Why Superman Has The Worst Villains In Comics

DC’s Superman has a varied batch of supervillains, but his villains are unfortunately the worst in comics – especially when compared to the rogues galleries of other heroes. Most superheroes have their major villains organized around a central theme, and while Superman’s collection of criminals does indeed have an organization principle, the principle has very little to do with their characterization. This is the fundamental flaw of Superman’s many villains, and writers have only made small steps to change it.

The villains of Batman all suffer from mental health issues; the Riddler’s compulsion to leave riddles at the scene of his crimes is a compulsion he cannot control, Two-Face has Dissociative Identity Disorder (commonly called a “split personality), and the Joker is a psychopath with shades of narcissism and a near-complete lack of self-preservation. Spider-Man’s enemies are almost all victims of science experiments who later take on the properties and/or characteristics of animals, but they also have a theme of using their powers irresponsibly – and when confronted, they usually show a sympathetic side, or at least have a strong desire to reform and change their ways.

But Superman villains have a more esoteric theme: 50s and 60s B-movie plots. This makes sense considering the massive popularity of Superman during the Silver Age and the era of speculative science fiction. Giant robots, aliens from other worlds, mad scientists and extradimensional creatures populated the pages of Superman comics and film screens alike. Brainiac, Zod, Metallo, and even Mister Mxyzptlk originate from that era – but they have only a shared place of origin and not a characteristic or personality.

Many of Superman’s villains are unsympathetic; Brainiac is an android with whom modern audiences cannot empathize and Mxyzptlk is a 5th-dimensional trickster-esque creature. Out of the many Superman villains, there is a reason why Lex Luthor and General Zod keep reappearing in Superman media (especially in the films, reboot after reboot): they’re the most human. Luthor especially was allowed to change from a simple mad scientist into a power-hungry corrupt corporate executive in the 80s (a move which arguably saved the character from stagnation).

Unfortunately, aside from Zod and Luthor, the rest of Superman’s villains are simply too inspired by the past to be used in the present. Superman has one foot firmly planted in the Golden Age of the 40s, and another in the Silver Age of the 50s and 60s. That’s part of Superman’s appeal – his overly-optimistic outlook in the face of a depressing present – but that appeal doesn’t necessarily extend to his villains.