Favorite Superman Villains

[Preus]

In order:
1. Mongul
2. Metallo
3. Bizarro
4. General Zod
5. Lex Luthor
6. Aldar (From Smallville)
7. Non
8. Cyborg Superman
9. Parasite

Well, that's about it for me.

[LordEd1976]

Sticking to just the comics.

(in no particular order)

Lex Luthor (Silver Age)
Brainiac
Maxima
Mr. Mxyzptlk
Lex Luthor (Modern Age)
Mongul
Bizarro

[Preus]

Mr. Mxyzptlk is annoying to me, I don't like him much.

[Jack Zodiac]

Number one villain, by far, Lex Luthor. The mere mortal who challenges a godlike alien out of fear for what he could become while simultaneously becoming what he fears. Good analogue.

Brainiac. Another alien with superior intellect instead of strength interested in Superman because of his rarity. Also, bottling Kandor and holding it hostage was cold-blooded.

Movie General Zod, now possibly the current Zod, who is in every way Superman's equel, minus the morality. Every hero has their "shadow," but none of Superman's other villains represent this possibility more than Zod.

Darkseid, the cruel, twisted, controlling god. Bizarro, the backward clone. And Mr. Mxyzptlk, the impish reality-warping genie from another dimension.

[Preus]

Yeah, General Zod's pretty good, I just wish that DC comics would've used him a lot more before now. Now, Zod has a better chance of becoming one of Superman's main villains.

[shanejayell]

Darkseid, then possibly Luthor. Darkseid is a unbeatable foe whom Superman can only fight because Darkseid LETS HIM out of some twisted sense of fair play.

[Preus]

So, you're saying that Darkseid is far stronger than Superman? I doubt that Superman is far behind Darkseid in power.

[Jack Zodiac]

Back in the day, when Superman really could juggle planets, Darkseid was still way out of his league. Recently he's been used more like a measuring stick, so that every time he shows up it's to get kicked around by people who would never be able to do a thing to him back in the day, making them look good- like when Batman went head to head with him, mentally and physically.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Luthor

General Zod

Bizarro

Mxyzptlk

Darksied

Brainiac (the creepy Aquaman-lobotomizing Dr.Mengela version)

Parasite

[Preus]

Luthor's always been a good villain because he's just an ordinary villain who's challenging a superpowered alien that's trying to do good. That's what makes him interesting & is also what keeps him fresh (to an extent).

[karasu]

Darkseid - to be specific, Superman #3, Adventures of Superman #426, Action Comics #586

The Pocket Universe Kryptonians - The Supergirl Saga. I love that they actually pushed Supes to do something that he abhors. They were stronger, faster, and in a roundabout way, effective.

Mongul - For the Man Who Has Everything

The Elite - Action Comics #775, ah that may be my favorite single issue ever.

[Preus]

They shouldn't make Superman hold back so much when he fights.

[brundlefly]

Number one villain, by far, Lex Luthor. The mere mortal who challenges a godlike alien out of fear for what he could become while simultaneously becoming what he fears. Good analogue.

Brainiac. Another alien with superior intellect instead of strength interested in Superman because of his rarity. Also, bottling Kandor and holding it hostage was cold-blooded.

Movie General Zod, now possibly the current Zod, who is in every way Superman's equel, minus the morality. Every hero has their "shadow," but none of Superman's other villains represent this possibility more than Zod.

Darkseid, the cruel, twisted, controlling god.

I have nothing to add to this. Same guys in the exact same order for me. Great descriptions of each's outlook and character traits, too.

[Kara Zor El]

I'm a big fan of the Cyborg in the original Reign story. Lex Luthor of course. And that big Dinosaur with the goofy teeth and the forked tongue in the old Fleischer cartoon.

[Froggy]

Darkseid - to be specific, Superman #3, Adventures of Superman #426, Action Comics #586

The Pocket Universe Kryptonians - The Supergirl Saga. I love that they actually pushed Supes to do something that he abhors. They were stronger, faster, and in a roundabout way, effective.

Mongul - For the Man Who Has Everything

The Elite - Action Comics #775, ah that may be my favorite single issue ever. I second the last two, especially the elite, i was hoping the eliter would be in superman returns

[Preus]

What's been happening with Mongul lately?

[Jack Zodiac]

Well, the first Mongul died, and his son, also named Mongul, showed up to train Superman in hand-to-hand combat. Not a whole lot has been done with him, though, which is a shame. I liked "Warworld."

Maybe someone'll bring the first Mongul back with a retcon-punch and we'll get to see Superman in gladiator combat again.

[DubipR]

I'm pretty much in agreement with Jack Zodiac's list, but I'd love to see the return of Maxima. Its a new DCU and she can be brought back from the retcon punch by SBP. Besides, Superman needs a good female foe.

[Preus]

Well, the first Mongul died, and his son, also named Mongul, showed up to train Superman in hand-to-hand combat. Not a whole lot has been done with him, though, which is a shame. I liked "Warworld."

Maybe someone'll bring the first Mongul back with a retcon-punch and we'll get to see Superman in gladiator combat again.

Mongul is possibly my all time favorite Superman villain. It's a shame that they haven't been using him a lot lately.

[Jack Zodiac]

I'm pretty much in agreement with Jack Zodiac's list, but I'd love to see the return of Maxima. Its a new DCU and she can be brought back from the retcon punch by SBP. Besides, Superman needs a good female foe.

I liked the Star Sapphire quality to her, being a strong female who wanted to beat a man into submission and make him hers. If they brough her back, I wouldn't be opposed one bit. He doesn't have enough female villains as it is, let alone powerful ones.

[Preus]

Maybe they could give him a few girls from the Phantom Zone that are better experienced fighters than him & are also stronger.

[Bloody Thumb]

For me Lex will always be the best.

I'm also a big fan of Bizarro.

The Kid in me will always like Mr. Mxyzptlk as well.

[marshal99]

Mongul is possibly my all time favorite Superman villain. It's a shame that they haven't been using him a lot lately.

Mongul is no longer much of a threat to superman nowadays. He gets punked pretty much everytime he appears in the superman titles.

[alovelyfeeling]

Darkseid: I love him, He has that coolness and bad assness that villains should have but still so cruel that you hate him!

Lex Luther: He is sure a great Character but he is not really that big of a threat to Superman all the time... but i still love him and his evil plans!:evilsmile

[Hush Little Batman]

Lex Luthor

Zod (movie version)

Brainiac (DCAU version)

Darkseid

Doomsday

Parasite

[Frankie Dennis]

Mr. Mxyzptlk
Brainiac
Bizarro
Parasite
Metallo
Darkseid
Luthor

[Preus]

Mongul is no longer much of a threat to superman nowadays. He gets punked pretty much everytime he appears in the superman titles.


That's a huge waste of a great character.

[LordEd1976]

I'm pretty much in agreement with Jack Zodiac's list, but I'd love to see the return of Maxima. Its a new DCU and she can be brought back from the retcon punch by SBP. Besides, Superman needs a good female foe.

You don't even needs the Retcon Punch. Her death was implied than anything else. All we know is she was SUPPOSED to have been on the bridge of her ship when it got swallowed by that giant Brainiac head. There's anough room to say she bailed out when no one was looking.

Mongul is no longer much of a threat to superman nowadays. He gets punked pretty much everytime he appears in the superman titles.

Not to mention the fact that daddy mongul got beaten like a ballet dancer on Smackdown by Neron as an example of bad-ass Neron was.

[marshal99]

Mongul needs a clean break and the story in Green lantern where he kills his own sister is a good start .
For all intent and purposes , there is only one Mongul , no more Jr , no Mongal. Dc should never have kill of Mongul in the first place but they did , then they replace him with Jr and sis which was downright bad. How they grew up looking exactly like Mongul though is a mystery since their "mother" is of a different race altogether.

[niall mc cann]

Don't know if this is the right thread, really, but since it's about Superman villains and i'm looking to identify one...

Anyway, did anyone here read Alan Moore's Supreme? In the issues where The Shadow Supreme and the other villains escape from the mirror universe, there's a villain called Vor-Em, some kind of alien conqueror with a lion's head.

Does anyone have any idea what Supes villain he was supposed to be an analogue of? Was there one?

[666MasterOfPuppets]

like when Batman went head to head with him, mentally and physically.

I don't remember seeing this. Unless we're talking about the dreadful S/B arc in which Loeb brings back Supergirl...

Oh no...

My list? Here it goes, in no particular order:

Darkseid.
Alexander "Lex" Luthor.
Manchester Black.
Mr. Mxyzptlk.
The Cyborg Superman.
Brainiac.
Doomsday.
Mongul.
Ruin.

I'd like to see more of Brainiac and Cyborg Superman. The same for Mxyzptlk. The issue in which he helps Superman fighting Ruin is just astounding. Luthor? I can say nothing about him that hasn't been said already.

And I'd like to see Darkseid and Doomsday again, dammit.

And whatever happened to Manchester Black?

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Mongul needs a clean break and the story in Green lantern where he kills his own sister is a good start .
For all intent and purposes , there is only one Mongul , no more Jr , no Mongal. Dc should never have kill of Mongul in the first place but they did , then they replace him with Jr and sis which was downright bad. How they grew up looking exactly like Mongul though is a mystery since their "mother" is of a different race altogether.

WOW. Didn't know Mongul had killed his sister. Did this happen recently?

[Person Man]

Darkseid
Luthor
Animated Braniac
Manchester Black

Henshaw works better as a Green Lantern villain, I think.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Darkseid
Luthor
Animated Braniac
Manchester Black

Henshaw works better as a Green Lantern villain, I think.

Why do you think that?

[marshal99]

And whatever happened to Manchester Black?

Dead , killed himself in the "ending battle" storyline after superman refuses to kill him even after he make superman believe he had killed Lois.

WOW. Didn't know Mongul had killed his sister. Did this happen recently?
A while back in the early green lantern issues. He literally knocked her head off.

[superfriend]

Luthor
Zod
Darkseid
Brainiac

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Dead , killed himself in the "ending battle" storyline after superman refuses to kill him even after he make superman believe he had killed Lois.

Wait a sec... We didn't actually see him killing himself (I know, it was implied).

Bu didn't he appear in the JLE maxiseries, which took place after Ending Battle?


A while back in the early green lantern issues. He literally knocked her head off.

Thanx for the info. Damn. And why did he do it?

[marshal99]

Don't ask me about that JL elite series , it was confusing to me. I don't know whether it was some sort of psychotic episode of Vera black personality that became her brother or something.

Mongul killed his sis because he stated that having family is a sign of weakness and he wanted to be the sole survivor or something like that.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I see...

Thanx for the info.

[karasu]

I'd like to see more of Brainiac and Cyborg Superman. The same for Mxyzptlk. The issue in which he helps Superman fighting Ruin is just astounding.?

Interesting.Which issue is that?

[Rob on the Job]

... Anyway, did anyone here read Alan Moore's Supreme? In the issues where The Shadow Supreme and the other villains escape from the mirror universe, there's a villain called Vor-Em, some kind of alien conqueror with a lion's head.

Does anyone have any idea what Supes villain he was supposed to be an analogue of? Was there one?

Niall:

Supreme was one of the greatest series ever written, and old-time Supes fans like me know that Alan Moore was telling us that his Supreme was probably where our Weisinger Supes should have ended up.

While a lot of Supreme relied on archetypes in Superman, I'm thinking Shadow Supreme and Vor-Em were Moore's creations. I'm probably wrong, however.

[dupersuper]

How they grew up looking exactly like Mongul though is a mystery since their "mother" is of a different race altogether.

Wasn't he cloned? I know the story was in the old mid-90's Showcase title. If there was an alien mommy, I guess whatever species Mongul comes from just has really dominant genes.

[dupersuper]

Wait a sec... We didn't actually see him killing himself (I know, it was implied).

Bu didn't he appear in the JLE maxiseries, which took place after Ending Battle?



That was Vera having issues; Manchster is still dead.

[J. Robb]

Favourites:

Luthor
Darkseid
Brainiac

Villains I think have potential (but are rarely used well in stories):

Mongul
The Phantom Zone criminals
Ultra-Man and the CSA
Amazo
The Wizard (old school 50s villain)
Cyborg Superman (only in his original half-Superman look, that's what made the character)
Doomsday (should be confined to one story a decade, but it should be a HUGE story!)

[dupersuper]

How about his VERY FIRST COSTUMED VILLIAN?? That's right...time for a comeback of...The Archer! duh-duh-DUN

[Damo]

I'm pretty much in agreement with Jack Zodiac's list, but I'd love to see the return of Maxima. Its a new DCU and she can be brought back from the retcon punch by SBP. Besides, Superman needs a good female foe.

What does the need for a good female foe have to do with Maxima? I'm missing something here.

Love Luthor written well. Love Brainiac, especially the computer Brainiac. Love many of the Phantom Zone Villains. Love animated Toyman. Love those three seconds when we had a post ICk Terra Man that was what Superman should fight. Love the Queen of Fables. Love Mxy when written well (because nothing is worse than when he's written badly). Amazed at how much I enjoyed animated Doomsday, the Bizarro clone gone horribly horribly wrong.

[niall mc cann]

Niall:

Supreme was one of the greatest series ever written, and old-time Supes fans like me know that Alan Moore was telling us that his Supreme was probably where our Weisinger Supes should have ended up.

While a lot of Supreme relied on archetypes in Superman, I'm thinking Shadow Supreme and Vor-Em were Moore's creations. I'm probably wrong, however.

Thanks Rob.

I took the Shadow Supreme as being a Bizarro reference, though they weren't very similar in any way... Shads didn't seem the type to want to build a world for himself. He didn't seem the type to build anything. He was genuinely scary.

I reckon a Vor-Em analogue should be introduced in Superman, if there isn't one already.:)

[dupersuper]

Despite her somewhat recent appearance in Action, I'd still consider Queen of Fables a WW/JL villian. I also think of Maxima as basicaly a good guy (though since she was with Massacre when she died, and he can turn to energy for interstellar flight, and she beemed him away from certain death with her ships' teleporter to gain his loyalty/affection in the first place, she certainly could still be around). Still, if Supes needs more top level villainesses, what about Blaze? Silver Banshee? Livewire? Volcana? Hi-Tech? Ursa or other phantom zoners?

[SuperStar]

I don't know if they count, but I really liked Samson and Atlas in All-Star Superman.

Although, I don't know if many other writers could do as good a job with them.

[karasu]

Yeah Samson and Atlas were the best. There's potential for some amazing stories there.

[Preus]

WOW. Didn't know Mongul had killed his sister. Did this happen recently?

Lol, he punched her head off......:p :D

[Jack Zodiac]

Thanx for the info. Damn. And why did he do it?

Mongul Jr. wanted his father's legacy to himself. Only fitting since Junior was only added because Mongul himself had died, and his sister was a pretty superfluous character.

[Jack Zodiac]

What does the need for a good female foe have to do with Maxima? I'm missing something here.

She was, for a very short time, mildly villainous. I liked her character a lot, and I'd love to see her return in some fashion, maybe as more of a villain than a misunderstood female powerhouse searching for a companion. Say, if she returned to Earth, constantly raised a ruckus to get Clark's attention, and then threw herself at him.

[Jack Zodiac]

Despite her somewhat recent appearance in Action, I'd still consider Queen of Fables a WW/JL villian. I also think of Maxima as basicaly a good guy (though since she was with Massacre when she died, and he can turn to energy for interstellar flight, and she beemed him away from certain death with her ships' teleporter to gain his loyalty/affection in the first place, she certainly could still be around). Still, if Supes needs more top level villainesses, what about Blaze? Silver Banshee? Livewire? Volcana? Hi-Tech? Ursa or other phantom zoners?

As far as female villains go, I'd love to see a whole new cast of Female Furies.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Don't know if this is the right thread, really, but since it's about Superman villains and i'm looking to identify one...

Anyway, did anyone here read Alan Moore's Supreme? In the issues where The Shadow Supreme and the other villains escape from the mirror universe, there's a villain called Vor-Em, some kind of alien conqueror with a lion's head.

Does anyone have any idea what Supes villain he was supposed to be an analogue of? Was there one?

Good to find another fan of Alan Moore's Supreme. Great Superman comics, they were...

Vor-Em struck me as a mixture of various Superman "alien conqueror" villains like Mongul, although the name is an allusion to the Phantom Zone villains like Jax-Ur and Kru-El who all had two syllable hyphenated names.

[Damo]

Lol, he punched her head off......:p :D
http://files.blog-city.com/files/aa/37231/p/f/morbo.jpg Heads Don't Work That Way!

Want to know what happens to a head when you hit it really hard? It doesn't go flying off. Try hitting a watermelon with a sledgehammer to see what happens instead.

She was, for a very short time, mildly villainous.

I put the relevant parts in bold.

Despite her somewhat recent appearance in Action, I'd still consider Queen of Fables a WW/JL villian.

They need good female villains a LOT less.

Still, if Supes needs more top level villainesses, what about Blaze?
>_<

Silver Banshee? Livewire?

Defeated with humiliating ease OYL. I mean serious "you're a joke" ease. Alongside Bloodsport for heavens' sakes.

Volcana?

Heat! Yeah, that'll worry a guy that can swim in lava.

Ursa or other phantom zoners?

Maybe, but getting DC to let you use zoners is like pulling teeth.

[Jack Zodiac]

I put the relevant parts in bold.

Your face is relevant!
Your face is bold!

[brundlefly]

Henshaw works better as a Green Lantern villain, I think.

Why do you think that?

Probably the Coast City destruction (that Henshaw orchestrated), which I kind of agree with. It gives more of a compelling reason for a rivalry/feud and hatred between them than between Supes and Henshaw. Although there's no reason that Henshaw can't be a villain for both Supes and GL.

[Damo]

Your face is relevant!
Your face is bold!

Hmmm... yesss.... yes it is. Thank you!

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Probably the Coast City destruction (that Henshaw orchestrated), which I kind of agree with. It gives more of a compelling reason for a rivalry/feud and hatred between them than between Supes and Henshaw. Although there's no reason that Henshaw can't be a villain for both Supes and GL.

Well, that I agree with. Hadn't thought about that little detail. It's interesting to see the Cybrg Superman wreaking havoc in space. Actually, that could be a good reason to make Superan go to deep space and see some good ol' Space Opera.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Mongul Jr. wanted his father's legacy to himself. Only fitting since Junior was only added because Mongul himself had died, and his sister was a pretty superfluous character.

I see. Mongul is just an egotist bastard. ;)

[Preus]

Yeah, but he's a kickass bastard. :D

[Damo]

Mongul Jr. wanted his father's legacy to himself. Only fitting since Junior was only added because Mongul himself had died, and his sister was a pretty superfluous character.

I disagree. I'm having a hard time remembering the details, but I remember that I was actually looking forward to seeing how the Mongul heirs fared, because he was obviously far more in favor of brutally getting revenge for his father, wheras she seemed to want power while being much more pragmatic about it. I think an opportunity was lost by killing her off because "we only need one Mong" without actually considering that they seemed to be very different in how the operated.

[dupersuper]

Plus, who's in charge of Almerac now?

[Preus]

So, what's up with Darkseid now adays?

[Jack Zodiac]

I disagree. I'm having a hard time remembering the details, but I remember that I was actually looking forward to seeing how the Mongul heirs fared, because he was obviously far more in favor of brutally getting revenge for his father, wheras she seemed to want power while being much more pragmatic about it. I think an opportunity was lost by killing her off because "we only need one Mong" without actually considering that they seemed to be very different in how the operated.

I disagree more! Junior acted and operated exactly like his father, save for his role in helping Superman before Our Worlds at War, and the subplot of his sister wanting to take up their father's empire was weak as hell. Even if it were nothing more than setting up for a return to just one Mongul, I think Johns did the right thing having him, uh... take the burdern off her shoulders.

[Jack Zodiac]

Plus, who's in charge of Almerac now?

I think Almerac was destroyed in Our Worlds at War.

[Jack Zodiac]

So, what's up with Darkseid now adays?

Well, after trying and failing to turn Kara against Superman, Darkseid pretty much kept to himself for the last year or so, even sitting out the Crisis. He appeared in Morrison's Mr. Miracle mini-series, but that could have all just been a "what if" scenario.

[dupersuper]

I think Almerac was destroyed in Our Worlds at War.

Almerac was, but Maxima had lead her people off world, and Mungal had assumed her throne after Maxima died

[Trademark]

The all time greatest Superman villain is, without a doubt, the Super-Teacher from Krypton.

http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/309/
http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/310/

[dupersuper]

Heh. I had that book when I was a kid.

[MichaelMogg]

1. Lobo
2. Lobo
3. Lobo
4. Lobo
5. Bizarro

Just kidding. Most people already mentioned the top ones (I particularly like Darkseid), but I get the biggest kick outta Lobo, even though he's not exactly a villain per se.

[Preus]

I've never been a big fan of Lobo. He's alright but he's not really one of my favorites.

[Jack Zodiac]

Huge Lobo fan, but not because of his short-term status as a Superman villain. I love damn near everything Giffen creates.

[MichaelMogg]

I've never been a big fan of Lobo. He's alright but he's not really one of my favorites.

There's just something so cool about Lobo. He was created as a kind of spoof, and I think that's why I like him. I'm not a serious kind of guy and there's so much humour in his appearances. :D

[Jack Zodiac]

Him and Ambush Bug, man. They could be the Cable & Deadpool of DC.

[Preus]

I liked the way he was portrayed in Superman: TAS, his appearance gave me some good laughs.

[MichaelMogg]

I liked the way he was portrayed in Superman: TAS, his appearance gave me some good laughs.

Yeah, that was great. Especially since it had to be toned down for younger viewers, so it was a nice balance between the two guys.

Best Lobo Supes: TAS moments:
1) The two times breaking through Lex Corp.
2) As Lobo begs to be let free, his face is against the glass, and Supes punches the glass right where his face is . . . Lobo screams like a girl! LMAO Love that part.
3) Lobo skins the snake/worm creature . . . turns to Supes, "Belt?" :D

[Blight]

1. The Cyborg Superman
2. The Cyborg
3. Hank Henshaw
4. The Man of Tommorrow
5. Lex Luthor
6. Darkseid (Animated Only)
7. Eradicator
8. Brainiac
9. Doomsday
10. Toyman

Yeah um I live and breath Cyborg Superman. :D

[Preus]

I don't know why but I feel that we didn't get as much out of the animated Darkseid as he could've. We could've gotten A LOT better fights.

[marshal99]

Darkseid is only there for the big arcs , you do not want him appearing all the time to get beat down.

[Preus]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Darkseid completely owned Superman in their first encounter by only using his omega beams. I'm pretty sure if we would've gotten more fights between the two Darkseid would've given Superman the beating of a lifetime.

[Jack Zodiac]

We've seen plenty of confrontations between Darkseid and Superman over the years, and it's gone from Darkseid being the nigh-unbeatable "god the Devil prays to," to a jobber.

[Preus]

I was talking about them fighting in the animated Superman series.