero Captain America and the Avengers (comics), Avengers. He is the son of Heinrich Zemo, Baron Heinrich ...

, the

Abomination Abomination may refer to: * Abomination (Bible), covering Biblical references **Abomination (Judaism) *Abomination (character) The Abomination is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original ...

, the

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

, and

Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...

. Later in the series, a group called the New Masters of Evil appear. This group consists of Egghead, the

Man-Bull The Man-Bull is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character made its live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series '' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'', played by Nate Hurd. Pu ...

, the Melter, and Whirlwind.

Ultimate Marvel

In the ''

Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Those characters ...

'' universe, there are two groups equivalent to the Masters of Evil that threaten the

Ultimates The Ultimates is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates'' #1 (March 2002), as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel ...

: The Liberators were introduced in '' Ultimates 2'', formed by Loki (under the alias of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

scientist "Gunnar Golman") and featured superpowered villains that invaded the United States of America as recruits, such as the Chang Lam / Abomination, the Crimson Dynamo, the Schizoid Man, the

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

,

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

,

Swarm Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving ''en masse'' or migrating in some direction. ...

, the Red Wasp, and

Perun In Slavic mythology, Perun (Cyrillic: Перýн) is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, f ...

. They received support from international governments, such as China,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

,

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, Syria, and later

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, and other superpowered individuals such as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow,

Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan "Hank" Pym () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in '' Tales ...

, and his Ultron / Vision II sentries. However, they are all defeated by America's heroes, with Perun surrendering to

S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often dea ...

and being held in the

Triskelion A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs. It is found in artefacts o ...

and Loki being held by Odin for inciting a world war. The Dark Ultimates were introduced in '' Ultimate Comics: Ultimates'', as a group of superhumans gathered by a

mysterious woman For the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin, Ireland selected Marc Roberts to represent the country with the song "Mysterious Woman". Before Eurovision National final The final took place on 9 March 1997 at the Institute of Tech ...

named Kang in order to retrieve the

Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...

, apparently to use it in order to prevent the destruction of the universe. They consisted of the Hulk, the Maker, Quicksilver, and a brainwashed

Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of a si ...

. After freeing the Ultimates from the

Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...

, an influx of energy sent Kang back to her own time, abandoning the Maker to be imprisoned while the Gems were shattered.

In other media

Television

* Baron

Heinrich Zemo Heinrich Zemo is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first made a cameo appearance in '' The Avengers'' #4 (March 1964), before officially being ...

's Masters of Evil appear in ''

The Marvel Super Heroes ''The Marvel Super Heroes'' is an American animated television series starring five comic book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel characters, it debuted in broadcast syndication, syndication on United States, U.S. ...

'' episode "Zemo and his Masters of Evil". Along with Heinrich, this version of the team consists of the

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...

, the Radioactive Man, and the

Melter The Melter is the name of three fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original Melter, Bruno Horgan, first appeared in Tales of Suspense #47 (Nov. 1963). Publication history The character debuted ...

. * Baron

Helmut Zemo Helmut Zemo is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly as an adversary of the superhero Captain America and the Avengers (comics), Avengers. He is the son of Heinrich Zemo, Baron Heinrich ...

's Masters of Evil appear in '' The Avengers: United They Stand'' episode "Command Decision". Along with Helmut, this version of the team consists of the

Absorbing Man Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114, cover dated March 1965, created by writer Stan Lee and writer/artist Ja ...

,

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

, the Cardinal, Dragonfly, Moonstone,

Tiger Shark The tiger shark (''Galeocerdo cuvier'') is a species of requiem shark and the last extant member of the family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large macropredator, capable of attaining a length over . Populations are found in many tropical and tempera ...

, and

Whirlwind A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow (current) gradients. Whirlwinds occur all over the world and i ...

. * Baron Heinrich Zemo's Masters of Evil appear in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes''. This version is brought together by the Enchantress, the

Executioner An executioner, also known as a hangman or headsman, is an official who executes a sentence of capital punishment on a legally condemned person. Scope and job The executioner was usually presented with a warrant authorising or order ...

, and Heinrich, who recruit

Arnim Zola Arnim Zola is a supervillain appearing in American comic books by Marvel Comics. He is a master of biochemistry and a recurring enemy of Captain America and the Avengers. The character first appeared in '' Captain America and the Falcon'' #208 ...

,

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The c ...

,

Crimson Dynamo Crimson Dynamo (Russian: Багровое Динамо, '; also Красное Динамо (Krasnoe Dinamo)) is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics who have all been powered ar ...

, the

Abomination Abomination may refer to: * Abomination (Bible), covering Biblical references **Abomination (Judaism) *Abomination (character) The Abomination is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The original ...

,

Chemistro Three characters have taken the moniker of the supervillain Chemistro appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Curtis Carr version of Chemistro first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #12 and wa ...

, the

Grey Gargoyle Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The Grey Gargoyle first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #107 (Aug. 1964) and was created by Stan Lee and J ...

, and the

Living Laser The Living Laser (Arthur Parks) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Don Heck, the character made his first appearance in '' The Avengers'' #34 (Nov. 1966). He would become a recur ...

throughout the series. They battle the Avengers twice until Heinrich discovers the Enchantress was secretly working with Loki to help him take over

Asgard In Nordic mythology, Asgard (Old Norse: ''Ásgarðr'' ; "enclosure of the Æsir") is a location associated with the gods. It appears in a multitude of Old Norse sagas and mythological texts. It is described as the fortified home of the Æsir ...

while

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

is away on Earth and betrays her while enacting a plot to use Karnilla's

Norn Stones The Norn Stones are fictional powerful magical items appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Stones are depicted as being from Asgard, and are featured in the Marvel Universe. Fictional history Karnilla once sent Loki so ...

to fuse Earth with Asgard. After the Avengers foil the plot, the Enchantress seeks vengeance on Heinrich and eliminates Chemistro, Living Laser, and Zola, forcing the surviving Masters of Evil to ask for the Avengers' help in stopping her. During the Enchantress' subsequent attack, Black Panther builds a power dampener, which successfully negates her powers. Wonder Man prevents Heinrich from finishing her off, but when the Enchantress tries to take the last Norn Stone, Wonder Man grabs it simultaneously, causing both of them to disappear. In the aftermath, Heinrich, the Abomination, Crimson Dynamo, and the Executioner are incarcerated at Prison 42. * The Masters of Evil appear in '' Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers'', consisting of

MODOK MODOK (also written as M.O.D.O.K.; an acronym for Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first MODOK is George Tarleton, a former e ...

, the Abomination, Baron Heinrich Zemo,

Graviton In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathem ...

, and Tiger Shark. * Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil appear in the '' Avengers Assemble: Ultron Revolution''. Along with Helmut, this version of the team consists of the

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

, the Fixer, Goliath, Moonstone, and Screaming Mimi. Following failed attacks on Stark Industries and Avengers Tower, the Masters of Evil reappear as the superhero team, the Thunderbolts via a shrouding device to mask their appearances. However, Screaming Mimi has a change of heart and convinces her teammates to join the Avengers in publicly exposing Helmut, who escapes while the remaining Masters of Evil turn themselves in. * The Masters of Evil appear in ''

Marvel Future Avengers is a Japanese superhero anime television series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan, based on the Marvel Comics universe. The first season began airing on the Dlife satellite channel in July 2017 and ran for 26 episodes, followed ...

''. This version of the team is led by

Kang the Conqueror Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most frequently depicted as an opponent of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. A time-traveling entity, sev ...

and consists of the

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

, the Enchantress, Ares, the Winter Soldier, Loki, and Bruno, a teenage HYDRA operative who underwent genetic manipulation as part of the "Emerald Rain" project, which Kang established to reverse-engineer

Terrigen crystals The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many peo ...

and use them to mutate Earth's populace to become his new foot soldiers.

Video games

* The Masters of Evil appear in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance''. This version of the group is led by Doctor Doom and consists of

Baron Mordo Baron Karl Amadeus Mordo (known as Baron Mordo) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is depicted commonly as an adversary of Doctor Strange. The character was created by writer St ...

, Loki, the Enchantress, and

Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...

as his lieutenants as well as

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

,

Attuma Attuma is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes he ...

,

Bullseye Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to: Symbols * ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block * (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click Animals and plants * Bull's Eye, '' Eury ...

,

Byrrah ''Homo mermanus'' is a fictional race of gilled aquatic humanoids appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This race is best known as the inhabitants of Atlantis in the Marvel Universe. Namor the Sub-Mariner is the most n ...

, Crimson Dynamo, the Executioner,

Fin Fang Foom Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been depicted as an extraterrestrial creature resembling a dragon. The character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #89 (cover ...

, the Lizard, MODOK,

Mysterio Mysterio (Quentin Beck) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #13 (June 1964). He is primarily depicted a ...

, the Radioactive Man, the

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

, the

Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

, the Shocker, Tiger Shark, Warlord Krang, the Winter Soldier, and the Wrecking Crew. Additionally, the

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

, the Grey Gargoyle, and Dragon Man were members as well before they left when the Mandarin failed to take leadership from Doctor Doom. * Baron Helmut Zemo's Masters of Evil appear in a self-titled DLC pack for ''

Lego Marvel's Avengers ''Lego Marvel's Avengers'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Wind ...

''. Along with Helmut, this version of the group includes the Enchantress, the Black Knight, Skurge, the Melter, the Radioactive Man, and Whirlwind.

References

External links

Masters of Evil
at Marvel.com * * * * * *
Masters of Evil
at Comic Vine {{DEFAULTSORT:Masters Of Evil Comics characters introduced in 1964 Marvel Comics supervillain teams