The arc of a character is not always dependent on their status as either a hero or a villain. There are heroes who align themselves with their former foes, villains who abandon fiendish pursuits, and outliers who decide to do neither and just follow the beat of their own drum.

This being said, there have been many characters in general who started out differently than what they would inevitably become, and others who throw a curveball by altering their previous perspective on life (despite it perhaps being short-lived). In any case, these characters sometimes go under the radar, even though their stories are captivating to learn about, and it is with this that we look at 10 DC characters who are reformed criminals.

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10 Catwoman

Starting this list is someone infamously known for her thieving background who is recognized as a criminal by her name alone. While Selina Kyle has not quite renounced her vocation as an expert thief, she is nevertheless labeled an anti-hero in the DC universe because of her occasional team-ups with her long-time beau Batman.

Selina thus continues to walk the line between vigilantism and her own self-interests, and it is this that puts her at the beginning of this list as someone who is not quite reformed (not that anyone would prefer the alternative).

9 Two-Face

Most continuities maintain that the gun-toting, chance-loving Two-Face is a villain. That is, until Batman: Hush came along. During this issue series, Harvey Dent’s face is reconstructed, and, as a result, he appears to have abandoned his previous identity as a crime boss.

Harvey thus returns to his roots as a lawyer and pursues an investigation into Hush, the mastermind who has set up a giant conspiracy to destroy Batman. Following this, however, Harvey Dent eventually reverts to his violent behavior and criminal activities, reclaiming his alias, revealing, perhaps, that it is more about what is inside than out.

8 Plastic Man

Although his debut is as early as 1941, Plastic Man is a relatively unknown character to modern audiences who are more likely to know who Reed Richards is, before ever learning about Eel O’Brian. Regardless, the character is an all-around favorite, his origin as a gangster being partly the reason why.

O’Brian’s transition into the hero life began the day his criminal one ended, as it was in his attempt to steal from a chemical plant that he was exposed to the toxic waste, which gave him his elasticity. So, while villains tend to be the result of chemical exposure, O’Brian stands out as a noteworthy exception.

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7 Harley Quinn

Harley Quin has the tendency to oscillate between helping heroes and causing havoc, and most consider Harley to be an anti-hero for this very reason. It was in the Injustice series, however, that Harley joined Batman’s resistance against the Superman regime, where she organized her own band of anarchists that worked to protect civilians and defend against tyranny.

Unlike other continuities, this version of Harley saw the character committing herself to the pursuits of heroism without her usual return to chaos. Then again, it might have been predictable for Harley to switch sides, especially when other villains decide to help Batman as well.

6 Roy Harper

Roy's history with crime is somewhat muddled, having stolen from others sporadically during the low points of his life. For example, after the Roy Harper of Young Justice learns that he was a clone of the real Roy, he spirals downwards and secretly steals from the civilians he saves from other robbers.

This would be changed, however, come the transformation of Roy’s origin in the Rebirth series in which he would start out by surviving his lot in life by stealing from unsuspecting wealthy citizens like Oliver Queen. Roy would have a sort of Oliver Twist ending to his story, however, after Oliver Queen confronts the boy and offers to take him on as a ward (which is, really, code for becoming a sidekick).

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5 Clayface

Like the Two-Face entry, Clayface is collectively understood as a villain due to his place as a foundational member of Batman’s rouge’s gallery. Recent alterations to the Basil Karlo arc have revoked this status, however, after being accepted into the Bat-Family. This continuity has Basil growing weary of his criminal ventures, whereupon he decides to, instead, preoccupy himself with watching the films he was prior to his transformation.

Batman, nevertheless, convinces Clayface to spend his time in the worthwhile pursuit of protecting Gotham. Clayface’s arc is certainly a change in the traditional pattern that Batman maintains with his enemies, and it is this change that perhaps hints at the potential for a less chaotic Gotham than one people refer to the most.

4 Artemis Crock

Most Young Justice fans are aware that Artemis was brought up surrounded by current and former assassins like her mother Tigress, her father (Sportsmaster), and her Cheshire. Pre-New 52, however, Artemis was a full-fledged villain that simply went by “Artemis,” until becoming the new Tigress.

Artemis was a member of not one, but three super-villain organizations, where she contributed to various villainous schemes, like the plan to release the King of Tears. As of now, of course, Artemis’ origins have been revised to fit the undercover vigilante persona she now inhabits.

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3 Cassandra Sandsmark (Wonder Girl)

For those unfamiliar with Cassandra Sandsmark, a.k.a. Wonder Girl, it may come as a surprise to learn that she was once an art thief. As the daughter to the archaeologist Helena Sandsmark, Cassie was frequently taken to various dig sites, which acted as a cover for her heists.

These thefts would eventually come back to bite her, however, when Cassie discovers the Silent Armor. This parasite alien metal would become a somewhat prison for the heroine, who risks the safety of others should she ever lose control over it; ironically, then, becoming an unforgettable lesson about how crime doesn’t pay.

2 Beast Boy

Before he was adopted, Beast Boy had a tumultuous past where he endured the abuse and control of mercenaries. Having known about Beast Boy’s powers, the mercenaries would force Garfield to assist them in their criminal activities in exchange for their “protection.” Although he would have to survive the manipulations of yet another adult, Beast Boy would eventually escape this tormenting existence and create a life of his own as the hero he was meant to be.

So, while the origins of other heroes may be connected to a criminal history of their own creation, it was for Garfield that crime represented an opposition to the freedom he has as an independent hero.

1 Booster Gold

The likes of characters such as Plastic Man, certainly begs the question of whether or not characters become who they are, based on the experiences that they had. Though for someone like Booster Gold, it is certainly without a doubt that he is Booster Gold because of what he did in the 25th century.

Originally from the future, Booster Gold stole museum artifacts and then traveled back in time so he could create a name for himself as a hero. Even though Booster eventually modifies his initial intentions, it is still true that he originally prioritized profit and fixated on personal gain. In the end, though, it is the curious beginnings of Booster Gold, which could have just as easily turned sour, that leads to the internal revolution that being a hero is about more than just superficial benefits, and it is this that places Booster as number one.

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