The heroes of comics get most of the glory. Who can forget Barry Allen's sacrificial run to spare DC from Crisis 20 years ago or Jean Grey choosing death over a life as Dark Phoenix? But comics' greatest villains have had their own fine moments. To celebrate the finals days of IGN Comics' Villain Month, we pondered on the ten most memorable moments in villainy.

This wasn't an easy task. There are a surprising number of great moments to choose from. In fact, there were quite a few that held personal favor. However, we've avoided the obscure moments we loved, because in truth they don't hold the power of our top ten. Not only are these moments unforgettable, they made a difference. You'll notice that all but one occurred in the past 20 years. Again, these are the ones we felt had the greatest impact on the stories, the characters and us as readers.

#10 Thunderbolts Really Masters of Evil

Thunderbolts #1Baron Zemo II

Only one good thing came of Marvel's disastrous attempt to reboot its universe with the "Heroes Reborn" storyline. With the heroes of the 616 Marvel Universe gone to the other side of the sun, the world was in search of protectors. It was believed a new team of champions was discovered with the appearance of the mysterious Thunderbolts. But these do-gooders were in fact the new Masters of Evil, headed by Baron Zemo II. The shocking final page of the first issue revealed the truth and was one of the biggest surprises in comics history.

The first year of the Thunderbolts was dedicated to the rouse and the conflicting emotions among a band of villains pretending to be good, and perhaps enjoying heroism a little too much. While the series may not have had a long-lasting affect on the Marvel Universe, it may well have saved Marvel from creative self-destruction in the '90s.

#9 Angel's Wings Clipped

X-Factor #10Angel, Harpoon

The original five X-Men had only recently created the public mutant investigations group X-Factor when their team was nearly destroyed. The Mutant Massacre, a major X-Men crossover event, had Sinister's Marauders attempting to wipe out the sewer-dwelling Morlocks. When X-Factor came to the aid of the Morlocks, Angel found himself on the wrong end of the mean-spirited mutant, Harpoon. The former X-Man lost his wings, just the first in a string of shocking moments to come for Warren Worthington III.

Not long after losing his feathers, Warren appeared to commit suicide, crashing his plane into the side of a mountain. In truth, he turned himself over to Apocalypse, who gave the former X-Man steel wings and new name -- Archangel.

Batman : The Killing JokeJoker, Barbara Gordon, James Gordon

It's not totally unexpected for a costumed hero to meet a major physical set-back on the job. But former Batgirl Barbara Gordon wasn't shot and paralyzed trying to save the city. She was crippled because she's Commissioner Gordon's daughter. The Joker had a brilliant plan -- push Jim Gordon to the edge of sanity, then give him an extra nudge to turn him into a raving lunatic. After all, if a sane man like Gordon can give into sanity based on circumstance, who could really blame the Joker for the cruel twist of fate that made him go loony?

Joker shot Barbara Gordon in front of her father, then undressed her and took a few tasteful photos. Though Batgirl was lost, an new kind of hero, Oracle, was born from the incident.

#7 Magneto Rips Out Wolverine's Adamantium

X-Men #25Magneto, Wolverine

Magneto and the X-Men had been waging a polite war with one another for years. During the events of the "Fatal Attraction" storyline, Magneto took things to a new extreme. Determined to provide an orbiting sanctuary for "his people," Magneto gave the Homo Sapien powers-that-be a harsh warning. Mags unleashed an EM pulse from space that knocked out power for a good chunk of Earth, killing hundreds of thousands. The X-Men came after Magneto, still holding hope he could be saved. But when the Master of Magnetism ripped the Adamantium from Wolverine's bones, all hopes for a peaceful resolution ended. So did Xavier's patience.

Wolverine nearly died from the shock of losing the metal surrounding his bones and spent several years traveling the country with bone claws and an even bigger chip on his shoulders. Sadly, these events also lead to the previously-mentioned "Heroes Reborn" disaster years later.

#6 Doomsday Kills Superman

Superman #75Doomsday, Superman

The Man of Steel did not fall to arch-foes Brainiac or Lex Luthor. He wasn't bested by Batman or General Zod. A total unknown, an inarticulate beast from ancient Krypton named Doomsday, dealt the final blows that killed Superman. There was no complex or sinister plot. It was merely strength versus strength. And with Doomsday intent on destroying Metropolis, the last son of Krypton put every ounce of strength into his final battle. Though he stopped the monster, Superman died in Lois Lane's arms.

Superman's death brought about many long-lasting changes to the DCU. The new Superboy debuted and Coast City was destroyed. That act lead to Hal Jordan's own turn at villainy. Though Superman's death was hardly a shocker, it was a powerful moment in DC's history.