Despite their varying levels of powers and intellect, these monstrous supervillains from DC comics all have one thing in common: they didn't get to the top without stepping on a few heads. In some cases it might be literal heads they've stepped on; in other cases, it's the henchmen that they've used and abused to obtain the ultimate power.

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However, it's always the quiet ones that you have to look out for. The henchmen and/or henchwomen that take their licks, only to make a move that is so astonishing that even the worst of the worst blush. These moves could be made out of fear, out of desperation, or, in a rare case, the discovery of a conscious. Whatever the reason, these underlings have made their mark and shown, to paraphrase The Dark Knight's Joker, "just how loyal a hungry dog really is."

10 Kitty Kowalski Grows A Conscious

Kitty Kowalski Superman Returns

Katherine "Kitty" Kowalski might not be the most well-known character in the Man of Steel lore, or in the DCEU for that matter, but this snarky lover of Lex Luthor's certainly showed the strength of her moral compass as she and Lex made a narrow escape in the climax of 2006's Superman Returns. When Lex steals crystals from the Fortress of Solitude, Kitty realizes that this theft will lead to millions of innocent lives being lost. Realizing she couldn't have that on her conscious, she kicks the crystals out of the helicopter crying and screaming to Lex her apologies.

9 Steppenwolf Tries To Impress His Nephew

Steppenwolf Seeking Redemption

Prior to the events of Zach Synder's: Justice League, Steppenwolf, having served as General for the armada of Parademons for Darkseid on Apokolips, began to formulate plans to usurp his uncle, Darkseid, from the throne.

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After Steppenwolf, betrays Darkseid, he's banished from the kingdom. Seeking repentance, Steppenwolf searches for the Mother boxes, after Superman's death, which ultimately leads to his demise at the hands of the Justice League.

8 Attack Of The Venus Fly Trap

Poison Ivy Born

Who needs human henchmen when you have the ability to grow your workforce? Such is the case for Poison Ivy. During her team-up with Mr. Freeze, she easily able to best the Dark Knight and Boy Wonder, with the help of her Love Toxin, and a few vines from her massive Venus Fly Trap.  However, she didn't account for Batgirl swinging into the melee and kicking her into the trap, only to have the plant turn on her and swallow her whole.

7 The Red Triangle Gang Ghost Their Boss

Red Triangle Gang Last Supper

The Red Triangle Gang is incredibly loyal to Penguin throughout the events of Batman Returns, from disrupting a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony to stealing the firstborn from Gotham's elite.

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It seemed as though Gotham had met its match with Oswald Cobblepot and his nefarious gang, that is until Batman was able to reprogram the Rocket Equipped Penguins and have them set their sites for the Penguin's lair, the Artic World Pavilion. It was then that loyalty seemed to exit the building as one by one each member lost their faith in their leader and left him all alone to battle the Dark Knight.

6 Falcone Flexes His Power

Falcone Flexing His Power

Carmine Falcone was a tough as nails criminal in his own right. He owned all of Gotham with a familiar cocktail of money, dirt, and lead persuasion. However powerful Falcone believed himself to be, he was still just another cog in the nightmare producing machine, run by Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow.

Scarecrow was using Falcone's power and connections to smuggle the fear toxin into Gotham without GPD interfering. However, when Batman makes his presence known when the latest shipment arrives, Falcone is served up on a spotlight-sized platter to be arrested. It's here where Falcone threatens to talk about Crane's involvement, Scarecrow uses his aerosol fear toxin to turn Falcone into another blithering member of Arkham Asylum.

5 Harley Quinn Finally Let's Go

Harley Quinn Lets Go

Harley and Mr. J have broken up numerous times, but in the end, Joker has always managed to weasel his way back into Harley's heart and, most importantly, her brain. Manipulation is a key tactic for Joker over his henchmen, especially with Harley Quinn. However, in 2020's Bird's of Prey, she finally gets it into her head that the only way to a fresh start is to let go of the past.

Because of this, she blows up the literal and metaphorical toxicity where their relationship started. While Joker isn't present in the film, we can only assume this public display of demolition shows Harley really has moved on and become the villainess, or anti-hero, or...whatever she'd like to identify as that she was born to be.

4 Usurping The Devil

Lucifer Unleashed in Constantine

Being the literal Devil, you're at the top of the power chain, with those beneath you vying for that power. In 2005's Constantine, the devil's son, Mammon and arch-angel Gabriel are looking to do just that.

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It's not until Constantine slits his wrist and is bleeding out, a soul that Lucifer wants oh so badly, does he realize that his own son is staging a coup. Dismayed that he can't have Constantine's soul, Lucifer is able to make Gabriel mortal and banish Mammon back to hell.

3 Maroni and the Mob Versus  The Clown Prince

Joker Sending A Message

It's hard to imagine the Joker being anything but the master of his own destiny. However in 2008's The Dark Knight, one could argue that up until the 3rd act when Joker and Dent have their bedside chat, Joker is a pawn being used by the mob.

When we're first introduced to Joker, he's proposing to the mob that they hire him to flush out Batman so that they can have their group therapy sessions once again without the fear of the Caped Crusader. They all get a surprise when Joker takes his cut for his work and literally burns it with his, now famous, line "It's not about money. It's about sending a message."

2 Sinestro And Kanjar Ro

Sinestro's True Form

Sinestro isn't the first villain to have once been good and turn to a life of crime, but you can't make that switch without help from others who align with your internal manifesto. Kanjar Ro, who is retconned in Green Lantern: First Flight from conquering to space pirate, is working with Sinestro to weaponize the Yellow Element, which once in Sinestro's hands it provides him with ultimate power.

The Green Lantern Corp believes Kanjar Ro to associated with the murder of an informant. So they dispatch Sinestro, Hal Jordan, and the rest to capture him. But during their mission, Sinestro finds Kanjar Ro first, who makes a surprising move of threatening to talk about Sinestro's involvement. Self-preservation is a serious motivator, as Sinestro murders his henchman after finding the location for the weapon.

1 Batman's Silent Boss

Batman The Unknowing Henchman

In Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman/Bruce Wayne toes the line between hero and anti-hero a bit too finely. He's guided by rage as he carries the guilt for the death of Dick Grayson and having watched the complete destruction of Metropolis during the fight between Zod and Superman, he's in a kind of headspace to be pushed over the edge. This is where Lex Luthor comes into play.

Lex's devious plan essentially turns Batman Bruce Wayne into a bonafide henchman. Sure, Lex is a silent partner in this exchange, but his egging Bruce on with the newspaper clippings only adds fuel to the fire which allows Batman to obsess over destroying The Man Of Steel. It's not until the now-famous scene about their mother's name does Batman realize he's lost all sight of who he really is. Of course, this is a blow to Lex who now sees the two team up rather than destroys each other.

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