Scariest Comic Book Characters:
Comic Books are a very strange and vast realm of existence. They have some of the most unique and diverse characters the world could have ever seen. To that end, the array of characters that a comic book can sport can range from any end of the spectrum. There are superheroes and supervillains, cute and super-hot characters as well as downright violent and psychopathic. But there is another sect of the comic books. These characters are deemed as pariahs. They are the outcasts because they tend to be so scary in actions as well as appearances that the comic book readers can never take them lightly. Some are so scary and have such a powerful touch of the horror element that we had to make an entire list for them.
1. Swamp Thing
One of DC Comics’ most powerful entities, Swamp Thing is the avatar of the Green – an extra-dimensional source of energy that protects and binds all vegetation on the planet. Swamp Thing is literally made out of green bio-mass after the original body was destroyed due to a laboratory mishap within the Swamp he currently resides in itself. At first glance, it would be very easy to discern that Swamp Thing could be a supervillain. The guy has the looks and feels like a walking horror movie boss. All Swamp Thing story arcs generally tend to be borderline horror tropes so there are no surprises there. Even the TV Series of the same name was a mix of the superhero genre and the horror genre.
2. Dracula
Marvel Comics has managed to essentially nail Count Dracula in their comic books. That is something DC Comics has failed to do so even today. Count Dracula is the King of Transylvania and the Lord of Vampires in the Marvel Comic Book Universe. He has all the classic powers of a vampire king – hypnotism, superhuman physical attributes, shape-shifting, flight and a host of other mystical abilities. Count Dracula also is vulnerable to classic vampire-killing weapons like holy symbols and holy water and garlic. Dracula has always been a supervillain and has gone toe to toe with the Avengers as well as the X-Men on several occasions.
3. Violator
John Leguizamo’s portrayal of the Demon Right-Hand man of the Devil was one of the few saving graces of the 1997 Spawn movie. Violator is a villain born in the depths of hell. He has a very scary looking face with horn-like protrusions all over his body. He can change his shape at will, regenerate from the greatest of injuries and knows how to access and manipulate dark magic energy. His body has evolved to the point that it can exhibit the strength equivalent of 15 Strong Men and is practically incapable of feeling pain. What makes Violator so strong and scary is his general unpredictability. To top it off, he always prefers disguising him-self as a clown, which makes him look even scarier.
4. Mephisto
The Demon Lord of Hell is the very reason for Johnny Blaze’s current predicament. Mephisto likes to make enchanted deals with seemingly innocent-looking folks and trapping their soul within his grasp forever. Imagine him as a demonic-looking version of Rumpelstiltskin – the fairy tale legend that makes dubious deals with strangers and robs them off of their valuables. Mephisto’s strength and speed are unmatched and his mastery of the mystic arts is legendary. Very rarely has a superhero managed to gain the upper hand in battle fighting Mephisto one on one. The being that is made out of pure evil can only be defeated if all the superheroes come together.
5. Deadman
Let us make one thing very clear – Ghosts and Spirits will never go out of fashion when it comes to scaring the living daylights out of us. Boston Brand was a circus performer specializing in acrobatics. He got a bullet in his chest while in the middle of a performance and became Deadman. His spirit was now trapped in the mortal realm, unable to pass on to the afterlife. Boston ends up becoming a superhero, possessing people against their wishes and gaining access to memories and physical abilities of the host body.
6. Etrigan
One of the most powerful demons to have ever existed, Etrigan is a being that dates back to Arthurian legends. Etrigan the Demon was captured by Merlin, who later bound him to a mortal knight of the Round Table. Etrigan ends up becoming a superhero of sorts. Etrigan the Demon is known to speak in rhymes. There is a perpetual flame that always keeps coming out of both sides of his mouth. Etrigan is not a demon that should be trifled with. His moral compass does not exactly point north and he has often found himself helping the good guys as well as the bad guys on several occasions.
7. Morbius
He was once a scientific genius. So great was his intelligence that he was felicitated with the Nobel Prize for his contributions to various disciplines of learning and knowledge. But he had a rare blood disease. To cure him off that disease, he conducted an experiment. That experiment combined Morbius’ DNA with Bat DNA and turned him into a human bat hybrid with a tendency to crave human blood. Unlike Dracula, Morbius is actually a good guy. The lust for the blood he has, he has managed to confine it to the criminals and the anti-social elements of the world, sparing the innocent people of his claws and teeth. But Morbius still has a hard time controlling those urges and has hurt innocent people as well.
8. Nekron
Now here is a being that is literally powered by death. Nekron is the Lord of the land of Unliving, a realm that houses the spirits of all dead people that are yet to be judged to either go to heaven or to hell. Nekron draws his powers from people breathing their last breaths. The more people die, the stronger he becomes. Nekron has had several encounters with the Justice League but the feat for which the guy will always be remembered is the Blackest Night story arc, where Nekron was pivotal in the creation of the Black Hand and the Black Lantern Corps. The being has an unlimited reservoir of energy. Several superheroes claim that Nekron is the greatest Dark Force entity in all universes. You do not want to cross paths with a guy who has domain over all the dead and dying in the entire multi-verse.
9. Ghost Rider
A guy makes a deal with the Devil. The Devil takes his soul away, forever damning him to hell. In return, the devil gives him a power that is beyond imagination and comprehension. Johnny Blaze becomes the host of the Spirit of Vengeance – Zarathos. As the Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze can control the hell-fire of Zarathos. The fire is enchanted and is so strong it can burn not just the body but the soul as well. Hell-Fire can also never be extinguished until willed by the Rider to do so. What makes Ghost Rider so extremely frightening is his ability to endure all forms of pain and injuries. Ghost Rider can never be killed and is impervious to damage. He is like the Jason Voorhees of Marvel Comics. He will just keep on coming for you.
10. Frankenstein
Once a monster created by a mad scientist, Frankenstein has come a long way since. In DC Comics, Victor Frankenstein’s greatest creation is actually a well-known superhero. Frankenstein is basically a combination of human body parts scavenged by his creator and patched up together. He was brought to life via a massive surge of energy running throughout his un-dead body. Frankenstein has had a very colorful and adventurous life in the DC universe. He was a member of the Seven Soldiers. He was also a part of Justice League Dark on one occasion. At one point in time, Frankenstein wielded the sword of an arch-angel in battle and was a crucial member of S.H.A.D.E.
