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Let's face it: They just don't make bad guys like they used to. Today's villains (like, say, Lord Voldemort or Bernie Madoff) can't hope to reach the fiendish heights of badness set by '80s greats like J.R. Ewing and John "Sweep the Leg" Kreese from "The Karate Kid." These were baddies who sent a shiver down your spine -- cocky jerks whose sole purpose in life seemed to be to make the hero miserable.

But what happened to our favorite villains (and the memorable actors who brought them to devilish life) after they were bested by Reagan-era heroes like Rocky and Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen? Where are the great bad guys of the 1980s now? Grab your Power Sword and assume the crane stance, 'cause here comes trouble.

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'80s Bad Guys
Click above to find out what happened to your favorite villains from the '80s.
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80s Bad Guys

    Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), "The Karate Kid"
    Then: Zabka's role as Johnny Lawrence--jerky ex-boyfriend of Elizabeth Shue and star member of the Cobra Kai--pretty much typecast him as the biggest bully of the '80s. He would go on to play the douche-y jock in classics like "Just One of the Guys," "Back to School," and "National Lampoon's European Vacation." (If only he had swept Chevy Chase's leg, perhaps it would have stopped him from making "Funny Farm.") Tough as he is, Zabka's still no match for a swift crane kick.

    Everett Collection

    Now: The former Johnny Lawrence is actually an Oscar nominee, having directed the Best Live Action short entry "Most" in 2003. In '07, Zabka put on the black headband once again (opposite original Cobra Kai members and Martin "Sensei Kreese" Kove) for the No Kings' music video "Sweep the Leg." In the extended "Karate Kid" parody, which Zabka directed, the actor plays a washed-up version of himself who ends up getting run over by Ralph Macchio. And guess who played Mr. Miyagi? Mr. Belding from "Saved by the Bell." That's just wrong.

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    Mike Tyson
    Then: One of the biggest and most notorious sports figures of all time, Tyson was the face of boxing during the '80s. He was also a video game baddie, lending his name to the still classic "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!." If you could defeat Tyson without a cheat code, then you were probably that kid in the Nintendo movie "The Wizard."

    Wikipedia

    Now: '09 could go down as the year Tyson rehabilitated his image, coming clean in the critically acclaimed documentary "Tyson" and knocking out Ed Helms in the summer comedy "The Hangover." His hilarious, bravura performance of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight," suggests that Tyson could be entering the William Shatner phase of his career.

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    Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), "Rocky IV"
    Then: A 6'5, 260 pounds, oiled up Russian fighting machine, Drago was a living, breathing Iron Curtain. And with four simple words ("I will break you"), he became Rocky's most memorable foe. (After Mr. T, of course.) That said, Drago was clearly a juicer.

    ZUMA Press

    Now: After toiling for years in the B-movie trenches, Lundgren is teaming up with Stallone once again in 2010's "The Expendables." (Also starring Jason Statham, Gov. Arnold, and pretty much every other action hero who's still kicking.) He turned director in 2004, telling himself when to grunt and punch in flicks like "The Mechanik" and "Missionary Man." Recently robbers fled Lundgren's home mid-burglary once they saw a photo of the muscle-bound star whose home they'd just invaded. That sounds like the opening of a fantastic Dolph Lundgren movie.

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    Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), "Back to the Future"
    Then: Here's why Biff is the ultimate bully: he terrorized Marty McFly in three different eras. Whether bellowing "Hey! McFly!" in 1985, challenging "Clint Eastwood" to a duel as ancestor Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, or ruling an alternate future Hill Valley, Biff was a constant thorn in Marty's side. But, no matter what point in the timeline, he eventually ended up face first in a pile of manure.

    Everett Collection

    Now: Besides starring as the Tannen family in three movies and the short-lived "Back to the Future" animated series, Wilson terrorized geeks again as the gym teacher on "Freaks & Geeks" (where he memorably dated Bill Haverchuck's mom). He'll soon be seen opposite Matt Damon in "The Informant," and continues to perform stand-up and music around the country. Are most of his jokes about that butthead McFly?

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    Stan Gable ("Revenge of the Nerds")
    Then: Ah, Stan Gable. Has their ever been a greater foe of the nerd? Played to smarmy perfection by perpetual TV show-killer Ted McGinley, Head Beta Gable represented every privileged tool whoever sped by us in the Mazerati daddy bought for them. Still, you could set your watch to that haircut.

    AP

    Now: McGinley of course went on to shows like "Married with Children" and "Hope and Faith," where his presence both enlivened the proceedings and signaled an eventual demise. Recently, he turned up as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars." Sadly, not even the mighty McGinley can put that horse down.

    AP



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