Almost all iconic faces in the realm of superheroes can be traced back to the stylish pages of comic books. And much like popular episodic television, those that have endured over the years are often confronted with some new threat to challenge them issue after issue, usually in the form of a supervillain. As such, the best heroes are generally burdened with a colorful collection of rogues unique to them and their particular mythos.
But there is always that one villain, the archfoe, the nemesis, with whom a hero engages in a seemingly endless struggle throughout their crime-fighting career, ahead of any other adversary they have faced. The reasons for why this peculiar rivalry exists may be specific or numerous. Whatever the case, the trope of superhero archenemies has given birth to some especially compelling hero-villain relationships in mainstream fiction.
Batman and Joker
While many other superhero/comic book rivalries are worth mentioning, the shining benchmark is Batman and the Joker's. It is true that Batman also has quite a few memorable villains that comprise a well-regarded rogues' gallery, and people are likely burned out on him battling Joker, but the two have been built up as mortal enemies.
Scholarly analysis definitively points to Joker being Batman's ideal nemesis, as he embodies the perfect antithesis to the hero. Where the Dark Knight of Gotham City is a sober and disciplined protector of the innocent and moral order, the Clown Prince of Crime revels in chaos and destruction, committing atrocities without restraint, wearing a smile and vibrant trappings. These characters are destined to remain locked in eternal combat like competing forces of nature.
Superman and Lex Luthor
When you have a protagonist as overwhelmingly powerful as Superman, you would assume he would require antagonists of close to or greater might. Indeed, the Man of Steel has had to deal with several Earth-shattering threats, but his most hated adversary has ironically always been the all-too-human Lex Luthor.
Much like the Batman-Joker relationship, the animosity between Superman and Luthor is defined by opposites. The former is a middle-class worker secretly gifted with godlike abilities that he uses for altruistic endeavors, while the latter is a wealthy businessman who hides sinister intentions from the public eye and boasts an exceptionally high intellect instead of superhuman powers. Superman despises Luthor for his lack of decency, and Luthor views the alien Superman as a danger to humanity, though mostly he begrudges his rival's extraordinary power and righteous image.
Spider-Man and Green Goblin
There are at least three villains who could qualify as Spider-Man's archenemy. Doctor Octopus and Venom represent dark mirrors of the Web-Slinger himself in different ways. However, the title of his greatest foe has to go to the one who has caused him the most heartache: Green Goblin.
The original Goblin, Norman Osborn, was one of the first villains to discover Spider-Man's secret identity. He would use that knowledge to terrorize him as Spider-Man and Peter Parker, stooping as low as to target his loved ones to do so. He is perhaps most infamous in this sense for setting in motion the events which led to the death of Peter's beloved Gwen Stacy. Even after Norman's supposed demise, his son, Harry, who was also Peter's best friend, would take up the Goblin persona. Unlike the Green Goblin, no other villain has pushed Spider-Man to the brink emotionally and mentally.
Iron Man and Mandarin
-Cropped(1).jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
It is the classic superhero-supervillain set-up: one aspires to global domination, and the other stops them at every turn. Though the Mandarin is a high-profile enough menace to tangle with more powerful heroes, he has never let go of Iron Man's thwarting of his earliest schemes, resulting in their long-standing enmity.
Tony Stark relies heavily on advanced technology for strength in battle, but the Mandarin is less straightforward. While he is also a genius who values science and the enigmatic ten rings from which he primarily derives his power are technological, they are extraterrestrial in origin, functioning more like magic per conventional understanding, supplemented by the Mandarin's martial abilities. This is a conflict headlined by a clash of hardware against mysticism.
Thor and Loki
Rivalries can be complicated, especially when they involve family. In the Marvel Universe, the mythological deities Thor and Loki are portrayed as adoptive siblings and lifelong rivals, one driven by honor and the other by bitterness.
Throughout their upbringing, the God of Mischief envied the favor and prestige lavished upon his brother until he grew into a vengeful and power-hungry scoundrel constantly seeking to destroy Thor and take over Asgard. The God of Thunder, paragon of virtue that he is, steadfastly foils and defies Loki despite recognizing the trickster as his kin, even without true blood ties.
Daredevil and Bullseye
Many would contend that Kingpin is the rightful archenemy of the masked vigilante Daredevil, and they are not necessarily wrong. But the deranged assassin Bullseye arguably has a more personal history with the hero.
After their initial encounters damaged Bullseye's professional reputation, the hitman fostered a grudge against Daredevil that would impact him physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Bullseye's actions have resulted in multiple people significant to Daredevil ending up threatened or dead and Daredevil's moral values being jeopardized to the point of almost killing Bullseye.
The Flash and Reverse-Flash
-Cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
It is now considered a bit of a frustrating cliché for superheroes to be plagued by supervillains who possess the same or similar superpowers as they do. Be that as it may, the animosity between The Flash and Reverse-Flash is about more than just the fact that they both run super, super fast.
The Barry Allen version of Flash was the obsession of Eobard Thawne, a time-traveler who learned that he was fated to become his idol's archnemesis. Driven mad by his discovery, Thawne embraced his destiny and menaced Allen for ages, murdering those he held dear and even pushing the hero himself to kill. There have also been about as many Reverse-Flashes as there are different Flashes, each with their own reason(s) to oppose the Scarlet Speedster.
Professor X and Magneto
Sometimes heroes and villains actually have the same goal but become nemeses because they believe strongly in achieving it through opposing methods. Professor X and Magneto are such a pair, with the former advocating for equality between humans and the minority mutant race using a pacifist approach and the latter preferring to secure mutant rights by force.
This comic book feud is rarely physical in the sense of direct combat but is no less intense due to the weighty ideas and philosophies being fought for. An additional undercurrent of tragedy to their complex relationship is the widely accepted backstory that the two were good friends before their differences drove them apart.
Wolverine and Sabretooth
Engaged in a vendetta that has gone on for several decades at least, mutant immortals Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett) and Sabretooth (Victor Creed) hate each other in a manner expressed through inevitable violence whenever they meet. A most intriguing element of this conflict is that its exact origins are shrouded in mystery, even to the combatants.
What is known is that Sabretooth seemingly resents Wolverine's self-control regarding his bestial nature, whereas Sabretooth freely indulges it. Creed's competitive attitude towards Logan runs so deep that he hunts down Logan on the latter's birthday every year to fight and torment him.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder
While the details change based on different adaptations, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shredder are sworn enemies because of Shredder's bloody history with the Turtles' master and father, Splinter. The amphibian brothers' sense of duty and the fallen ninja master Shredder's wrathful villainy continuously compel both parties to battle one another.
Stories about the Turtles have expanded to cover many mediums and have included numerous dangerous antagonists for the young heroes to overcome. But no matter what, the Turtles and their allies will always find themselves facing Shredder and his Foot Clan in some shape or form.