DC Comics has given readers some of the greatest rivalries in the history of comics. Superman and Lex Luthor, Batman and the Joker, the Justice League and the Legion of Doom, and many more have gone down in the history of the DC Multiverse, giving readers the kind of amazing battles that they’ve come to expect from the original superhero universe. Over the years, these grudges have become some of the biggest focuses of the most important stories in the history of the publisher. It’s gone so far that many of these villains have become an integral to the heroes they fight; their threat is what truly defines who the heroes are.
These rivalries are the ones you think about when you think about DC Comics. The multiverse’s greatest heroes wouldn’t be as amazing as they are without these villains’ contrast. These ten DC villains define their heroes, revealing who they really are.
Captain Marvel was the first hero to actually outsell Superman and Doctor Sivana has been a part of the character through every name change, from Shazam to the Captain. Sivana is the ultimate mad scientist, creating every weapon he can to defeat the Big Red Cheese and gain more power and prestige in the world. The Captain is the ultimate physical power, but the bad doctor is all about the mind, using his intelligence as a weapon against the world. He’s also greedy, which perfectly contrasts the Captain’s kind and giving nature.
Wally West has become the greatest Flash and inherited most of his villains. During his time as the Scarlet Speedster, Captain Cold became a more important villain than ever, and mirrored Wally in many ways. Both of them are blue collar men in a bigger world than they are, using their grit and gumption to make their way through the day. Wally protects the world, and Cold works with the Rogues in their various criminal enterprises. Each of them have done their best for their family, and they are both men of honor. They are two sides of the same coin.
The Teen Titans are legends and a big reason for that is Deathstroke. Slade Wilson inherited his son Grant’s HIVE contract against the New Teen Titans after the Ravager’s death, and has spent years battling the team. He was a cut above the villains they usually faced off against – a ruthless killer with a plan for everything. Their battles against each other have become the stuff of legend and Deathstroke has become inextricably linked to the team. Even though they’re all grown up, he’s still after them, obsessed with the kids he could never beat.
Aquaman has been around since the Golden Age, but it took time before he found the villain that would help make him into an icon. Black Manta is a pirate and a killer, plundering the seas that Arthur protects. The two of them became locked in battle, a monarch and criminal, the top of society and the bottom. Manta made the whole thing personal by killing Aquaman and Mera’s son, a shocking moment in Bronze Age DC. Since then, the two of them have savagely ripped each other, Manta’s hate matched only by Arthur’s resolve.
Sinestro is Hal Jordan’s most storied villain, their relationship defining each of them. Both of them have been the greatest Green Lantern, but each of them did it in opposite ways. Sinestro was all about order, a seemingly collected person that hid the monster inside of him. Meanwhile, Jordan hides nothing. He can be chaotic and hard to predict, loud and opinionated, but he always wins. Sinestro has become the master of fear, using it as his weapon in all things, while Hal is all about willpower. Without Sinestro, Jordan would never reach the heights he has.
Wonder Woman doesn’t have great villains, and one rather surprising villain defines her: Ares. He’s the God of War, having spent millennia manipulating Man’s World to cause more conflict and feed on the resulting power. He’s battle personified and that places in direct opposition to Diana’s mission. She was sent out of Themyscira on a mission of peace, out to protect the world from the machinations of beings like the God of War. The two have had battle after battle, each of them giving no quarter in a war between peace and war.
Reverse Flash is Barry Allen’s most dangerous foe. Barry lives to do the right thing, doing his best to use all of his abilities to make the world a better place. Reverse Flash, on the other hand, is all about using his powers to fashion the universe into the kind of place that he wants it to be. Allen is all about responsibility, a person who will always use his powers to do the right thing which is completely in opposition to how the Reverse Flash operates. Thawne’s hatred and greed are completely alien to Barry, and shows just how special he is as a hero.
Darkseid and the dark world of Apokolips perfectly define the New Gods and their world New Genesis. Apokolips is a world of fire and slavery, where only the will of the God of Evil matters. He is the beginning and end and all must worship him. This is direct contrast to Highfather and new Genesis. It’s a planet of freedom, one where love and peace would reign if it wasn’t for the war against Apokolips. Darkseid is the ultimate monster, a beast who wants to control everything, whereas Highfather just wants to guide his people to their destinies.
Batman and the Joker are often looked at as twisted versions of the other. Both of them are men of indomitable will who have devoted their lives to their goals. However, the Dark Knight wants to protect the innocent people of Gotham City and the Joker wants to burn it all to the ground so he can cavort among the ashes. The Caped Crusader is all about order, keeping everyone as safe as they can be. The Clown Prince of Crime wants everyone to suffer, wants them to learn the joke at the center of everything. Batman’s accomplishments wouldn’t look the same without the Joker’s attacks.
Lex Luthor is DC’s most unhinged genius and he is everything that Superman isn’t. He’s a genius where Superman is a paragon of physical power, he’s greedy where Supes is selfless, he wants power and love while the Man of Steel just wants to help people, he keeps secrets while Clark Kent reveals them and fights for the common man. Luthor believes that he’s the main show of Metropolis, where as Superman is the main show and never cares. Everything Lex does makes Superman look even better, showing him for the amazing hero he truly is.
What villains do you think define villains? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
