DC has long been about legacy, with its heroes passing down heroic mantles and creating rich familial groups that make the DC Universe a very unique superheroic community. However, DC's villains are just as into legacy as the heroes are. Over the years, villains have passed down their mantles to family members and non-members alike, and many villainous offspring have worked with their parents.
While they aren't as prevalent as legacy heroes, there are many legacy villains out there who have made the DC Universe a more dangerous place for the heroes. They've taken old mantles and made them new again, giving their foes new challenges.
10 Ravager Is An Interesting Case Of A Legacy Villain
There has been more than one Ravager in the DC Universe, the most famous being children of Deathstroke. The first Ravager was Grant Wilson, who died fighting the Teen Titans. Interestingly, he actually appeared before his father, Deathstroke, so in a technical real-world sense, Deathstroke is a legacy villain since Ravager appeared first.
The second Wilson who was Ravager is Rose Wilson. She put out her own eye to prove she was worthy of being Ravager to her father, but eventually, she left his service and joined the Teen Titans. In the interim between Grant and Rose, there were other Ravagers, but their popularity doesn't compare to the more well-known Wilsons.
9 Two Tricksters Have Battled The Flash
The first Trickster was James Jesse, an acrobat who used his skills to bedevil the Flash. He'd reform thanks to mental tampering by the heroes, and a second Trickster would take over, Axel Walker. Walker used technology based on classic trick toys to fight Wally West and was an all-around deadlier Trickster than the first.
Each Trickster had their selling points, with the second being more dangerous because of his powerful weapons. The Trickster isn't a big-name villain, and the fact that even he had a villainous successor speaks to just how potent legacy is in the DC Universe.
8 The Joker's Daughter Has A Bizarre MO
Duela Dent has a rich history throughout the history of the DC Universe. Depending on what DC continuity she's from, she's either actually the Jokester and Three-Face's — Earth-3 versions of Joker and Two-Face — daughter or a delusional young woman who pretends to be the daughter of multiple Batman villains.
She's been Penguin's Daughter, Catgirl the Catwoman's Daughter, Scarecrone the Scarecrow's Daughter, and Riddler's Daughter. She's sometimes also called Harlequin and fought with and against the Teen Titans. She remains one of the more twisted legacy villains out there because of her bizarre history.
7 Kalibak Serves His Father Darkseid As Faithfully As One Would Expect
Darkseid's war against the New Gods is a family affair, with his son Orion having been traded to New Genesis for Mister Miracle, son of Highfather. Orion wasn't Darkseid's only child, though, and one of the most fearsome fighters on Apokolips is Kalibak. While he's not as cunning as his father, he's a strong and savage fighter who can battle Superman to a standstill.
Kalibak tries his hand at manipulation like other Apokolips higher-ups, but he's not very good at it. Kalibak is a blunt instrument, best unleashed upon the enemies of his father. He's constantly trying to win his father's favor, often failing.
6 Grail Struck Out At Her Father And The Anti-Monitor Before Joining Him
Darkseid's daughter Grail is one of the most powerful New Gods. Half Amazonian on her mother's side, she combines Amazon training and strength with Apokoliptian power. Her mother was a cunning Amazonian assassin, and she taught Grail to use subterfuge as much as muscle, which allowed Grail to outsmart and manipulate Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor.
Since then, Grail has joined with her father and become one of his most trusted lieutenants. She's frighteningly powerful and makes a pretty good team with her half-brother Kalibak, as her brains and power plus his muscle make a great combination.
5 Scandal Savage Tried To Make A Name For Herself Outside of Her Father's Legacy
Scandal Savage went in a different direction than other legacy villains. Instead of trading on the name of her father Vandal Savage, or even working with him at all, Scandal worked on her own for years before coming to the attention of Lex Luthor. Posing as Mockingbird, he had her bring together the Secret Six, one of DC's deadliest villain teams, in order to fight back against his doppelganger Alexander Luthor and the Society.
Scandal became one of the team's most prolific members. While she's not technically much of a villain, as the Six weren't exactly the worst bad guys around, her deadly skills and manipulative way of doing things make her a true Savage.
4 Many Different Clayfaces Have Battled Batman
Clayface has a venerable legacy among Gotham villains, with each iteration making devastating attacks against the Caped Crusader. In total, there have been eight villains named Clayface — Basil Karlo, Matt Hagan, Preston Payne, Sondra Fuller, Cassius Payne, Dr. Peter Malley, Todd Russel, and Johnny Williams. Hagan is probably the most well-known, being the one who appeared in Batman: The Animated Series.
Each Clayface has been a little different, with their powers and motives being somewhat unique to each one. The fact that there have been eight separate iterations of the villain is flabbergasting and makes it one of the most traded mantles in comics.
3 Zoom Played On The Iconography Of Reverse Flash
The Flash's Rogues are some of the best villains in comics. The Reverse-Flash is an icon, making Barry Allen miserable for years. Wally West never had his own version until Zoom showed up. A former friend of Wally's given powers from a time travel mishap; Zoom took his name from Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash's old moniker.
He also wore the same kind of costume as Reverse-Flash, with different eyeholes and other cosmetic changes to it. Zoom's time control-based powers made him much more powerful than any speedster ever, and he's proved to be a cunning foe.
2 Blockbuster Is An Ouroboros Of A Legacy Villain
The two Blockbusters present another intriguing legacy villain pair. The first Blockbuster was Marc Desmond, but he was the brawn of the duo of him and his brother Roland, who was in charge of the two. As the brains of the pair, Roland got Marc to take the formula that gave him his powers. Marc eventually died of a heart attack from overexertion because of the serum, and then Roland took over as Blockbuster.
Unlike Marc, Roland was still smart as Blockbuster and took over the Bludhaven crime world. He's since become one of Nightwing's most dangerous foes, using his strength, smarts, and criminal empire to battle the young hero.
1 Talia al Ghul Has Eclipsed Her Father
Talia al Ghul has come a long way during her career. For a long time, she was a junior partner to her father and often used as bait for Batman as much as anything else. However, she learned her lessons well at his feet and took over for him upon one of his longer periods of death. She became a force in the villainous underworld and started her own spy organization, Leviathan.
She's basically usurped her father's place in Batman's life, taking his place as one of Batman's chief antagonists. She proved to be just as cunning and dangerous as Ra's, with the added benefit of having a personal stake with Batman as the mother of Damian Wayne.