The world of DC Comics is populated by thousands of interesting and eccentric heroes and villains, ranging from Batman and Superman to Lex Luthor and the Joker. While these stories often follow superheroes clashing with their usual enemies, the introductions of villains have made for some all-time great stories. Ranging from whimsical Silver Age introductions to gritty, horror-themed origins in the Bronze Age, seeing a fresh foe for the first time is a great way to reel in readers.
DC’s villains are every bit as iconic as the heroes, with characters like Joker, Luthor, Darkseid and Brainiac being practically synonymous with the comics industry itself. In many of these characters’ first tales, they were instantly established as worthy enemies to the heroes, with some even defeating their enemies in their breakout issues. Even today, introducing a new bad guy is a great way to get readers to show up, and these stories show why.
10 Man-Bat
Detective Comics #400 (Frank Robbins, Neal Adams and Dick Giordano)
In Detective Comics #400, Man-Bat makes his debut, beginning as the scientist, Kirk Langstrom. Obsessed with his genetic experiments on bats, Langstrom hopes to harness their sonar abilities. The man’s experiments on himself lead to a horrifying transformation, turning him into the monstrous Man-Bat.
“Challenge of the Man-Bat” isn’t just a great character introduction, it’s also one of DC’s best origin stories, exploring a Jekyll and Hyde-style character arc for Kirk Langstrom. The story is a great example of how the company — especially in the stories of Batman — has adapted classic literature to fit the world of superheroes and villains, delivering a monstrous inversion of the Dark Knight.
9 Hugo Strange
Detective Comics #36 (Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
Hugo Strange continues to be Batman’s most underrated and under-used villain, despite actually being the character’s first conventional super villain. First appearing in Detective Comics #36, Strange is defined by his warped vision of science, using technology and intellect against Batman. This is shown in his debut story, where he uses an elaborate, synthetic fog to shroud people’s vision, allowing him to rob banks from under their noses.
Hugo Strange’s debut is fairly reflective of the first wave of Golden Age super villains, depicting the classic evil genius who uses his mind, not muscle, to gain an edge over the hero. In his first appearance, the villain achieves something few ordinary foes can today, when he manages to overpower the Dark Knight in a fight. Swearing revenge after being locked up, the villain has since become the face of unchecked scientific ambition and abuse in Gotham.
8 Gorilla Grodd
Flash #106 (John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella)
Flash has one of the most extensive, creative rogues’ galleries in comics, and few of his villains are as iconic as Gorilla Grodd. Making his first appearance in Flash #106, the gorilla is introduced as an intelligent supervillain who has acquired the power of mind control. After confronting his rival, Solovar, he sets off for Gorilla City, which he means to conquer — thereby setting up his future motivations.
Gorilla Grodd’s first appearance is only a short story, but it sets up some key pieces of DC lore, from Grodd’s telepathic abilities to Gorilla City. Virtually everything a reader could want to know about Grodd can be found in this 12-page debut, proving it to be a great introduction — even if the villain didn’t look his best in the story.
7 Arcane
Swamp Thing #2 (Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson)
During the original Swamp Thing series, Alec Holland is transformed into the moss-encrusted monster he’s been ever since. After taking revenge on the men who murdered his wife, the antihero is transported across the ocean to the castle of Anton Arcane in Eastern Europe. A frail man of ailing health, Arcane desires the monstrous body to preserve his own life, attempting a Faustian bargain with Holland.
Arcane’s debut in Swamp Thing #2 doesn’t just give the hero his best villain, it also shows the series’ commitment to honoring the age of Universal Monsters. Whether it is the “evil scientist” persona given to the villain or his monstrous creations, the story gives readers plenty of creepy, creature feature horror.
6 Parallax
Green Lantern #50 (Ron Marz, Bill Willingham, Robert Campanella and Romeo Tanghal) and Green Lantern Rebirth (Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver)
Green Lantern’s enemy Parallax is an interesting case among villains’ first appearances, since he technically has two. The original idea behind Parallax was simply a name given to Hal Jordan after he turns evil, following the destruction of Coast City. Having siphoned off the energy of the Green Lantern Corps, he becomes almost a god, later perishing in The Final Night when he saves the world.
The first true appearance of the villain now known as Parallax came in Green Lantern Rebirth, where it is established that Hal has been under the control of the manifestation of fear all along. The miniseries was designed to redeem the heroic Lantern, and absolve him of his actions during the “Emerald Twilight” story. This retcon has gone down as one of the best in DC history, making the creation of Parallax all the more significant since it renewed the Green Lantern series for over a decade.
5 KGBeast
Batman #417-420 (Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo)
KGBeast may be one of Batman’s more obscure villains — and has since transitioned to Nightwing’s rogues’ gallery — but he actually boasts one of the best debut stories in DC history. In “Ten Nights of the Beast,” the villain is revealed to be a rogue KGB super-assassin, as he targets Ronald Reagan for assassination. Working alongside GCPD and the Secret Service, Batman lays a trap to bring down the killer, one that casts the hero in one of his most daring missions yet.
“Ten Nights of the Beast” feels as much like an ’80s action movie as a Batman comic, following the Caped Crusader’s battle with the assassin to save President Reagan. The villain’s unrelenting nature almost compromises Bruce Wayne’s commitment to his rule against killing, with the hero surmising his only choice is to seal the rogue Russian underground.
4 Deathstroke
New Teen Titans #2 (Marv Wolfman and George Perez)
After departing Gotham and his time as Robin, Dick Grayson joined the Teen Titans, which soon became one of the hottest, most energetic comic series of the ’80s. In their second issue, the heroes are targeted by Deathstroke the Terminator, who is introduced as a capable, professional mercenary from the jump. The story begins with a mysterious group, HIVE (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination), placing a contract on the Titans’ heads — and Deathstroke answering the call.
Deathstroke’s debut hands the Teen Titans one of their greatest adversaries, immediately establishing him as an experienced killer who can get the drop on the heroes. The comic is a classic ’80s action tale, with Slade going all out to terminate his targets — and the Titans fighting like hell to stay alive.
3 Darkseid
New Gods #1 (Jack Kirby)
Darkseid was created by Jack Kirby to represent a manifestation of evil in the DCU. As the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips, the villain fought his way to the top of the planet’s hierarchy, where he established himself as its dictator. Dedicated to finding the Anti-Life Equation to conquer free will and defeat Highfather and the forces of New Genesis, the villain is the evil force that looms over the entire DCU.
Darkseid’s first cameo appearance was technically in an issue of Forever People, but his full debut in the New Gods series does a much better job of explaining his threat. As Orion makes his way to Earth to try and prevent his tyrannical father from succeeding, readers are introduced to an intelligent supervillain — something that has been lost from the character as the years have progressed. That said, the entire Kirby run on the character should be taken as the saga that it is, which allows Darkseid’s threat to grow as the story continues.
2 Bane
Vengeance of Bane #1 (Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan)
Created by Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan to be the perfect match for Batman, Bane made his debut in his own graphic novel, Vengeance of Bane. The story follows his incarceration in the Pena Duro prison on Santa Prisca, where he’s experimented on by scientists who want to test their Venom super serum. As he trains his body and mind to become a one-man army, he meets his companions, such as Trogg and Bird, and plans his escape — targeting Batman when he breaks free.
Vengeance of Bane reads like a perfect three-act story, beginning with the villain’s origin in Pena Duro, climaxing with his escape from the prison and concluding with his defeat at the hands of Batman. The story is a perfect prelude to the “Knightfall” event, exploring Bane’s motivations, demonstrating his strength and showcasing his intelligence as a strategist. In that sense, the issue does everything an origin story and first appearance should.
1 Joker
Batman #1 (Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
While Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, it wasn’t until Batman #1 that the hero’s universe was truly born. The anthology comic explores a few key DC villains, also introducing Catwoman, but the most important story comes from Joker’s debut. Here, readers are introduced to a methodical killer clown as he targets Gotham’s elite, staging a series of elaborate heists of their riches — and killing them in the process.
Joker’s first story immediately establishes him as more than just another crook, as he even confronts some of the city’s mobsters in a direct shootout, later kidnapping Robin. The Clown Prince of Crime’s first story reads more like a gritty, harrowing Dirty Harry story than a superhero adventure. The story is actually retold to great effect in Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke’s The Man Who Laughs graphic novel. The long shadow that this story casts over the entire Batman mythos firmly cements its place as the best villain debut in DC Comics history.
