In DC Comics, the life of a supervillain is filled with danger, as they are constantly running from the law while their closest “allies” are always waiting for the right moment, oftentimes literally, to stab them in the back. Still, supervillains often get off lightly despite the pain and torment they inflict because the superheroes who apprehend them refuse to kill their enemies. However, there are many instances where a villain’s luck runs out, and they experience a grisly death, either at the hands of a superhero or a fellow evildoer. These are the times when DC Comics’ most notorious villains receive their brutal comeuppances.
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Although death in comic books is rarely permanent, particularly for supervillains, there are still many examples of these costumed criminals suffering from agonizing demises. Of course, for all the lives these villains have taken, they unquestionably deserve these gruesome fates. Proving again and again that karma comes for everyone.
10) Terra-Man gets Ripped in Half
When you’re a D-List villain like Terra-Man, DC writers view you as expendable and more likely to die a horrible death. This cowboy-themed villain uses high-tech gadgets to commit crimes. When Terra-Man sought to escape from Power Girl after he tried to hijack a plane, the villain flew to the nation of Khandaq for refuge. At first, Black Adam seemed to protect Terra-Man from Power Girl’s wrath, but the country’s ruler had other plans for the two-bit thug. When holding a press conference, Black Adam declared that villains like Terra-Man weren’t welcome in Khandaq. To make his point clear, he tore Terra-Man in half in front of a crowd of horrified reporters.
9) Reverse-Flash gets Partially Vaporized
After the events of Flashpoint, Reverse-Flash became a living paradox, unbound by causality, meaning he could die and be resurrected countless times. With such an ability, Reverse-Flash has met some truly disturbing demises. After attacking Batman in the Batcave, the evil speedster discovers the button from the Watchmen Universe. Sensing the incomprehensible energy tied to it, Reverse-Flash sought to find the button’s owner and to challenge them. However, Reverse-Flash immediately discovered that he bit off more than he could chew when he encountered the person connected to the button: Doctor Manhattan. Not wishing to be discovered, Doctor Manhattan vaporized most of the Reverse-Flash’s body, reducing most of it to a skeleton.
8) The Joker Receives the Final Punchline
In the Injustice Universe, the Joker pulls off one last atrocity that seals his fate and dooms his world. To corrupt the infallible Superman, the Clown Prince of Crime used Scarecrow’s fear toxin to trick the Man of Steel into murdering Lois and their unborn child. Lois’ death also triggered a nuclear explosion in Metropolis, killing everyone in the city. Even when the Joker is arrested, the grief-stricken Superman decides that enough is enough. Abandoning his principles, Superman drives his fist through the Joker’s chest, killing him instantly. This event marked the beginning of Superman’s descent into madness, which ultimately led him to become a ruthless dictator who ruled the Earth with an iron fist.
7) Mongul Jr. Rips Out His Father’s Heart
It should be no surprise that a person becomes the ruler of Warworld by killing and usurping the current leader. Mongul Sr. is one of the most brutal tyrants in the universe and a longtime enemy of Superman. And, like many tyrants, Mongul had a son, Mongul Jr., to continue his bloodline. When Superman revealed his secret identity to the world, Mongul was flabbergasted that the Man of Steel would want to live like a regular human. However, while Mongul was distracted, Mongul Jr. pulled off a murder straight out of Mortal Kombat by ripping out his father’s heart. With the death of his father, Mongul Jr. proclaimed himself the new ruler of Warworld.
6) The Joker Bludgeons Psimon to Death
Psimon is a powerful enemy of the Teen Titans who possesses telepathic and telekinetic powers. However, Psimon’s advanced mind didn’t let him foresee his own untimely death at the hands of the Joker. When numerous villains were banished to an alien world for their crimes, Psimon tried to rally the criminals towards a common goal. Psimon sought to convince the other villains to build a new society on this planet, with himself as leader. Naturally, the Joker doesn’t like being bossed around. The Clown Prince of Crime took a rock and proceeded to cave in Psimon’s skull, splattering his brains across the ground. The rest of the traumatized villains quickly declared the Joker their new boss.
5) Brimstone Crushes and Burns Blockbuster Alive
The incarcerated villains conscripted into the Suicide Squad are sent on missions that they’re not guaranteed to survive, and Blockbuster’s death during their first assignment made that fact abundantly clear. Blockbuster might be tough, but he proved to be no match for the towering, ever-burning cyber-demon known as Brimstone. When Blockbuster tried to distract the cyber-demon from the rest of the Suicide Squad, Brimstone immediately seized the supervillain. Within Brimstone’s enormous palm, the Suicide Squad recruit was burned alive while every bone in his body was shattered like a twig. Once Brimstone was done, Blockbuster was reduced to a mangled and charred corpse that unceremoniously plummeted to the ground.
4) Spectre Turns Doctor Light into a Living Candle
The Spectre is the omnipotent embodiment of God’s wrath, existing to brutally punish the wicked for their sins. Few supervillains are more deserving of Spectre’s vengeance than the depraved Doctor Light. When Doctor Light tries to force himself on some women, the Spectre decides to give the vile supervillain a painfully ironic punishment for his horrific crimes. The Spectre transforms the villain’s body into a semi-melted mass of wax and then proceeds to burn Doctor Light’s head like the wick of a candle. The Spectre feels absolutely no remorse or guilt as he watches Doctor Light scream in agony as he’s slowly burned and melted alive.
3) Mutant Ants Eat Eliza and Larvaunt
When the Suicide Squad is sent to contain an outbreak of killer mutant ants on a small island, rookie members Eliza and Larvaunt have their supervillain careers violently cut short. Despite Eliza’s ability to talk to animals, she’s unable to convince the unstoppable swarm from eating her alive and reducing her to a skeleton in mere moments. The reptilian Larvaunt fares slightly better than his teammate, but he ultimately dies as well to the ravenous insects. Larvaunt manages to complete the mission by locating and killing the queen of the ant colony. However, the ants proceed to swarm Larvaunt and devour him to avenge their fallen queen.
2) Monsieur Mallah is Beaten to Death with the Brain
One of the most psychologically twisted deaths in comic book history, the supervillain, the Brain, is forced to act as the tool in the murder of his beloved, Monsieur Mallah. The disembodied brain in a jar and the talking gorilla are both partners in crime and life partners. Mallah tried to convince Gorilla Grodd to be their ally. However, Grodd refused to be associated with someone he viewed as an inferior ape. After Grodd nearly pummeling Mallah to death, the Brain desperately begged Grodd to spare his lover’s life. Instead, Grodd grabbed the Brain and proceeded to finish the job by using the mad scientist as a blunt instrument to beat Mallah to death, killing the villainous couple simultaneously.
1) Psycho Pirate has His Mask Pushed Through His Skull
Whether he’s on the side of good or evil, the one thing Black Adam refuses to be is someone else’s puppet. During Infinite Crisis, Alexander Luthor Jr. had the emotion-manipulating villain Psycho Pirate control and imprison Black Adam so that he could use his god-like power to fuel a multiversal doomsday weapon. After the heroes of Earth freed Black Adam, he took brutal vengeance on Psycho Pirate. Before Psycho Pirate could take control of Black Adam again, the ruler of Khandaq shoved his fingers into the villain’s eyes. However, Black Adam didn’t stop there, as he continued pushing until Psycho Pirate’s mask went through the back of his skull, with blood, brains, and eyeballs splattering everywhere.
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