One of Superman’s most personal villains recently appeared in Action Comics as Conduit made his shocking return. Conduit never quite reached the iconic status shared by some of Superman’s other memorable villains. However, his close connection to Clark Kent’s past in Smallville has set him up to potentially become one of the Man of Steel’s greatest enemies.

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Superman’s rogues’ gallery is filled with iconic villains who have made a name for themselves in the larger DC universe as well. These unforgettable villains have earned their reputation through continued attacks against Superman, his city, and his loved ones. The new Superman Jon Kent has also been challenged by a few of his father’s villains, further highlighting their lasting status.

10 Livewire Evolved Past Her Origins On The Animated Series To Become A Memorable Superman Villain

Livewire using her electrical abilities

There have been a few DC characters that made their debut in other mediums. Jimmy Olsen first appeared in a radio serial while Harley Quinn made her debut in Batman: The Animated Series. The popular villain Livewire first appeared on Superman: The Animated Series in the ‘90s before she made her eventual debut in the comics.

Leslie Willis was a shock radio DJ who used her platform to attack Superman’s heroism in Metropolis. When she was fired, Willis attempted to sabotage the radio station but was hit by lightning instead. Her body was super-charged with electrical energy, activating her latent meta-gene. She was transformed into a powerful energy being with a grudge against the Man of Steel.

9 Mister Mxyzptlk Is A Magical Imp From The Fifth Dimension Who Plays Reality-Altering Games With Superman

Mister Mxyzptlk tugging on Superman's cape in DC Comics

The magical imp from the Fifth Dimension known as Mister Mxyzptlk has one of the most unusual names in Superman’s rogues’ gallery. This made it even more difficult for Superman to banish the character from his reality. One thing Superman fans need to know about Mister Mxyzptlk is that the only way to defeat him was to trick the imp into saying or spelling his own name backward.

Mister Mxyzptlk became fascinated with Superman and his world. He would appear in Metropolis every 90 days to toy with the Man of Steel. Mxy's magical reality-altering powers made him a dangerous threat to Superman. While he hasn’t been seen much outside of the comics, Mister Mxyzptlk still earned his place as one of the most unique members of Superman’s rogues’ gallery.

8 A Few Different Versions Of The Parasite Have Appeared Who Can Absorb The Incredible Powers Of Superman

The Parasite feeding on Superman

There were a few different characters who were transformed into energy-sucking versions of Parasite over the years. One of the most iconic was Rudy Jones, a janitor at S.T.A.R. Labs who was transformed after he was exposed to radioactive waste. The Parasite was able to absorb the life energy of other beings to sustain himself.

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He soon discovered that he was also able to absorb the powers and abilities of characters like Superman. This made Parasite incredibly deadly to Superman as he craved his Kryptonian energy. The Parasite was also a danger to the world around him when he gained the powerful abilities of the Man of Steel.

7 John Corben Was Transformed Into A Kryptonite-Powered Cyborg Named Metallo To Combat The Man Of Steel

John Corben is DC's Metallo

Radioactive fragments of Superman’s home world known as Kryptonite have proven to be one of the few things that can weaken and potentially kill the Man of Steel. The villain known as Metallo was able to capitalize on this weakness thanks to his Kryptonite heart, which powered his powerful cyborg body.

John Corben was a corrupt reporter who was fatally injured in an accident. He was saved by a scientist who transformed him against his will into a cyborg powered by Kryptonite. As Metallo, hedeveloped a long-standing rivalry with Superman, who fought back against the Kryptonite and won.

6 Bizarro Is A Failed Clone Of Superman With Devastating Altered Powers And A Backwards Intelligence

Bizarro coming out of the flames

There have been a few different versions of Bizarro that have appeared in the DC Universe’s ever-changing continuity. The first version of Bizarro was a failed clone of Superman who was created by Lex Luthor to take down the Man of Steel. The cloning process resulted in a reversed genetic structure that flipped his abilities and mentality.

Bizarro spoke in backward English and his powers also reflected the reversed nature of the character. Bizarro’s drive to help others often left them injured, and he shocked Superman with reversed Flame Breath and Arctic Vision abilities. Something even diehard Superman fans don't know about Bizarro is that a Bizarroverse exists with other Bizarro-versions of DC characters.

5 General Zod Was A Militaristic Villain On Krypton Who Appeared On Earth After Escaping The Phantom Zone

General Zod from the DC universe

While Superman is often considered the Last Son of Krypton, he isn’t the only Kryptonian who survived Krypton’s destruction. General Zod was a Kryptonian warrior and criminal who was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone along with his closest followers. When they were finally able to escape from the Phantom Zone, they gained the same incredible powers as Superman.

General Zod's Kryptonian abilities, advanced military training and ruthlessness made him Superman’s deadly opposite. He also appeared outside the comics in live-action adaptations as well. Zod has recently abandoned his criminal behavior to rebuild Krypton with his family. However, he still holds an iconic place among Superman’s enemies.

4 Brainiac Is A Brilliant Alien Bonded With An Artificial Intelligence Who Shrinks And Bottles Alien Worlds

Brainiac and his miniaturized cities

Superman has made quite a few deadly enemies on Earth, though he has also met some villains from the stars just like him. Vril Dox was a brilliant scientist from Colu who merged with an advanced artificial intelligence known as C.O.M.P.U.T.O. They became a new being that was known as Brainiac.

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Brainiac was dedicated to learning and preserving the complete knowledge of the universe. He miniaturized cities like Kandor from Krypton to preserve in bottles before destroying those civilizations. Brainiac has endangered Superman and the world on numerous occasions, though his threat has also spread to the multiverse in events like Convergence.

3 Darkseid Is One Of The Few Villains Who Can Actually Provide Superman With A Physical Challenge

Darkseid from the Superman comics.

The New God known as Darkseid is the ruler of Apokolips and one of the most powerful beings in the DC universe. His invasion of Earth in the New 52 continuity led to the creation of the Justice League, though he has threatened Earth across multiple continuities While Darkseid is an enemy of many different heroes, he has a unique rivalry with Superman.

The Man of Steel is one of the few characters who can stand up to the New God's physical strength as well as all of Darkseid's powers. Darkseid has struck personal blows at his Kryptonian enemy over the years including briefly corrupting his cousin Supergirl into an Apokoliptian warrior.

2 Doomsday Is Well-Known By Fans Of Comics And Movies As The Powerful Monster Who Killed Superman

An image of the Superman villain Doomsday.

“The Death of Superman” is one of the character’s most iconic and well-known comic storylines. It even received international attention in the news when it was first released. The Man of Steel faced his most powerful threat ever when he first encountered the monster known only as Doomsday.

Their powerful battle nearly leveled Metropolis until they delivered fatal blows to each other. Doomsday’s origins were eventually revealed as a genetically-engineered Kryptonian who was bred to be the ultimate killing machine. Fans of the live-action Superman were also introduced to Doomsday in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

1 Lex Luthor Has Remained Superman’s Greatest Enemy But Has Threatened The Justice League As Well

Lex Luthor running for U.S. president, standing in front of the American flag in DC Comics

One of Superman’s earliest villains was the evil scientist known as Luthor, who was further developed into the evil corporate genius Lex Luthor. When Superman first arrived in Metropolis, Lex Luthor considered it a personal attack on his control of the city. His hatred of the Man of Steel only deepened due to his xenophobia once he learned of Superman’s alien heritage.

While he doesn’t have any powers, his evil mind has still helped plan some of the worst things Lex Luthor has ever done. He’s created powerful battle armors and worked with other villains like Darkseid to further his ongoing battle against the Kryptonian. Luthor even achieved a new status in the DC Universe as the Martian-enhanced Apex Lex when he threatened all of reality.