Some of the best comic book stories are about the villains who nearly won. Watchmen is a 1986 event comic that is still just as important today. The villain in that comic, Ozymandias, won at the expense of the heroes and at a horrific cost. Alfred the Butler is still dead in DC Comics because of a 2019 storyline where Bane broke his neck. Bruce Wayne was technically broke and now, technically on a budget, because of a 2020 storyline where the Joker stole all his money.
Some fans consider Avengers: Infinity War one of the greatest comic book films because Thanos, the bad guy, actually won.
