Much as we love our favorite superheroes, they’re only half the story. Because, really, what would superheroes be without supervillains to draw them into those death-defying battles we can’t get enough of?

The creation process for world-class villains is just as painstaking as the effort that goes into creating heroes, whether we’re talking about the writers and artists of DC Comics or the Marvel Universe. And if you research even a little bit, it won’t take long to learn that there are bitter disputes about who created what. (That’s definitely true with a certain green-haired, freakily-grinning bad guy we’ll get to in a minute.)

But first, just for fun, let’s think about what makes a great supervillain. First, they need to have an obsessive hatred of the superhero they’ll be fighting. Great example: Lex Luthor, the megalomaniac archenemy of Superman, has many plans to take over the world and hates Superman for constantly interfering with his plans. Lex claims that Superman is a threat to humanity, but really we know Lex just wishes he was beloved like the Man of Steel. Jealous much, Lex? 

“I could get on with my plan for world domination if it weren’t for you” is a constant gripe in the supervillain universe. We see it with Spiderman and Doctor Octopus, for example.

And, just like their superhero nemeses, supervillains have to be powerful enough to put up a great fight — maybe even win! Professor X, the good-guy mutant telepath at the heart of the X-Men series, is well matched with his former friend Magneto, a “bad” mutant who can bend any kind of metal. The two adversaries are wrestling for control of the mutant community, with Professor X advocating kindness and tolerance for the frequently prejudiced and fearful “normal” people of the world. Magneto believes more in mutants using their powers to defeat and subjugate ordinary people. It all adds up to a grudge match for the ages.

We’ll get into these and other supervillain feuds in future blogs, but let’s end this first edition with a shout-out to one of the greatest villains ever.

Knock knock. Who’s there? The Joker!

Aside from being one of the coolest crime fighters ever, Batman is famous for having the coolest enemies as well. Two-Face, Catwoman (OMG, Catwoman!), the Penguin. I could go on. 

But best of all is the Joker. He’s so visually memorable, for starters. His wild appearance is the result of a lab accident, and in his mind, Batman is to blame. The criminal formerly named Red Hood is literally being chased by Batman when he falls into a vat of chemicals. Instead of dying, he emerges with some very curious facial damage. His hair is now bright green, his face is dead white, and his mouth is permanently stretched into a grotesque, oversized smile. 

That smile — the fact that he can’t make it go away — drives Red Hood insane. He reemerges as the Joker, and the battle is on. 

The Joker’s expertise is in chemistry: he’s forever spraying his victims with toxic chemicals and so on. His attacks also involve an overlay of circus-clown hijinks. For instance, his toxic chemical spray might be delivered through a big plastic daisy on the Joker’s jacket lapel.

But it’s the Joker’s attitude that really rocks, especially in contrast to his opponent, Batman, who’s not exactly known as a comic. The Joker’s verbal jabs are so sharp, they have a Wiki page of their own. Among fan favorites: When he’s asked about his life story, he says, “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.”

Another fact that distinguishes the Joker from all other supervillains: two actors, Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix, have actually won Best Actor Academy Awards for playing him. Other great Jokers came before them: Cesar Romero, Jared Leto, and especially the master of sardonic screen humor, Jack Nicholson. The thread that made all those performances so memorable? The Joker is not just funny. He’s fun. 

When I started writing superhero adventures for kids, I wanted the world of my 11-year-old superhero, Kyle Alexander, to be full of nasty crooks, just like Batman’s Gotham City. But I also wanted the stories to be fun. Rocky the Rat, The Grizzly Bear Gang, and Shotgun Anthony Jones and Luke are villains that kids and adults both enjoy. Be sure to check out “Breakfast of Superheroes” and the newest story featuring Cockroach the Superhero: “The Secrets of the Superhero’s Ring.” You can find them both right here. Enjoy!