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From mad scientists to crooks in spandex, DC Comics practically invented the concept of supervillains. For decades, these villains have remained a constant thorn in the side of the superhero community and have become some of the most popular characters in DC Comics.
10) Clayface
While there have been many versions of Clayface, the original Basil Carlo is the best. Debuting in 1940, Carlo was an actor who went insane after discovering he wouldn’t be involved in the remake of one of his classic movies. Under the disguise of Clayface, the monster he played in the film, he began killing off the movie’s cast and crew until Batman stopped him. Carlo originally had no powers but eventually stole the shapeshifting abilities of other villains who took on the Clayface identity. Now, as a hulking mass of clay, Carlo can shapeshift to look like anyone or transform parts of his body into weapons. With his indestructible body and uncanny shapeshifting abilities, Carlo is the strongest and most versatile Clayface Batman has ever fought.
9) Black Adam
First appearing in 1945 as the villain of Captain Marvel (renamed Shazam), Teth-Adam, aka Black Adam, was initially created by Fawcett Comics before DC Comics bought the rights to the character. Hailing from Ancient Egypt, Black Adam was the first champion of the wizard Shazam. Granted with the powers of the Egyptian Gods, Black Adam became mad with power, which motivated the wizard to imprison him for thousands of years. Upon being released in the modern day, Black Adam was initially portrayed as a one-note villain. However, over the years, DC developed Black Adam into a morally complex anti-villain and the ruler of the country Khandaq. Whether he’s fighting on the side of good or evil, Black Adam will do anything to protect his people.
8) Vandal Savage
For thousands of years, Vandal Savage has only desired one thing: world domination. He was introduced in 1943 as an enemy of the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott. Vandal Savage has been alive since the Stone Age. When he came across a meteorite, it bathed him in radiation that made him immortal. Over the next 50,000 years, Vandal Savage assumed countless identities, including Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Blackbeard. Savage is a master strategist who uses his intellect to outsmart his opponents. He was also the founder of one of the first supervillain teams, the Injustice Society, which was a foil to the Justice Society. No matter how much time passes, Vandal Savage will always be a significant threat in DC Comics.
7) Scarecrow
Batman may terrify criminals, but Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow, is the true master of fear. Debuting in 1941, Crane was a renowned professor until he was fired for conducting torturous human experimentation on his students by exposing them to hallucinogenic gas. Obsessed with understanding the nature of fear, Crane donned the Scarecrow identity and continued perfecting his trademark weapon: fear toxin. Primarily delivered as a gas, Scarecrow sprays his victims with the fear toxin, which causes them to hallucinate their worst fears. This weapon alone makes him one of Batman’s most psychologically challenging foes. A psychopathic and murderous mad scientist, Scarecrow won’t rest until he turns Gotham into a waking nightmare.
6) Ares
Where Wonder Woman is the ultimate advocate for peace and truth, Ares is the supreme disperser of war and deception. DC Comics’ version of the Greek God of War made his first appearance in 1942, when World War II was still raging. With his godly physiology, mystical prowess, and hordes of monsters at his command, Ares is one of Wonder Woman’s deadliest adversaries. Whether by slaughtering soldiers on the front lines or by corrupting the minds of world leaders, Ares will never stop until humanity is wiped off the face of the Earth. The more death and destruction Ares conjures, the stronger he becomes. And as long as humanity has the capacity for hatred, Ares will always be there to embolden their worst desires.
