7 DC Villains Who Destroyed Superman

Superman is DC Comics‘ greatest hero and has proved it many times in battle over the years. The Man of Steel doesn’t like to fight, but he does want to make sure humanity has a chance to survive and reach their potential. He’s thrown down with the some of the most dangerous threats in the DC Multiverse and has been able to pull off feats of power that have won the day many times. However, even the Last Son of Krypton hasn’t always won every fight’s he in. The hero has some weaknesses that enemies have exploited and he’s been humbled in battle by some of the most formidable beings out there.

Not all losses are created equally. Sometimes, the Man of Tomorrow loses by the skin of teeth, but other times he’s not so lucky. As powerful as he is, some villains have been able to obliterate him in battle, some even killing him. These seven DC villains have destroyed Superman, showing that he’s not invincible.

7) General Zod

Superman faces the biggest threats in the DC Multiverse and General Zod has always been one of the most dangerous. The Kryptonian general was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone after trying to take control of the planet, eventually escaping after the world was destroyed. Since then, he’s battled the Man of Steel often, with one of their best fights coming in “Last Son”. Zod, along with Ursa and Non, was able to devastate the hero, beating him within an inch of his life and then imprisoning him in the Zone. Zod has all of the powers of Supes and his past as a soldier has allowed him to use his abilities to defeat Kal-El, despite the hero having more experience with them.

6) The Anti-Monitor

Crisis on Infinite Earths is amazing, with the heroes of five Earths trying to stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying everything. Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 saw the good guys taking their fight to the Anti-Monitor in the anti-matter universe. Superman and Supergirl got ahead of the rest and the villain struck, beating the Man of Steel almost to death rather quickly. Supergirl jumped into the fight at this point, saving her cousin at the cost of her own life. Later on, Earth-Two Superman would destroy the villain, getting revenge for the devastating beating of his Earth-One counterpart.

5) Perpetua

Perpetua was the creator of the DC Multiverse, creating it to be a mobile weapon to use against her fellow Hands and their Judges. She was defeated and imprisoned outside the Source Wall, returning after the battle against Barbatos broke the wall in Dark Knights: Metal. She would become the big bad of Scott Snyder’s run on Justice League. She battled the team twice and was able to rock them each time, including Superman. Their final battle saw her destroy the League, capturing Superman and using him to power the dark machinery of Megapokolips in the Metalverse. She eclipsed him in power, like an ant bite compared to a nuclear bomb, making the whole thing academic.

4) Brainiac

Brainiac has long been one of Superman’s greatest foes, although he’s often overshadowed by Lex Luthor. The Coluan cyborg is a 12-level intelligence and has spent years traveling the universe, stealing cities, and destroying their worlds. He has access to some of the most deadly weapons in the universe and has the strength to fight the Man of Steel one on one. Over the years, readers have seen stories where the villain has been able to completely devastate the hero, whether it be using his weaknesses or just smacking him around in a fight. He’s as powerful as they come and his victories over Supes have proved it.

3) Darkseid

Darkseid is DC’s most evil villain, which makes sense because he’s the God of Evil. He’s one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse and is known for overpowering just about every solo hero he’s ever faced. Superman and Darkseid have battled each other a lot over the years; sometimes, the Man of Steel is prepared and able to win the fight. However, other times, the Lord of Apokolips has been able to devastate Earth’s greatest hero. His power dwarfs that of Supes, and the hero isn’t always up to the challenge of Darkseid.

2) Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is generally considered Superman’s greatest villain. Their battles have been the stuff of legend, testing each other far past breaking. While Supes has always been able to win their fights in the long run, there have been numerous stories where Luthor has been able to take out the Man of Steel. He’s created so many Kryptonite weapons or used red sun radiation against his foe and his armor has allowed him to fight Supes mano e mano. Lex is way tougher physically then he gets credit for and Superman knows that if he underestimates Luthor, he’s going to pay for it.

1) Doomsday

“Death of Superman” is ’90s DC’s biggest blockbuster. It wasn’t the first time that Superman died in a comic – there had been numerous “imaginary stories” where he was killed – but it was the first time the canon version of the hero lost his life. The villain Doomsday was created to be the monster that killed the Man of Steel, using his amazing physical power to devastate the hero. They killed each other in battle, but both returned, beginning a long-running grudge. Doomsday and Superman have faced off many more times, with the monster hurting him badly and almost winning just about every time.

What other villains have destroyed Superman in battle? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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