Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Wonder Woman 1984, in theaters and available on HBO Max now.
In nature, apex predators are at the top of the food chain. With no natural enemies more powerful than t, ahem, they are functionally unstoppable, and the same can be said of the DC Universe's Apex Predators as well.
Now, we're taking a closer look at several villains who've claimed the title of Apex Predators for themselves in the DC Universe in comics and film over the past few years.
Lex Luthor: Apex Lex
The arch-nemesis of Superman forced himself to evolve into what he believed to be the pinnacle of mankind. After the goddess Perpetua was freed from the Source Wall, Luther created a new Legion of Doom to uncover what he could about the mysterious super-being. Once she regained her power, Luthor killed himself to prove his devotion to her, and in return she resurrected him, combining his DNA with Martian Manhunter's, and he took on the nickname Apex Lex.
Not only did he have the inherent abilities of a Mars native that include flight, telepathy, and heat-vision, but he also channeled the powers of the now-imprisoned Legion, harnessing both the Ultra-Violet spectrum from Sinestro and the still-force from Grodd. While his time in this form was short-lived, the Justice League was all but powerless against the new and improved Lex Luthor.
Bruce Wayne of Earth-22: The Batman Who Laughs
First appearing during Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Dark Nights: Metal series, the Batman Who Laughs is the living embodiment of Bruce Wayne's worst nightmare, a creature so powerful and ruthless that Snyder described him as an "apex predator" earlier this year. When Bruce finally kills the Joker, a unique toxin is released from the corpse and infects Batman, altering his brain chemistry, until he feels no remorse, no empathy, just a drive for power and chaos. Free from his moral limitations, the newly christened Batman Who Laughs begins his rampage by killing the rest of the Bat-Family, followed by the Justice League and his entire world.
In a conversation between the original Earths Batman and Commissioner Gordon, they claim that a Batman who laughs is a Batman who always wins. When he was just a man he was borderline unstoppable, but now that he has taken on the powers of Doctor Manhattan and is fighting gods, he truly is an apex predator.
Barbara Minerva: Cheetah
In her sequel to 2017's Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins introduces us to a much more literal interpretation of an apex predator through Cheetah, played by Kristen Wiig. Beginning as overlooked museum worker Barbara Minerva, she becomes friends with Diana Prince, whom she admires for her confidence and power. After she comes into contact with the Dreamstone, she wishes she could be as strong as her newfound companion. She gets more than she bargained for, as it turns out that Diana is Wonder Woman, and she becomes as strong as the goddess herself. Nothing comes without a price, however, as her humanity begins to disappear, and her lust for power grows stronger.
After becoming the Dreamstone himself, businessman Maxwell Lord gives Barbara another wish, and she requests to evolve into an apex predator. Her transformation ensues, and she becomes the Cheetah, complete with claws, fur, and a tail. The last of her humanity gone, she turns entirely on Diana, although she is ultimately no match for the Themysciran princess.