DC Comics has some of the greatest heroes and villains from all of fiction. Heroes like Batman and Superman have defined an entire generation obsessed with superheroes. Villains like Lex Luthor and the Joker have done the same for supervillains.
Over the course of this publication's long, storied history, many of these heroes and villains have switched sides from time to time. Sometimes, these changes come in alternate universes, while in other cases heroes/villains have actually switched sides in the main continuity. No matter the universe, many of these twists have been a part of some of the greatest stories in all of comics. Here are five DC villains who became heroes and five heroes who became villains.
10 Superman: Hero t0 Villain
The Injustice: Gods Among Us video game helped to create one of DC's most popular alternate universes. Within this new reality, Joker destroys Metropolis and murders Lois Lane. Pushing Superman over the edge, he then punches Joker through the chest.
After killing Joker, Superman quickly turns into a tyrannical dictator and overall villain. Eventually the resistance, lead by Batman, is able to overthrow Superman and bring freedom back to this alternate reality Earth.
9 Plastic Man: Villain to Hero
Plastic Man may seem like a bit of a joke, but he's actually quite an accomplished superhero. Over the course of his career, Plastic Man has fought alongside many great heroes, defeated many dangerous villains, and even joined the Justice League.
One fact about Plastic Man many might not know is that the Justice League member actually used to be a bad guy. A career criminal named Patrick O'Brian, it was while Patrick was still a criminal that he was shot into a vat of chemicals that turned him into the superhero he is today.
8 Terra: Hero t0 Villain
A longstanding member of the Teen Titans, Terra was not just a teammate, but also a friend to many other members of the team. Fellow Titan Beast Boy even developed romantic feelings for her.
It was later revealed that Terra was a double agent, working for the Teen Titans' arch-nemesis Deathstroke the whole time. Even sadder news for Beast Boy was that Terra wasn't just working for Deathstroke, she also was in a relationship with the much older villain.
7 Lobo: Villain to Hero
Although Lobo was often thought of as a villain of Superman and Green Lantern, he was able to change his ways later in his career. Sort of. While he still makes many morally grey decisions, Lobo has carved out a reputation as one of DC's most popular anti-heroes.
Later on in his history, Lobo even joined the Justice League. From assassin to a cosmic bounty hunter, to straight-up hero and member of the Justice League, Lobo has put on many faces. There's no doubt, however, that he's gone from villain to hero.
6 Superboy-Prime: Hero t0 Villain
An alternate universe version of Clark Kent, Superboy-Prime is one of the most powerful villains in all of the multiverse. All of this Superboy's universe was erased from existence. All of it, except him.
Instead transported to another dimension, Superboy-Prime spent years obsessed with not just remaking his reality, but also that he should be the only Superman in the multiverse. He then became one of the most powerful villains the heroes of the DC universe ever had to face.
5 Catwoman: Villain to Hero
Comics' most famous femme fatale, Catwoman has a long history as a Gotham's most notorious burglar. This lead to many run-ins with Gotham's protector, Batman. While the two long shared romantic feelings for one another for quite some time, their conflicting career choices kept the two apart.
Slowly over time however, feelings for Batman began to sway Catwoman to change her ways. Sure, she still steals from time to time, but now Catwoman also uses her skills and abilities to fight crime. She often does so alongside Batman and his many allies.
4 Green Lantern (Hal Jordan): Hero t0 Villain
One of the foundational members of the Justice League, Hal Jordan is about as heroic as heroes get. Despite this, even Hal had his turn as a villain. Not only was he a villain, but Hal also became Parallax, one of the deadliest forces in the entire DC universe.
After Hal Jordan's home, Coast City, was destroyed by the villain Mongul, Green Lantern went mad. Assuming the name Parallax, Hal Jordan went on to destroy the Green Lantern Corps, murdering nearly every member.
3 Deathstroke: Villain to Hero
Although much more often thought of as a villain, Deathstroke has made heroic turns on a few different occasions. One of the most notable of these occasions is after Slade is trapped in the Speed Force. After being let out of the Speed Force by Wally West, Deathstroke claims he is a changed man.
In order to prove he's telling the truth, Slade assembles his own team of "Teen Titans: that he leads. Hoping to teach these young heroes to become better people, Deathstroke's formation of this team goes a long way to make up for past mistakes.
2 Robin (Jason Todd): Hero t0 Villain
One of the most tragic deaths in comics was that of the second Robin, Jason Todd. Killed by the Joker, Batman's failure at protecting his pupil haunted him for many years. Then, a mysterious vigilante showed up in Gotham killing criminals going by the name of Red Hood.
It turns out Red Hood was the resurrected Jason Todd. Angry that Batman hadn't gotten revenge on the Joker, and perhaps a bit mad from his resurrection, Jason was now willing to whatever it took to clean up Gotham City, even if that meant murdering hundreds of criminals.
1 Lex Luthor: Villain to Hero
The arch-enemy of Superman, Lex Luthor has committed many extremely heinous and evil acts in order to defeat his powerful foe. Despite his apparent moral depravity, from time to time Luthor has switched sides to become a hero. There was even a time in the main continuity that Luthor became a member of the Justice League.
Another Lex Luthor, from Earth 2, is actually a full-time superhero. Earth 2 is a mirror universe to the Earth of the main continuity, where the majority of the "heroes" are all evil. This leads to Luthor being the sole hero of this world, doing all he can to save his reality.