Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Has the MCU’s Scariest Villain – CBR – Comic Book Resources

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has no shortage of memorable and imposing villains. The Black Panther films, for instance, have delivered two complex antagonists who make audiences and the heroes ask serious questions about oppression and power. Meanwhile, more straightforward villains like Thanos have grounded reasons for their villainy, although their solutions to problems are cataclysmic, with The Mad Titan wiping away half of all living beings in the universe for several years.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have also had their fair share of villains with grand plans of annihilation and conquest, with their latest foe being one of the MCU's most horrifying to date. The High Evolutionary is the main antagonist in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and he is the man behind Rocket being more than just a typical raccoon from Earth. Why he created Rocket is part of the High Evolutionary's grander plans, which are rooted in a dark practice that makes him one of the MCU's most horrifying villains to date.

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In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Rocket and his three friends are all the products of animal experimentation at the hands of the High Evolutionary, who is aspiring to create the perfect race of beings by forcing test subjects through a form of hyper-evolution. The High Evolutionary is doing this because he sees himself as a God who can deem what is and is not acceptable in his perfect universe. To achieve this, he is trying to create living beings without any intellectual or physical flaws. When a "flaw" is present, the High Evolutionary disposes of his test subject as soon as possible, only keeping the experiments that can further his quest for perfection.

This practice is eerily similar to eugenics, the advocacy of selective breeding done in the name of "improving" a population. Eugenics has a long, dark history connected to racism and antisemitism, as those who have infamously practiced it believe certain people are worthy of existing while others are not because of their genetics. There are some differences between the textbook definition of eugenics and what the High Evolutionary practices, but the similarities are shocking and make the High Evolutionary feel like a surprisingly realistic threat despite the unrealistic setting of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Along with that, how the High Evolutionary practiced his experiments highlights what a monster he is. While he preaches that he is a savior who will create a paradise, the High Evolutionary does not care for any of his subjects. If any of them exhibit any sort of imperfection, he does not hesitate to dispose of them. Even for his underlings who believe they are working toward the same cause, the High Evolutionary has no qualms about eliminating them if they so much as pose a minor threat. His blatant disregard for life, his lack of loyalty and the joy he feels in regard to the pain he inflicts on others makes him one of the most sadistic and dangerous villains the MCU has to offer, and that's not all.

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Conducting these horrific experiments on living beings is already bad, but what takes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's High Evolutionary to another level is who his subjects are. The High Evolutionary experiments on innocent children of all species -- animal and alien in this case. He's taken the most innocent, helpless and naive of all beings and twisted them into his own image of messed-up perfection, with many of them suffering for years and eventually perishing at his hands, as is the case for Rocket's friends.

As Nebula points out, what the High Evolutionary does to Rocket as a child is far worse than anything Thanos did to her. Along with that, all of his friends have mechanical enhancements and prosthetics as a result of the unethical experiments the High Evolutionary conducts on them. He also lies to them about having a future away from this nightmare, even though he knows that he will not let any of them survive once they've served their purpose.

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It is unclear how the High Evolutionary obtains these animals and kids in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it's safe to assume he is ripping them away from their homeworlds and families. Even for those who escape his grasp, like Rocket, it's next to impossible for them to ever return to their families or a state of normalcy as they've been altered so much physically, emotionally and mentally that they may not recall where home is, and they may no longer grasp who or what they are.

The High Evolutionary strips these kids of their agency, autonomy, history, childhood and identity, and many of them he doesn't keep around to experience the "paradise" he is creating. He targets the most innocent of beings, all in the name of a horrific practice that is a vanity project meant to feed his god complex, and there's a daunting body count as a result. For these reasons, he's one of the most horrifying villains of the MCU.

To see how vile the High Evolutionary is, check out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, now in theaters.

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Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Has the MCU's Scariest Villain - CBR - Comic Book Resources