David Tennants Kilgrave in Jessica Jones is arguably the Marvel Cinematic Universes creepiest villain to date.
This article contains spoilers for MarvelsJessica JonesNetflix series.
It originally ran onDen of Geek UK.
Pick up that coffee… throw it in your face.
Of course, these words will be familiar to many geeks.
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And what is Kilgraves reaction to this minor annoyance?
Well, he compels the vendor to lob a cup of hot coffee into his own face.
I actually let out an audible gasp when the java met skin, and Kilgrave simply sauntered off.
Even incidental characters arent safe when Kilgrave is around.
Kilgraves abilities are the foundation of his menace if he tells you to do something, you do it.
For the most part, Kilgrave had complete control over the other characters.
Im sure Im forgetting some, too.
to long-form schemes and delayed actions.
His charisma combined with his creepiness and callousness makes for unsettling viewing.
Kilgraves desire to snare Jessica is seemingly his only motivation throughout most of the series.
In the flashbacks, you see glimpses of the things he made Jessica do.
Everything from her facial expressions (smile!)
to her actions (deal with her…) was under Kilgraves control.
And in dialogue, we learn even more of what he made her do.
This adds to his menace.
Again, this is where the casting of David Tennant comes into play.
Itd be impossible to like them after such horrid revelations.
Its also worth mentioning that Kilgraves introduction to the show is unique.
We dont get a generic villain origin story in the first episode.
Theres no industrial espionage or lab accidents.
Like Fisk at the start ofDaredevil, Kilgrave just exists.
He looms over the show before were even told who he is.
And we dont start with his evildoing, either we start with the consequences.
The opening episode, AKALadies Night, begins with Jessica already being haunted the memory of Kilgrave.
As she goes about her daily life, she hallucinates brief flashes of him.
The one where he licks her face is particularly creepy and unforgettable.
Its a bit like the flashes of Tyler Durden that you get before Brad Pitt properly arrives inFight Club.
Urine seeps out from under the door.
We should make no mistake Kilgrave is an utter bastard.
This makes it all the more interesting, then, when the show begins trying to humanise Kilgrave.
This is when Jessica reunites Kilgrave with his parents the people that made him this way.
As a child, Kilgrave had a terminal illness.
He was a relatively normal kid, with a rugby player hero called Eric.
To save him, his parents experimented on him, accidentally giving him his powers.
InSin Bin, the question is subliminally raised as to whose fault Kilgraves evil is.
And again, Tennants impressive performance helps us accept this big revelation.
Rosenberg banks on Tennants inherent charm to level out the transition from murderous bastard to misunderstood victim.
No other Marvel baddie has this ability to get inside our heads, literally or figuratively.
Never has the MCU offered us quite this level of grimness.
He put his dad in a blender, for Christs sake.
Also, rarely has a villain been as developed and fleshed-out as Kilgraves character.
Again, its almost a shame that Kilgrave has to die in the end.
Death is never really an end in the comics, but that neck-snapping seemed pretty final, didnt it?
Great actors handled both villains, too.
With Netflixs lack of restrictions, though, theyre two for two with engaging, interesting, discussion-worthy baddies.
