DC Comics' villains face the most powerful heroes in the Multiverse, and they have the lumps to prove it. Over the years, these evildoers have been worked by the heroes time and time again. This has driven many of DC's greatest supervillains to want one thing more than anything else: revenge. Most of the time, the heroes are able to make sure this never comes to be. Sadly, most of the time isn't all the time.

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Some DC villains have been able to take revenge against those who have tormented them. They've made their enemies pay for all the defeats. These acts of vengeance have taken many forms, teaching painful, and often deadly, lessons to the heroes and their friends.

10 Black Manta Killed Aquaman And Mera's Child

"Death of a Prince" published in Adventure Comics #435-437, 441-455 and Aquaman #57-63 by Martin Pasko, David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, Steve Skeates, Paul Levitz, Paul Kupperberg, Carl Potts, Juan Ortiz, Don Newton, Jim Aparo, Mike Grell

Black Manta with his glowing red eyes underwater, fish swimming around in DC Comics

Black Manta is a serious villain, and his hatred of Aquaman has been long and abiding. The battles of these aquatic adversaries have gotten very brutal over the years, but little of what came after could ever match what happened when Black Manta was able to capture Arthur Jr., the son of Aquaman and Mera. In the now classic story, "Death of a Prince," Black Manta does the unthinkable and kills the infant.

This act of revenge changed the course of Aquaman and Mera's lives forever, causing a rift in their relationship that would take decades to heal. Since the tragic death of Arthur Jr., the spirit of Aquababy has hung over everything Aquaman has done.

9 Sinestro Used Parallax To Break Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps

Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight by Ron Marz, and Darryl Banks. Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver

Sinestro sending out rings for the Sinestro Corps in DC Comics

Sinestro and Hal Jordan's war has been ongoing for years. The two former friends have gone through a lot in their battles over the years, but eventually, Sinestro was executed, and his soul was imprisoned in the Central Power Battery. While there, he met Parallax, the fear entity, and the two worked together to destroy Hal Jordan.

Parallax possessed Jordan and took control of him after the destruction of Coast City. Jordan then attacked the Corps, destroying the rank and file. To add insult to injury, Sinestro was freed from the Central Power Batter by the Guardians to help stop Jordan, but was "killed" in the fight. With the help of Parallax, Sinestro was able to destroy the Green Lantern Corps and turn Hal Jordan into one of DC's biggest villains.

8 Maxwell Lord Recorded His Death So The World Would Know What Wonder Woman Did

Superman: Sacrifice by Greg Rucka, Mark Verheiden, Gail Simone, Ed Benes, John Byrne, Karl Kerschl, Rags Morales, and Tony S. Daniel

DC Comics' Maxwell Lord

Maxwell Lord revealing himself as the Black King of Checkmate led to his death, but that was always a part of the plan. Using the OMACs, Lord attacked the superhero community, trying to destroy Batman at the behest of Brother Eye. Batman survived every attack, so finally, Lord used his mental powers to take control of Superman and sic him on the Caped Crusader.

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Wonder Woman was able to stop Superman and discovered Lord's hand in the whole thing. Lord promised he would keep going until Batman was dead, so Wonder Woman killed Lord. However, Lord recorded the whole thing and released it to the world. The video of Wonder Woman killing a man in cold blood greatly damaged her reputation and opened Themiscyra to attacks from the outside world.

7 Mordru Imprisoned Nabu And Stole The Power Of Dr. Fate

JSA: Princes of Darkness by David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns, Sal Velluto, Leonard Kirk, and Don Kramer

Mordru smiling and acting cocky in DC Comics

DC's most powerful magic users can be quite dangerous, especially the villainous ones. Mordru was trying to get the power of Nabu and Dr. Fate, but was foiled by the JSA and the new Fate, Hector Hall, who imprisoned him inside the Amulet of Fate, which was a huge mistake.

Mordru traded places with Nabu and posed as the Lord of Order. He tricked Hall and was able to steal the vestments of Fate - helmet, amulet, and cape - from him. Mordru gained all the power he ever wanted, revenging himself upon those who wronged him.

6 Reverse-Flash Went Back In Time And Destroyed Barry Allen's Life In A Million Ways

Flash: Rebirth by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. Flashpoint: Reverse-Flash #1 by Scott Kolins and Joel Gomez

Reverse Flash runs with red lightning from DC Comics.

DC's most ruthless villains enjoy finding new ways to torment their foes. Reverse-Flash's chosen weapon was time travel. After his return to life, Reverse-Flash embarked upon a campaign of using his time-traveling power to rewrite history, starting with his own. Then, he set his sights on young Barry Allen.

Reverse-Flash basically caused every terrible thing that happened to Barry Allen as a child. He was everything from the boogieman under Barry's bed to the person who hit him when he crossed the street. Of course, the worst was when he killed Allen's mother and framed his father. He made sure to completely wreck Barry's young life, all for things he hadn't even done yet.

5 Bane Kicked Batman Out Of Gotham

City of Bane by Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, Mitch Gerads, Mikel Janín, Clay Mann, John Romita, Jr., Jorge Fornés, and Hugo Petrus

Bane in DC Comics

Some DC villains have won their battles, teaching their heroic foes painful lessons. Bane's first battle with Batman ended with the Dark Knight's back broken. For years afterward, Batman was able to defeat Bane pretty handily. Bane wanted revenge for these losses, so he set in motion a long-range plan, involving the Psycho-Pirate, Flashpoint Batman, and nearly every one of Gotham's villains.

Bane "lost" to Batman several times over the course of the campaign, but it was all a part of the plan. Eventually, Bane and his forces were able to beat Batman, kick him out of Gotham, and bar the city against him. Before it was all over, he even killed Alfred.

4 Joker Got Revenge On James Gordon

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland

The Joker takes a picture in Batman: The Killing Joke

Out of DC's most popular villains, the Joker stands tall for a variety of reasons. A big one is Batman: The Killing Joke, by writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland. This story is considered the most important Joker story of them all, shining a light onto the Joker's origin. It also sees him shoot Barbara Gordon in the stomach, paralyzing her, and take James Gordon prisoner.

After Batman, James Gordon had always been at the top of Joker's list. Shooting his daughter in front of him, torturing him, and trying to break his sanity was all part of Joker's revenge against him. Batman was able to save Gordon, but the scars of Joker's act would affect the Gordon family for years to come.

3 Zoom Killed Wally And Linda West's Children

Flash: Blitz by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins

Wally West as the Flash racing Professor Zoom against a striped black and white background that implies forward momentum

Paralyzed in a botched FBI raid, Hunter Zolomon begged the Flash to use the Cosmic Treadmill to go back in time and stop it. Wally refused, and Zolomon tried to do it himself. The explosion of chronal energy healed Hunter and gave him the ability to control the flow of time. He became Zoom and decided to teach Wally West a lesson about being a hero.

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Zoom and Flash battled it out and, before the battle was over, Zoom targeted a pregnant Linda West and snapped his fingers, creating a shockwave that caused her to miscarry. This would get undone in the future, but it was still a huge blow to the West family.

2 Lex Luthor Erased Superman's Identity From Everyone's Minds

Action Comics #1050 by Tom Taylor, Joshua Williamson, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Clayton Henry, Mike Perkins, and Nick Dragotta

Lex Luthor ready for battle in his exosuit in DC Comics

Lex Luthor is a DC legend, his battles with Superman defining his life. His latest attack on the Man of Steel wasn't physically damaging, but it was ingenious. Using Manchester Black's psychic mind and an amplifier, Luthor erased Superman's revelation that he was Clark Kent from the minds of everyone. Furthermore, anyone Superman tries to tell will suffer a stroke.

Luthor meant for it to affect the Kent family as well, but they were protected by Justice League technology at the Kent farm. Luthor, ever the petty billionaire, did this because he was angry that Superman never told him his secret when they were friends growing up in Smallville.

1 Darkseid Killed The Gods Of New Genesis

Final Crisis by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones, Marco Rudy, Carlos Pacheco, and Doug Mahnke

Darkseid wields the anti-life equation in DC Comics' Final Crisis.

The battle between New Genesis and Apokolips is among DC's most destructive rivalries. Their war has been going on for years, but at one point, Darkseid and his forces made their terminal attack. Darkseid was able to destroy New Genesis and its defenders in a battle that also cost Darkseid and his servants their mortal forms.

Orion, the son of Darkseid, was always prophesied to kill his father, so the God of Evil used a Radion bullet and shot it back in time, killing his son before the prophecy could be fulfilled. Darkseid's victory over New Genesis led him to attack Earth and almost conquer the entire Multiverse with the Anti-Life Equation.

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