4. Charles Logan
It’s no secret that 24 sometimes got so intensely bizarre that topping itself from season to season became all but impossible. All the ludicrously fun storytelling reaches its arguable height in season 5 when its revealed that NONE OTHER THAN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), is at the top of a vast criminal conspiracy that includes multiple prominent assassinations and the selling of dangerous nerve gas to terrorists with the goal of getting some of Central Asia’s oil.
Charles Logan is a wonderfully corny and fun villain in 24 season 5. When he turns up in later seasons, he’s somehow even better. He’s not a particularly dangerous physical threat to Jack but his unique position in the American government makes him a tough target to deal with. Also, no other actor hammers home the true terror of seeing Jack Bauer coming to get ya’ quite like this guy. With his uniquely Nixonian visage, Gregory Itzin was perhaps always destined to play loathsome bureaucrats. He still outdoes himself with Charles Logan.
3. Nina Myers
If Jack Bauer has a nemesis, then Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) is it. Nina Myers is the first of many moles to operate out of the Counter Terrorism Unit Los Angeles bureau and her betraryal is undoubtedly the worst. Nina is CTU’s second-in-command, Jack’s closest friend, and also his former lover. In the show’s first season, there is perhaps nobody less likely to be CTU’s mole…and that’s obviously why she had to be it.
Nina really should have been 24’s best villain ever. That Benedict Arnold-level backstabbing is not easily forgotten and she’s also just a capable schemer and killer to begin with. As we saw with Christopher Henerson and later Tony Almeida, a CTU agent turning to the dark side creates a very formidable villain. The only reason that she doesn’t top the list, however, is that her reign was unfortunately short. We don’t blame 24’s producers for killing Nina off in season 3. No one knows how long any show will last and you’ve got to put your best storytelling foot forward. But not having her for the series’ final six seasons is still a bummer.
2. Habib Marwan
Jack Bauer’s level of competence is almost supernatural. He’s so effective at his job that he might as well be an Uncle Sam-themed superhero. That poses a big challenge to many of 24’s would-be villains. When Jack Bauer is a super soldier who is all but guaranteed to win, who could possibly meaningfully oppose him? That’s what makes season 4 villain Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo) so impressive.
Though Jack does eventually stop Habib Marwan’s reign of terror in season 4, it’s hard to argue that the Turkish badass wasn’t wildly successful before then. On “Day 4” of 24, Marwan: bombs a train in Santa Clarita, kidnaps the Secretary of Defense, gains access to six American nuclear reactors, kills countless federal agents, shoots down Air Force One with the president inside it, and ultimately launches a nuclear missile.
Source: Den of Geek
