The Avengers are the Marvel Universe's greatest superteam, facing down the most powerful villains to protect the Earth. Composed of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the team has found itself in some pretty desperate situations but always finds a way out of them, using their wits and might to win the day. Few have been able to defeat them over the years and they've consistently saved all of creation.
While the Marvel Universe doesn't have many threats that can hold them down, that doesn't mean that villains from other universes couldn't do it. In fact, there are plenty of DC villains who would be able to give the team a run for their money.
10 Darkseid Would Make Short Work Of The Avengers
The Avengers have faced down Thanos and barely survived but Thanos is a pale imitation of Darkseid. The God of Evil and lord of Apokolips, Darkseid is more powerful than Superman and can kill just about anyone with one blast of the Omega Effect. Darkseid has pulled out some impressive victories against the heroes and would keep that up against the Avengers.
The Avengers are powerful but if the full might of Darkseid was brought against them, they'd fail. Thor and She-Hulk might be able to hold out a bit but the rest of the team would be dead quickly after Darkseid showed up and in the end, even they would fall to the dark lord of Apokolips.
9 Anti-Monitor Would Easily Overwhelm The Avengers
The Anti-Monitor is one of the most powerful beings to ever exist in the DC Multiverse and also has the greatest body count in comics; sure Thanos killed half the universe but the Anti-Monitor destroyed entire universes in his attack on reality. His power was too much for any one universe to bear, so it took the heroes of five universes to defeat him.
The Avengers wouldn't stand a chance against the Anti-Monitor; they have problems dealing with one Celestial. The Anti-Monitor would end them and barely even notice.
8 Perpetua's Power Allowed Her To Create Entire Universes
Perpetua was one of the Hands who created the everything and the DC Multiverse was her handiwork. Imprisoned beyond the Source Wall, she was released and decided that it was time to let Doom run rampant over the universe, teaming with the villains and helping them defeat the Justice League.
Even without allies, Perpetua's power far outstrips any hero who would challenge her, including the entirety of the Avengers. In fact, the team could call in every hero on the planet who has ever been an Avenger and she would still win. She's just too powerful for anything less than a being with ultimate power and even then, it's dicey.
7 The Crime Syndicate's Power Would Spell Doom For The Avengers
There have been as many versions of the Crime Syndicate as there have been iterations of the DC Multiverse but one thing is sure about all of them- they'd beat the pants off the Avengers. The Crime Syndicate are evil versions of the Justice League, with all the power that entails. DC heroes are usually way more powerful than Marvel ones, making the members of the Crime Syndicate also more powerful.
Power doesn't always win fights but when it comes to beings like Ultraman, Superwoman, Power Ring, and Johnny Quick, their power is so much greater that they could easily destroy most of the Avengers very quickly and then mop up what was left.
6 Sinestro And His Lantern Corps Would Easily Overwhelm The Avengers
Sinestro is one of the most powerful and skilled beings to ever wield a Lantern ring. Mastering the yellow light of fear, Sinestro formed his own Corps and they were able to give the Green Lantern Corps and the heroes of the Earth a run for their money. If the Avengers went up against Sinestro and his Corps, they would cut the heroes to ribbons.
Even without the sheer numeric advantage that would spell disaster for the Avengers, Sinestro and the Sinestro Corps' yellow power rings are just too powerful. Wielded by the sadists of the Sinestro Corps, they would allow the villains to dispatch the weaker members in seconds and then overwhelm the more powerful ones in short order.
5 If Brainiac Invaded The Marvel Universe, The Avengers Would Be Little Help
Brainiac is one of the most feared villains in the DC Universe and for good reason. Traveling the cosmos in his ship, Brainiac destroys entire civilizations so he can be the only one with their technology, casually committing atrocities in his pursuit of knowledge. His drones can fight it out with Superman, his weapon systems can destroy solar systems, and his own power is enough to challenge the greatest heroes.
He's smarter than all of the Avengers combined and his ship is packed to the gills with world-ending tech. Try as the Avengers might, they just couldn't phase Brainiac and he would easily do away with them.
4 Reverse-Flash Would Quickly End The Avengers
DC's speedsters are some of the powerful heroes and villains around and none of them are more dangerous than the Reverse-Flash. Empowered by the Negative Speed Force, the Reverse-Flash would just be too fast for the Avengers; no one on the team could match his speed and his sheer ferocity and power would win the day for him.
No one on the Avengers could match him and that would allow him to take out many of them rather quickly. For the tougher ones, he could easily just vibrate into them and take their vital organs out the other side with him. Reverse-Flash is just too much Avengers and would end them in seconds.
3 The Legion of Doom Has Too Much Power For The Avengers
The Legion of Doom contains some of the most powerful villains in the DC Universe. An assemblage of the greatest enemies of the members of the Justice League, their power level, intelligence, and experience would easily allow them to defeat the Avengers.
While the Avengers have some heavy hitters, some of the villains on this list are members of the Legion; if the Avengers can't beat them separately, they surely can't beat them together. The Legion of Doom has just way too many advantages over the Avengers; members like Lex Luthor and Brainiac are smarter than the smartest Avengers and the sheer power of the Legion would let them make short work of the heroes.
2 Superboy-Prime Would Accidentally Kill Most Of The Team In The Fight
Superboy-Prime has all of the powers of pre-Crisis Superman and in his first fight against the heroes inadvertently killed several. This is a teen with issues who can move planets; he'd punch a hole in Iron Man without even knowing he did it. The only magic that works against him is the magic of his own universe, meaning Thor or Doctor Strange wouldn't even have a lot of effect on him.
Superboy-Prime wouldn't even mean to kill most of the Avengers but that's how the fight would go and at that point, he'd just keep going and finish the job.
1 Lex Luthor Would Easily Figure Out A Way To Defeat The Avengers
Iron Man and Black Panther are very smart and Captain America is an expert strategist. Between the three of them, they've been able to figure out how to beat all kinds of enemies. However, they've never matched wits with Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor spends his free time figuring out how to defeat enemies who are way more powerful than the Avengers; given enough time, he could easily figure out a way to beat them.
Their relatively lesser power levels and rather mundane weaknesses would be child's play for Luthor to exploit and he'd easily outsmart the team's brain trust. This is a guy who creates tech that can stand up to Superman; the Avengers wouldn't be difficult for him.