50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History

30. Vandal Savage

(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)

Plenty of villains have rap sheets a mile long. Only Vandal Savage has a list of vile deeds that could fill a whole library.

Then again, no other bad guy is 50,000 years old. His evil is truly as old as humanity itself, and it’s even been suggested that Vandal Savage is the DC Comics equivalent to the biblical Cain, actually introducing the concept of murder.

Naturally, that makes him the perfect character for use in any story, set in any era. Savage has crossed paths with nearly every hero on the DC roster, and while his powers may not seem that impressive — enhanced strength, reflexes and healing — 50 millennia of experience can make someone a pretty formidable threat. It’s also just not smart to make an enemy of someone who’s going to be around long after you’re gone. It could be your children or your children’s children who end up suffering the consequences.

It’s kind of surprising that even more writers haven’t caught on to the fact that Savage can be the skeleton key of super villainy. If you’ve got the makings of a great plot and some worthy henchmen who can challenge the heroes who try to stop it on a physical level, all you need is a mastermind. That’s this guy’s stock in trade, as he’s been doing it forever.

Maybe it will take a featured turn on TV or in a Warner Bros. movie for Vandal Savage to enter the public consciousness in a major way. Until then, he’s going to keep playing the long game like no one else. Believe that.

Next: No. 29: A cruel Kryptonian