DC Comics created superheros and supervillains from the DNA of many different types of heroes and villains throughout fiction. DC’s superheroes are some of the most powerful and skilled ever, so their villains have to be something special as well. Over the years, we’ve seen some of the biggest battles in comics from DC, with the heroes able to triumph to triumph over the greatest odds imaginable. However, just because they’ve always saved the day, doesn’t mean they’ve always won. In fact, DC’s heroes have often failed against the villains, losing battles that have stacked the odds against them even more.
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Even the most powerful and skilled DC heroes and teams have some pretty heavy losses on their record. These losses have often inspired them to come back and triumph in the end, but that doesn’t change the reality of their situations. Some villains’ plans have been so good that the heroes had to take the L. Other times, the villains were able to overpower their foes. These losses stick out like a sore thumb on the records of DC’s heroes, and these ten villains have become legends because they have been able to beat the most powerful heroes ever.
10) The Kindly Ones
The Sandman is a classic of the medium, despite the allegations its writer. The story of Morpheus brings in many different mythic beings from across world history, including the Fates. The Fates first appear in the first story arc of the book, in their guises as the maiden, mother, and crone. They appear numerous times throughout the book, taking on different names and aspects, based on the idea of the triple goddess. One of their aspects are the Kindly Ones. Lyta Hall’s son Daniel disappears, and she believes that Dream is at fault. She slowly loses her mind, and finds herself at the home of the Fates, this time as the Furies. The Furies are able to go after him, not because of his actions against Lyta and Hector Hall, but because he killed his own son. Using Lyta Hall’s body, the Kindly Ones attack the Dreaming, killing everyone in their way. Dream has a plan, but it all hinges on never leaving his castle. However, he’s forced to do so to pay back the fairy Nuala, which allows the Kindly Ones to enter the castle. Dream knows that could more than likely defeat the Furies if it came down to it, but that the battle would warp reality and have grave consequences. So, he decides to commit suicide, saving his realm and allowing Daniel to become the next Dream, and giving the Kindly Ones their vengeance against him for spilling the blood of his own family. While the Kindly Ones didn’t strike the final blow, they still won in the end.
9) Ozymandias
Ozymandias was a rich kid who decided to use his talents to train himself to human perfection and become as great as Alexander the Great. Ozymandias was part of his Earth’s second generation of heroes, and eventually realized that the efforts of the heroes were useless. This brings us to Watchmen, where Ozymandias sets a plan into motion to save the world at the costs of millions of lives. The Comedian discovering the island where he was creating his psychic bioweapon was the only reason anyone ever discovered his evil. Ozymandias was forced to kill the government agent, which is what got Rorschach’s attention. Even with Rorschach, Nite Owl II, and Silk Spectre II trying to figure out what was going on, Ozymandias was able to play everyone and still succeed. He even got away with the whole thing (well, in Watchmen; his wrongdoing is eventually discovered by the world in Doomsday Clock and HBO’s Watchmen); he saved the world from nuclear annihilation, but had to kill half of the population of New York City to do it.
8) The Black Hand
Batman has been defeated numerous times over the years, but not all of his victories are equal. Some folks have beaten Batman worse than others, and a great example of that is Dr. Hurt and the Black Glove — Cardinal Maggi, Sir Anthony, General Malenkov, Al-Kidhr, and Senator Vine. The Black Glove targeted Batman in the first act of Grant Morrison’s Batman run, with the group’s identity first coming to light during a murder mystery involving Batman, Robin, and the Club of Heroes. However, they had already targeted Bruce Wayne, placing Jezebel Jett, a supermodel, in his orbit. The Black Glove attacked Batman numerous times before making their greatest strike against him. The Black Glove were able to defeat Batman and turn him into a street junkie, lording over the Gotham underworld while Batman wandered the streets. Eventually, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh took over Bruce’s body, allowing him to defeat them with them (although Dr. Hurt, who claimed to be Thomas Wayne, would return to battle Batman again). However, the Black Glove was still able to defeat Batman pretty handily, which is a very impressive achievement.
7) Prometheus
Prometheus is one of DC’s most underrated villains. The villain was created by Grant Morrison, first appearing in New Year’s Evil: Prometheus #1, and went on to attack the Justice League’s Watchtower in JLA #16-17, where he would beat every member of the Justice League. So, right there, that’s multiple wins. Of course, he wasn’t able to destroy the Watchtower, thanks to Catwoman pretending to be a reporter there for the opening of the Watchtower. After joining the Injustice Gang and almost destroying the League again during Mageddon’s attack on the Earth, a second Prometheus took on the mantle and ended up being a scrub, losing all the time and becoming the henchman of Hush. However, the real Prometheus decided to wreck the Justice League, and was able to keep a step ahead of them all the time, killing Lian Harper and bombing numerous cities. Green Arrow was able to hunt him down and kill him. Prometheus eventually returned and worked with Deathstroke’s Dark Army, helping them defeat the Teen Titans. That’s a lot of success for the villain, making Prometheus one of the most dangerous villains you’ve never heard of.
6) The Crime Syndicate
The Crime Syndicate has always been one of the most dangerous forces in the DC Multiverse. The rulers of Earth-Three were able to take over their planet, which is a victory that counts, and they battled the Justice League and the Justice Society. They’d die in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but a post-Crisis version would show up in JLA: Earth-2, and fight the League several times. A new version of Earth-3 was born in the New 52, and the Crime Syndicate’s world was targeted by the Anti-Monitor. The Anti-Monitor was able to defeat them, but they escaped to the Prime Earth, in an effort to conquer the planet. The Justice League stepped up against them, and the Crime Syndicate — Ultraman, Superwoman, Owl-Man, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, Deathstorm, and Atomika — was able to beat the team, then targeting the rest of the metahuman community, hero and villain both. The Crime Syndicate eventually lost, thanks to Lex Luthor, but they still have a win over the Justice League in their ledger.
5) Bane
Bane has become one of Batman’s greatest villains, if not the greatest villain. Bane owns two of the greatest victories over the Batman. His first attack on Gotham City saw him breaking the villains out of Gotham City, letting Batman run himself ragged trying to stop their massive attack. Bane waited until Batman was at his lowest ebb and attacked. Bane stomped Batman and was able to break the back of the Dark Knight. This saw him replaced by Jean-Paul Valley, which would be the beginning of a long period of losses. After coming back into his own with the Secret Six, Bane started his greatest attack on Batman, using Psycho-Pirate to help him control basically every villain in Gotham, as well as working with Hugo Strange and Flashpoint Batman. Bane was able to play Batman like a fiddle, allowing himself to take some big losses that paved the way for his eventual victory. Bane ended up kicking Batman and the Bat-Family out of Gotham, taking control of the city. Bane did something that no other villain was able to do — take Gotham City from Batman.
4) Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a very successful villain, especially if you take into account the versions of him from old Silver Age “imaginary stories” (the ancestor of Elseworlds). However, Lex is really that good when it comes down to it. Lex Luthor has enacted many unhinged plans, and he has a track record of handing out Ls to his foes. However, some victories have been bigger than others. Lex Luthor was president of the United States, winning the vote without cheating. Luthor was instrumental in the battle against Imperiex in “Our World at War”, helping the heroes battle the monster. In Forever Evil, Lex was able to create a team that beat the triumphant Crime Syndicate, saving the world, and was later instrumental in helping the Justice League defeat both Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor in “Darkseid War”. He’d create a suit of Superman armor after the end of the New 52, and helped the returned post-Crisis Superman in many battles, including against Doomsday. Lex worked with Perpetua as the leader of the Legion of Doom, who were able to keep beating the Justice League in a number of ways. There’s a good reason why everyone is so scared of Lex Luthor.
3) The Batman Who Laughs
The Batman Who Laughs started winning almost from the moment he was born. Poisoned with a Joker toxin that made Batman just as insane as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Batman Who Laughs would go on to kill every single person on the planet. He was then recruited by Barbatos, where he would end up losing to the Justice League. He was imprisoned in the Hall of Justice, but escaped and created his own Secret Six, transforming Shazam, Donna Troy, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, James Gordon, and Hawkman into evil versions of himself. During Perpetua’s attack on reality, the Batman Who Laughs would end up defeating Lex Luthor and took a place on her right hand. Together, the two of them were able to defeat the Justice League and take over the Multiverse. He was almost killed by Wonder Woman, but his brain transplanted into the body of Doctor Bathattan, becoming the Darkest Knight (he was also called the Multiverse Who Laughs). He killed Perpetua and Superboy-Prime before losing to Wonder Woman. Before he was destroyed, the Batman Who Laughs became one of DC’s most dangerous villains right off rip.
2) Darkseid
Darkseid is the God of Evil, and one of the most powerful villains in the DC Multiverse. Darkseid is feared by basically everyone; he has enough power to defeat the most powerful heroes around, and is known for hunting down the Anti-Life Equation. Every time he gets the Anti-Life Equation, he basically wins. The best example of this is Final Crisis. Darkseid’s body was destroyed, along with the rest of the New Gods, so he and his elites sent their souls to Earth with the Anti-Life Equation, taking new bodies and beginning an attack that would end with Darkseid using the Equation to take over the minds of half the world, and completely breaking the Justice League. Darkseid was able to conquer the world, and almost destroyed the entire Multiverse. More recently, he was part of the Dark Army that beat the Justice League in the run-up to Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, his most recent victory is his creation of the Absolute Universe. In DC All-In #1, Darkseid sacrifices his elites for more power, steals the energies of the Spectre, and battles the Justice League. Although he’s “defeated”, Darkseid is able to take control of the Alpha Earth, created at the end of Death Metal, and made the Absolute Earth. Darkseid is rightly feared throughout the multiverse, and no one knows exactly what his next plan is going to be.
1) Perpetua
Perpertua stands among DC’s most overpowered villains. Perpetua was a Hand, a being who created multiverses. Perpetua wanted control over all creation, and meant for the DC Multiverse to be her ultimate weapon. However, the other Hands were able to defeat her and she was thrown outside of the Source Wall. The Justice League accidentally broke the Source Wall saving the universe from the Omega Titans, allowing her to enter her creation. Perpetua would end up teaming with the Legion of Doom, and together they were able to beat the Justice League, and take over the Multiverse. Perpetua was eventually killed by the Darkest Knight, but that doesn’t change that she was able to trounce the Justice League and take over the Multiverse.
What other DC villains have won? Sound off in the comments below.
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