DC Comics has been putting out amazing superhero stories since the 1930s. Superheroes wouldn’t exist in the form they do without DC Comics, and the same thing can be said for the supervillain. DC has created amazing superheroes, but an argument can be made that the villains they’ve created are greater than the heroes. DC villains have become icons over the decades, giving the heroes enemies that truly tested them. DC’s villains have always been top flight; even going back to the Golden Age of DC shows some amazing villains. Some of them everyone has heard of, but even the lesser known ones like the Shade, Vandal Savage, and Per Degaton are amazing villains that would birth legions of imitators in the years to come. DC has often pushed the envelope of what a superhero story can be, and their work with villains have played a huge role in their success.
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DC’s heroes are awesome, but there are some villains that are better than many of them. Creators were able to take these villains and make them into something special, becoming characters that fans love to see. This hasn’t always been a good thing — some of these villains have gotten very overexposed — but the fact that they’ve gotten to where they are is proof of just how brilliant these villains have become. These seven villains are the best of the best, and they’re are better than the vast majority of superheroes in DC.
7) Deadshot
Deadshot has had an interesting journey throughout his years in the DC Universe. He started out as a Batman villain who dressed like a gun-fighting dandy, battling Batman in the less serious years of the 1950s. Deadshot wasn’t popular compared to other Batman villains, and disappeared for years, but Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin brought the character back in 1977’s Detective Comics #474. They completely redesigned the villain, giving him his more high tech look, and making him into a mercenary. This was the perfect Deadshot, and he’d go on to become one of the breakout stars of Suicide Squad, a book that is one of the best DC or Marvel comics of the ’80s (seriously, go out and buy the omnibuses and then come back). Deadshot is often compared to Deathstroke and this certainly makes sense. However, Floyd Lawton doesn’t have a problematic history with an underage character (we’re referencing Deathstroke’s relationship with Terra in the “Judas Contract” storyline, by the way) which makes him automatically superior to Deathstroke. His love of his daughter, and his turmoil over the way his life affects her, humanizes Deadshot to a ridiculous extent. He’s become one of the best non-powered supervillains in any comic ever, his iconic white mask and wrist gun giving him a cool gimmick that has stayed in the minds of fans ever since. Deadshot is so fun to read about, a best of all time character that doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
6) Kite-Man
Hell yeah. I promise this list won’t be full of Batman villains, but let’s be real — Batman does have the most interesting slate of villains ever. Many of them have become iconic throughout pop culture, showcased in successful and beloved films and TV series. Batman’s A-list is arguably the best in comics — only Spider-Man can match him among solo heroes — and that means his lower level villains have to shine even more than most. Batman’s gimmick villains are a whole class of their own, and one of them has seen an amazing ascent over the last ten years — Kite-Man. Kite-Man was a Z-list villain that had become a joke — I personally first heard of him from Wizard‘s magazine’s “Mort of the Month” feature — but writer Tom King decided to make everyone like Kite-Man, giving him a catchphrase, with “Hell Yeah” becoming instantly recognizable to DC fans, and it was off to the races. King made Kite-Man into a more serious villain, giving him a tragic backstory, and revealing he helped Batman when the Joker and Riddler went too war. He became a part of the cast of the Harley Quinn animated series, and even got his own animated series. Kite-Man is the definition of a fun villain, combining comedy with a bittersweet backstory in perfect measure to make a character no one liked into a classic.
5) Reverse Flash
Barry Allen’s tenure as the Flash saw him going up against villains who would become some of the best in the business (more on the Rogues later). As was common in the Silver Age, the Flash was given an evil opposite villain, and his was Professor Zoom the Reverse Flash. Eobard Thawne was a Barry Allen stan in the 25th century, and decided to gain super speed powers, and use the cosmic treadmill to run back in time. He first went to after Barry Allen’s death, getting surgery to make himself like Allen, and tried to replace him then. When he took a spanking from Wally West, the once and current Flash, he went back to the future with his memory wiped, and tried again. This time, he decided to go after Barry, and got more and more jealous of Barry’s life as he fought him. Reverse Flash is the greatest hater of them all, and it’s not even close. Even people who don’t know the minutiae of comics know about the depths of hate that Reverse Flash has for Barry Allen. Reverse Flash is a very entertaining character, with memes spread across the world. Reverse Flash is an undoubtedly fun villain, a powerful villain that could do anything he wanted but decided that killing the most white bread man ever was worth his time.
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4) Captain Cold
The Rogues is the greatest team of villains ever. Fans love the Rogues, as they’ve transcended being one note gimmick villains and have become great characters who fit together as a group perfectly. The poster boy for the Rogues is Len Snart, the man known as Captain Cold. Captain Cold is a guy in a parka with cool glasses and a cold gun. He’s the master of absolute zero, and has shown that guys with a cold gun are way more dangerous than you can imagine. Captain Cold’s weapon allowed him to challenge Barry Allen and Wally West, two of the most powerful heroes in comics, which is none too shabby. However, what really makes Captain Cold so much fun is the growth he’s undergone as a character. Captain Cold become the keystone of the Rogues, leading the team in battle. He’s sarcastic and sometimes caustic, but he’s also a great leader who cares about his fellow Rogues. He’s a brilliant strategist as well, knowing how to use the various skills of the Rogue to battle the Flash. Fans love it when Captain Cold shows up. They know they’re going to get a great villain, a tough as nails leader whose going to be supremely entertaining he’s on the page. Captain Cold and the Rogues have deserved their own series for ages now, all because of characters as fun as Captain Cold.
3) Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is one of Golden Age DC’s greatest creations, a villain with nearly infinite potential as a character. Vandal Savage was a Cro-Magnon who was exposed to a meteorite that gave him superhuman intelligence and physical capabilities, beginning a legacy of conquest that would take him a hundred thousand years ago into the far future of the 853rd century. That is what makes Vandal Savage such a fun character. You can tell any kind of story you want with Vandal Savage. He’s existed in every time period imaginable of human history until a ridiculously far off future, his intellect and resources making him one of the DC Multiverse’s most formidable villains. Human life means nothing to Vandal Savage and he is the perfect histrionic villain. Every character has potential to be great, but none of them can match Vandal Savage. He’s as close as a villain can get to perfect, having survived every era of DC Comics and stayed great. The fact that Vandal Savage hasn’t gotten a series of his own, which has become more and more common for villains in recent years, is a travesty. Vandal Savage deserves a series more than most of the heroes who have them, and it has the potential to be one of the most fun series on the stands.
2) The Joker
The Joker is definitely overrated, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t one of the most fun characters in comic history. Joker made a huge splash right away. He was a striking character, his white skin, red lips, green hair, and perfect suit jumped off the page and his madness has become one of the most interesting concepts in the Batman mythos. The Joker is portrayed as the most insane villain ever — although writer Grant Morrison posited that Joker was actually “super-sane” compared to everyone else and that the Joker is the ultimate evolution of 21st century man. The Joker stays fun because the villain has been able to grow and change with the times. Just look at all of the ways the Joker has appeared over the years. The Joker is a chameleon, a villain that can be slotted into nearly every story. The Joker works as well as a single villain as he does as a member of a group. The Joker is never anything less than fun and while it would be nice if we got a break from the villain sometimes (everyone wants to write about the Joker, both because it’s guaranteed to sell well and because he’s so interesting as a character), there’s no denying that there’s a certain allure to the Joker. His chaotic nature has made him something special, allowing him to become one of the most popular villains in the history of fiction.
1) Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a perfect villain. He started out as a stereotypical mad scientist character, and grew and grew into Superman’s greatest villain, jumping over the Ultra-Humanite (who was positioned as Golden Age Superman’s greatest foe) to become the number one Superman hater. Lex Luthor’s evolution over the years, and how it’s made him into who he is, is truly remarkable. He was able to stay at the top of the villain charts in every era of comics. He went from Golden Age evil scientist to the consummate supervillain of the Silver Age and Bronze Age to the evil businessman of the modern age, and has been able to drop into any of those roles at any times when the story calls for it. Lex Luthor’s existence is full of great moments, and he’s even shown that he can shine as a superhero. Lex Luthor is the definition of a fun villain, giving readers everything they could ever want out of a villain.
Which DC villains do you love? Sound off in the comments below.
