The world of DC Comics and all of its related universes is filled with iconic villains. Some are street-level threats who'd rather focus their energies on small-scale crimes against the likes of Batman. Others are world-ending threats, villains who warrant a response from the mighty Justice League. While the DC films haven't always been box office hits in the same way as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise has featured many great villains across the various films and television series. With The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths firmly connecting all the DC adaptations in a multiverse, there have been some incredibly powerful foes the DC heroes have needed to face off against.

Update November 28, 2023: This article has been updated with even more villains that have changed the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe.

What makes a good villain? Is it the costume? The motivation? Some villains are just as everlasting in the minds of fans as their heroic counterparts. The villains make the actions of the hero worthwhile. What would be the point of our favorite comic book heroes if their villainous foils did not exist? But some baddies fly high above the rest. Some pose threats that require everything a hero has. These are the most powerful DC villains to be or soon-to-be adapted into live-action.

15 Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy Batwoman
Warner Bros. Television

A surprising addition to some, but one of Batman's oldest rogues is also one of the most powerful villains in existence. Dr. Pamela Isley was a brilliant botanist who knew everything there is about planet life. She managed to work her way up to a position researching plants at Wayne Enterprises but was fired after suggesting using plant-based chemicals to develop brainwashing drugs. As she was being escorted out by security, she spilled chemicals all over herself from her newest assignment, and Poison Ivy was born.

These new powers gave her a connection to the Green, an elemental force in the universe that connects all plant life together. With her newfound ability to control all plant life and seduce people to lure them in, Ivy becomes an instant threat to Gotham City. What sets her apart from other villains is that she isn't a criminal in the traditional bank-robbing or revenge sense, as Ivy is an eco-terrorist. She works to protect plant life, and helps them rule the planet that has mistreated them for so long. Ivy's powers can grow to an immense scale, as she's also famous for her poisonous touch to quickly kill anyone that gets in her way.

Most infamously, Poison Ivy appears in the movie Batman & Robin, but she's not the most powerful adaption. The Arrowverse had their take on the character in Batwoman, introducing her as a more dangerous and destructive version of the character. After being experimented on, Pamela was forever changed as she gained plant-based abilities along with a destabilized mind. The full force of her power has best been displayed in the popular animated series Harley Quinn.

14 Sabbac

Sabbac Black Adam
Warner Bros.

With only one live-action appearance in Black Adam, Sabbac immediately shook up the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. He didn't always start out that way, though, as Sabbac started out as Ishmael Gregor, a leader in the militant group Intergang. Gregor's whole plan was to find the Crown of Sabbac and die holding it, transporting him to the Rock of Finality in Hell. It was there that a group of demons revived him as their champion with the goal of unleashing Hell on Earth.

This new form was immensely powerful, with near invulnerability from even some of the strongest weapons in the universe. He even managed to kill Doctor Fate, one of the strongest heroes in the DC Universe. Wtih a litany of other destructive abilities and an army of the undead by his side, Sabbac was inches away from achieving his goal before being ripped in half by Black Adam.

13 Parallax

Parallax from Green Lantern
Warner Bros. Pictures

Don't let the 2011 Green Lantern film fool you: Parallax is not just an angry cloud, and is one of the most powerful beings in the entire DC universe. As the living embodiment of all fear in the universe given power from the electromagnetic spectrum itself, Parallax is the end-all-be-all weakness of the Green Lantern Corps. He's so powerful that the Guardians of the Universe had him locked away for centuries, unable to corrupt those with his fear.

When he's released and out there in the universe though, he's able to corrupt even the most fearless of Lanterns, and at one point even possessed Hal Jordan himself. Parallax has even struck fear into the hearts of characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Spectre. The only way to stop him is to truly be fearless, which is hard to do in the face of an all-powerful being like him.

12 Doctor Destiny

David Thewlis as Doctor Destiny in The Sandman
Warner Bros.
Netflix

Two distinct versions of the Justice League villain Doctor Destiny have been adapted for live-action. The first was on the Arrowverse crossover Elseworlds, played by Jeremy Davies, who rewrote reality with the book of Destiny. Yet the more powerful one is John Dee, played by David Thewlis on the Netflix series The Sandman.

John Dee possesses the Dreamstone, which protects him and also can manipulate and take control of others. The season's fifth episode, "24/7", truly shows how psychologically and physically disturbing Doctor Destiny's powers can be and make him.

The Sandman takes place in a world removed from superheroes, but it is worth noting the only one who is able to stand against John Dee is Dream the Endless. This showcases just exactly how powerful the villain is and makes one wonder how the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman would fare against this sinister foe.

11 The Reverse-Flash

The Flash: Reverse Flash Revealed in Full Costume!
Warner Bros. Television

The primary villain on The CW series The Flash and one season of Legends of Tomorrow, the Reverse-Flash is one of the most sinister threats in the DC Universe. A scientist named Eboard Thawne from the future travels back in time to ruin Barry Allen's life while also making him The Flash and beginning their epic conflict. The combined ability to move at super speed, travel in time to alter history, and vibrate his molecules to put his hand through a person's heart makes The Reverse-Flash one of the deadliest villains in the DC multiverse.

10 Mr. Mxyzptlk

Mr Mxyzptlk Supergirl
Warner Bros. Television

An imp from the fifth dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk is a constant thorn in the side of anyone he's around. Regarding his powers, it's hard to find someone stronger than him. He's practically omnipotent and capable of rewriting reality itself, able to manipulate anything around him. Adding on flight, teleportation, and immortality, Mxy becomes a god in a sense. More often than not, he's not doing anything inherently evil, just hounding Superman for his own amusement as he dishes out life lessons through his trickster ways. The only way he's able to be stopped is when someone manages to trick him into saying his own name backward, which is no tall task.

Mr. Mxyzptlk has been adapted in live-action a few times, from the short-lived Superboy series to Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, but his most notable appearance is a reoccurring role in the CW's Supergirl show. Still a mischievous imp from the 5th dimension, only this version of Mxy has a more human appearance and is madly in love with Supergirl herself. After she defeats him, he would eventually returns being "court-ordered" to use his powers for good and help those he's wronged in the past, offering Supergirl a chance to come to terms with life as the two grew into friends. He's by far the most powerful live-action version and could be a threat to the multiverse itself if he wasn't so petty and obsessive.

9 Ares

David Thewlis in Wonder Woman
Warner Bros. 

Wonder Woman has faced a plethora of unique villains, but none as powerful as Ares, and it was fitting for him to be the main villain in her solo film. This is the second time David Thewlis appears on this list, giving him the distinction of playing two of DC's most powerful villains. Ares pretends to be an ally named Sir Patrick until his villainous reveal in the third act as God of War and Wonder Woman's half-brother.

Related: Best David Thewlis Performances, Ranked

Ares is revealed not only as a god of war but a god of truth and has parallels to the biblical Lucifer (he whispers in humanity's ears, wears a horned helmet, and turns against his father who is a creator god). Ares' powers in Wonder Woman are shown to be impressive, yet most notable is the fact that his long-term goal wins out. While World War I came to an end, it spiraled into a series of global conflicts that span for the next decade that humanity is still facing. Wonder Woman won the fight, but in the long term, Ares' impact is still felt.

It is also worth noting how powerful Ares is that he was able to defeat a young Uxas, who will go on to become the DC big bad Darkseid. Ares easily stands as one of the most powerful threats in the DC Universe.

8 General Zod

general zod man of steel michael shannon
Warner Bros.

Man of Steel introduced a more dynamic version of Superman — one whose otherworldly super strength could finally be visualized on the big screen in a way that was only truly seen in animated form. This Superman required a nemesis that could take a punch and fight back with a ferocity unlike any villain seen before. That villain was General Zod. The Man of Steel's version of Zod was a Kryptonian general hellbent on restoring his home world.

Zack Snyder's depiction of General Zod demonstrated just how epic modern superhero films could be. His fight with Superman across the destroyed cityscape of Metropolis remains a standout piece of superhero cinematography. Despite the controversy surrounding the massive destruction between the two battling Kryptonians, it was still a sight to behold to watch them battle it out. Zod recently made an appearance in the 2023 film The Flash.

7 Steppenwolf

5 Justice League Clips Feature Steppenwolf Battle
Warner Bros.

It takes a serious threat to bring the entire Justice League together. Steppenwolf was that serious threat. Their first adaptation onscreen found the Justice League fighting the powerful New God, Steppenwolf. Hailing from the hellish planet Apokolips, the villain arrived at Earth to recover the powerful Motherboxes but ended up having to face Batman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman. Despite the combined forces of the heroes, Steppenwolf was able to hold his own until the resurrection of Superman.

Of course, there were two different versions of Steppenwolf on screen. The first was Joss Whedon's theatrical version of the character, a much-maligned version due to questionable CGI and a lack of a compelling backstory. Despite his flaws, this depiction was still a capable villain that was able to hold his own against a pantheon of DC heroes. Zack Snyder's finished version, however, was a juggernaut. He thrashed the Amazonians in spectacular fashion and was frightening as he rampaged through the likes of the Atlanteans and the Justice League until meeting his end. Snyder's version also had a deeper backstory, which fans learned as he set out to complete his mission.

6 Brainiac

brainiac krypton

It is a well-known secret that Brainiac was considered the villain of choice for the proposed Man of Steel 2. Though Brainiac is one of Superman's most iconic villains, this would have been the very first time he was adapted to the live-action medium. With that being the case, it would be a no-brainer for him to eventually be included in the arc of Gunn's Superman somewhere down the line. He has already been adapted to the Syfy series Krypton and was a major threat in the DC Animated Universe.

Related: The Flash: Is the DCEU Officially Reset?

The Collector of Worlds possesses an army of clones, superhuman calculation skills, and an unimaginable wealth of knowledge in technology. This gives people the misconception that he is not a physical threat, but that is completely false. Physically, he is rather durable and has psionic powers. He was even able to nearly defeat Superman in a true fight in the comics, and any DC fan knows that is not a feat to scoff at. Brainiac is arguably just as strong, or even stronger, and likely would have won their fight if Superman wasn't so adaptable. It is unknown if James Gunn has any plans to feature Brainiac at this level, but a faithful adaptation to the comics would showcase every aspect of his great strength.

5 Starro

Starro in the Suicide Squad
Warner Bros.

Starro is one of DC's most iconic villains and made his feature film debut in The Suicide Squad. In the comics, Starro was the first villain that the Justice League ever faced, so that shows just how important the one-eyed alien starfish can be. An alien conqueror, he has the ability to reproduce smaller copies of himself to take control of the host they attach themselves to, all of which makes Starro bigger. The massive alien conqueror is both a physically destructive and psychologically destructive foe, one able to control an entire planet and kill anyone he takes control of.

4 Trigon

trigon-justice-league-vs-teen-titans
Warner Bros.

Trigon is the father of the Teen Titan Raven and has been a major threat to the team across countless media, including the animated Teen Titans television series and the Max series Titans. Trigon is one of the most powerful figures in all of DC, a ruler of a dark dimension that, for all intents and purposes, is hell. Trigon is a powerful threat that is not to be trifled with, and his status as the Teen Titans' main villain shows how the team is worthy of standing side by side with the Justice League.

3 Doomsday

Doomsday Isn't the Biggest Threat in Batman v Superman
Warner Bros.

Doomsday is a powerful villain notable for killing Superman, and his role in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice was to do just that as the story adapted the famous Death of Superman storyline. While Steppenwolf was the villain that the Justice League united against, it could be argued that Doomsday was far more powerful, as the creature kept evolving while fighting Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Had Superman not stabbed him with the Kryptonite spear, Doomsday may not have been stopped, and one wonders if even the assistance of Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg would have done anything.

2 Darkseid

Darkseid
Warner Bros. Pictures

Darkseid was originally intended to be the primary villain of Zack Snyder's planned Justice League trilogy and was the villain Steppenwolf was working for. Darkseid is often considered one of the most powerful villains in the DC Universe and is a force of evil so powerful he tends to be treated as the final threat in other media, from the DC Animated Universe to the final season of Smallville.

Related: Explaining Darkseid’s Story in Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Darkseid's role in the DC Universe was certainly cut down due to Warner Bros. cutting down Justice League, yet the full scope of his power could certainly be felt in the few scenes hinted at in Zack Synder's Justice League. Darkseid would not only kill Aquaman and Wonder Woman but would also corrupt Superman and take over the planet Earth. With only a few scenes, there is no doubt Darkseid is one of the most powerful threats out there.

1 The Anti-Monitor

Anti-Monitor
WB Television

The most powerful DC villain was not in a feature film but instead in the CW series. The Anti-Monitor was the primary villain of the miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths that united the heroes of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman, along with many other DC heroes. The Anti-Monitor and his anti-matter waved passed a threat to not just one universe but every universe in the DC Multiverse and were able to destroy the home worlds of various other DC projects, including Titans, Birds of Prey, and the Adam West Batman series just to name a few.

The Anti-Monitor is one of the most powerful DC villains in the comics, so it was only fitting for him to be such a powerful threat when he made his way to live-action. Rumors circulated that before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, Warner Bros. was planning a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie, and one wonders how powerful the Anti-Monitor could have been shown with a big screen budget.