Over the past three years, the CW has taken the fledgling superhero show based on DC Comics very own hero Supergirl from CBS, and transformed it into a veritable treasure trove of superhero goodness. From socially relevant storytelling that highlights our society’s real world struggles to classic characters making their live-action debut, Supergirl has become a fan favorite on the network.
One of the things that makes Supergirl unique, (as it does for the Arrowverse as a whole), are the amazing villains on the show. Here are the top ten Supergirl villains ever to be featured on the show.
10 Maxwell Lord
One of the first human adversaries Supergirl ever faces in her first season has to be the recurring villain Maxwell Lord. A CEO of Lord Technologies, the scientist and business tycoon harbors a serious distrust of government officials and becomes obsessed with exposing Supergirl’s identity for the majority of the season.
He ends up creating a Bizarro version of Supergirl at one point in the show, but is subsequently captured and then released when he helps release Supergirl from the alien plant known as Black Mercy. Played by Peter Facinelli, the villain hasn’t appeared since the superhero show moved networks.
9 Astra In-Ze
Astra is one of the first major powered villains Supergirl faces, as well as one of the most personal villains she faces in her first season. Astra is the sister of Kara’s Kryptonian mother and her aunt, who seeks revenge against Kara’s mother for imprisoning her in the alien prison Fort Rozz.
Gaining the powers of all Kryptonians on Earth, she attempts to take over the planet, but falls short after Kara’s human sister Alex ends her as a threat. Astra also worked with her villainous husband Non to create a mind control program known as Myriad to enslave humans.
8 Morgan Edge
If fans are looking for that classic nefarious villain who is always hatching crooked schemes and hoping to outsmart the heroes at every turn with his wit or political greed, then Morgan Edge.
Played by Heroes alum Adrian Pasdar, Morgan Edge is a greedy businessman with deep ties into National City, who uses various schemes to undermine Lena Luthor and her company, as well as make Supergirl look bad at every turn. He nearly meets his end at the hands of Season 3 villain Reign, but somehow survives when Supergirl arrives and takes the brunt of Reigns very dangerous attack.
7 Rhea
This next villain was played by longtime actor in the Superman live-action mythos, Teri Hatcher. Hatcher, who starred in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Smallville, joined the cast of Supergirl as the leader of Daxam, Rhea, also known as Mon-El’s mother.
Traveling to Earth to bring her wayward son home, she tricks Lena Luthor into building a transporter machine to bring her armada to Earth to conquer the planet. When confronted by her husband, she takes him out coldheartedly, then she fights Supergirl until she is finally defeated in battle, and succumbs to lead poisoning.
6 Indigo
One of the first powerful foes after Astra that Supergirl faced has to be Indigo. Otherwise known as Brainiac-8, the villain was a prisoner at Fort Rozz and was responsible for tethering Supergirl’s escape pod from Krypton to Fort Rozz to begin with.
After being defeated once, Indigo was reanimated by Non, who goes on to face J’onn J’onzz in battle during Non’s attempted invasion and is subsequently defeated. Played by the former Supergirl of Smallville, (Laura Vandervoort), Indigo represents one of the first deep dive villains that the show used for its main season arc, and truly formidable.
5 Agent Liberty
Ben Lockwood, aka Agent Liberty, has to be one of the most unique villains the show has introduced. Played by the fantastic actor Sam Witwer, Lockwood is a former professor turned anti-alien activist who leads a group of human supremacist group known as the Children of Liberty.
Using his natural charisma as a speaker, he gains the confidence and admiration of many like-minded humans who fear and hate aliens, and even manages to secure a spot in the White House during season four. What makes him such a major threat is his ability to sway and mislead people.
4 Non
Astra’s husband and former Kryptonian scientist and military leader Non was season one’s main antagonist going into the finale. After losing Astra to Alex, Non plots his revenge, using Indigo to unleash the Myriad program and take over the Earth. With all of Supergirl’s powers, the most unique thing about him is that he represents everything Kara isn’t.
With a nefarious and ruthless nature, Non masks his villainous nature and acts with the promises for a “better Krypton” that Astra believed in, but he was not the faithful husband she thought. He had previously had a secret romance with Indigo.
3 Manchester Black
One of the more sympathetic yet equally villainous roles fans saw in season 4 had to be Manchester Black. A ruthless fighter who takes no prisoners, he didn’t become a villain until after the untimely passing of his alien empath love interest, Fiona, at the hands of Otis and Mercy.
After her passing, he goes on a warpath, becoming a villain so that he could get revenge against the Children of Liberty, and goes head to head in battle often with Supergirl and the Martian Manhunter, despite their previous friendly relationship. His villainous turn is similar to that of Lockwood.
2 Lex Luthor
Probably the most iconic villain from the Superman comics who made his way into the Supergirl saga has to be Lex Luthor. Played on the show by Jon Cryer, Lex Luthor is the longtime Superman foe, billionaire genius and mad scientist who uses his genius intellect to create machines and weapons to take down the Man of Steel and any alien foes.
Believing aliens like Supergirl don’t belong on Earth and that man (namely himself), should be the superior beings of the world, he orchestrates the season four threats like the Children of Liberty and Red Daughter, a dangerous foe.
1 Reign
Much like Doomsday is Superman’s greatest threat, Reign in season three proved to be the most powerful threat Supergirl would ever face. A Kryptonian weapon and being housed inside the body of Kara and Lena’s friend Samantha, she single-minded weapon uses her brute strength and Kryptonian like abilities to nearly destroy the Girl of Steel.
Acting almost like a demonic entity possessing Samantha, (played incredibly by Odette Annable), Reign leads her sisters Pestilence and Purity on a campaign to destroy and rule Earth as the weapon known as the Worldkiller. Reigns raw power and abilities make her truly dangerous.