The thing about DC heroes is that they’re often written as these larger-than-life, almost mythic figures — modern gods walking among mere mortals. That makes it all the more jarring when one of them crosses a line and kills another hero. DC tends to lean into themes of morality, legacy, and the weight of power, so when a hero kills, it hits harder.
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DC’s characters are often idealized, which makes their fall from grace feel tragic rather than just messy. But why would a hero kill another hero, anyway? It usually boils down to conflict over ideals, manipulation, or desperation. Sometimes, they’re backed into a corner where no other choice feels possible, or they’re tricked into it by some villain pulling the strings.
7. Wonder Woman Kills Superman
In Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, the unthinkable happens as the bond between Superman and Wonder Woman is destroyed in an apocalyptic clash. After a nuclear war obliterates Themyscira, Diana is left broken, her faith in humanity shattered. She holds Superman responsible, seeing his allegiance to mankind as a betrayal that allowed her home to fall. What follows is not just a fight between two of DC’s greatest heroes but the collapse of everything they once stood for together — hope, compassion, and unity. In a desperate and brutal battle at the Fortress of Solitude, Wonder Woman uses Kryptonite to weaken Superman before delivering a fatal blow, punching through his chest and killing him.
6. Superman Kills Green Arrow
In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Superman’s fall from hero to tyrant takes a devastating turn with the death of Green Arrow. After losing Lois Lane and his unborn child to Joker’s twisted scheme, Superman’s grief warps into unrelenting rage and a belief that his rule is the only path to peace. Green Arrow stands firmly against this tyrannical vision, joining Batman’s resistance to fight for freedom. The breaking point comes at the Fortress of Solitude, where a desperate attempt to retrieve a weapon capable of stopping Superman ends in tragedy. In the chaos, Green Arrow accidentally injures Jonathan Kent, Superman’s adoptive father. Superman then beats Green Arrow to death.
5. Apollo Kills Grifter
Apollo is best known as a founding member of The Authority, a team of superhumans who take an aggressive and often controversial approach to enforcing justice. Apollo is one of the most powerful and intriguing characters in DC Comics, originally hailing from the WildStorm Universe before its integration into DC’s main continuity.
Apollo indeed killed Grifter, specifically during The Authority #21 (2003). In this issue, Grifter, a long-time member of the Wild C.A.T.s, finds himself in conflict with Apollo and the Authority. The Authority, known for its extreme methods of enforcing justice, had taken a more authoritarian stance under the leadership of Jack Hawksmoor. During a heated encounter, Grifter challenges Apollo, but the fight ends brutally, with Apollo killing Grifter in a moment that shocks even the team itself.
4. Batman Shoots a Hero Cop
Batman almost killed Dan Turpin, who was being possessed by Darkseid, in Final Crisis (2008) by Grant Morrison. Darkseid begins his conquest of Earth by spreading the Anti-Life Equation, enslaving the minds of humanity. To fully manifest on Earth, Darkseid possesses the body of Detective Dan Turpin, a longtime ally of Superman and the Justice League. Turpin’s body becomes a vessel for Darkseid’s essence, and as the New God’s power grows, the threat to the entire multiverse becomes imminent. By this stage, Turpin is essentially gone, his body fully controlled by Darkseid. Turpin is a long-standing heroic Metropolis cop (inspired by Jack Kirby’s “Terrible” Turpin in New Gods/Mr. Miracle and Superman titles). Batman’s decision to shoot at Tupin highlights the impossible choices heroes face in the most extreme circumstances.
3. Hal Jordan Kills Kilowog
Hal Jordan killing Kilowog is one of the most tragic and heartbreaking moments in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, occurring in the Emerald Twilight storyline (Green Lantern Vol. 3 #50, 1994). This pivotal event takes place during Hal Jordan’s descent into madness after the destruction of his hometown, Coast City, which was annihilated by Mongul and the Cyborg Superman, killing millions.
Devastated by grief and consumed by a desperate need to bring his city and loved ones back to life, Hal becomes obsessed with absorbing the power of the Green Lantern Central Power Battery on Oa — a power forbidden by the Guardians of the Universe. In his rampage to reach the battery, Hal confronts the Green Lantern Corps, defeating many of his former allies. Kilowog, his closest friend and mentor within the Corps, tries to stop him, pleading with Hal to reconsider his actions. However, Hal, now blinded by grief and rage, kills Kilowog in cold blood during their confrontation.
2. Wonder Woman Kills Maxwell Lord
Wonder Woman killed Maxwell Lord in a highly controversial moment in Wonder Woman #219 (2005). Maxwell Lord, a master manipulator with mind-control abilities, had taken control of Superman, forcing him into a violent rampage. Under Lord’s influence, Superman attacked Batman and was on the verge of killing Wonder Woman.
After capturing Lord, Wonder Woman interrogates him using her Lasso of Truth, demanding he release Superman. Lord reveals that the only way to break his control is to kill him. With no other options and Superman still posing a massive threat to the world, Wonder Woman snaps Maxwell Lord’s neck, killing him instantly. Originally introduced as a morally gray but legitimate backer of the Justice League International (Justice League International #1 onward, late 1980s), Maxwell helped form and fund a global JLI, protecting the world. Though later corrupted (and post-Infinite Crisis continuity reframed him as a villain), his earlier JLI stewardship and world-saving operations establish him as, at times, a bona fide ally.
1. Batman Kills Green Lantern
In the Dark Nights: Metal storyline, particularly in the origin of the Dawnbreaker (told in Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1), Batman kills Green Lanterns, but this happens in a dark alternate universe (Earth -32). This version of Batman, Bruce Wayne, becomes the Dawnbreaker after receiving a Green Lantern ring on the night his parents are murdered. Unlike Hal Jordan or other Green Lanterns, Bruce’s immense willpower is fueled by his unrelenting rage and darkness, allowing him to override the ring’s safeguards and unlock its lethal potential.
After brutally murdering Joe Chill with the ring as a child, Bruce spirals into a ruthless vigilante. His unchecked darkness corrupts the Green Lantern Corps’ power, and when the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lanterns confront him, Bruce slaughters them without hesitation.
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