TWIV March 29

This Week in Villainy: March 19-25, 2007

Who’s Up and Who’s Thwarted

Jack O’ Lantern: Who would have though that taking a bullet to the cranium would be a career move?

After being summarily dispatched by the Punisher in Marvel’s Civil War (issue 5), Jack O’ Lantern — newly possessed by Lucifer — is becoming a major-league baddy. He appears in Ghost Rider #9: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Illinois: Part 2, part of the Casulaties of War crosssover.

From ComicVine.com’s review:

The ongoing story of Lucifer being split into 666 pieces and each possessing a recently deceased corpse gets a twist in this arc. It was already getting kinda boring with him simply possessing normal people. Here instead he’s possessed the corpse of Jack O’Lantern, who was killed by The Punisher in Civil War… He’s actually much more menacing then ever before, and the way he toys with Ghost Rider actually doesn’t come off as unrealistic. The fight scene between the two actually is pretty cool in this issue.

Kingpin: He called in a successful sniper hit on Peter Parker which critically wounded Aunt May in Amazing Spider-Man #539. It is not good to threaten the Main Marvel Matron, nor is it wise to drive a man with Spidey’s power to a homicidal rage. This storyline brings back the black costume, and you just know that you wear black when you’re going to a funeral.

In this case, I’m thinking it might not be Aunt May’s.

Lex Luthor: Despite being outfoxed by Clark Kent in issue 46 of 52, Lex proves that he’s still the A-list nemesis in Batman Confidential #4 by attacking Batman.

…In the Batcave.

…With a robotic bat.

…Knocking the Dark Knight into bat guano.

Eat it, Joker.

(If you have a suggestion for “This Week In Villainy,” please let me know.)