The supervillains of DC lore are the greatest in pop culture, but over eighty-eight years, things have changed a lot. New villains have risen to the top of the pile, while classic foes have died, sought redemption, or become even more powerful.
In this list, we’re looking at the six most important villains in current DC lore. The antagonists who command the most power, wield the most influence and are appearing across the most comic series.
In an era that’s generally considered a new golden age for DC, the spread of villains on this list is surprisingly varied, with heavy hitters from Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman lore among the major movers and shakers of evil.
Absolute Joker (Jack Grimm)
Usually we wouldn’t include a villain from outside DC’s mainstream reality on a list like this, but in this case an exception must be made. First, because Absolute Joker was the defining focal point of comic fandom in 2026, second because the Absolute Universe is directly linked to DC’s mainstream in a way other Elseworlds aren’t, and third because Absolute Batman is currently DC’s #1 selling book (potentially of all time), and Joker is its big bad.
Created by Darkseid, the Absolute Universe is a reality where the natural order tilts in favor of evil, and traditional villains have been given every advantage. In this world, it’s Joker – not Bruce Wayne – who is one of the richest men on Earth, using his fortune to fund a series of experiments to create post-human monsters.
As fans knew from very early on, Joker has been applying those experiments to himself, taking the form of a towering monstrosity in the comics from Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta.
But even outside his monstrous redesign, Jack’s experiments are responsible for pretty much every other villain in the bestselling series, from his enforcer Bane to fixer Scarecrow, former employee Poison Ivy, and even his adopted son Tim Drake, aka the Absolute Robin.
General Zod (Dru-Zod)
DC has put some weight behind Superman’s Kryptonian nemesis the last few years, giving the villain an extended family and his own series in 2024’s Kneel Before Zod. Now, that decision is about to come to fruition with ‘Kingdom of Zod’ – an event stretching across titles including Superman, Supergirl, Action Comics, Superman Unlimited and more.
Recent comics have seen Zod gain control over El Caldero – a nation nicknamed the Kryptonite Kingdom for its vast supply of the deadly mineral. The event will see Zod unleash a ‘Kryptonite infection’ across the planet, threatening everyone Superman holds dear.
Years of build-up have gone into Zod’s return as a truly global threat, in an event from Joshua Williamson, Sophie Campbell, Mark Waid, Dan Slott, Eddy Barrows, Joe Quinones, Montos and Rachael Stott.
The Matriarch (Lyssa)
Tom King and Daniel Sampere’s acclaimed Wonder Woman Vol. 6 has been inexorably leading to the ‘Wonder War’ event, as Wonder Woman goes up against the Matriarch – a fanatical despot from the far future who has killed off every major DC hero and stolen their gear.
Lyssa is as merciless as she is deadly, essentially acting as an evil Wonder Woman, combining an unbreakable will with the mind of a peerless tactician. She’s killed everyone from Hawkman to Superman, made Bane and Mongul bow down, and even slaughtered Green Lantern‘s godlike Guardians of the Universe.
However, as the daughter of a troubled Amazon warrior who Wonder Woman couldn’t save, and a family friend raised alongside Diana’s daughter Trinity, the ‘Wonder War’ saga isn’t just about whether Wonder Woman can beat her dark reflection, but whether she can possibly save Lyssa from becoming one of history’s greatest monsters.
Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley) and Vandal Savage
Originally just one of Batman’s many villains, Poison Ivy has become one of the breakout stars of current DC comics. Not only is she starring in her own ongoing series from G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara (set to soon hit issue 50), but she’s about to be the heart of the ‘Bad Seeds’ event, taking place in the pages of her own comic, Batman, Detective Comics, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Nightwing and more.
In recent comics, Poison Ivy rode a protest vote to become the mayor of Gotham, working alongside villainous police commissioner (and immortal caveman) Vandal Savage to accrue more and more power. However, as legitimate means fail to affect the change Ivy wants, the two will transform Gotham into a “hostile landscape of prehistoric plant life.”
Honorable Mentions:
- Lobo – More an antihero, Lobo’s appearance in the DCU’s Supergirl has come with a lot of comic appearances, including his own solo series, a recent murder mystery alongside Batman in Detective Comics Annual and terrorizing Supergirl in Supergirl: Survive.
- The Minotaur – The overarching villain of current Batman comics, Minotaur is a money-minded villain who has taken control of Gotham’s underworld, forcing the city’s other gang bosses to bow and scrape or see their loved ones assassinated.
- Lex Luthor – The Justice League recently announced an amnesty for villains who are willing to work with the team and seek redemption. Luthor was the first to apply, and has spent the time since making himself the face of the program for his own nefarious ends. This October, DC begins the intriguing ‘Lex Luthor: Year One’ arc in the pages of Action Comics.
Brainiac (Absolute and Vril Dox)
The recent Superman 2026 Annual: Year One Thousand shocked fans by revealing Brainiac’s new purpose. Brainiac has graduated from collecting planets to collecting potential futures. The villains is neutralizing every future where Superman’s legacy causes the formation of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
With his drones crawling across the multiverse cauterizing all heroic futures, Brainiac has a deal with Darkseid since their interests align, however he seems to be preparing for war with the embodiment of evil further down the line.
Joshua Williamson and Eddy Barrows’ comic ends by revealing that Brainiac is so powerful, he now has Cyborg Superman as his henchman – a villain arguably even more powerful than the Man of Steel himself.
Brainiac is also a major threat over in Absolute canon, where he’s acting as the big bad of Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval’s Absolute Superman – a zombie-like alien manipulating lesser foes including Ra’s al Ghul and Metallo.
Darkseid
At #1, DC’s God of Evil remains the biggest active threat to all of existence. Recent comics have seen Darkseid evolve, as his death allowed him to ascend to a staggering new level of power. In the aftermath, Darkseid created the Absolute Universe to act as a petri dish for a superhuman army of evil, and while DC K.O. set back his plans, he’s still coming for every reality there is.
Even in his absence from DC’s mainstream reality, Darkseid is dangerous, with his Omega energy infecting others with powerful evil and leaving an existential power vacuum that other evil-doers have scrambled to fill. Pretty much every Absolute title is part of the story of Darkseid’s growing power, while books like Justice League Unlimited and Action Comics are dealing with the fallout of his recent actions.
October 28 will bring Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Sanford Greene and Yasmine Putri’s Darkseid vs. the World #1 one-shot, marking the God of Evil’s next salvo against DC’s heroes (and other villains, and everyone else.)
Those are our picks for the six biggest DC villains right now – let us know below what you think of our picks, and who else belongs on this list.
