Of the many teams of heroes that populate the DC Comics universe, only one collection of heroes and misfits has managed to hold back the darkness from the magical realm, and that team has been the Justice League: Dark. The team is well known for bringing some of the strongest magic users and creatures of the DC Universe together to battle the darkest forces unknown to man.
While many foes they face are otherworldly forces of magic and larger DC foes, there are some that are special villains for the team themselves. Here are the ten most powerful villains of the Justice League: Dark team.
10 Anton Arcane
One of the first villains to mention is one more closely associated with a specific team member of the Justice League Dark, and that villain is Swamp Thing’s nemesis, Anton Arcane. The uncle of longtime ally to Swamp Thing Abigail Arcane, Anton is a man obsessed with immortality, and has worked tirelessly as an evil sorcerer to accomplish his goals.
His work has led him to constant conflict with Swamp Thing, which has included him creating monstrous creatures he has dubbed “Un-Men”. He also experimented on his own brother, Gregori, and transformed him into the Patchwork Man, a truly devious act.
9 Sea King
One villain the Justice League Dark had an encounter with during the New 52 era of DC Comics came from another universe entirely. That villain was Sea King, the evil version of Aquaman from Earth-3. A member of the Crime Syndicate, Sea King was one of the villains who did not survive the journey from Earth-3, and his body sank to the ocean.
When the Crime Syndicate attacked, Deadman sought a host body to house himself in for protection. Unfortunately Sea King had a hold on his conscious, and did battle with his teammates upon their arrival until John Constantine broke Sea King’s hold.
8 Demon’s Three
A powerful force of nature that the team has come up against over the years, alongside many other teams of heroes in the DC Universe, is the Demons Three. The Demons Three are three brothers who ruled the galaxy a billion years ago, but were banished by beings known as The Timeless Ones.
They became a frequent enemy of the Justice League of America when Felix Faust began summoning them to Earth over the years. In more recent years they have become foes of John Constantine, and have also been seen working with longtime DC Comics foe and demon Neron.
7 Circe
One of DC’s longest running magical villains has recently had a lot of adventures with the Justice League Dark. That villain is Circe, the ancient sorceress and longtime foe of Wonder Woman and the Justice League. Since her Rebirth era story began, she has been fighting Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman as she tried using the Pandora Pits alongside Ra’s Al Ghul and others to retrieve her soul.
In more recent stories, Circe has become a temporary ally of Wonder Woman, who came under attack by the goddess Hecate. However she has also fought the Justice League Dark, forming her own team known as the Injustice League Dark.
6 Creeper
One interesting foe the Justice League Dark once faced was the often heroic entity known as The Creeper. Originally the result of inventions by Dr. Yatz on longtime journalist and Batman character Jack Ryder, the Creeper has undergone some transformations and new origins in the age of the New 52 of DC Comics.
According to the New 52 version, the Creeper was a demon entity known as an Oni, who used to justify cruel temper tantrums by claiming it was spreading chaos. It was revealed during the Justice League Dark storyline in the Forever Evil story arc. Since then the character has reverted back to it’s Pre-New 52 storyline.
5 Nick Necro
One of the Justice League Dark’s most personal villains in recent years is Nick Necro, a powerful mage and sorcerer of New York who was also the teacher and mentor of both John Constantine and Zatanna. Having taught them both, he later betrayed them in an effort to find the Books of Magic, nearly sacrificing them both after they had fallen in love with one another. However he is trapped and sent to Hell as a result of his betrayal.
He later returns several times, including in the fight against the heroes of Earth during the Forever Evil storyline, having been broken out of prison by the Crime Syndicate.
4 Doctor Destiny
One villain many Arrowverse fans may recognize is John Deegan, aka Doctor Destiny. The villain is a longtime inventor for villain who gained the power to manipulate reality using the fabric of dreams. Often times becoming a foe of the Justice League, the villain most recently became an opponent of the Justice League Dark in the New 52.
In the New 52 revamped origin of the villain, John Deegan was a student of John Constantine in the 1500’s, and was also the son of longtime DC Comics character Madame Xanadu. He was also broken out of prison by the Crime Syndicate and joined the Secret Society of Super-Villains during Forever Evil.
3 Eclipso
One powerful foe that has plagued the DC Universe and has had encounters with members of the Justice League Dark is none other than Eclipso. The powerful foe is well known for being the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance, who was replaced by The Spectre and has since become a villain in the DC Universe.
While possessing many individuals and constantly being housed in a diamond known as the Heart of Darkness, the villain was recently in the New 52 shown to be an inhabitant of Gemworld, known as Kalaa of the planet Gilaa. After being sent back to Gemworld by John Constantine, he battles Princess Amaya and becomes trapped in the black diamond again.
2 Felix Faust
The second most powerful foe to fight the Justice League Dark team is none other than longtime Justice League foe and villain Felix Faust. The villain is ancient, having been seen as early as 5,000 B.C., and is known not for his combat skills, but for being a master manipulator and sorcerer.
His fight with the team during the events of the New 52 storyline Forever Evil are quite well known, with Faust joining Nick Necro in experimenting on individuals to create living weapons for the Crime Syndicate, most notably Ultraman. This leads to fights with John Constantine and his team.
1 Hecate
The most powerful foe the Justice League Dark has faced is the recent DC Rebirth era villain of the team, Hecate. A being of pure magic who formed herself at the beginning of the multiverse, she created a magical barrier between the multiverse and the dark multiverse, sensing the evil presence of the Upside-Down Man.
Later, after spending many years imprisoned by humanity after they attempted to steal her power, she escaped and forgave the Greek Pantheon of Gods, who had betrayed her. She then divided her power between five humans, and in modern day one of those sources of power was Wonder Woman.