Strongest Superman Villains:
Superman is the world’s strongest superhero. He can move mountains. He can push planets. He can drag an entire solar system from one corner of the universe to another. Superman is rightfully called the Man of Steel. He is a God. And to fight such a godlike being, villains of an entirely different class need to be there. For every light, there is a shadow. Where there is Superman, similarly there are villains that have the guts and the mettle to match up to his power. The villains on this list are not like a make-up wearing serial killer/psychopath or a man in a yellow suit. They are actually living weapons of mass destruction. Presenting – 11 Strongest Superman Villains – Ranked according to power level!!
11. Parasite
Parasite is one of the most difficult villains to defeat for Superman. The guy is an energy sponge. He can absorb literally any form of energy and make himself stronger and more durable. He can absorb kinetic energy from punches and bullets, heat energy and solar energy and even electrical energy. There is no limit to Parasite’s energy absorption. And that creates a problem for Superman, a hero who always likes to punch his way through. Moreover, Parasite is also capable of absorbing memories with a single touch. The moment he touched Lois Lane, he knew Superman is actually Clark Kent.
10. Mister Mxyzptlk
He is a villain whose powers are just as confusing as his name. Mister Mxyzptlk is a being who hails from the Fifth Dimension, a place where technology has advanced so much that it is completely indistinguishable from magic. The pronunciation of Mister Mxyzptlk has changed over the years but his powers are as limitless as ever. Mister Mxyzptlk has reality-altering powers. He can literally do anything he wants to and Superman – the God of Superheroes, is powerless against him. But for a being hailing from an advanced dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk surely is very dumb. He has been tricked into saying his name backward many times (saying his name backward teleports him back to his own dimension) and/or has been forced to leave the Earth after a parameter set by him is met.
9. Metallo
A good for nothing con artist met with a fatal accident and was on his deathbed. Then a scientist by the name of Emmett Vale decided to do an experiment on him. Using Corben’s near lifeless body, Vale created his own version of a Frankenstein. Corben was now a walking metal frame powered by a pure Kryptonite source. When Vale commanded him to go and kill Superman, Corben killed Vale instead (thereby completing the Frankenstein arc) and went rogue. Now calling himself Metallo, Corben provided his services to the highest bidder and has been a constant thorn at Superman’s side.
8. Ultraman
Ultraman is the answer to the question – What if Superman was destined to be evil? UItraman is actually from Earth – 3, an alternate reality Earth where the universal dynamics work a little differently. As opposed to the standard good triumphs over evil, in Earth 3, Evil is always the victor. As a result, most of the superheroes of our Earth are actually Super Villains in there and the Super Villains of our Earth are the good guys there. Ultraman is the leader of the Crime Syndicate of America, Earth 3’s Justice League counterpart and is immensely powerful. Unlike Superman, het gains his powers from Kryptonite (depending on the colour, the power varies) and is weakened under a Yellow Sun.
7. Bizarro
Bizarro is actually an experiment gone wrong. When Superman’s DNA was stolen for creating a clone, the process was only half complete when Bizarro broke through the incubation tube. As he is an incomplete version of Superman, his mental acumen is that of a ten year old child and he is the polar opposite of Superman in more ways than one. Apart from having Freeze Vision and Fire Breath as opposed to Superman’s Heat Vision and Freeze Breath, Bizarro’s powers are totally upside down of that of Superman. He also talks and thinks in polar opposite ways. When he thinks he is being the good guy, he is actually being evil. But Bizarro is not actually evil by nature. Almost always, his decreased mental capacity leads him to being taken advantage of by others who manipulate him into doing their bidding.
6. Cyborg Superman
Cyborg Superman came into the picture right after Superman died fighting Doomsday in ‘The Death of Superman’ issue. Cyborg Superman was actually an astronaut called Hank Henshaw whose space ship was hit by a deadly solar flare that killed all his crew and lethally crippled his body. Henshaw would then transfer his consciousness into a machine and later resurface as Cyborg Superman, masquerading as the real Superman and tarnishing his image. Henshaw believes that the Solar Flare that killed his crew, which his wife was also a part of, was caused due to Superman’s actions (and there is a reason to believe that it is true).
5. General Zod
Zod was the military leader of the Kryptonian Empire before its eventual destruction. Zod is a man who has spent his life honing and mastering his body and senses. Since he is a Kryptonian, he has the same powers as Superman under a yellow sun. But his military background makes him an even greater threat. It took a lifetime for Superman to get a grip of his powers but it took only a few days for General Zod to get control over his. Moreover, he is well versed in deadly Kryptonian martial arts techniques and is a brilliant tactician. Most of the times Zod is seen trying to rebuild Krypton out of the ashes of Earth or just trying to destroy the planet to get back at the Man of Steel.
4. Darkseid
He is not exactly a villain to be featured in Superman’s Rogues’ Gallery. But he has faced off against the Man of Steel so many times that we had to include him in the list. Darkseid is a New God and the King of Apokolips, the DC Universe’s greatest inter-galactic empire. He is also DC’s God of Evil. Singlehandedly, he has defeated the entire Justice League on several occasions. But the most resistance he has faced is from one single superhero that wears a red cape and brandishes the S Symbol on his chest. Darkseid is the wielder of the Omega Effect, deadly rays coming out of his eyes that never miss their target and always kill the enemy, no matter how big or how small.
3. Brainiac
Brainiac was an A.I that used to be the caretaker of Krypton. It was later revealed that Brainiac was the reason Krypton was destroyed. He had kept data revealing the rising instability of Krypton’s core hidden from everyone. Brainiac’s sole purpose is to gain knowledge. He will go to extreme lengths to ensure that he fulfils his purpose. He bottled the entire city of Kandor in a palm sized bubble just so he could study the Kryptonians. He once created an artificial planet from scratch to defeat Superman. His superior intelligence has always proved more than a match for the Man of Steel.
2. Doomsday
Doomsday has done what no other Superman villain before him could – Kill Superman. Doomsday was the result of an experiment by a Kryptonian scientist to create a life-form that was impervious to death. He did that by constantly killing the test subject, resurrecting him and making him immune to dying the way he did the previous time, and repeating the process over and over again for countless number of times. Doomsday cannot die and has the strength and durability to rival that of Superman. He is what you would call the Grim Reaper of Kryptonians.
1. Lex Luthor
We finally come to a man who has no powers. He does not have impenetrable skin nor can he fly or shoot energy beams out of his eyes. He does not have super strength nor does he possess martial arts prowess. Lex Luthor only has his mind, a mind so beautiful it is classified as a Class 10 level intelligence. To put matters into perspective, Brainiac 5, the Legion of Superheroes member and the descendant of Brainiac, only has Class 5 intelligence. Lex Luthor sees Superman, not as a God but a potential tyrant, the likes of which the world has never seen. He believes that Superman needs to be stopped before it is too late. He has still not been successful in doing so though so far.
