Summary
DC’sJustice Leagueand the larger DC Universe are populated by some of the most iconic and powerful characters in fiction, from Superman and Wonder Woman to Batman and Robin. These heroes have undergone a variety of changes throughout their history thanks to out-of-continuity Elseworlds stories and retcons.
One of the best ways superheroes can beexplored is through darker versions of themselves— either their perfect opposites or their own fall to evil. DC’s heroes have been reimagined as everything from crime bosses to cosmic tyrants in stories that shook up the universe and reeled in dedicated readers. While some of these characters are only a minor step up in abilities, others represent the peak of what their respective hero can be. Seeing a protagonist’s fall from grace often reminds readers of what makes them great to begin with, just as their dark opposites.
10Sky Tyrant
First Appearance:Hawkman#16 by Robert Venditti, Pat Olliffe, Tom Palmer, Jeremiah Shipper, and Richard Starkings
During DC’sYear of the Villainevent, the Batman Who Laughs was forced into a competition with Apex Lex. On one hand, the Jokerized Dark Knight corrupted several key heroes with his toxin, as Lex upgraded key villains in his army.Among the former was Hawkman, who reverted to his Earth-3 counterpart, the Sky Tyrant. This change occurred just as Carter Hall was learning the truth behind his reincarnation abilities.
A feat even Bruce Wayne couldn’t accomplish.
Sky Tyrant was portrayed as sadistic and needlessly violent, including in one issue ofHawkmanwhere he attempted to crash a plane just to spite the consciousness of Carter Hall. Fortunately, however, the hero was able to claw back control of his body — a feat even Bruce Wayne couldn’t accomplish.
9Black Flash
First Appearance:The Flash#138 by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Ron Wagner, John Nyberg, Tom McCraw, and Gaspar Saladino
DC has its share of gods and unique takes on the forces of the universe.One of the eeriest of these is Black Flash, effectivelythe Grim Reaper of the DCU’s speedsters, since the normal version of Death is too slow for them. Upon death, Black Flash returns these heroes' life force to the Speed Force and has been witnessed by characters like Wally West and Max Mercury.
Black Flash is one of the most terrifying beings in the DCU.
Fans often theorize that Black Flash is actually Black Racer, created by Jack Kirby in his Fourth World saga, but various comic book creators dispute this claim. Several characters have filled the role of the Specter Speedster, from Barry Allen to Eobard Thawne. Not only does Black Flash have enhanced versions of traditional speedster powers, he’s also one of the most terrifying beings in the DCU. During Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’sDeath Metalevent, a Joker version of the villain debuted.
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8Dick Grayson: Vampire King
First Appearance:DC vs. Vampires#2 by James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, and Tom Napolitano
DC vs. Vampirestakes readersinto an Elseworlds universe where a secret kingdom of vampires begins their plan to conquer the world. The vampires achieve their coup by infiltrating the Justice League itself, beginning with turning Hal Jordan into a creature of the night. Along the way, it’s explained that they’re led by a secret Vampire King, whose identity is left a mystery until the conquest is underway — when Nightwing is revealed as the dark lord.
The vampires' story is continued in a new sequel,DC vs. Vampires: World War Vby Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt, which launches August 2024 from DC Comics.
Dick Grayson’s reveal as the Vampire Kingisn’t just the darkest he’s ever been, it’s also the most powerful. Through his newly-acquired strength and bloodthirsty nature, he murdered Batman and made an enemy out of the Bat-Family. Under his leadership, the vampires brought humanity to the edge of extinction.
7Superwoman
First Appearance:Justice League of America#29 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, Bernard Sachs, and Gaspar Saladino
Earth-3 is defined by its inversion of heroes and villains, with the Justice League beingreimagined as the Crime Syndicate, a Mafia-style enterprise that controls the planet. Just as on Earth-Prime, the team has its own Trinity, made up of Ultra-Man (Superman), Owlman (Batman) and Superwoman (Wonder Woman). Where the other two exhibit exaggerated traits of their heroic counterparts,Superwoman is written as a conniving manipulator.
Superwoman is one of the most sadistic villains in the entire Multiverse, demonstrated by her repeated depiction as a dominatrix. The villain typically likes to tease and torture her enemies before finally killing them, and she works well as an inversion of every aspect of Diana Prince.
6The Floronic Man
First Appearance:The Flash#245 by Cary Bates, Irv Novick, and Frank McLaughlin
Swamp Thing is among the most powerful beings in the DCU, and as an avatar of the Green, he is effectively a protector of one of the key elemental forces of nature. However, he’s far from the only character with mastery over plant life, and is rivaled by bothPoison Ivy and the Floronic Man. However, as Ivy has steadily become an antihero,theFloronic Man has grown into a more dangerous counterpartto the Protector of the Green.
The Floronic Man actually began as Plant-Master, a villain to the Atom. However, after consuming part of Swamp Thing’s anatomy, he developed his own control over the elemental forces. Since then, he has assumed the role of both Avatar of the Green and of the Rot, with the latter becoming one of Circe’s Injustice League Dark villains, who spread a plague of decay. He is also a major enemy of Poison Ivy and played a large role in her updated origin story.
For more on Poison Ivy and the Floronic Man’s twisted relationship, check out the ongoing and award-winningPoison Ivyseries by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, available now both on stands and in collected editions from DC Comics.
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5Doctor Hate
First Appearance:Knight Terrors: Night’s End#1 by Joshua Williamson, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Trevor Hairsine, Howard Porter, Stefano Nesi, Rain Beredo, and Troy Peteri
Doctor Fate is among the most powerful magicians in the DCU, thanks to the presence of Nabu, a Lord of Order. DuringDC’sKnight Terrorsevent, the Helmet of Fate was taken by Amanda Waller, who handed it tothe demonic half of the Teen Titans hero Raven. Thanks to the Nightmare Stone, she transformed into Doctor Hate, a villain who aided Waller in her plans to become dictator of the United States.
Doctor Hate serves as a darker version of both Raven and Doctor Fate, combining the maximum potential of both characters to form one dark agent of chaos. Using her magical powers, she forces Beast Boy to spread his plague, turning people around the country into animal-human hybrids during the consequentialTitans: Beast Worldevent helmed by Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis, and Lucas Meyer.
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4King Shazam
First Appearance:Batman / Superman#1 by Joshua Williamson, David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, and John J. Hill
After corrupting the mind of Hawkman to his cause, Batman Who Laughs targets none other than the Chamion of Shazam, causingthe Big Red Cheeseto turn into a supervillain. This transformation is the most interesting of all the Jokerizations, asthe villain maintained the adolescent immaturity of Batson, something he channeled into villainy before promptly attacking the gods who power him.
Although Black Adam may be the first character who comes to mind as a dark version of Shazam, the psychologically-destabilizing effects of the Joker toxin made King Shazam even more dangerous. With all the might of the gods coupled with the unrestrained chaos of the Joker, the villain managed to turn his sister Mary into the same monster he’d become.
3Parallax Hal Jordan
First Appearance:Green Lantern#50 by Ron Marz, Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal, Steve Mattsson, and Albert De Guzman
Throughout the Silver and Bronze Ages of DC, Green Lantern Hal Jordan served as the premier space-based superhero, protecting the worlds of Sector-2814. That started to change during the early 1990s, when the destruction of Coast City caused Hal to turn to villainy when the Guardians denied him the ability to resurrect his home. In response, he murdered several of his fellow Corps members and then turned his attention on the Guardians.
AlthoughParallax was later retconned into a parasitic villain manipulating Hal’s state of mind, that wasn’t always the case. Throughout the 1990s, Hal was very much a full-blown villain in his own right, one who soaked up so much of the Guardians' power that he became almost a god. While this version of the character did seek redemption, Hal didn’t return to his Green Lantern roots untilGreen Lantern: Rebirthby Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.
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2Overman
First Appearance:52#52 by Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Eddy Barrows, Mike McKone, Chris Batista, Keith Giffen, Pat Olliffe, Justiniano, Darick Robertson, Andy Lanning, Walden Wong, Rodney Ramos, Drew Geraci, Alex Sinclair, Hi-Fi, David Baron, and Ken Lopez
On Earth-X, Nazi Germany prevailed during the Second World War, leading to a complete fascist takeover — including of the metahuman population. Aside from Uncle Sam and his team of Freedom Fighters, the world is ruled over without resistance thanks to the power of characters likeOverman, a Nazi version of Superman.
1The Batman Who Laughs
First Appearance:Dark Days: The Casting#1 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jim Lee, John Romita Jr., Andy Kubert, Scott Williams, Danny Miki, Klaus Janson, Alex Sinclair, Jeremiah Skipper, and Steve Wands
The Batman Who Laughs made his debut during Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’sDark Nights Metalevent, which followed the demon Barbatos' war on reality itself. After the defeat of the Bat-demon, Batman Who Laughs fled into the world, where he was captured by the Legion of Doom, escaped, and attempted to Jokerize Gotham City. Following this,he wages war again on the universe, throwing it into chaos.
Batman Who Laughs briefly became the most powerful being in the DCU when he transferred his consciousness into a Doctor Manhattan body, effectively becoming a god. Resembling a mash-up ofHellraiser’sCenobites and2000 AD’sJudge Death, the villain came terrifyingly close to unmaking reality itself and will likely continue to serve as a majorJustice Leaguevillain for years to come.
