Supervillains in comic books have a habit of not getting along with anybody, and a number of them actually have it out for everybody. But there are a surprising number of supervillains in both Marvel and DC Comics who are best friends, or at least the equivalent in the twisted worldviews of these evil characters.
Some villains like Harley Quinn walk the line between hero and villain, and some heroes like Professor X behave more like villains at the moment, complicating their friendships. Relationships and alliances always shift in comics, but it seems once villains make nice with others, those bonds tend to last in some form or another.
Namor And Doctor Doom
Both Namor and Doctor Doom rank among the most powerful villains of the Fantastic Four, so it makes some sense they would be allies in their ambitions against the team. But the relationship between Doom and Namor is much deeper and long-lasting than just a few team-ups, like in early issues of Fantastic Four. The two are both the rulers of their respective realms, Atlantis and Latveria, making them political allies. They're also equally intelligent and ambitious, with deep mutual respect that manifests in most of their encounters over the years.
Professor X And Magneto
Comic book readers know Magneto has been a villain many times over the years, but it might be odd to think of Professor X as one. It's debatable at the moment, with the two lifelong friends conspiring on Krakoa to keep secrets from their fellow mutants and prevent the resurrection of Destiny despite promises to her wife, Mystique. Magneto is often a sympathetic character, and Professor X is sometimes a jerk, as Kitty Pryde famously once said, but in their current incarnation, the two friends are very much villains.
The Joker And Two-Face
It's hard to imagine the Joker being friends with anyone, but he does often forge alliances, and one of the most important is with Two-Face. The two have been allied with each other on a number of occasions, especially in The Long Halloween, which counts among some of the best Batman comic book issues of the 90s. They often team up together in other schemes to take down Batman and have been seen to work together in other media, particularly in episodes of Batman: The Animated Series.
Doctor Doom And Boris
Doctor Doom has few real friends, but one of his closest and most consistent is his valet, Boris. Boris is a long-suffering servant of Victor Von Doom who provides a lot of moral and material support for Doom and his schemes, even when his conscience sometimes gets the better of him.
Doctor Doom has enormous respect for Boris, even if he treats him poorly sometimes. Part of this is due to Boris' devotion, but also the fact that Boris is the father of Valeria, one of Doom's greatest love interests.
Venom And Eddie Brock
Venom and Eddie Brock teeter back and forth between hero and villain in comics, but one thing remains constant - the symbiote and Eddie are best friends. It's an unlikely partnership, born out of circumstance and a mutual hate of Spider-Man, but has since become a literal and figurative bond. Eddie is something of an outcast, as is the symbiote, leading them to rely on each other for support and survival as they try to find their way in the world. They are also, in their own way, parents of other symbiotes.
Lex Luthor And The Joker
Lex Luthor and the Joker would seem to have nothing in common, with the former being a highly intelligent schemer and the other a chaotic psychopath, but they've somehow become friends. At least in some versions of DC Comics continuity. The two were closely allied while part of the Injustice Gang in the 90s. They've also been partners on the Legion of Doom, even if some of their encounters get predictably strange. Once, the Joker and Lex Luthor even joined forces to eliminate a variant of Lex Luthor from an alternate timeline.
Enchantress And Skurge
Comic book fans know the Enchantress is one of Thor's greatest villains. She has few friends, but one of the closest and most poignant friendships she has with Skurge The Executioner. During the iconic run on Thor by writer and artist Walt Simonson in the 80s, Skurge serves as Amora's personal enforcer. He falls in love with her, which she doesn't reciprocate. Nevertheless, she has a deep fondness for him and is deeply moved when he sacrifices his life to save hers and others.
Scarlet Witch And Agatha Harkness
Scarlet Witch and Agatha Harkness are both heroes in Marvel Comics, but they've both been villains as well, and are deeply connected through their worst acts. The two have been very close as friends as well as mentor and student, with Agatha training Wanda in magic. But Agatha put Wanda under a spell to forget her children ever existed.
When Wanda realized the truth many years later, she lashed out in a rage. She killed Agatha Harkness and then attacked the Avengers. Her actions led to the death of Hawkeye and ultimately culminated in The Decimation, which erased most of the mutants from the world.
Mystique And Destiny
Mystique and Destiny are two of the X-Men and Avengers' most prominent villains, with both being at the center of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants over the years. They're also close friends and actually a couple. Their romance goes back many years, and will now continue into the uncertain future thanks to Mystique bringing Destiny back to life. They just want to live their lives, a noble goal that still seems to have some villainous dimensions. Mystique is one of the major suspects in the death of the Scarlet Witch in The Trial Of Magneto.
Harley Quinn And Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy drift in and out of being supervillains in the comics and increasingly other media, but one constant is their deep friendship. It has always had a romantic undertone and is now a true romantic pairing in the comics and the HBO Max animated series, but at the core, these two villains are best friends. They compliment each other very well, with the gregarious Harley bringing out the spirit in the usually misanthropic Ivy. Ivy has been instrumental in helping Harley see the value in herself and become a healthier person.