With more than just Lex Luthor’s lets take a look at Superman’s best foes
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While some may say that Spider-Man and the Flash have better rogue’s gallery, Superman has one of the best. Second only to the Dark Knight, the Man of Steel’s rogues are truly incredible threats for him to take on. And we’re talking Lex Luthor. While Lex is always present, Superman has plenty of other villains that he faces as well. With many options at our disposal, and the excitement for the new film as well, it felt like the perfect time to rank the various villains in Superman’s lore.
With new abilities always being added to the Man of Steel, every villain has their specific strengths and weakness to them to battle Superman. While a few are going to be some heavy hitters, some are going to be a bit more personal to the guy. With countless iconic and underrated stories alike, not every major rogue is going to be here. Without any further ado, let’s jump in.
10) Toyman
Kicking off the list we have Winslow Schott Sr., the Toyman. A sadistic genius with a penchant for making toys, Toyman disguises most of his weapons as well, toys. While it’ll look like he has a squirt gun, you better be careful because it’s much more likely to be a real gun that merely looks like a toy. He’s never been the most dangerous enemy Superman’s had but he’s got the look and technology to be a memorable one.
Later in life, Winslow Jr. took up a similar identity of Toymaster and keep his father’s legacy afloat. It wouldn’t last nearly as long but still, always a memorable look to be had. He wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice for a villain but never underestimate the guy, he’ll get you when you least expect it.
9) Silver Banshee
While not currently a Superman rogue per say, Silver Banshee has long been a foe of the Man of Steel. Siobhan Smythe has the abilities of a banshee such as sonic screams and all sorts of sound manipulation. Also possessing flight, and strength, she has the ability to kill anyone with a stare as long as she knows their name. She’s a strong force to be reckoned with especially given Kal’s super hearing.
Most of the time she’s a villain but currently dating Jimmy Olsen has seemingly tamed her rage. She’s still showing some outbursts here and there, so it’s likely she can turn back into a villain at anytime. Although if you ask us, the romance with Jimmy is super interesting and I like having her around more frequently. Truly a weird match of characters but I’m all for it.
Lobo
The last Czarnian definitely makes the list of best Superman foes. With the best healing factor in all of comics and a bloodlust purely for fun, Lobo takes this spot. Being able to go toe to toe with the Superman is an achievement in and of itself, but the Main Man sees it as a game. Usually coming across him as a bounty hunter, Lobo has no real quarrel with Superman. It just happens to be the way it goes. Lobo even recognizes it as insane as he is himself. As long as there’s money, women, and space dolphins, Lobo will take on the Man of Steel for fun. Plus he’s always a welcome sight by any fan as well.
7) Doomsday
Finally a villain with a pure hatred that wants to kill the Man of Steel (again) is Doomsday. A science experiment from Krypton designed to get stronger with each and every death, Doomsday is what finally killed Superman in the iconic story The Death of Superman. Of course Doomsday has come back multiple times and has done some great feats of strength, he’s mainly some strong muscle to help fight Superman or the Justice League.
As of late being brought back as Time Trapper in Joshua Williamson’s run, Doomsday has finally gotten a bit of solid character development. Now being able speak in full sentences in a newer form, Doomsday has finally gotten a bit more interesting. I hope he keeps his Time Trapper identity because he has needed something new and cool to do for a long time.
6) Parasite
After eating a radioactive donut, Rudy Jones transformed into Parasite. Now feeding off of people’s energy, to Jones, Superman is the most delicious being out there. The more he feeds the stronger he gets. Even in some instances being able to absorb Superman’s powers briefly. Match that with one of the coolest costumes designs of any rogue and you got the ever creepy Parasite.
Always being a bit conflicted as a person, Rudy does make for one of the most unique foes for Superman to fight. Opting to use more of his intelligence to take him down, every fight between the two feels very unique. He’s not necessarily a bad guy at heart, his hunger just gets the better of him and controls his mind.
5) Bizarro
Now at your letter”e” spot, we don’t have Bizarro. Okay that was a terrible joke( “e” is the last letter of the word “five,” get it?) but the backwards speaking reflection of Superman is our next choice. Also due to his intelligence not being stable hardly ever, and powers that are slightly askew, Bizarro takes out next spot. He’s your classic Superman brawler and even has his own twisted mythos that’s so iconic Seinfeld made the term “Bizarro-world” a common phrase.
With ice vision and heat breath, Bizarro is easily one of the funnier villains Superman has, whether he likes it or not. Again more a prisoner of his own mind, he’s less a villain for himself but more a jobber for a bigger threat. The only complaint I’d have with him is it’s hard to decipher what he says half the time but other than that he’s a classic.
4) Metallo
With what I believe is our first remorseless villain on our list is Metallo. Powered by a kryptonite heart, our ghost in the machine is one of the strongest threats to the Man of Steel. Unless he pops up in Superman: Unlimited, he’s a tough villain for Superman to defeat. Also decked with the half melted skin look ads so much to his design, very akin to the Terminator. The James Cameron film, not Deathstroke.
Wanting to have a physical body once again, Metallo stops at nothing to make sure nobody else turns into a cyborg like himself. Even without the kryptonite, he’d still run on spite and hatred for Superman alone. He deserves more stories to his catalog as the main villain rather than being in the grunt role once again. Still wouldn’t trade him for anything.
3) General Zod
So much for being the last Kryptonian when General Zod is around. Whether he’s physically here or in the Phantom Zone, a fearsome general from the same homeplanet as Superman, Zod is a more a better dark reflection of Superman. Having the same power set as well as a militaristic mind set on conquering earth, Zod is a genuine threat to Superman.
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By his request everyone shall kneel before Zod, or die if not. Zod may be the biggest threat to Earth but thankfully we do have Superman to take him out every time and send him back to the Phantom Zone. Also does anyone else miss his grey costume with the goggles and the oversized jacket? Might just be me, but it was his best look.
2) Darkseid
Darkseid Is, our number two spot, the only being fueled by pure hatred in the DC universe. Originally the big bad for the New Gods by Jack Kirby, Darkseid is the be all, end all of the DC universe. Now, returning more to take on Superman countless times gets him this spot. With his powerful omega beams being able to track down any threat, he’s one of the most terrifying forces in the universe.
Darkseid’s hatred has now molded his own world in the form of the Absolute Universe. That’s how bad he is. While he doesn’t appear to be a threat right now, existing outside of the multiverse has its perks but I fear the day he threatens war with the main continuity once again.
1) Brainiac
Was there any doubt it wouldn’t be Brainiac? Being the most intelligent of Superman’s rogues with many different interpretations, it had to be him. While not as unhinged as his Absolute counterpart, Brainiac is cold and constantly calculating his every thought. Wanting to capture the universe’s best cities, one bottle at a time, Brainiac is always on the hunt for knowledge. In some incarnations destroying Krypton, he’s meant to be feared by all.
While nearly every pick on the list before had some compassion to a degree, Brainiac and Darkseid are quite the opposite. The only reason Brainiac gets the top spot is because he’s been a tried and true Superman foe from the beginning and honestly his skull ship is super cool, too.
Who do you think is Superman’s best villain? Let us know down in the comments.
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