7 Iconic Supervillains Who the Multiverse Made Heroes

A common trope in DC and Marvel’s exploration of their infinite Multiverses is the presentation of evil counterparts to popular heroes. Characters like DC’s Ultraman (an evil Superman) and Marvel’s Hydra Supreme (an evil Captain America) show what would happen if superheroes went down different, darker paths. Of course, the reversing of a popular character’s morality isn’t limited to heroes. Across the Multiverse, there are numerous heroic versions of some of DC and Marvel’s most recognizable and sinister villains. Instead of pursuing criminal careers or seeking to rule or destroy the universe, these variants chose to use their skills and abilities to become heroes. Some of these variants are redeemed villains, while others have spent their entire lives protecting the innocent.

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These alternate versions of classic DC and Marvel supervillains are the primary protectors of their worlds.

1) Tangent Joker

In the main DC Universe, the Joker is an iconic sadistic and cruel villain. In contrast, on Earth-9, the Joker was an anarchist heroine who fights crime and oppressive regimes. This Joker wasn’t just one hero, but instead three women sharing the same mantle. The university student Mary Marvel, the billionaire Christy Xanadu, and the journalist Lori Lemaris took turns putting on the colorful Joker costume to battle evildoers. They used their acrobatic skills and a wide assortment of gag-based weapons to surprise and overwhelm their enemies. Sadly, both Mary and Christy were killed when the villainous Superman took over their world. The remaining Joker, Lori, abandoned that persona and assumed the mantle of the deceased hero, Manhunter. Lori fought alongside a superhero resistance movement against the evil Superman. Eventually, the day was won, and Lori avenged the deaths of her friends.

2) Avenger Prime

As both the comics and movies have shown, the lynchpin that unites the Avengers is always Loki and his machinations. On Earth-18201, Thor died at a young age and Loki became Asgard’s new king. Upon discovering a method to travel the Multiverse, Loki realized that the Avengers would be the greatest threat to his reign. To forestall this danger, he destroyed each of the Avengers even before they ever assembled. However, with no Avengers to protect the universe, Loki was left to face threats like Galactus, Thanos, and Celestials alone. And although Loki eventually was victorious, the battle wiped out all other life in his universe. When he attempted to take his own life, Loki found himself in another dimension known as the God Quarry. Desperate to make up for his mistakes, Loki took on the title of “Avenger Prime” and founded the Multiversal Avengers, a team of heroes from across the Multiverse. Loki and the rest of the Multiversal Avengers battle threats like Mephisto and the Multiversal Masters of Evil.

3) Absolute Circe

A powerful witch and the disciple of the goddess Hecate, Circe is a master of the dark arts. In the main DC Universe, she is one of Wonder Woman’s greatest enemies. In the Absolute Universe, however, Circe is none other than the Amazon’s adoptive mother. Banished to live in Hell, Circe was given the baby Diana by the Greek God Apollo. Apollo explained to Circe that the baby princess had been taken from the Amazons as punishment for their disobedience. Circe quickly grew attached to Diana and raised the baby as her own. Over the years, Circe taught Diana everything she knew about magic. When Diana discovered her Amazonian heritage, Circe helped her daughter escape Hell to become humanity’s protector. Enraged by Diana’s escape, Hades imprisoned Circe and used her as bait to lure the Amazon back to Hell. However, Diana’s strength and cunning allowed her to overcome all of Hades’ challenges, and she freed her mother. Now Circe stays in Hell, waiting for her daughter’s annual visit.

4) Age of Apocalypse Magneto

In the central Earth-616 universe, Magneto frequently shifts between acting as a hero and a villain. On Earth-295, however, he firmly established himself as a force for good. In this universe, Charles Xavier died before he ever assembled the X-Men. Without Professor X and his team of heroes, the villain Apocalypse easily conquered the Earth. To honor his friend’s dream of a better world, Magneto created his own team of X-Men to fight against Apocalypse’s regime. Magneto marries Rogue, and the two have a son named Charles, after his late friend. During the final battle against Apocalypse, Magneto unleashes his full power and tears the villain apart. With the Earth liberated, Magneto and his X-Men help rebuild the devastated world while advocating for peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants.

5) Earth One Killer Croc

Earth-1’s version of Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc, shares a very similar origin to his mainline counterpart. Born with a condition that gave him a reptilian appearance, Waylon was raised as a freak in the circus. Waylon eventually escaped the circus and started living in the sewers. Waylon’s story diverges from his villainous counterpart when Batman entered the sewers searching for the Riddler. Waylon attacked the Dark Knight for invading his territory. When Waylon realized that Batman wasn’t his enemy, he helped the Dark Knight track down and apprehend the Riddler. To show his gratitude, Batman let Waylon move into Wayne Manor. Waylon then joined Batman’s Gotham superhero team, the Outsiders.

6) Ultimate Green Goblin

In the main Earth-616 continuity, Spider-Man and the Green Goblin are sworn enemies. In the Ultimate Universe of Earth-6160, Harry Osborn, aka the Green Goblin, operated as a hero before Peter became Spider-Man. After the deaths of his parents, Harry used his company’s resources to become the superhero, the Green Goblin. Harry battles criminals like the Kingpin and the Shocker. He also works alongside his wife, Gwen Stacy, who in the Ultimate Universe is Mysterio. Unlike Peter, Harry is much more willing to cross the line and kill if he believes it’s for the greater good. While Peter and Harry may come into conflict over the best way to be a hero, they still work together to protect the citizens of New York City.

7) Alexander Luthor

On Earth-3, good and evil are reversed. The world is ruled by the Crime Syndicate, the twisted alternate versions of the Justice League. The greatest hero of Earth-3, and the primary adversary of the Crime Syndicate, is the genius inventor Alexander Luthor. With his vast arsenal of powerful gadgets and high intellect, Luthor is one of the very few heroes capable of challenging the Crime Syndicate. Over the course of DC’s many reboots, there have been different versions of this Luthor character. The original, Pre-Crisis Luthor was married to Lois Lane and even had a son named Alexander Luthor Jr. In his most recent incarnation, Luthor formed the Legion of Justice, a team consisting of heroic versions of villains like Harley Quinn, Sinestro, Giganta, Poison Ivy, and Cheetah. While Luthor may continuously fail in his efforts to completely overthrow the Crime Syndicate, he still battles them and is Earth-3’s best hope of liberation.

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