DC Comics has helped define what the superhero can be. For years, there was a certain goodness inherent in DC heroes that set them apart from their marvelous competition. They were a cut above the rest and it would be years, well into the Bronze Age, before creators would start to add complexity to their heroes. We’d start seeing darker and darker versions of these do-gooders and it honestly fit some of them perfectly. Nowadays, almost every DC hero you can think of has had some kind of villainous arc or an evil multiversal version rear their head. It’s become a rather tried and true trope and honestly, some heroes just fit better at bad guys, even the ones you don’t expect.
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A good villain turn for a hero can be a revelation. Sometimes, a character needs a change of pace; they’ve done everything they can as heroes and becoming a villain will take them to new places. These seven DC heroes should be villains, joining the other side of the moral divide.
7) Ice
Ice found herself in one of DC’s strangest alliances when she met Fire while as a member of the Justice League International. She became known as the team’s good girl, the sweet one who had a kind word for everyone and saw the bright side of things. She’s basically been the same character forever, but we got a different look at a more calculating Ice in 2021’s Human Target. Ice was fun as a more femme fatale-type, so it could be an interesting change of pace for her to embrace that. She’ll be a very different character than the one we know and could breath life into her a way no one would have ever guessed.
6) Hourman III
Hourman III is an intelligent nanite colony from the far future. Created by the descendants of the Tyler family and their technology, he became the Hourman of the timestream, using his powerful time travel technology as a member of the Justice Legion A. Fans love the artificial man, but he’s never been all that exciting of a character. Making him into a villain could change that. This is a being driven by machine logic that has seen the worst things that humans have done to each other over history. Humans are chaotic and dangerous, and the best way to save time may be to take them out of the equation. He would make an awesome time-traveling villain, menacing the heroes of the Justice League and Justice Society.
5) Dr. Occult
The DC Multiverse has some terrifying magic users, so anyone who can survive in that world for a long period time is formidable. Dr. Occult has been battling the things in the shadows since the Golden Age. Alongside his friend Rose Psychic, the two now sharing a body, he’s used the Mystical Symbol of the Seven to save lives from the most chilling bad guys. Dr. Occult hasn’t been important in years – his last appearance was in Justice League Unlimited‘s opening story arc and that was the first speaking part he had in a while – and making him a villain could give him the push he needs. Him being evil and Rose good, or vice versa, would be a fantastic change to the character.
4) Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn came from humble origins and become one of the most popular and important characters in DC history. Quinn started out as a villain, became a ‘tweener (a character who goes between good and had), an anti-hero (which is different from a ‘tweener), and finally is a fully-fledged hero. Quinn has been very cool as a good guy, but it might be time to bring her back to the dark side. Her stories are all starting to blend together and lack any kind of bite, something that helped make her popular in the first place. Harley could use a shot in the arm and becoming a villain again could be the thing that does it.
3) Aquaman
Aquaman is the protector of the seas and one of the most stalwart members of the Justice League. However, maybe a villain turn would do him well. We got to see him as a villain in Flashpoint and it was honestly a great change for him. Look at Namor over in the Marvel Universe; he’s shown aquatic kings make excellent villains. DC’s Atlantis is one of the most magical kingdoms on Earth, meaning that he almost certainly has access to weapons that would allow him to devastate his former allies, on top of being the kind of threat that can face off against Superman or Wonder Woman. He rules the biggest kingdom and could cause a lot of trouble for the world.
2) Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter is a legendary hero, having been a member of nearly every roster of the Justice League over the years. He’s known for being a character that most DC fans love, but in the New 52 the company decided to give him a change. They made him into a more sinister character and it honestly fit him like a glove. Taking J’onn J’onnz more in this direction would be a great change for the character; no one would ever expect him to become a bad guy, which would make the whole thing even more shocking. He’s as powerful as they come, so he would be able to challenge even most the powerful of his former allies, making him a perfect villain for the DC Multiverse.
1) Batman
Let’s be real, we all knew Batman was going to be number one. The Dark Knight is already basically half a villain because of his pragmatic way of looking at the battle against crime, so taking him all the way wouldn’t be a massive stretch. Readers have seen many different versions of evil Batman; sometimes he’s possessed by something, sometimes his origin is changed, sometimes he starts killing and never stops, and maybe it’s time for the mainline version to go evil. The Caped Crusader would give Lex Luthor a run for his money as a villain; he’s just as smart and has the resources, but he also knows all of the weaknesses of the heroes and how to take them down. He would be the greatest challenge the heroes of the DC Multiverse ever faced.
What DC heroes do you think should be villains? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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