Transmetropolitan (Source: Comicvine.com)
5. Gary “The Smiler” Callahan
(Transmetropolitan, Vertigo/DC Comics)
Warren Ellis’s Transmetropolitan is easily the best political satire in all of comics, if not most of fiction. And at the beginning of the series, it seems like the current President in the series, nicknamed The Beast by series protagonist Spider Jerusalem, was the worst the country could offer. And then, at the end of the first story arc, Gary Callahan is elected.
Callahan, nicknamed The Smiler due to his rictus grin, initially passes under Spider’s radar, but turns out to be much more terrifying as the series progresses. He at one point makes it clear that he only wants to be President to oppress people, because he hates everyone. He hires literal assassins to go after Spider. EVERY TIME HIS APPROVAL RATINGS SLIP, HE HAS SOMEONE CLOSE TO HIM KILLED, SO HE CAN GET SYMPATHY!
The Smiler is terrifying at every level. He is the worst parts of all of the worst politicians ever created, rolled into something inhuman and scary as heck. And he does it all while hiding behind that smile. That sinister, calculated, smile.
