We’ve already determined that the Justice League could probably take on the Avengers in the first of our Marvel versus DC series, but how do their villains match up? Like the heroes, most villains have a near equivalent in each the Marvel and DC Universes. So which is the more dangerous universe to live in? To determine this we thought we’d see how some of the films’ most famous villains would fare mono e mono.

Green Goblin v Joker

The Joker and the Green Goblin can often be seen sporting the same maniacal grin on their faces. Both insane in their own right, the Joker definitely takes the crazy cake, but the Green Goblin’s super powers and deadly gadgets give him the edge here. Let’s face it, the only reason the super powerless Joker is still alive is because Batman refuses to kill him, and you can be sure the Green Goblin wouldn’t extend him the same courtesy.

Loki v Zod

It would be a battle of Gods and Aliens if General Zod were to take on the Norse God of Mischief himself. As a Kryptonian, Zod has most of the same powers Superman man has: super strength, speed, x-ray vision, and whole bunch of other badass abilities. As a God and member of the Frost Giants race, Loki has many of the same powers as his adopted brother Thor. Whereas Zod is more military minded, Loki’s mastering of magic and other trickery would likely outsmart Zod’s maneuvers, making this the another win for Marvel’s miscreants.

Magneto v Lex Luthor

On paper, there’s not much similar about Lex Luthor and Magneto. One was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and the other was a holocaust survivor, yet they’ve both risen as two of the most formidable villains in their respective universes. While Magneto could easily remove that silver spoon from Lex’s mouth and turn any armour Lex uses to protect his very human body into a liability, the smartest man in the world could surely find a way around Magneto’s single power of controlling metal. As an evil genius, Lex doesn’t need guns or traditional man-made weapons that would never work on Magneto, but could probably think of a dozen other ways to take down the X-Men’s fiercest foe, giving DC their first win.

Apocalypse v Doomsday

Here’s a truly epic match up that would make Batman v Superman look like a schoolyard shoving match. If Doomsday ever got on Apocalypse’s bad side, it could literally mean the end of days for everyone. Both of these villains are able to adapt to whatever you throw at them, making them practically invincible and in Apocalypse’s case, immortal. Doomsday does get bragging rights for killing Superman, but we’re going to err on the side of caution here and just call this one a draw.

Whiplash v Bane 

Neither Bane nor Whiplash possess any supernatural abilities, but both have the brains and brawn usually limited to body builders and scientists. Both are pretty logical, so perhaps they’d try to talk things out first, but with Bane’s mask and Whiplash’s broken English this probably wouldn’t get them very far. Even with Whiplash’s mastering of Tony Stark’s Iron Man tech, he was still unable to get very close to taking down the hero, yet Bane literally broke Batman, so we’re going to have to give this one to Bane.

Mystique v Harley Quinn

With the count tied at two each and one draw, we’re bringing out the villainous ladies for the tie breaker. Don’t be fooled by their looks, Mystique and Harley Quinn are both as ruthless as any evildoer in either universe and do not hesitate to kill anyone in their path. Quinn does have one major achilles heal which is her dedication to the Joker, and with Mystique's shapeshifting abilities, it wouldn’t be hard for her to pose as the Joker to get close to Quinn. Once again, super powers trumps no powers, and we’ll have to give this one to Marvel’s Mystique.

So while DC is considered the darker universe, it would seem that Marvel actually has deadlier villains. We’re basing this mostly on the movies, so perhaps Suicide Squad will tilt things in DC’s favor, but for now, it would seem Gotham and Metropolis are safer places to live than anywhere in the MCU. Perhaps the Justice League isn’t stronger than the Avengers after all, they just have an easier job.