Zzzax

Zzzax is a being of pure electromagnetic energy accidentally created when terrorists sabotaged a nuclear power plant, unleashing a massive electrical discharge that absorbed the mental energy of those it killed and gained sentient, destructive life.

Few villains crackle with quite the same raw, elemental menace as Zzzax, who burst onto the Bronze Age Marvel scene in 1973's The Avengers #114, conjured by the formidable creative team of Steve Englehart and Bob Brown. Over five decades this electrifying threat has kept some of Marvel's heaviest hitters on their toes — sharing pages with the likes of Captain America, Wolverine, and Iron Man — and has turned up across an eclectic range of series from Spider-Woman to Champions to Marvel Comics Presents. With two key-issue appearances to their name and a publishing history stretching all the way to 2024, Zzzax is proof that the Bronze Age could conjure genuinely enduring nightmares. If you're building out your Marvel villain knowledge, this is one electrifying entry worth tracking down.