The battle between good and evil is clear when put on the pages of comics. Superman fights for truth and justice while his arch enemy, Lex Luthor, stands against everything he believes in. Whether it's Batman fighting the Joker or Spider-Man tangling with Doctor Octopus, comics clearly draw the line between hero and villain. In reality, some of comics' most iconic villains might actually be viewed as heroic in the real world.

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Magneto has fought the X-Men numerous times, but deep down he's just a traumatized man fighting for mutant rights. The multiverse has offered a plethora of villains whose purpose is to be defeated by their heroic counterparts. These villains, however, might fare better in the real world.

10 Poison Ivy

One of Batman's only super powered enemies, Poison Ivy has been able to be a literal thorn in his side with her power to manipulate plant life. Gotham may have viewed Poison Ivy as a villain but based on her ideals, she may have led a better life in the real world.

While Poison Ivy's methods may be less than ideal, her morals are more in line with most people. Her entire motivation is to preserve all plant life from the dangers of man. She's as green as green can get. If it weren't for her decades of fighting Batman, she would just be another environmentalist trying to make the world a better place to live in.

9 Two-Face

The tragic story of Harvey Dent ended with the birth of his villainous persona, Two-Face. But realistically, the disfiguring of a beloved district attorney likely would've made him a hero in the eyes of the public as opposed to a crime boss. Before he became Two-Face, Harvey Dent was just trying to fight crime within the lines of the law as opposed to his ally turned nemesis, Batman. While he may have had one bad day, Harvey Dent probably wouldn't have turned to a life of crime had he been disfigured in real life.

At most, Dent's career as an attorney may have ended but it's doubtful he would have made such a drastic turn. In fact, he would have garnered sympathy and continued his altruistic war against crime. Sadly, the comic version of Harvey Dent was doomed to a life of villainy and misery.

8 Doctor Doom

doctor doom

No villain has been a greater threat to the Fantastic Four or the Marvel Universe itself than the Latverian despot, Doctor Doom. While he was primarily conceived as the arch enemy of Reed Richards and his super hero family, Doctor Doom has grown into an Avengers level threat to rival the likes of Thanos. Yet, beneath his metal armor, lies a man who simply wants what is best for Earth despite his less than heroic methods.

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Even with his heinous crimes against humanity, Doctor Doom is simply looking out for earth— by subjugating its people. Not unlike Loki, Doctor Doom thinks himself above all others. Whereas the comics have more or less presented Doctor Doom as the ultimate big bad, the real world might welcome Doctor Doom's goal to make Earth a better place. His methods aren't the greatest but the ruler of Latveria would be sure to ensure Earth wouldn't be messed with by the likes of more malevolent cosmic beings.

7 Ra's Al Ghul

The DC universe is filled with various immortal characters. However, few of those characters are as villainous as the iconic Batman foe, Ra's Al Ghul. Perpetually healed by the Lazarus pits, Ra's has cheated death for centuries. Despite leading the ominously named League of Assassins, his ultimate goal is essentially an altruistic one.

Ra's simply wants Earth to flourish as it once did before the industrial age. Granted, his methods may be classified as eco-terrorism considering he plans to reduce Earth's population to achieve his ultimate goal. In the real world, Ra's Al Ghul would likely do well as a heroic environmentalist. It's just his low key Thanos impersonation that gives him a bad rap.

6 Condiment King

btas condiment king

Batman: The Animated Series creators Bruce Timm and Paul Dini made an indelible impact on the DC Universe when they created the character of Harley Quinn. Their other creation however, Condiment King, was not as well regarded. He was meant to be a joke but he somehow did manage to make it onto the pages of DC comics. This however didn't make him any less of a joke. He lacks any real super powers but he does have condiment based weaponry.

His efforts as a villain are in vein in the comics, but the real world might praise such a master of the condiment. Realistically, he would make a great sideshow at many sporting events. It's a silly schtick, but only when it's used to fight the Dark Knight himself.

5 Killmonger

Erik Killmonger as Black Panther in Marvel Comics

Marvel's Black Panther surprised everyone when it took little known villain, Erik Killmonger, and turned him into one of the most compelling villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Black Panther's first solo outing found him battling against what essentially turned out to be the MCU's version of Magneto. Killmonger definitely planned to harm millions of people but it wasn't so hard to see why he was so hellbent on doing it.

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Like Magneto, Killmonger was born into a life of struggle. He was left to fend for himself after his father his killed by his own brother— a brother who could easily have helped rid the struggles Killmonger fought to end. Despite his murderous intent, Killmonger was still technically a war hero. He fought for his country and was good enough to earn the name Killmonger. As morbid as that sounds, it would have led to him being regarded as a hero in the real world.

4 Mysterio

Mysterio is Introduced

Mysterio hasn't had too much success as a Spider-Man villain. But maybe his efforts to become a hero would be better served in the real world.  In the film, Spider-Man Homecoming, it is revealed that Mysterio's alter ego, Quentin Beck, was actually a spurned Stark Industries employee. While he was totally in the wrong for messing with poor Peter Parker, his grudge against Tony Stark actually made sense.

In reality, he probably would've been viewed as a hero for lashing out at his rich boss who made a mockery out of his invention. Iron Man may be a hero but Tony Stark was far from the best boss. Mysterio likely would have had the people on his side.

3 Prowler

Miles Morales' uncle was revealed to be the villainous Prowler. However, when it comes to Marvel's worst villains, Prowler is pretty low on the list. A man in his situation but with high tech gadgets would make for a great hero in the real world. He's simply a victim of circumstance who ended up becoming an enemy for his own nephew.

His methods may be a little extreme, but as a vigilante, Prowler would have gotten the job done. He may not have his nephew's powers, but his cunning and skills as a fighter would garner a lot of support.

2 The Lizard

Curt Connors, aka The Lizard, just wanted to regrow the arm he lost in a war. He was simply a man of science who did his best to perform amazing feats. Of course, it backfired completely and turned him into one of Spider-Man's greatest enemies.

Realistically however, Curt Connors' work would likely be revered in the real world. His goal to regrow a lost limb would be viewed in a much greater light. Unfortunately, being a giant lizard kills the vibe of his good intentions a bit.

1 Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor with a Superman figure

Lex Luthor is the gold standard of super villains. He is arguably the most famous of them all since his rivalry with Superman was first constructed. He's rich, highly intelligent, and motivated by his hatred for Superman. What makes Luthor so special is the fact that he believes himself to be the hero. In fact, his hatred for Superman is built on his belief that the Man of Steel's existence makes humanity weak.

Lex Luthor has done an incredible amount of harm against countless heroes, but he could very well be a hero in the real world. He is essentially just a rich industrialist who wants humanity to progress. He even became president at one point in the comics and didn't necessarily harm anyone. He just really, really hates Superman.

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