7. Mastermind

The manipulative master of, shockingly, minds, had the power to create illusions, making people see what isn’t there.  He greatly amplified his powers using a mind-tap mechanism to create an all-new reality for Jean Grey, who at the time was possessed by the Phoenix.  Mastermind’s fantasy world led to Jean Grey becoming the evil Dark Phoenix, destroying solar systems and killing billions.  Sure Mastermind didn’t mean to be such a dick, but that’s what happens when you play with fire.  If only he could master that too.

6. Mirror Master

Three people have held the mantle Mirror Master, showing just how popular mirrors can be.  The most recent Mirror Master, Evan McCulloch, not only can use mirrors as dimensional portals (hella cool), but he also speaks with a Scottish accent.  This has no bearing on his addiction to cocaine.

5. Master Mold

Giant robots are cool, so even gianter robots are cooler.  Master Mold is the mega-mommy of the Sentinels, giant robots bent on destroying mutantkind while making purple look cool.  Often Master Mold functions under the control of another (that’s the way robots should be), but always Master Mold is a powerful weapon, creating armies of awesome robots or destroying entire islands just for fun.

4. Taskmaster

The skull faced Taskmaster is truly a weapon’s master that only comic books could envision.  The mercenary, willing to work for anyone at any price, can instantly learn any fighting style after watching an opponent.  This is how the Taskmaster became a master of swords, bows and arrows, shields, and punching and kicking.  He’s best known for training many of Marvel Comics’ greatest fighters, from U.S. agent to Spider-Woman.  I just wonder if his skill applies to helpful everyday tasks like cooking and sewing.

3. Master (Buffy)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t do very well against her first major foe, the Master, since he actually killed her.  She got better, thankfully, but damage was done.  The Master survived for untold centuries until confronting the Slayer, growing "past the curse of human features" becoming hideous and terrifying like a creature of night should look.

2. Master (Doctor Who)

The formidable Doctor Who needed a villain to match his own brilliance, and the Master is a master of just that.  The renegade Time Lord operates as a classic doppelganger to the Doctor’s idealism, recurring over the decades to corrupt the timeline for his own selfish desires to rule the universe.  The Master returned in the new Doctor Who series showing of his sadistic nature, enslaving the Earth to become his war machine, torturing the Doctor and allies for over a year.  The Doctor, as usual, eventually wins (it is a show about time travel so that helps), but few villains can really claim the title of Master and deserve it.  The Master gets pretty close.

1. Master Chief

There is no master beyond Master Chief.  The juggernaut of shooters and video games and all media ever (but mainly video games) leads humans against the epic war with the Covenant through the Halo series.  The epitome of bad-ass, Master Chief spends all his time in his armor, never seen without his helmet.  He rarely speaks, and when he does, people listen.  That’s because he’s the Master.  And the Chief.  He’s the Master of all Chiefs.  That’s pretty high up.