DC Comics has almost 90 years of memorable stories and, as well as having some of the most famous heroes in pop culture, the publisher has also managed to build villains as iconic as the team of good guys! Some fans will remember the Joker, Catwoman, Lex Luthor, Riddler... But did you know that some of DC's most powerful villains are Cosmic-level threats?
Only DC's strongest villains have managed to leave a significant mark on this universe and have become symbols of danger and terror due to their unique abilities. Today we're going to introduce you to each of DC's 10 most powerful villains, including their origin stories and the powers that make them so threatening. Are you ready for the list?
Ares
Kicking off our ranking is Ares, a deity known worldwide for being The God of War! In DC comics, he has become the very embodiment of battles, whether it's through demonstrating warlike strength or even going head-to-head with our heroes.
We see Ares emerge as an antagonist in the Wonder Woman comics, but over time he has become one of DC's most powerful villains and a problem for other heroes too. The villain has the incredible ability to bring the dead back to life and control people, as well as having the invulnerability and immortality of a god. This set of abilities makes Ares one of DC's most powerful and dangerous threats.
Apocalypse
Apocalypse is a villain from the Superman comics and stands out for being very strong, having great regenerative powers and a brutality that borders on bestiality. At the time this villain appeared, being able to eliminate a hero was rare and became a major event, which is why he stood out so much.
With the death of the Man of Steel, one of the central heroes of this universe, Apocalypse took his place among DC's most powerful villains and became an iconic antagonist in the industry, remembered to this day by many fans. In addition to being a headache not only for Superman, but also for several other DC Comics heroes.
Brainiac
Another of DC's most powerful villains who originated in the Superman comics. Brianiac is a cosmic-level threat who stands out not only for his powers, but also for his intelligence, which makes him even more threatening. He has been presented as both an alien and a cyborg, but his evolution and ability to transport his consciousness to another body is what stands out, as it makes him immortal.
Constantly growing in power, this villain was once thought to be primarily responsible for the destruction of Krypton, Superman's home planet. However, both his origin and his deeds have changed from time to time, with the publisher bringing some reformulations to his story in the DC universe.
Eclipso
This villain stands out for one thing: he is the physical manifestation of the Wrath of God. Passages from the Bible describing how cruel the Creator could be when he was angry were one of the main inspirations for the creation of Eclipso, the villain who wants to cleanse the Earth of all evil.
Before becoming one of DC's most powerful villains, Eclipso was just a human named Dr. Bruce Gordon, who ended up coming into contact with a jewel containing the essence of a powerful entity. He ends up being corrupted by it and receives powers that make him able to manipulate reality. Every time he appears in the stories, he wreaks havoc and makes the heroes' work more difficult.
Trigon
Trigon is one of the main demonic entities in DC Comics and is known for being an interdimensional demon who brings everything bad into the world. You should be able to remember him through his daughter, the heroine Ravena, who is part of the Titans.
At just 6 years old, Trigon destroyed an entire planet and, by the age of 13, he was already the supreme ruler of millions of worlds and dimensions, making him one of DC's most powerful villains. However, as if all his power wasn't enough, the antagonist still has a huge army of demons who follow his every command.
Parallax
Parallax is another of the cosmic-level threats featured in the Green Lantern comics. The villain is the weak point of these intergalactic heroes and is considered by many to be the counterpoint to the entire Green Lantern Corps. What's more, he's immortal!
He is pure fear and can therefore control any creature that also feels fear, including Earth's Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman. Exceeding expectations even further, Parallax can also manipulate matter and energy, making him one of DC's most powerful villains and a great agent of chaos.
Superboy Prime
Of course, one of the main heroes would also become one of DC's most powerful villains! Nowadays it's common to see Superman being the villain, but when it happened in the comics with Superboy Prime, it was memorable. Superboy Prime is a kind of alternative version of Clark Kent, the opposite of the Clark we know, full of morals and honor. This villain doesn't use his powers to help others, but rather for his own benefit.
Although he is a villain from the alternative reality called Prime Universe, he deserves a place on our list because he is an antagonist with the same powers as the Man of Steel, but with one difference: he was never affected by the side effects of kryptonite! As in his reality the planet Krypton ended up being swallowed by the sun, he didn't suffer from the effects of the explosion and consequently didn't have his powers limited by kryptonite.
Darkseid
Darkseid is one of DC Comics' most popular cosmic-level villains and is literally a threat to all of existence. He can control Omega Rays, which are capable of chasing down and disintegrating any target, but that's just one of the many powers this villain possesses. He is also invulnerable and immortal, making the task of confronting him even more difficult.
He is obsessed with the Anti-Life Equation, trying to perfect his studies in this knowledge that can put an end to everything in the universe. His goal is precisely to use this equation to take control of life and become the Lord of Everything! A great villainous goal, which puts him in our ranking of DC's most powerful villains.
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is one of DC's most powerful villains because he is a multiverse threat who wants to destroy realities, one after the other, just for the pleasure of ending life. He came to prominence in the comics during the saga called Crisis on Infinite Earths, being responsible for destroying several realities in the DC universe. He was created by DC Comics almost as an editorial tool to simplify the chronology of the magazines.
Nekron
Nekron is death. He is the cosmic entity that personifies the end of life and feeds on the souls of the departed, strengthening himself through this practice. This means that his power is constantly expanding, since deaths never stop happening. What makes Nekron one of DC's most powerful villains is precisely this accumulation of power, but what makes him a curious creature is that he is trapped in the Realm of Unliving Things and his main goal is to get out of there.
During the comic book saga called Densest Night, Nekron almost manages to escape to the realm of the living with his army, called the Black Lantern Corps. Imagine the extent of the destruction and chaos this villain will cause once he manages to free himself from the world that imprisons him.
Conclusion
Some of DC Comics' most powerful villains have been mentioned in our list and are already well known to the general comic-book public, while others have been forgotten over the years by the publisher itself, but their abilities make us put them on our list. But what about you, do you agree with our ranking or were there any characters missing that you would have liked to have seen here? Let us know in the comments!
And if you like content about heroes and villains, be sure to also check out our other articles such as the 13 of DC's strongest characters ranked and the 10 strongest Marvel characters ranked.
