10 Wild Facts About DC Characters Everyone Should Know

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Here are 10 facts everyone should know about their favorite DC heroes and villains.

1) Superman has a Zoo

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Superman’s Fortress of Solitude features many interesting elements, including robots and the shrunken Kryptonian city of Kandor. But out of everything the Fortress has, an alien zoo is easily one of the strangest. Superman established a wildlife preserve in his Fortress of Solitude to serve as a sanctuary for endangered animals from across the galaxy. He rescued many of these creatures from an insane alien collector who kidnaps endangered species. Superman also uses the zoo to care for mutated animals that were altered during an invasion from Bizarro Earth. Whether humans or alien monstrosities, Superman sees all life as being precious and worthy of protection.

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Even J’onn J’onzz, aka the Martian Manhunter, can fall victim to addiction. J’onn was in love with “Chocos” ever since his first bite, and it’s been a long-running gag in DC Comics ever since. However, in 2000, the extent of J’onn’s love for the Oreo-style cookies was shown to be more serious than once thought. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle pulled a prank on J’onn by stealing every Choco in a one-mile radius, depriving the Martian of his beloved snack. The lack of Chocos caused J’onn to turn into a Hulk-like monster and go on a destructive rampage. Batman discovered that Chocos have a drug-like effect on J’onn’s Martian physiology. J’onn then used his shape-shifting powers to expel the addictive chemicals from his system, and he was as good as new.

3) The Flash had a Secret Twin Brother

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The second Flash, Barry Allen, discovered that he had a long-lost twin brother: Malcom Thawne. Unfortunately, Malcom is an evil twin. When their mother, Nora Allen, gave birth to the twins, a drunk doctor failed to save the baby of another woman named Charlene Thawne. To cover his tracks, the doctor switched the dead child with Malcom and told Nora that the twin was stillborn. The abusive con-artist Thawne family raised Malcom. He eventually discovered his true family and learned that his twin brother Barry was the Flash. Overcome with jealousy at his twin’s success, Malcom used a mystical gem to give himself super speed and the power to create energy weapons. Taking on the name Cobalt Blue, Malcom became a recurring enemy of the Flash Family.

4) Santa Gives Darkseid Coal Every Year

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Not even the ruler of Apokolips and the God of Evil is safe from the judgment of Santa Claus. Darkseid is one of the most destructive and powerful villains in the DC Multiverse. Still, despite his best efforts, he has never been able to thwart Father Christmas. Every year on Christmas Eve, Darkseid unleashes the full force of Apokolips’s military might to annihilate Santa. However, Santa is always able to slip past Apokolips’s defenses and deliver a lump of coal to Darkseid personally. Santa then leaves as quickly as he arrived and promises to return next year. Since Darkseid is the physical embodiment of all evil in the DC Multiverse, he will always be on the Naughty List.

5) Supergirl was a Red Lantern

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During the New 52, Supergirl’s grief over the loss of Krypton and her loneliness made her a prime candidate for the rage-fueled Red Lantern Corps. When the alien bounty hunter Lobo taunted her into entering a blind rage, a Red Lantern ring attached itself to her. The ring amplified Supergirl’s rage and made her go on a rampage. Even worse, the Red Lantern ring replaced her heart, and its removal would result in her death. After Supergirl left earth and her body was possessed by the malevolent Kryptonian entity known as Worldkiller-1, Supergirl removed her ring to try to kill herself and Worldkiller-1. However, she managed to survive by being bathed in the energy of a yellow star. Supergirl is now free from the Red Lantern Corps’ corrupting influence.

6) Commissioner Gordon was Once Batman

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Commissioner Jim Gordon is one of Batman’s closest friends. When Batman was thought to be dead after fighting the Joker, the mega-corporation Powers International wanted to create a Batman-inspired task force to protect Gotham City. Jim was elected to be the task force’s leader. After rigorous training and having cybernetics surgically implanted, he was given a giant mecha suit. The armor, nicknamed “Rookie,” had enhanced strength, durability, batarang-launchers, laser guns, energy blades, and razor-sharp claws. Jim used the armor to protect Gotham as the new Batman until the original Caped Crusader returned. Jim has since returned to his job as the GCPD’s commissioner.

7) Wonder Woman Has Had Many Jobs

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Although Wonder Woman is a princess and a demigod, she has a long history of taking a variety of odd jobs. Under the secret identity of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman has worked as a war nurse, a private eye, a boutique owner, an author, and a circus performer. One of the more sexist jobs she took was when she became the secretary for the Justice Society of America. She even worked at a fast-food joint called Taco Whiz. She took this job when Themyscira disappeared, and she didn’t have the qualifications for any higher-paying jobs. Today, Wonder Woman’s primary job outside of being a princess is acting as the official ambassador for Themyscira and the Amazons.

8) Lex Luthor Got Rich by Killing his Parents

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With a character as rich and evil as Lex Luthor, it should come as no surprise that he obtained his vast wealth through villainous methods. Although Luthor’s exact origin has had different variations, in the New Earth timeline, Luthor grew up in the slums and was raised by abusive parents. Luthor’s parents died in a car accident after he sabotaged their car’s brakes. He then used the life insurance money to escape the ghetto and lay the foundations for LexCorp. With his genius intellect and cutthroat business practices, Luthor quickly turned LexCorp into one of the most powerful companies in the world. Ever since then, Luthor has used his wealth to try to destroy Superman out of deep-seated jealousy.

9) Aquaman Lost his Hand to Piranhas

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During the 1990s, Aquaman was retooled to be less of a joke character and more of a tough and brooding superhero. One of the most iconic parts of the hero’s update was replacing his hand with a giant hook/harpoon. However, the method by which Aquaman lost his hand in the first place was bizarre. Aquaman was fighting the supervillain Charybdis, who also has the power to control sea life. Charybdis used this power to command a swarm of piranhas to devour Aquaman’s hand. Although the loss of Aquaman’s hand has since been retconned, for the time, it was one of the character’s most recognizable and awesome features.

10) Batman Used to Kill People

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Today, Batman is well-known for his no-killing rule. However, at the start of the Golden Age of comics, the Dark Knight had no qualms about using deadly force against criminals. Initially, Batman was a gun-toting vigilante who had no problems shooting people, throwing them in vats of acid, and snapping their necks. He even tied a noose around a thug and hanged him from the Bat Plane. DC Comics established Batman’s no-killing rule in December 1940’s Batman #4. Part of the reason for this new rule was the introduction of Robin, and DC’s desire to market the Caped Crusader to a younger demographic.