Bam Smack Pow
Fansided

Thanos, The Joker and the 25 greatest superhero movie villains of all-time

By Michael Patterson

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 2008 film The Dark Knight worn by actor Heath Ledger and designed by Lindy Hemming is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 2008 film The Dark Knight worn by actor Heath Ledger and designed by Lindy Hemming is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 26
Next

18. The Phantasm

Film: Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

The feature-length animated movie that made it to the big screen, Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm was a deeper dive into the legendary world of the DC Animated Universe, allowing us to get more up-close and personal with the Dark Knight that we saw weekly on Batman: The Animated Series. And personal is exactly what it was.

A haunting tale, the film’s story centered on the rise of the ghoulish Phantasm who sought to kill all of the city’s former crime bosses in their old age. Ghoulish as the creature was, it – or should that be she – was driven by vengeance over the death of her father – who was murdered by these men several years before the film takes place.

What made the Phantasm’s purpose all the more enticing was the fact that Batman was helpless to stop her because she – real name Andrea Beaumont – was the former love of Bruce’s life. A villain with both a personal connection to the hero and the real villains of the piece, the unique dynamic between her and Bruce drives the story – a story that gets all the more compelling when the GCPD mistake the Phantasm as Batman and launch an all-out war on the Caped Crusader.

A foe that constantly upped the personal and the professional stakes, her final target was of course The Joker – allowing the film to end on an even more engaging note than it began. This is how you do a sympathetic villain.

Home/Movies