25 of Marvel’s best spacefaring characters

The Brood (Image via Marvel)

9. The Brood

After the cosmic strangeness of the Phoenix Force, you’d almost think the Brood were… well, not “normal”, exactly, but at least a little more comprehensible. These alien parasites, however, are no less terrifying.

The Brood are a gigantic insectoid species. They travel throughout the galaxy, looking for species to host their parasitic spawn. They’re ruled by telepathic Queens; while the “sleazoid” workers are absolutely loyal to their particular Queen, there is apparently no love lost between individual rulers.

These vicious Brood are one of the few villains that are almost entirely made of unmitigated evil. Sure, there are a few exceptions, like the mutant Broo, a young Brood that understands gross concepts such as friendship, compassion, and how to wear a cute suit. He attends the Jean Grey School (and, later, the Hellfire Academy, which is more evil but sounds like there is always metal music playing in the background somewhere).

Otherwise, however, Broo’s less emotionally, more bloodthirsty brethren are far less friendly. They’re so sadistic that they hijack peaceful space whales known as the Acanti, effectively torturing them so that the Brood can have biological spaceships. After an especially large Acanti dies and crashes on a planet, the Brood creates a city in its remains.

Here’s hoping that you never, ever run into the Brood.