9 DC Heroes Who Became Villains That You Might Not Know About

Founded in 1934 under the name National Allied Publications, DC Comics has reached its 90th anniversary with the energy of a teenager and continues to be home to some of the world's most iconic characters. With names like Batman and Superman in its portfolio, it has proven time and time again that it can create unforgettable classics that remain relevant decades after their original publication.

While the company has specialized in telling stories of heroism, it has also turned some of its main symbols of justice into villains. Whether in alternative stories or official arcs, many of its main heroes have shown moments of weakness in which they “switched sides”.

We've scoured DC's extensive catalog and selected a few examples of some of its key figures who have already stepped on the wrong side of the law. While most of them have returned to their origins, some of them continue to have a “little foot” in darker places that do not match those who claim to fight crime.

9 DC Heroes Who Became Villains That You Might Not Know About

Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern

Hal Jordan assumed the identity of Parallax for a few yearsSource: Disclosure/DC Comics

Considered by many to be the greatest Green Lantern in history, Hal Jordan eventually succumbed to his dark side. Reprimanded for using the power of his ring for personal gain, he goes to the planet Oa and mercilessly kills most of the Guardians and his fellow officers.

Soon after, he takes on the name Parallax, growing gray hair in the process, before being killed in a major battle. Years later, DC revealed that the hero had been possessed by the yellow impurity that lived in the great battery that gives rise to the Green Lanterns' powers and revived the hero in a remarkable way in the early 2000s.

Jason Todd, the second Robin

The revived Jason Todd has become a popular characterSource: Disclosure/DC Comics

After the first Robin became Nightwing and began having adventures with the Teen Titans, Batman returned to being a darker and more violent figure. To give the character a new look, DC Comics had him choose a new sidekick in the form of the rebellious Jason Todd — who was not well received and, after a fan vote, ended up being killed by the Joker.

Years later, Batman's former sidekick has been revived in a complex and bizarre plot that involved an alternate version of Superboy punching reality. As Red Hood, he started out as a villain who killed Gotham's criminals and nearly exterminated his mentor. Currently, he continues to have a more rebellious side and is treated as an antihero within the publisher's universe.

Superboy

Superboy-Prime was an unexpected result of the Crisis on Infinite EarthsSource: Disclosure/DC Comics

When Crisis on Infinite Earths was published in 1985, it was created with the goal of simplifying the publisher's stories and placing its main characters in the same universe. This process, which was reversed years later, also generated the version of Superboy known as Superboy-Prime.

One of the few survivors of Earth-Prime, he was trapped in limbo after the conversion of realities, observing them from afar while revolting against his fate. This caused him to transform into a major villain capable of altering reality (which helped revive Jason Todd) whose most dangerous characteristic is the belief that he is doing good.

Aquaman

Aquaman could be quite fearsome in the hands of the right writer.Source: Disclosure/DC Comics

A figure ridiculed by some DC fans, Aquaman can become a very powerful and fearsome figure in the hands of the right writer. Proof of this happened in the Flashpoint arc, in which the hero grew up among the population of Atlantis and never had any coexistence or sympathy for humanity.

Romantically involved with Wonder Woman, he declares war on the surface dwellers and kills more than 60 million people in Eastern Europe. Even as he died, he assured himself that he had a plan ready that would ensure the end of most life forms that did not inhabit the oceans.

Wonder Woman

Also in Flashpoint, Wonder Woman demonstrated her ability to be a cruel warrior who doesn't care much for humanity. As the Queen of Themyscira, she has a love affair with Aquaman and, when confronted by Mera about it, she doesn't think twice before killing the queen of the seas.

To make matters even more complicated, she publicly wears the former monarch's crown, showing that she has no regrets for her actions. She and her Amazons are also responsible for killing millions of ordinary humans and, in the final battle, the character also ends the life of Billy Batson, Captain Thunder's alter ego.

Batman

The Batman Who Laughs is the scariest transformation of a heroSource: Disclosure/DC Comics

Several of the Justice League stories show that Batman, despite having no powers, could be the most deadly villain of all time. After all, using his intelligence and resources, he created contingency plans to stop — or kill — all of his teammates if that were ever necessary.

In the story The Batman Who Laughs, He demonstrates this potential when he is injected with a Joker toxin that drives him insane.. With great intelligence, superhuman strength and great sadism, he exterminated his teammates and made Superman and Supergirl go crazy and kill their families with their own hands.

Green Arrow

Green Arrow is not seen as a great hero at the moment.Source: Disclosure/DC Comics

One of the most recent transformations happened to Oliver Queen, who, with his anarchic ways, has already clashed with many of his colleagues. Seeing that many of his Justice League companions underestimate humanity, he decided to join forces with Amanda Weller, a government agent linked to the Suicide Squad.

With the hero's help, she managed to infiltrate the group's bases and communication channels, whose members ended up being persecuted and imprisoned. Although the character cannot exactly be considered a villain, he is not exactly seen in a positive light by the other fighters for justice.

Martian Manhunter

Martian Manhunter becomes a fearsome villain after losing his fear of fireSource: Disclosure/DC Comics

The alien known as the Martian Manhunter has always had powers comparable to Superman, but he had the potential to be even more fearsome than him. With super strength, telepathic abilities and the ability to modify his body, the character's only major weakness was his fear of fire.

The moment he managed to overcome this limitation, he also ended up releasing the hidden personality known as Fernus. Brutal, sadistic and practically invincible, he managed to defeat the Justice League several times, even destroying a large part of the planet by triggering several atomic bombs.

Superman

While multiple evil versions of Superman exist in parallel dimensions, the best known of which is that the Injustice star. The story, which became a game and an animation, shows how a “bad day” in the hero’s life was enough to transform him into a tyrant who uses his immense powers to impose order based on fear.

The character begins to follow a dark path after accidentally killing Lois Lane, who was pregnant with his child — and letting the city of Metropolis explode shortly after. The main resistance to the villain is Batman, who gathers an army of superheroes and supervillains to try to return some normality to the world.

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