Superman has been around since 1938 with his debut appearance in Action Comics #1. Its iconic cover shows us a Superman ready to protect the citizens by catching a car about to crush someone... or forcibly crashing a car used by crooks, depending on your interpretation. He's a symbol for the greater good that humanity can identify in themselves. Despite his powers, Superman tried to be altruistic throughout his career as Metropolis' hero. He is an alien from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last-ditch effort to be saved from the inevitable death of his home planet. On Earth, Kal-El adopted the name Clark Kent from the man and woman who would be his new parents. They taught him how to be a hero in a world not his own.
In 1992, he died at the hands of Doomsday, but was later resurrected because he was still one of the biggest stars on DC Comics' roster. That death still left a mark on the comic book world because it meant even the great Superman could perish. And yet, Doomsday isn't the only villain dangerous enough to give the Kryptonian a run for his or the universe's money. Other villains have stepped up to Superman to give him their own brand of punishment. Here we explore the other antagonists that have challenged the most powerful man in the DC universe!
20 ROGOL ZAAR
Not much is yet known about Superman's newly introduced villain Rogol Zaar, but the little that was teased in Action Comics #1000 and subsequent issues of The Man Of Steel shows that he's a real threat to the Kryptonian. His introduction in Brian Michael Bendis' recent Superman debut "The Truth" opens with a strike that sends Superman through Metropolis' skyline. It knocks out the Man of Steel cold. Thankfully, his cousin Kara, aka Supergirl, steps into the battle while Clark is dragged to safety by a couple of Metropolis' good samaritans. When he wakes up, he tells them to find their own safety and continues to fight.
Rogol looks very much like a combination of Doomsday and Metamorpho with a sword. He doesn't seem all that different from the warrior-like alien antagonists that Superman has faced before, but he explains during his fight that he's vowed to kill all the Kryptonians in the universe. He started his job on Krypton and seems to stop at nothing from fulfilling his promise to none other than Superman's father Jor-El. In the second-to-last panel of Bendis' first Superman story, we watch Rogol strike his sword through the "S" symbol of Clark's costume. There is still more to find out about Rogol and it will all be revealed in Bendis' Man of Steel miniseries.
19 VYNDKTVX
This villain made his debut in Action Comics #1 during the New 52 initiative. He was created by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales. Vyndktvx is a fifth-dimensional imp that has caused Superman a ton of a trouble. He's actually responsible for the deaths of Clark's parents during the New 52. He hasn't solely tried to make the Man of Steel's life miserable, he's actually attempted to kill him throughout his life. Since Vyndktvx is a fifth-dimensional being that makes his perspective bigger than time and space, which means every time he tried to have Superman killed it has all been a part of the same attempt.
Vyndktvx is also responsible for a number of other villains nearly killing the Kryptonian. He's helped Lex Luthor and Glen Glenmorgan partner when Brainiac arrived on Earth, which was a plan of his that failed. He's also tried to have Nimrod the Hunter kill Superman. This being is so powerful that when Mxyzptlk wins the heart of a princess who Vyndktvx is a court magician for, he decides to kill the king and destroy 331 worlds across all of space and time. Vyndktvx's time in the DC Universe may have been limited, but he has definitely made a name for himself in Morrison's and Morales' run because of his power.
18 ULYSSES
Neil Quinn, aka Ulysses was a New 52 invention introduced during Geoff Johns and John Romita's Superman run, debuting in Superman #32. Quinn's origin had a lot of similarities to Clark's own journey to Earth. Quinn's parents had sent him from their home dimension after an accident in their lab caused a leak from Dimension Two that they believed would destroy Earth. It was their attempt to save their son, but what Quinn didn't know until much later in his life was that Earth was never destroyed. His new plane of existence gave him superpowers much different from Clark's as well as a philosophy that clashed with Superman's idealism.
When Quinn returned to Earth, Superman and he fought off some other villain before he reveals to Clark that he thought he was the "Last Son of Earth." He's dangerous to Clark because he can steal his energy. Quinn doesn't see the same hope in humanity that Clark does after being shown all the weapons in the world. He promises six million people a chance to come to a new and better world, but instead is only using them to fuel the Great World, his own adoptive home planet. Superman tries to stop him, but not before the machine Quinn was using to transport everyone to his world explodes and kills them, including Quinn's own parents.
17 THE KRYPTONITE MAN
There are many iterations of the Kryptonite Man, but the one we'll be looking at is from Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. This version of the character was a sentient cloud of Kryptonite energy that had found its way to Earth. This particular Kryptonite Man was dangerous because it could jump from body to body, so before the Last Son of Krypton ever realized this killer was in the room he'd already be exposed to his energy. Kryptonite Man can exude huge amounts of Krypotine radiation in whatever body he possesses to levels that can possibly kill Superman. He's even tried doing it by possessing some of Superman's closest friends.
One of these friends was Batman, when sentient kryptonite-based villain had found its way into taking over Batman's body to fight against Superman. The two of them duke it out. The Kryptonite Man seems to have a healing effect that is shown when Batman's injuries during the fight are healed. This attempt to kill Superman didn't go as planned and the Kryptonite Man is ultimately defeated. It's unclear what happened to him since different iterations of the Kryptonite Man came and went during the Post-Crisis and New 52 initiatives.
16 MANCHESTER BLACK
Manchester Black was a supervillain that preyed upon other villains with his crew dubbed the Elite. Black had a philosophy about how villains should be treated with relentless fury and must be completely eradicated from the world. Superman doesn't share those ideas and when the Elite turned its sights to Metropolis to rid the city of its villains, the Man of Steel couldn't let that happen. The Elite picks a fight with Superman and they nearly defeat him when Manchester Black uses his power to attack Clark and give him, essentially, a stroke. He wants to challenge Clark and his idealism for letting criminals roam free after he has subdued and helped imprison them.
Clark returns fire and even lobotomizes Manchester Black after he makes it look like he killed his crew. He uses his x-ray vision to find a growth on Black's brain and uses his heat vision to damage it, which renders Black temporarily powerless. This leaves Black feeling like he won because he believed that the Last Son of Krypton had killed his crew and that his philosophy was ultimately vindicated. Unfortunately for him, Superman would never kill them even if they were murderers and tells him that they are simply unconscious. Black then told Clark that by not killing him, he only allowed Black to once again continue his killing and vowed that he would fight Superman again and again.
15 CYBORG SUPERMAN
Hank Henshaw turned into Cyborg Superman during a freak accident that involved radiation, in a dark homage to the Fantastic Four's own origin story. He tried to help the others who went crazy from the radiation by using the resources of Lexcorp, which proved futile as most of the crew either deteriorated quickly or committed suicide. It was a tragic chapter in the DC Comics universe. Hank was affected by the radiation and his body failed him, melting away as his consciousness jumped into a nearby bank of computers, right before he saved his wife from disappearing into an alternate dimension.
When Henshaw's consciousness eventually found Superman's birthing matrix, he decided to use it to construct himself a new body. This body would have all the powers that Superman had while still having his own ability to communicate with technology. Thus, Cyborg Superman was born. During his reign of terror in the DC Comics Universe, he has destroyed whole cities and held the power of the Sinestro Corps ring(s). He even becomes a herald of the Anti-Monitor during the Sinestro Corps War. He's died more than a few times during his DC Comics run, but he always comes back ready to threaten the world with some diabolical plan, even if it isn't Hank Henshaw behind the super-cyborg facade.
14 SUPERBOY-PRIME
Superboy-Prime came from Earth Prime, one of many Earths that faced destruction during the Crisis On Infinite Earths event. It was a world where superheroes were fictional characters, but also where Superboy-Prime still had a similar origin story as Clark from the main universe. He was teleported off his home planet Krypton right before their red sun went supernova and destroyed it. It wasn't until he was in his teens that Clark-Prime ended up discovering his Kryptonian powers when Hailey's Comet flew across the sky and switched them on. During the Crisis event, his world was destroyed and he eventually ended up in the DC Comics main continuity.
He's wreaked havoc in the universe ever since he was introduced. Superboy-Prime literally changed the reality of the universe by pounding his fist on the barrier of reality. This caused ripples that retconned events like Jason Todd's return, Doom Patrol's reboot with different characters, different incarnations of the Legion, and a few others. This Superboy also ended up aiding in the Sinestro Corps War and aligned himself with his old enemy, The Anti-Monitor. Unlike Superman, he is impervious to magic, which makes him even scarier than our Last Son of Krypton. It's undeniable that Superboy-Prime is always a monumental threat to the DC universe.
13 MAGOG
This supervillain was first introduced in 1993's Kingdom Come #1. He was created by Alex Ross and Mark Waid as a philosophical opposite to Superman's idealism and hope in humanity. His appearance was an homage to the style of superheroes that were popular at the time. The design seemed very much inspired by Rob Liefeld's style which had heroes wearing costumes with oversized pouches and other details that were signs of the time (the '90s, basically). Still, Magog proved to be troubling as murder was something he was willing to do to enforce his brand of justice.
Magog lived by similar code to Manchester Black where he didn't see how a villain like Joker can be redeemed. The "hero" actually killed the Joker during Kingdom Come after the clown murdered members of the Daily Planet, which included Lois Lane. This led to an arrest and a trial for Magog where he was acquitted. This subsequently angered Superman and he eventually went on a decade-long self-exile from the world. While Superman was gone, other heroes joined Magog in his philosophy for brutal and fatal justice. He was considered a hero, but he was committing too much violence and it led to a nuclear explosion caused by Captain Atom, which killed one million people as well as destroying and irradiating Kansas.
12 THE ANTI-MONITOR
One of the most dangerous villains in the entire DC Universe is the Anti-Monitor. The Crisis On Infinite Earths event in which he was introduced was meant to explain the conflicting storylines that had occurred until that point in the sprawling history of DC Comics. The explanation was simple. The DC Universe was a multiverse. The Anti-Monitor was the anti-universe equivalent to the main continuity's Monitor. He is an embodiment of anti-matter and evil. He conquered the Anti-Matter universe and eventually set his sights on having the positive-matter universe never existing in the first place.
During Crisis On Infinite Earths, Superman had to be saved at the cost of the Flash and Supergirl's lives to try to stop an anti-matter cannon. The kind of danger this villain posed was unrelenting and for a time it seemed that Superman himself wouldn't be able to stop his wrath. The Anti-Monitor is a being of immeasurable power. He has the capacity to absorb all the anti-matter of his universe and can use it to go back in time. Time travel, in fact, was part of his plan for multiversal domination. The Crisis event was difficult for all DC heroes and it ended in a brand new universe being formed after the multiverse collapsed. The Anti-Monitor was gone for a time, but that didn't stop the heroes from using his body parts for another purpose during Infinite Crisis. In an ironic twist, Superboy Prime used it to super-charge himself and continue the Anti-Monitor's destructive mission, but on his own psychotic terms.
11 MONGUL
Mongul comes from a family of planetary rulers. It's in his very blood to conquer, and his philosophy that only the strongest should have power over the weakest only fortifies his tyrannical nature. He doesn't care who it is. If they are weak, then they will be subservient to him. His mind is so warped, he even killed his brother and when his parents tried to discipline him, it didn't take. Mongul wouldn't change because he had a natural and sadistic inclination to rule without sharing any of his power with anyone.
The Lord Mongul is frightening in Batman/Superman: Game Over as he initially kills Batman toward the end of its fifth issue. He initially shows up just as Toymaster is testing a gaming device that Mongul himself created. When he appear,s he takes the chance to kill Batman with a blast to the chest. This is all happening in a "game" that can actually control the actions of the superheroes that lie within it. Eventually, Mongul is defeated and banished to the Phantom Zone, but that hasn't stopped him from showing up in things like Dark Nights by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. He is seemingly up to his old tricks of pitting superheroes against creatures that could kill them when they wear an armor that inhibits their powers.
10 PARASITE
While the name has been used by many ne'er-do-wells at several points throughout the DC universe, the original Parasite was a Jim Shooter invention back in Action Comics #340. However, during the Post-Crisis era, this title belonged to a character named Rudy Jones. Parasite might not be as well known as some of the other villains on this list, even though he has had the fortune of appearing outside of the comics continuity by appearing in the DCAU's Superman Adventures and Justice League.
The reason Parasite is utilized in other mediums as well is because his power is disconcerting to all heroes who come into contact with him. In case you couldn't figure out from his name, Parasite can absorb the powers of any super-powered individual and is virtually unstoppable because of it. It takes some serious strategy skills on the part of the heroes who fight against him because they must exploit their own weaknesses to win. You see, Parasite's greatest power is his greatest weakness. He also absorbs the weaknesses of those he gets his powers from. For Superman, that means exposure to Kryptonite or magic could defeat Parasite if they ever go toe to toe. However, the Purple People Eater has definitely had the Man of Steel's back against the ropes, and his life in his violet hands, many a time.
9 MR. MXYZTPLK
This fan favorite was first introduced in Superman #30. He was one of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's more zany creations and villains put up against our Man of Steel back in 1944. Despite his overwhelming cartoonish design and personality, he has been depicted as one of the most powerful foes that Superman ever faced. He is a 5th-dimensional being that can pop in and out of the third and second dimensions without ever breaking a sweat. As a being from a higher dimension, he can do things that seem magical and torturous depending on what he has planned for Clark Kent.
These plans usually involve some devious little obstacles for the man in red and blue tights. He's always a monumental challenge and can't simply be stopped through physical means. His abilities to teleport and warp reality around him which makes him nearly invincible even to a being like Superman. The only way to stop Mr. Mxyzptlk is to get him to say his name backwards. It seems like a difficult feat to master, but Mr. Mxyzptlk's one true weakness is his gullible personality. Superman's quick wit always trumps the 5th-dimensional being eventually, but not before he wreaks some havoc.
8 METALLO
One of Superman's most infamous villains, Metallo is a half-man/half-android that was designed as the ultimate weapon against Clark, since is his power source is Kryptonite. Usually, a robot or person isn't much for Superman to handle, but this villain has tested Clark through almost every medium the superhero has appeared in. In Superman: The Animated Series, he has nearly bested the Kryptonian on more than one occasion. He appeared in the back half of Smallville played by Brian Austin Green, who blamed Superman (known at the time as the Red-Blue Blur) for his sister's death.
Metallo is a relentless force against the Man of Steel, and his power has grown further through supernatural means. He sold his soul to the demon Neron to increase his power. It gave him the ability to take control and absorb any metal or mechanical object and turn it into an extension of his exoskeleton in a way similar to Cyborg Superman. In Salvation Run, Metallo showcased a mind that can process tons of information, allowing him to play out scenarios before committing to a decision. He's also gotten very close to taking out the Man of Steel in Batman/Superman: Public Enemies, shooting Superman in the chest with a kryptonite bullet!
7 BIZARRO
Bizarro made his debut in Superboy #68 as a mirror image of Superman. The original Bizarro is different from the one we've come to know and love, though. The Modern Age Bizarro is the one that most fans are accustomed to seeing. Originally Bizarro was a duplicate of General Zod experimented on with a "duplicate ray" by Professor Dalton, which is much different from his Modern Age origin where Lex Luthor tasked himself with making a clone of the Man of Steel. The idea remained the same between both Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis Bizarros, a less than perfect duplicate of Superman.
In the Post-Crisis version, Luthor actually decides to scrap his Superman clone after he miscalculated that the Man of Steel was a meta-human rather than an alien from another planet. Bizarro survives with limited intelligence and some of Clark's memories, which drives him to try to become Superman. He even kidnaps Lois Lane at one point due to the lingering memories that aren't his. This Bizarro was destroyed, but that doesn't stop other Bizarro clones from popping up through Superman's career. He has also had the chance to play the anti-hero as seen in DC Rebirth's Red Hood and the Outlaws, which shows him as a highly intelligent, albeit somewhat duplicitous double.
6 DOOMSDAY
When Doomsday debuted in Superman: The Man of Steel #17, no one realized this creature would commit one of the most incredibly devastating moments in all of DC Comics history. He was the being who would kill the Man of Steel in a showdown that would have the two exchange blows until they both dropped, seemingly dead. No one thought that anything or anyone would not only pose a serious challenge to the Man of Steel, but could ultimately beat the Kryptonian in such a simple, though brutal beatdown.
This Kryptonian creature is one of the few characters that have actually overpowered and killed Superman with its brute strength. One of the more interesting characteristics of Doomsday is that when he is killed, he eventually comes back and can no longer be killed that way. His body evolves to accommodate to whatever weakness was exploited in the time of his death. Of course, that was why he was designed: to become the ultimate survivor in a harsh universe. Unfortunately, he isn't the most nuanced or interesting character, though he did have a cinematic debut in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which left fans a little sour. Then again, it wasn't just Doomsday's fault that that particular DCEU film is so derided.
5 ZOD
Clark Kent has always struggled to come to terms with his dual identity as a Kryptonian and a citizen of Earth. Zod has only made this struggle harder as he is meant to be Superman's antithesis. Zod was created in 1961 by Robert Bernstein and George Papp, and has since come to represent what the Man of Steel could be without the devotion of his adoptive, earth-born parents and the ideals they raised him to uphold. That fascinating dichotomy of character is why the villain has become so popular throughout various media, be it in Richard Donner's Superman or Zack Snyder's Man of Steel.
As a villain, Zod has always managed to test Clark both physically and emotionally. He has Clark's super strength, heat vision, flight, super speed, all of the hits! However, he lacks any of the compassion that makes Clark the paragon of the good and just. Zod usually is trying to impose his brute strength to gain control over the Earth, which Superman protects; sure, he might be trying to "make earth better," but he does it at the cost of imposing his own idea of control through tyranny. As such, in terms of strength, he is Superman's equal (or sometimes better, given his military training, which allows him to better focus that strength in combat) but his exact opposite on the moral spectrum. As such, that makes him a very dangerous foe, indeed.
4 DARKSEID
The tyrant of Apokolips isn't just a terrifying villain for Superman, but one that has afflicted atrocities all across the DC Universe. He was created by Jack Kirby along with all the other New Gods like Big Barda and Mister Miracle as a part of his Fourth World creations. Not many people realize this, but Darkseid actually made his debut in a Jimmy Olsen comic called Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 before Kirby started making stories for his other Fourth World characters. While Darkseid and Superman have fought countless times, the lord of Apokolips continues to be a perpetual source of anguish for the Man of Steel.
Darkseid's main drive is to take over the entire universe, but in order to do this he must find the anti-life equation. This equation will render anyone who hears it to become completely subservient to his will as it removes any of their free will once it is seen or heard. He accomplished this feat in the Grant Morrison epic Final Crisis, when he took over the earth and made its population and heroes slaves to his will. He also proved his sheer power and indomitable will during Geoff Johns' Darkseid War, in the New 52's inaugural Justice League story... and really, whenever he shows up.
3 BRAINIAC
Brainiac is one of the most dangerous threats to interstellar civilizations. His entire purpose is to roam the universe and capture cities to put into his collection, ostensibly to "protect" them. It is an odd practice that Brainiac brought to Superman's homeworld of Krypton before it blew up, shrinking and stealing the Lost City of Kandor before the Man of Steel reached Earth. His unusual nature makes for a really unnerving character that has caused Superman extreme grief throughout his life.
Brainiac is the main antagonist of the new Syfy series Krypton and has appeared in several on-screen adaptations, each one showcasing his powerful abilities. His most terrifying ability, of course, is that he is his own army, acting as a powerful and seemingly infinite hive mind that can raze and capture entire populations of worlds. But that's not to say that Brainiac can't employ a much more intimate, even surgical kind of tyranny. For example, during the Post-Crisis era, Brainiac was actually responsible for Clark Kent's father's death. Regardless of the scale, though, and whether it's in a game of wits or a battle of fists, Brainiac has consistently made Superman's life hell with his limitless, emotionless power.
2 BATMAN
Wait? Batman's on the list? But he's Superman's greatest ally! He's even a part of the Trinity in DC alongside Wonder Woman and the Man of Steel, himself. Yes, of course Batman has always been one of Superman's closest friends and assets in whatever universal fight they find themselves embroiled within, but they've had their fair share of throw-downs. Comic book fans have long been trying to answer the question of who would win in a fight, Batman or Superman. It's a widely discussed debate which is why it's on the list. They have stirred up some serious trouble for each other or just tried to inhibit the other from stopping some villain's plan (after being mind-controlled somehow).
This has happened countless times through DC Comics history. The reason writers love to create narratives where they duke it out is because of the fan interest in seeing who would win: Brain or Brawn? That's not to say that Clark is stupid, it's just that somehow the Dark Knight has outsmarted the Man of Steel way too many times. He even almost killed Clark in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, thankfully saved by... their mothers having the same name (everyone's still scratching their heads about it). Either way, Batman has become virtually unstoppable and there's no sign that the two won't be fighting again soon.
1 LEX LUTHOR
Of course, the mad, oft-bald genius was going to make this list! Lex Luthor is Superman's arch-nemesis for a reason, after all. He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, making his debut appearance in Action Comics #43 all the way back in 1930. His history with Superman through comics, television, and movies has made him almost as iconic as the Last Son of Krypton. Regardless of his origins or how he is depicted in TV or comics or movies, he remains Superman's biggest threat -- the ultimate human with endless resources and a swelling well of hate that is just as limitless.
Luthor is Superman's ultimate enemy because he poses a philosophical question that neither Zod nor any other villain on this list can. What if Superman is foolish for his blind faith in and hope for humanity? Lex Luthor is the one example that proves that humans sometimes are not worth saving. He's a sadistic, cutthroat businessman who only cares about himself. His ego has taken him very far in his career, but he is almost completely devoid of the morality that defines who Superman is, and thereby, the Man of Steel's idea of what humanity can be. Of course, because of his success, he also represents what Mankind can achieve. Unfortunately, his spite and jealousy combines with that potential to make him Superman's greatest threat.