Just as the DC Universe has Arkham Asylum, the Marvel Universe has the Raft: a super high tech and high-security prison just off the coast of New York and located near Riker's Island. It was originally built and controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D. and held some of the most dangerous villains in the world. How exactly could a prison hold the strongest Marvel villains? Wouldn't they just be able to use their powers and break out? Therein lies the beauty of the Raft. It was built with a dampening field which inhibited the powers of the inmates. The more powerful inmates were also outfitted with neural inhibitors which kept their powers at bay. On top of all of that, the island was surrounded by ocean waters filled with a specially bred species of jellyfish whose sting contained a powerful nerve toxin.

The guards were also given specially designed weapons that only they could use, and the entire prison was also surrounded by a force field. In addition to all of these measures, computer-operated ray guns were also mounted on the prison walls at every turn, ensuring that the superpowered criminals housed there wouldn't be able to get out. However, they usually did anyway. There had been several massive jailbreaks through the Raft's history, often orchestrated by villains that remained outside of its walls, but sometimes also from within. This led to some serious problems, particularly for Spider-Man, who was the hero who most often put villains in this prison. After their escapes, they would usually go right after him. These are the 25 most powerful villains to ever be held in the Raft.

25 CROSSBONES

Brock Rumlow, also known as Crossbones, may not be the most powerful villain in the Marvel Universe, but he is definitely dangerous. He has enough mercenary training and natural strength to make him a viable threat. He is also the kind of guy who will betray the people who help him out in any way, showing absolutely no regard for loyalty.

Crossbones was being held in the Raft at one point but managed to escape after Cain Marko was turned into Kuurth by a hammer of the Worthy. Crossbones was aided by Man Mountian Marko, whom he ended up taking out after he was free.

24 VERMIN

Vermin is a villain who made his first appearance facing off against Spider-Man and Captain America. He was a normal human named Edward Whelan who was mutated into a large ratlike creature by the scientist Baron Zemo.

Though he sometimes takes the same side as the heroes, he is more often seen as a threat. With the ability to command rats and other rodents, he can be a seriously dangerous opponent to go up against. Hopefully, the Raft doesn't have a problem with rats.

23 SHOCKER

Herman Schultz, better known by his supervillain name of the Shocker, has wound up in several different jails over his criminal career. That includes the Raft, which is strange to say, considering that usually only the most dangerous and powerful criminals are held there.

See, The Shocker can be a pretty threatening guy, what with his shockwave-producing gauntlets. However, Herman Schultz is just a guy. He has no superpowers or special skills. He's not even all that smart. He might just be the smallest fish in the big pond.

22 TIGER SHARK

Tiger Shark is one of the lesser-known Marvel villains, and he most often faces off against Namor the Sub-Mariner. He began his life as Todd Arliss, an Olympic swimmer who suffered spinal cord damage after rescuing a man from drowning.

After an experimental procedure was performed in which Arliss's body was infused with the DNA of Namor and a Tiger Shark, Arliss experienced a major change to his physiology and mental state. He grew sharp teeth, gills, and claws. He was defeated by Namor when they first met and often spends time imprisoned in the Raft.

21 TOMBSTONE

Tombstone-fighting-Spider-Man

Tombstone was most recently seen working for Wilson Fisk in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Tombstone does not have any real superpowers, although he does cut an imposing figure. Born with albinism, he was often taunted by the other kids, leading him to become the villain he is today.

Later in life, Tombstone filed his teeth into sharp points to give himself an even scarier look. While he does have considerable strength, he is more known for his ruthless criminal methods.

20 MAC GARGAN

Mac Gargan, professionally known as the Scorpion, is known for targeting the families of people he wants to threaten. While he started his criminal career as a somewhat normal lowlife thug, he was eventually given much more power after working with none other than J. Jonah Jameson.

Gargan was given $10,000 to undergo the experiment that changed him into the Scorpion permanently. Now, he seeks revenge on not only Spider-Man but also Jameson. He has called the Raft home on more than one occasion.

19 TYPHOID MARY

Typhoid Mary in Marvel Comics

Typhoid Mary is exactly the kind of person that should be kept locked away from the general public in a maximum security prison like the Raft. She is unbridled insanity and will take down anyone who stands in her way.

Mary developed a second persona when she was very young to deal with family trauma. This helped her to become a more effective soldier and mercenary. Her second persona is far more violent and frightening than her normal one, but over time the two have started to meld into each other.

18 SILVER SAMURAI

wolverine fighting silver samurai

The Silver Samurai is a frequent enemy of the X-Men, and particularly Wolverine. Beyond being a great warrior, the Silver Samurai could also generate a powerful field around any object. He used this ability to strengthen his sword, allowing it to cut through practically any object.

The Silver Samurai found himself in the Raft during a conspiracy to round up supervillains and keep them all in one location. However, he was freed by Madame Hydra and the Hand and taken back to Japan.

17 VULTURE

the-vulture-marvel-comics

Adrian Toomes is a technological genius who was driven to ruin by a former business partner. He created a flying harness that also greatly enhances his strength. He frequently comes up against Spider-Man and is considered to be one of his greatest and most classic enemies.

Adrian Toomes was sent to the Raft after one of his many altercations with Spider-Man. Toomes was injured in the fight, so he was immediately sent to the Raft's infirmary, where he was healed and enhanced by Alistair Smythe.

16 ROMULUS

romulus

Romulus is one of the more dangerous opponents that Wolverine has ever faced. He is almost like what Wolverine would be if he decided to use his mutant powers and Adamantium claws for evil instead of good. Romulus continually tried to manipulate Wolverine to join his cause but was unsuccessful.

Romulus gained more power as time went on, enhancing himself with a metal skeleton as well as his own set of retractable claws. However, he was taken down by Wolverine and sent to the Raft, where he still remains.

15 LEADER

The Leader, once known only as Samuel Sterns, is a frequent enemy of the Hulk. Though he started his life as a less-than-intelligent person, an accident at a chemical plant exposed him to what could have been a lethal amount of radiation. Instead, he became a supergenius with green skin and an enlarged head.

The Raft is the only kind of facility that could hold someone with the level of intellect that the Leader possesses. A normal facility would be far too easy for him to escape from, as he could easily figure out a way to do it.

14 HECATE

Hecate is a Titan, which means she is very close to being a God. Yet, after she introduced magic to humans, she was exiled from Mount Olympus by Zeus and stripped of her powers. While on Earth, she believed that she was just an interdimensional explorer.

She faced off against Ms. Marvel, and soon found herself imprisoned in the Raft. There, she lost even more of her memories. However, she escaped at the same time Crossbones and many others did, when Juggernaut was transformed into Kuurth. She briefly regained her powers but was defeated by Hercules.

13 JIGSAW

Jigsaw

Jigsaw is a frequent enemy of the Punisher and is known for his horribly disfigured face and hatred for Frank Castle. He was formerly a good-looking assassin working for the Maggia crime family, but after being thrown face-first through a plate glass window, well, he wasn't pretty anymore.

Jigsaw might not possess any superpowers (he really is just a very bad-looking hitman), but that doesn't make him any less of a threat. He found himself in the Raft several times, almost managing to escape once before being stopped by the New Avengers.

12 LIZARD

Lizard

Dr. Curt Connors was a good man before he became a monster. He was an army surgeon who lost his arm in combat. When he returned to the United States, he worked on a way to regrow his arm using lizard DNA. Unfortunately, this caused him to turn into a lizard-like monster, instead.

The Lizard wound up in the Raft after an encounter with Spider-Man, wherein he was defeated, but did not revert back to human form. He discovered in his prison cell that his human consciousness now occupied the body of the Lizard.

11 DARK BEAST

Dark Beast

The Beast? In the Raft? Not exactly. This is Dark Beast we're talking about. This version of Hank McCoy existed on Earth 295, where the Age of Apocalypse took place. Rather than being a hero who fought with the X-Men, this version of Beast was an accolade of Apocalypse who helped to create new mutants.

Dark Beast was eventually displaced to Earth 616, where he continued his experiments in secret. He tried to pose as the 616 version of Beast but was eventually defeated and taken into custody.

10 ALISTAIR SMYTHE

Alistair Smythe in his Cyber armor ready to attack Spider-Man in Marvel Comics

Alistair Smythe inherited his hatred of Spider-Man from his father, Spencer Smythe, who had been tasked by J. Jonah Jameson with creating the Spider-Slayers, robots that were specifically designed to take down Spider-Man. Alistair took the mantle up for himself and continued his father's work by augmenting himself with a specially designed suit.

Alistair Smythe has found himself in the Raft on more than one occasion. One time he was there not as an inmate, but rather an infiltrator who had gone in to release Mac Gargan.see?>

9 SUPER-SKRULL

Marvel Comics - Super-Skrull Smashing Through

The Super-Skrull was chosen by the Skrull leaders to take down the Fantastic Four after their previous invasion attempt had been stopped. He was given all of the Fantastic Four's powers through a transmission device. However, he was eventually defeated by the super team. It was not the end of his story, though.

The Super-Skrull remained on Earth and faced off against the Fantastic Four and other heroes numerous times. Though he had often been defeated, he remained a dangerous enemy. He was eventually imprisoned in the Raft and was even briefly considered for recruitment in the Thunderbolts at one point.

8 HYDRO-MAN

Hydro-Man is another one of Spider-Man's most well-known villains. After accidentally being knocked into the ocean during the test of an experimental generator, Morris Bench was imbued with the power to convert his physical form into liquid.

Hydro-Man eventually ended up as an inmate in the Raft, where he was recruited by Doctor Octopus (who was actually Peter Parker trapped in Ock's body at the time) to help him break free. Hydro-Man accepted the job and helped Doc Ock escape and figure out a way to get his mind back in his right body.

7 ZZZAX

The electric menace Zzzax from Marvel Comics.

Zzzax is a being of pure electricity. It was created after an electromagnetic field began taking a humanoid form during the destruction of a nuclear reactor. Zzzax slowly gained more sentience by taking down humans and kept going as a way to become more intelligent.

Zzzax was eventually imprisoned, but its form had to be kept in an insulated vacuum tube in order to keep it from reforming. It has managed to escape and reform itself several times since only a small portion of its electric energy is required to bring it back.

6 JUGGERNAUT

juggernaut Surrounded By Fire

There is a reason a place like the Raft has to exist, and Juggernaut is just the kind of villain that the prison was built for. Most places wouldn't even come close to being able to hold him, but the Raft had been designed for just such a purpose.

However, Juggernaut's stay in the Raft wouldn't last long, and his own escape also facilitated the escape of many other inmates. After Juggernaut was chosen to become one of the Worthy, he transformed into Kuurth the Stonebreaker. His destruction of the prison's walls led to a mass exodus of some of the worst inmates.