DC Comics has helped set the standard when it comes to creating excellent superheroes. There’s Superman, the quintessential superhero that’s a huge part of the foundation of what makes heroes so popular and becomes beacons of hope. MeanwhilWonder Woman set the standards and paved the way for other female heroes to shine.
However, some heroes have fallen from grace, only to never return to the side of good. Whether it’s the main hero or a version of them from another world or timeline, watching a hero turn into the very thing they hate sends shivers down the viewer's spine.
10 Mary Marvel
Mary spent most of her time as a hero, but she was a villain for a short time. She lost her powers after Shazam’s death, and was desperate to get them back. But after Black Adam gives her his powers, she turns into a villain. The power corrupts her, and she is easily manipulated by other villains like Darkseid and Eclipso. She was even possessed by Desaad and fought for Darkseid during the Final Crisis storyline.
Overall, Mary wasn’t the most evil villain, but she made this arc of her story very memorable. Thankfully, she got past this dark period, and has gone back to being a hero and being part of the Shazam family.
9 Hal Jordan, AKA Green Lantern
Hal Jordan spent many years as the charming, cocky hero full of bravado. It was only a matter of time that something would happen to him to change that. After using all of his ring’s powers, the Guardians plan to reprimand him for using the ring for personal gain.
Hal becomes unstable, then goes to Oa, where he kills most of the Green Lantern Corps. With the power of the rings, Hal turns into Parallax. Thankfully, he’s come back to the side of good since then, and has been a hero since his comeback in the early 2000s.
8 Terra
Terra seemed like she would be a great part of the Teen Titans, but that came to a screeching halt rather quickly. It turned out she was a double agent for Deathstroke, sent to gather information on the Teen Titans. Overall, she was a narcissistic character, who turned out to be pretty twisted and evil.
Luckily, Terra's doppleganger in the comics did restore the character’s reputation a little. Her appearance in the Teen Titans animated show made her a tragic and sympathetic hero, quite different than the perception before.
7 Jason Todd, AKA Red Hood
Jason Todd was a rebellious kid that was trained to be the next Robin after Dick Grayson’s departure. However, Batman realized that Jason was not afraid to kill anyone he thought deserves it. Though he tried his best to reform him, the Joker would unfortunately end up capturing and brutally killing Jason. However, he did not stay dead for long, and came back as Red Hood.
Red Hood is more of an anti-hero, working only for himself and his goals. However, he will fight other heroes if they stand in the way of his goals. Jason has a begrudging respect for his old mentor, but their relationship is strained at best. Even though Batman doesn’t approve of Jason’s brutal methods of handling criminals, he still cares for him.
6 Superboy-Prime
A Superman from an alternate Earth, Superboy-Prime seemed to be on the path to becoming a great hero, much like Superman. However, he became unhinged with the destruction of his world and was manipulated by Alexander Luthor.
Superboy-Prime killed the main Superboy, beginning his downward spiral to villainy. He believed what he was doing was right simply because of his Superman title, and felt no remorse for anyone who stood in his way.
5 Sinestro
Sinestro has been a villain for such a long time that some fans might’ve forgotten that he was one of the strongest Green Lanterns. He was the one who trained Hal Jordan and taught him how to use his Green Lantern powers.
Sinestro’s downfall began when he abused the ring’s power, and became a dictator in an attempt to keep the world safe. This led to his exile on Qward with a race known as the Weaponers, who hated Green Lanterns. Instead of making him see the errors of his ways, Sinestro allied with the Weaponers. Since then, he’s created the Sinestro/Yellow Lantern Corps, and remains one of the Green Lantern Corps’ fiercest enemies.
4 Aquaman
In the Flashpoint story, Aquaman was a villain rather than a hero. Instead of being raised in the human world, Aquaman was raised with the Atlanteans and didn’t learn kindness. He married Mera and was the ruler of Atlantis, but began an affair with Wonder Woman after they decided to team up against the humans of the world. After Wonder Woman kills Mera, she and Aquaman go to war.
This results in Aquaman sinking Western Europe, killing over 60 million people. Before dying, Aquaman made sure to activate a weapon to destroy the world, so Wonder Woman’s satisfaction of victory wouldn’t last long. This version of him was ruthless, and didn’t care about saving or protecting humanity.
3 Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is the queen of the Amazons and, in the Flashpoint story, is shown to be cruel, sadistic, and tyrannical. She even beheads Mera when the latter confronts Diana about her affair with Aquaman, Mera's husband. To add insult to injury, Wonder Woman wears Mera’s crown, and thus a war between her and Aquaman begins. She and the Amazons kill millions of people in the world. In the final battle, she kills Billy Baston after forcing Captain Thunder to turn back into the human children that made him.
This wasn’t the only time Wonder Woman was a villain. She was one of the main villains in the Injustice universe. She encouraged and supported his decisions no matter how tyrannical they sound. Wonder Woman unwittingly corrupted Superman into something that she didn’t expect, but continued to remain by his side.
2 Superman
To see a hero like Superman turn into a villain is a terrifying sight to behold. He had it all at the beginning of the Injustice series: a superhero loved by many, married to Lois Lane and expecting a child. Things took a tragic turn when he is drugged by the Joker. Superman accidentally kills Lois (along with their unborn child) and activates a nuclear weapon that destroys Metropolis. Superman kills the Joker in a fit of rage, and forms the One Earth Regime.
With this regime, Superman kills just about every villain on Earth and rules as a dictator, using fear to control the world. He kills anyone who questions his rule, such as Shazam in Injustice: Gods Among Us. Superman was no longer a benevolent hero, but instead a bitter villain driven by sadness and anger.
1 Batman
It’s a good thing Batman is a hero, because The Batman Who Laughs comic proves he can be the most terrifying villain in all of DC. This alternate version of Batman killed the Joker, but was exposed to a toxin that infected him. The toxin began to turn Batman into a fusion of himself and the Joker. When confronted by Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Timothy Drake/Red Robin, Batman killed them all, and then transformed Damian with Joker Venom.
The Batman Who Laughs possessed Bruce’s intellect and strength, mixed with Joker’s sadistic nature. He slaughtered the Justice League and used black kryptonite to drive Superman and Supergirl insane, causing them to kill their families before dying themselves. The Justice League and the world should be glad that Batman is on the good side, because this version was a nightmarish sight.