The Top Ten Villains of Iron Man

The success of the incredible Iron Man movie has sparked great interest in Iron Man and the characters in his comic books. Below is my personal top ten list of his greatest villains. Let's take a look at Mr. Stark's Rogues Gallery.

10. Firebrand
Three villains have held the title of Firebrand, but all have been equally frustrating villains. As you could expect, they have considerable fire-based powers and pose a threat to whomever they face.

9. Spymaster
The master of industrial espionage and a deadly villain for Tony Stark, Spymaster yields a complete mastery of disguise and lives up to his namesake exquisitely. In addition, all incarnations of Spymaster have been solid fighters and were skilled in firearms.

8. Ghost
Almost totally mysterious and a ruthless industrial saboteur, Ghost is one of the more underrated Rogues in Iron Man's gallery. Ghost wears a self designed suit that allows him to turn himself and other objects within physical contact invisible. Ghost, like Vision, can also become intangible and able to pass through walls. He cannot be both invisible and intangible at once.

7. Blacklash
Mark Scarlotti was a technician who used to work for Tony Stark, but turned to a life of crime. Employed and financed by Justin Hammer, Tony's business rival, Blacklash uses titanium whips with complete mastery. He also has gravity and electricity themed weapons and gadgets.

6. Fin Fang Foom
Though often mistaken for a dragon, Fin Fang Foom is actually an alien being. Though his race of people have shape shifting powers, he usually remains in his dragon-like form. Fin Fang Form has superhuman strength and durability, can fly at high speeds, and can shoot acid from it's mouth. In addition, it has a very powerful healing factor. Mentally, it has telepathic powers and extreme intelligence.

5. Ultimo
Ultimo is an ancient android weapon created by an alien species long since lost. Ultimo is almost indestructible and carries vast amounts of strength. Huge beams of immense force can be fired from his eyes. His size can also increase or decrease. Additionally, he can adapt his strategy when fighting to ensure victory.

4. Crimson Dynamo
There have been a dozen wielders of the Crimson Dynamo armor, but one thing is for certain: None of these people enjoy Iron Man's company. They always end up fighting each other, and every time Crimson Dynamo is more than a match for Iron Man. Crimson Dynamo possesses many of the same powers as Iron Man, and as such their battles are always very close.

3. Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer, Tony Stark's business rival, has been one of the largest sources of confrontation since Iron Man's inception. Justin Hammer has brought Tony Stark to the brink of destruction many times, proving intelligence and business savvy go a long way.

2. Iron Monger
Obadiah Stane, the Iron Monger, is perhaps the only villain to truly nearly totally destroy Tony Stark. Ruthlessly brilliant with a terrifying mean streak, Obadiah Stane took away everything from Tony Stark and left him penniless and depressed. His armor was basically a souped up version of Iron Man's armor, though much of his victory came from his mental strength as opposed to physical.

1. Mandarin
The descendant of Genghis Khan and the owner of the Ten Makluan Rings, Mandarin is Tony's arch nemesis and his greatest foe to date. He holds mastery over many types of martial arts, is considered to be a genius, and his rings give him considerable magical power. None can match Iron Man blow for blow more than Mandarin, and that's why he has our #1 spot as Iron Man's greatest villain.

That's the end of our list. Keep your eyes peeled for Iron Man 2, which should be hitting theaters next year!