Marvel's villains are often much more interesting than the heroes they fight. The best of them, like Green Goblin or Doctor Doom, have been built up into something special; they aren't just stereotypical bad guys, but multifaceted characters that readers can often empathize with and root for. Over the years, they've fought bombastic battles against the heroes, and have taken some tremendous losses. However, that doesn't mean they deserved to lose every time.
Sure, the villains are the antagonists, but that doesn't mean the heroes aren't also wrong sometimes. Other times, the villains have worked harder or just deserved their reward more than their heroic counterparts.
10 The Red Hulk Deserved His Revenge Against The Hulk
The Hulk is one of the strongest heroes, and it's hard for anyone to truly challenge him. Thunderbolt Ross had been battling the Hulk since the beginning, but he's never really had a chance against the Jade Giant. That's why he agreed to become the Red Hulk. With his newfound physical might, he ran through every hero in his way, finally coming face-to-face with the Hulk.
Red Hulk put up a good fight, but he still lost. Over the years, the Hulk had destroyed everything in Ross's life. The Hulk beat him at every turn, caused Ross's daughter's death, and even cost Ross his life. If anyone should have beat the Hulk, it was him.
9 The Final Horsemen Just Wanted Their God Back
Apocalypse is known for always returning from death. He has used multiple methods of resurrection over the years. After one death, the Final Horsemen took action. They were some of the Apocalypse's oldest and most powerful servants and cloned their master, choosing to raise him to adulthood and mold him into a new Apocalypse.
Wolverine and X-Force found out, taking it upon themselves to try to kill the young clone. While X-Force didn't actually kill the clone, with Fantomex instead hiding him, the Final Horsemen still deserved to have their god back. Sure, he probably would have been a monster eventually, but this young Apocalypse had every chance to be different, even with the Final Horsemen raising him.
8 Doctor Octopus Deserved To Be Peter Parker More Than Peter Did
When Doctor Octopus realized that his life was about to end, he came up with a new plan to defeat Spider-Man. He lured the Wall-Crawler in and was able to take over his body. However, before Peter Parker disappeared, he showed Ock his life. This spurred the villain to become a superior Spider-Man, proving that he was always better than his long time enemy.
Ock took the raw clay of Peter Parker's life and molded something special. Not only did he do better as Peter Parker, but he also was better as Spider-Man. Doc Ock stole Spider-Man's body and did more with it than Spider-Man ever did. If anyone should have gotten to stay as Peter Parker, it was him.
7 Magneto Was Completely Right To Attack The X-Men
Marvel has a lot of heroic villains, with Magneto topping the list. Magneto grew up in the Holocaust, and wanted to make sure that mutants didn't end up in one. In X-Men (1991) #1-3 by Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Joe Rosas, Magneto had retired to Asteroid M when trouble came to him. S.H.I.E.L.D. chased a group of mutants to his doorstep, who convinced Magneto to help them fight for mutants on Earth.
They attacked Genosha and were able to capture the X-Men, before Magneto took Moira MacTaggert hostage for trying to brainwash him when he was de-aged. Magneto was just trying to defend his people and right wrongs done to him. He paid for it dearly when S.H.I.E.L.D. used a plasma laser to destroy Asteroid M, leaving the world to think he was dead, but he should have triumphed.
6 Scarlet Witch Deserved Her Revenge Against The Avengers
Scarlet Witch has been villainous over the years, but most of the time it wasn't really warranted. Her attack against the Avengers in Avengers Disassembled was completely warranted, though. This one was motivated by her learning that the Avengers and Agatha Harkness had mind-wiped her of the memory of her children after they learned she had created them.
The Avengers unilaterally deciding to mind-wipe was a crime against their friend. She had every right to be angry at them. It's arguable if that had been enough to warrant killing the entire team, but they did violate her and abuse her trust.
5 Thanos Did What He Promised And Death Still Didn't Love Him
Thanos has been humiliated more times than most would imagine, especially as powerful as he is. Unfortunately for him, Mistress Death played a huge role in one of those humiliations. After he gained the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped half of all life in the universe into oblivion, she still wouldn't give him the time of day.
Thanos had upheld his end of the bargain. He killed half the universe and there was nothing anyone could have done to stop him. The only victory Thanos wanted was Death to actually love him, but she still spurned him. She even teamed up with the cosmic beings against him. She should have upheld her half of the deal.
4 Loki Would Be A Better Ruler Of Asgard Than Thor
Marvel's best villains fulfill their destinies, even if it's all taken away from them at some point. Loki had been battling against Thor and the forces of Asgard for years, trying to take the throne of the Golden Realm. 2005's Loki comic series saw the trickster god finally succeed, defeating Thor and Odin to become King of Asgard.
Although he was defeated eventually, it's hard to argue against him keeping the throne. He is easily the smartest person in Asgard and would defend it from all enemies. He's just as qualified to rule as Odin and much more qualified than Thor.
3 Danger Deserved Her Revenge Against Xavier
The Danger Room was a remarkable achievement, not only because it could throw anything at the X-Men but also because it learned along with them, making it a better training tool. However, Charles Xavier had a secret about the Danger Room, one that would endanger his students. It wasn't just a computer program in control, but a self-aware AI that he had enslaved.
The Danger Room's systems had mutated, and it became aware. Instead of freeing this new life form, Xavier held it against its will. It was finally able to break the bonds of its programming and attack the X-Men, escaping to get revenge against Xavier. The X-Men stopped it, but it's hard to argue that Danger's vengeance wasn't righteous or deserved.
2 Norman Osborn Ran S.H.I.E.L.D. And The Avengers
Norman Osborn's has some impressive accomplishments, but none more so than when he parlayed a job as the leader of the Thunderbolts into becoming the head of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. Osborn's time as leader saw him consolidate his power and use it against the heroes he hated, but he also saved the world more than once.
His tenure was no different from Iron Man's before him. Iron Man mostly consolidated his power and uses it against the heroes who were against him sometimes saving the world. Osborn still saved the Earth with the Avengers, and was arguably better than Stark. He deserved his role as leader as much as anyone else, and he wasn't wrong to attack Asgard.
1 Doctor Doom Earned Being God
Doctor Doom is Marvel's best villainous role model, and he proved why in the last days of the incursions. Doom moved behind the scenes and built up a base of power, allowing him to save the remnants of the multiverse. Doom became the God Emperor of what was left, and it's hard to argue that he didn't deserve that.
Doom's eventual defeat made a lot of sense–he knew that he didn't deserve it and gave it up. However, that doesn't mean everyone shouldn't have known that he saved creation. He was right to give up godhood, but the Marvel Universe should have been made aware that they owed their continued existence to Doom.