Because I feel a bit uninspired today's thread is a repost of one of the more popular subjects from May 20th, 2013. I hope you folks enjoy.
What are your TOP FIVE Science Fiction VILLAINS of all time?
I will get the ball rolling with my FAV FIVE list of bad boys.
5. The Daleks: When I was a pre-teen cable was not yet invented and a rag-tag pair of “rabbit ears”
provided our boat anchor of a Zennith console television with four channels. I remember one boring Sunday morning I found the network programming completely tiring for my twelve year old attention span. The fourth channel we received on our tube was PBS. There I saw this curly haired TIME LORD with an immesively long scarf battling these ALIEN ROBOTS with these terrifying spine chilling metallic voices. “EXTERMINATE!!” I was immediately hooked and have been a DR. WHO fan ever since.
4. ARIIA: The Department of Defense’s intelligent gathering supercomputer in EAGLE EYE makes my list for a more modern-day option. Think about it, being controlled by a calculating machine contemplating the murder of the President’s entire cabinet without a shred of human feeling? Also, her power to manipulate utilizes every grid within our modern day society from traffic cams and signals, to automated cargo cranes… you are never out of her reach. That is a scary concept and makes her number four on my list of best Science Fiction Villains.
3. Victor Kruger: The movie HIGHLANDER is, in my opinion, one of the best films ever made. Its mysterious plot line was brilliant and the use of flashbacks influenced my own writing style in my latest works within The Morian Trilogy. But, the most amazing part of the movie was its extraordinarily wicked protagonist Victor Kruger. Every statement uttered by this bad guy dripped with conceit and contempt. I will never forget the scene within the church when he walked in with the safety pins adorning his neck scar. He was the devil himself in that sacred place. He made such an impact on WES CRAVEN that he named his villain in NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET after the HIGHLANDER villain.
2. HAL 9000: Heuristic Algorithmic in Authur C. Clarke's 2001 Space Oddessey. This computer started out innocent enough, but, by the end of the film he has to be one of the creepiest Science Fiction villains ever. That unemotional mechanized voice shot an icepick into the soul much the same way the DALEKS do. Also, that one red blaring eye was always staring and had the creepy effect of forcing the paranoia upon the screen to jump into the hearts of the audience in the darkened theater.
1. Emperor Palpatine: When you explore the scope of villains the Emperor stands out for me. His visage was ominous within my teenage mind when I first saw him in the shimmery hologram as Darth Vader kneeled before him. I believe that is why Vader fails to make my list, because, as menacing as he was at times, his leash was always held by Palpatine. Also, in the end, Darth Vader turned because he still had good in him. The Emperor was nothing but pure scheming, backstabbing and unadulterated evil.
What are your FAV FIVE villains of all time in Science Fiction?
My Top 5...
ReplyDelete5. The Original Termnator. His relentless quest to eliminate Sarah Connor kept me riveted to the screen all the while wondering how could anyone escape this machine.
4. Agent Smith, the Matrix. When I first saw the Matrix the originality and creativity blew me away. The Agents, especially Smith, were great characters with their robotic emotionless way, and utter disdane for the human race made them a character you loved to hate.
3. Khan Noonien Singh, or simply Khan of Star Trek fame, specifically "Wrath of Khan". "He is brilliant, ruthless and he will not hesitate to kill every single one of you." Mr. Spock's own words about Khan. I believe that sums him up.
2. The Kurgan from Highlander. Lee had already mentioned him, but for shear evil, intensity, brutality, and just plain old crap your pants scariness give me an immortal guy with a huge sword any day.
1. My number one, the badest of the bad. The guy who can kill you without even touching you, Darth Vader. Sure, he eventually reforms himself and dies doing good by his children. But you cannot deny that while he was evil Darth he was very very dark and intimidating. Ruthless, and ruled with an iron fist. It was the voice, the suit, the power, the sword, and the lack of conscience that allowed him to use all of the tools at his disposal to carry out the Emporer's will.
Nice list Richard. I too had Kahn in my original list as well as Darth Vader. I also loved Agent Smith in the Matrix siting him in an earlier post as having the best Science Fiction Monologue of all time (5/7/13). Also T-1000 in the Terminator sequel was a bad ass. I really need to make this list the FAV TEN. LOL! There are SO MANY great Villains to choose from...and so little time.
DeleteThanks again for contributing Rick.
Khaaannn!!!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Who can forget the over dramatic monologues of Ricardo Monteban? And, of course, the fake chest prosthetic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for contributing Ellie.
"I've done far worse than kill you. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me. As you left her. Marooned for all eternity at the center of a dead planet. Buried alive...buried alive."
According to director Nicholas Meyer in the DVD commentary of Star Trek II: that was his real chest.
DeleteI must have fallen prey to the scuttlebutt and rumor. Great list James! Thanks for joining the thread!
DeleteMy five in no particular order include Khan (there was something operatic about that character and Ricardo Montalban's performance in Star Trek II); Hal 9000 (chilling - how do you defeat a supercomputer?); Roy Batty in Bladerunner; the alien from Alien; and Darth Vader. Vader gets points for a cool suit and helmet.
ReplyDeleteAliens was one of my favorite sci fi movies of all time.
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