Summary
When it comes to villains in theDC Universe, no one is more notorious thanThe Joker. He is Batman’s constant nemesis, always challenging him, targeting the people that matter to him most, all in an attempt to get him to see what he calls the joke of morality.
While the Clown Prince of Crime is at the top of the list,Jokerhas plenty of competition. Many of comic books’ most fearsome foes are as twisted as him, even having their own twisted codes. Here are the worst of the worst in not justDC Comics’ Rogues Gallery, but in all comics.
V for Vendetta Vol. 1 #1
Release Date
September 1988
V is the Guy Fawkes-masked pro/antagonist of writer Alan Moore’s legendary work,V for Vendetta, published under DC’s Vertigo imprint. The story sees him fight a one-man war against a fascist England, seeking revenge on those who tortured not only himself, but also an actress imprisoned for being a lesbian.
It is hard to paint V as a villain, since he fights for what is arguably a just cause. His methods, however, would make the Joker one happy clown. He even ends up trapping teenager Evey Hammond in a fabricated prison, putting herthrough endless torture, feeding her the story of the actress, in an attempt to make her like him.
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
May 1984
The Shredder is the longtime nemesis of theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He rules New York City’s Foot Clan with an iron fist, and despisesthe Turtles’ Master, Splinter, who is the mutated Hamato Yoshi in some incarnations, and Yoshi’s former pet rat in others.
The Shredder has proved, through comics, movies, and other media, that he will stop at nothing to take revenge on the Turtles and their master. In the final story of Nickelodeon’s first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, he unleashes a mutant apocalypse upon the planet. If one needs further proof that Shredder is a psychotic match to the Joker, he even recruits the Joker in the animated movieBatman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1
June 1992
Victor Zsasz is a twisted serial killer, who targets his victims seemingly at random, though he has a preference for women. After each kill, he marks the tally with a cut in his own flesh.
While Joker wants Batman to see that life is a joke, Zsasz considers life a curse. He views himself as a liberator from life, seeing it as inherently meaningless. He believes killing his victims is his “gift” to them. Zsaz isparticularly sinisterin the video gameBatman: Arkham City. He calls payphones at random, tasking Batman to reach his targets within a given time limit. When Batman finally locates his hideout and takes him down, it is one of the game’s most satisfying moments.
April 1967
Wilson Fisk is one of the Marvel Universe’s largest foes, both metaphorically and physically speaking. He has crossed paths with not onlyDaredevil, but also the friendly-neighborhoodSpider-Man. What makes him a villain to be feared is that he is one of the most believable in comics, commanding a vast corporate and criminal empire, and stopping at nothing to get what he wants.
TheUltimate Spider-Mancomics iteration of Kingpin pulls a particularly devious act. Having discovered heowns the rights to Spider-Man’s name, he can profit from any merchandise with his likeness. Having Spider-Man abducted, he rubs his ownership of the name in Peter’s face. No matter how much good Peter does as Spider-Man, Kingpin still profits in the end.
Air Date
July 21, 2025
Unfortunately, Gotham City will always need a Batman. That is whereBatman Beyond’s teenager Terry McGinnis comes in. An elder Bruce Wayne sees the potential in the troubled teenager, and empathizes with the loss of his father. He takes on McGinnis as his apprentice, training him to tackle a new generation of villains.
One of these foes is school counselor Ira Billings, who takes on the villain mantle of Spellbinder. While other incarnations have appeared inBatmancomics, Billings is arguably one of the darkest incarnations. One of his schemes involves hooking youth from difficult backgrounds on a hyperrealistic and addictive virtual reality simulation, and make them commit crimes for one more fix. Even Terry’s best friend and honorary Robin, Max, falls victim, until Terry convinces her to turn away from him.
April 1964
Spider-Man has had his collection of colorful villains, but the one who has caused him arguably the most trouble is the Green Goblin. He was born when CEO Norman Osborne of Oscorp experimented on himself, creating a Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll called the Green Goblin.
Just as the Joker did to Batman, the Green Goblin has targetedthose whom Spider-Man cares for the most. His greatest victory over Spider-Man came when he threw his unconscious girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, from the top of a bridge. Spider-Man attempts to save her, only to find that the sudden pull from his webbing snapped her neck, killing her.
June 1971
Ra’s al Ghul is the head of the League of Assassins, a global terrorist group that seeks to purge the world of corruption. In Christopher Nolan’sBatmanfilm trilogy, it is known as The League of Shadows, and al Ghul is played by Liam Neeson. Thanks to the Lazarus Pit, al Ghul hasrejuvenated his body many times, allowing him to live to see several centuries. While he and Batman are foes, al Ghul respects the Caped Crusader as a worthy opponent, giving him the nickname “Detective.”
At first glance, al Ghul’s and Batman’s goals may align. However, he is a twisted fun house mirror of Batman without his moral code. He believes the only way to purge the world of corruption is to terminate it with extreme prejudice. The Joker may be a maniac, but at least he knows it.
September 1993
The bad girl Harley Quinn first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, and has experienced a new surge in popularity thanks to theSuicide Squadfilms. She is also set to appear in the video gameSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Harleen Quinzel was an intern psychologist at Arkham Asylum. It was there that she met the Joker, who, over numerous sessions, manipulated her into falling in love with her. She eventually breaks Joker out of prison asher villain persona.
Harleen is, at least on paper, a perfect match for the Joker. InThe New Batman Adventuresepisode, Mad Love, she says herself that she is attracted to “extreme personalities,” finding them more exciting and challenging. She is even a manipulator herself, having seduced a College professor to give her a passing grade inThe Batman Adventuresone-shot, “Mad Love.” In reality, though, Joker is abusive, and Harley can’t seem to break free from his spell. More recently in the comic books, Harley has broken off from him, and is living a life of crime on her own terms.
