7 Most Powerful Villains DC Forgot About

There are literally thousands of characters who have starred in DC’s catalogues of comics. From all-time classics like Superman and Lex Luthor to underrated gems like the Atom and Despero, an endless number of superheroes and supervillains have taken center stage at one point or another. Of course, while everyone has been at the forefront at least once, most cannot stay there for very long. There are only so many panels to go around, so the majority of these characters fade into the background to make space for the truly popular ones. This is especially true for villains. There is an infinite number of Joker and Bizarro storylines, but so few comics where Grail is the main villain.

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Today, we’re going to call attention to some of the villains that deserve way more spotlight than they’ve gotten. We’re not just going to talk about villains that haven’t shown up in a while, but villains that everyone has all but completely forgotten. What makes their disappearance from the public consciousness even more egregious is that they are each more than capable of rewriting the balance of the DC Universe. We’re taking a look at seven villains who can bring the world to its knees, if anyone remembers they existed.

7) Speed Demon

Jerry McGee was a scientist who developed Steroid B-19, which granted him enhanced strength and super-speed that rivaled the Flash. In fact, in their various clashes, Speed Demon proved he was even faster than Wally West, although this was before he’d reached his full potential and surpassed Barry Allen. Jerry hated Wally because he was in a relationship with Jerry’s wife while the two were separated. His addiction to Steroud B-19 and his high-tech suit proved very entertaining, and although he eventually reformed, having a villain who could outpace the Flash makes him one of the most powerful villains out there.

6) Grayven

Everyone knows that Orion and Kalibak are the sons of Darkseid, but not many are aware that he had a third son, Grayven. Darkseid even shared a portion of his power with Grayven, allowing him to fire his own Omega Beams. While they couldn’t wipe people from existence, they could knock Martian Manhunter unconscious with a single blow, showing that they were incredibly powerful. He once set on a cosmic campaign of conquest, all but eliminating the Darkstars with his own power. He was stopped by Kyle Rayner and teleported into the Earth’s core, but he simply dug his way out. Grayven is undeniably powerful, which he could only be, given his heritage.

5) Infinite Man

Jaxon Rugarth was originally a scientist of the 31st Century. He tested a new time machine meant to prove that the fourth dimension was circular, which inadvertently sent him through the entirety of time and infused him with chrono energy. He emerged with a broken mind and total mastery over time, which he used to battle the Legion of Super-Heroes. Despite their immense powers, including those of Superboy, they were unable to defeat Infinite Man and had to settle for trapping him. He could send anyone or anything to any point in time, and Infinite Man’s intimate knowledge of every part of the timeline, coupled with his utter insanity, made him infinitely dangerous.

4) Devastation

While myths tell of Cronus eating his children, there were secret gods that he did not release until centuries later. They were Titan, Oblivion, Disdain, Arch, Slaughter, and Harrier. Wanting to bring down the Olympians, Cronus had these children put their power to creating an evil version of Wonder Woman. He stole clay from Wonder Woman at the moment of her birth to form his own child, and had his park pantheon bless her. They named the child Devastation, and she has proven that she’s more than capable of living up to her name.

Devastation possesses the same strength, speed, durability, and flight as Wonder Woman. On top of those already incredible powers, her pantheon blessed her with a healing factor, emotional control, telepathy, earthquake generation, and the ability to shapeshift into any other woman. She’s Wonder Woman’s match in every regard and has her own special skills on top of that. Anyone who can stand up to Diana is a planetary threat at the barest minimum.

3) Major Force

Captain Atom is one of the most underrated, over-beaten heroes, and his villainous counterpart is much the same. Major Force was a criminal put through the same Captain Atom Project that created the incredible hero, granting him all the same powers. To list just a few, Major Force sports strength that can match Superman’s, energy blasts that can well exceed that of a nuclear bomb, and actual alchemy, which lets him rearrange the atoms of anything and anyone. His ceiling is virtually limitless. If he mastered his powers, he could control time itself. Of course, his incalculable power is held back by his stupidity, which keeps him from his full potential.

2) Dominus

Doctor Fate is one of the most powerful beings in DC, and that comes from his nature as a Lord of Order. Dominus is a fellow Lord of Order who turned rogue, and he is far more selfish than his Justice Society of America counterpart. Dominus can shape reality to his liking, choosing to make Superman’s nightmares into fact. He has total control over time and space, and is so strong that he could bat aside Superman and Martian Manhunter when they worked together. Dominus’s only limiter is that he lacks a physical form, and as such, can only create things that come from a living mind. Still, he’s one of the most powerful villains Superman ever fought, and that’s a very high bar.

1) Stayne

Takion was created to be Highfather’s heir. With the strongest connection to the Source of anyone in the universe, Takion can do practically anything he wishes. He is omnipotent, only limited by his human brain capacity, and can manipulate any form of energy, including the Speed Force. He once fought Captain Atom, Green Lantern, and the Flash at the same time, and even though he wasn’t fighting back, they couldn’t do anything to hurt him. Takion is one of the strongest beings of all, and Darkseid created Stayne to be his natural opposite.

Where Takion was made from light, Stayne was made from darkness. She has all the same powers as Takion, harboring her own ties to the Source. When they fought, the two were evenly matched in every regard. The fight only ended when Takion accepted her and merged the two. Stayne wasn’t around for long, but her insurmountable power was more than enough to defeat practically every DC hero in the universe, and with that, she’s left her mark. All that everyone needs is to remember that she did that.

So there we have seven of the most powerful villains that DC has utterly forgotten. Which of these villains would you like to make a comeback? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!