From General Zod To Bizarro, Here Are The 6 Most Misunderstood Superman Villains
Superman is approaching his 90th anniversary as one of the best superheroes ever created. However, it is the Man of Steel’s wide variety of enemies that has kept the character relevant over the years, because the greatest heroes have to defeat the most powerful antagonists.
Whether it is genocidal intergalactic tyrants or twisted humans, Superman’s rogues gallery boasts of one of the most evil combinations of characters in comics history. Unfortunately, with most people only focusing on Superman’s success, the villains are often dismissed as agents of evil with little thought given to their grievance. Years of expansion have produced a wholesome picture of most of Superman’s classic villains, and these are the ones most audiences still misinterpret.
General Zod
Introduced in 1961, Dru-Zod remains one of the greatest Kryptonian threats that Superman has ever faced. Zod is always looking to conquer and have everything under his control, the crime for which he was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone in the first place. However, behind that angry face that hates everything about Superman and the House of El is a loyal general and seasoned military strategist who really loves Krypton.
General Zod’s greatest ambition is to restore Krypton to its former glory, even if it means recreating it on another planet. Zod is also interested in saving and preserving his species, which has always been in danger of extinction since the destruction of their home planet. Going around conquering other planets in the hope of minting them into Krypton is clearly the wrong way to go about it, but if Superman ever needed someone who would do anything to preserve Kryptonians, then Zod would make a great ally.
Bloodsport (Robert DuBois)
James Gunn turned Robert DuBois, a previously obscure figure, into one of the most popular antiheroes in the DC Universe with his version of the character played by Idris Elba in The Suicide Squad. Before this new appearance, DuBois was nothing more than a minor villain famous for shooting Kryptonite needles at Superman. Dubois was never a hero from the beginning, but he wasn’t a genocidal maniac either.
In the comics, Dubois flees to Canada to avoid his conscription into the Vietnam War and only starts killing people after Lex Luthor’s agents manipulate him. His struggles with mental health made him vulnerable, and Luthor took advantage of it. Otherwise, Bloodsport is just a little man who would rather hide and live out his days in peace rather than kill people, let alone take on Superman.
Bizarro
He is an imperfect clone of Superman that is more tragic than evil, as the real villains often exploit his weaknesses to use his powers for their evil ambitions. There are multiple iterations of the character in the DC Universe with differing origins, although the most popular one is Bizarro #1 — the clone created when Lex Luthor used the duplication ray on Superman, resulting in a mentally backward version of the Man of Steel.
He has no understanding of the difference between good and evil, so whatever he does under Luthor’s orders doesn’t reflect his true intentions. At his core, Bizzaro actually tries to be a hero and even help people, but in a world where he can’t fit in and with villains trying to exploit his powers, he ends up becoming the mirror image of what an evil Superman would look like.
The Eradicator
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The Eradicator is another major threat from Krypton that most fans don’t understand. The being was programmed by Kryptonian scientists to preserve and protect the planet’s DNA and ideals. While the planet was destroyed, the Eradicator’s mission wasn’t, leaving the creation to roam in space for years, finding itself on Earth, where it tries to accomplish the mission of its creators.
If Superman were on Krypton at the height of the planet’s power, he would probably embrace the Eradicator. Unfortunately, their relationship is now a constant battle between ideology and empathy. If harnessed properly, the Eradicator could equally turn into the protector of humanity and be a strong ally to Superman.
Mr. Mxyzptlk
If he becomes totally evil, Mr. Mxyzptlk could become the deadliest villain in DC Comics, since there seems to be virtually no limit to his powers. However, the stubby imp from the Fifth Dimension is really just a prankster and takes no pleasure in being evil. He sees existence as a playground. As far as the imp is concerned, his omnipotence is too boring without a being powerful enough to challenge him, hence his obsession with bugging the Man of Steel. The best version of the character is from the Silver Age, where he isn’t portrayed as dark and edgy, choosing to make fun and appear more as a curious visitor to Superman’s world.
His tricks lead to unforeseen consequences sometimes, such as when he gave his powers to the Joker, almost leading to the wiping out of all reality. Otherwise, Mxy is only out to find some fun and make friends. Despite having the power to conquer dimensions and probably destroy Superman, Mxy always sets limits for himself, allowing Superman to defeat him each time.
Silver Banshee (Siobhan McDougal)
The two versions of Silver Banshee that appear in DC Comics are both examples of innocent young girls who find themselves on the wrong side of a family curse. Siobhan McDougal’s descent into villainy only happens because her brother interrupts the traditional ritual, putting her under the control of the evil Crone. The only reason she fights Superman is that she is on a mission to find her father’s books and lift her curse.
Silver Banshee’s range of powers proves destructive to both Superman and the larger Metropolis, although she doesn’t personally intend to hurt people. Without the curse, Siobhan McDougal is just a strong woman looking to take her rightful place as the ruler of her clan, and doesn’t intend harm to Superman or anyone else, for that matter. Modern DC Comics have since completed her redemption arc, although she often still falls victim to compulsion as her powers are misused by other villains.
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