No matter where you stand on the DC versus Marvel debate, you’ve got to admit that both entertainment behemoths have created uber popular franchises that have withstood the test of time. Even the most casual fan can name at least a few from both companies, even if they don’t always match the right superhero to the right company.
To keep up with Marvel and its cinematic empire, DC has also invested in a cinematic universe. bringing together the most iconic of their superheroes that make up the Justice League. While the reception of the movies has been mixed, the characters’ visibility has skyrocketed, to say the least. Many of these beloved characters are undoubtedly heroes fighting the good fight, but ardent fans have taken it upon themselves to reimagine them as supervillains instead.
Even a cursory Google search will reveal a vast array of fan works, with fan fiction and fan art so diverse it’ll make your head spin. Fan artists from all across the Internet have given DC’s most iconic superheroes a more sinister twist. Some even offer up cross-over versions, combining elements of DC’s comic universe with other popular franchises like Marvel and Star Wars.
There aren’t really any spoilers in the following list, except for the animated Teen Titans TV show that aired on Cartoon Network and the tie-in movie. So unless you’re super new to DC Comics and want to approach everything with a clean slate, you can proceed without fear of spoilers.
Here are 20 DC Superheroes Reimagined As Crazy Supervillains.
20 Shazam
If you couldn’t tell from the giant billboards and endless pre-roll ads, Shazam—played by Zachary Levi—burst onto the silver screen recently. The actor is perhaps best known for voicing Flynn Rider aka Eugene from Disney’s Tangled, but he’s trading in his cartoon smolder for Shazam’s lightning. He also made appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Fandral before making the leap to the DCEU
This first live-action version of Shazam since 1941 has been praised for its lighter tone, but fan artist iMizuri has a more menacing take on the superhero. The piece isn’t specifically an evil version of Shazam, but with the intense glare and foreboding clouds in the background, you really shouldn’t mess with this dude.
19 Superman
Perhaps one of the most iconic superheroes in pop culture is Superman, who’s pretty much the golden boy of golden boys. He’s been instilled with a strong sense of morality and righteousness by his human foster parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, so it may be hard to picture him as anything but a good guy.
The Man of Steel has many superpowers, including the ability to project beams from his eyes. But in this piece by Haining-art, his glowing red eyes actually make him look a lot more imposing. Although this isn’t explicitly a supervillain version of Superman, he does seem reminiscent of earlier versions of him, a ruthless vigilante with a more flexible moral code.
18 Supergirl
Not to be outdone by Clark Kent, Supergirl is here to prove that girls can also kick major behind. Originally conceived as a female version of Superman, Kara Zor-El has become a legend in her own right and shares many of the same powers and weaknesses as her cousin. Unfortunately, that also means that if she ever turns to the bad guys, the tides will turn against the good guys’ favor for sure.
Alecyl has redesigned Supergirl’s iconic red, yellow, and blue costume, giving it a sleeker finish. After the process though, Kara now looks like she’s thoroughly fed up with the state of the world, and is about to blaze it to the ground.
17 Cyborg
To be perfectly honest, this version of Cyborg by theDURRRRIAN isn’t explicitly an evil alternate universe version either, but he does look way more menacing than he usually does, thanks to the range of colors in the piece.
This entry reimagines Cyborg in a fantasy setting, with muted colors and red accents but no blue lights, like the character’s most recognizable design in Teen Titans on Cartoon Network. And it there’s one thing multiple franchises can agree on, red and black is the designated color palette of villains. Victor keeps his metal implants in this version, so maybe he could be in a steampunk fantasy with. The drawing is part of a series of fantasy reimaginings.
16 Catwoman
Okay, so this one is in just a bit of a grey area since Catwoman has done some morally ambiguous things, to say the least. Sure, Selina Kyle’s actions are ultimately based on what’s best for her so she’s not entirely a superhero per se, but she’s also not a baddie through and through either.
Regardless, fan artist daikkenaurora has come up with this stunning mash-up of Catwoman and the Venom symbiote, a combination (Cat-Venom, as the artist has dubbed her) that’s sure to wreak havoc upon Gotham. Not only does she now have the iconic symbiote eyes and teeth, even her signature bullwhip has become a symbiote hybrid, with fangs and tongue to go with the Venom aesthetic.
15 The Flash
The Flash has gone through multiple iterations thanks to the Multiverse, and plenty of characters have taken on the mantle of this well-known speedster. In our own universe, Thomas Grant Gustin plays Barry Allen on TV while Ezra Miller dons the red and yellow suit in the DCEU. But it’s about time the world got a zombie Flash, too.
This fan art by DaPumpZombie gives us a taste of zombified Flash, complete with a fork to help him eat your brains. He’s only got one arm left and most of his flesh has fallen away, so let’s hope that his superhuman speed is gone too, or else none of us will survive the zombie apocalypse.
14 Aquaman
Like many of his superpowered pals, Aquaman is one good-looking fellow. One crafty girl scout named Charlotte even put pictures of Jason Momoa to help sell her cookies, rebranding the classic Samoa cookies as Momoa cookies. But this version of Aquaman by Kalkri doesn’t have Momoa’s good looks. Instead, he’s undead, an underwater zombie ready to take on the world with the support of his army of monstrous fish.
This zombie Aquaman hasn’t decomposed as much as zombie Flash, and he still has his classic blonde mane. But with his skull exposed and a chunk of bone missing, it’s clear that undead Aquaman is far from the wholesome lad we know and love from Super Friends.
13 Mera
Mera might be best known as Aquaman’s love interest, but she’s a powerful woman in her own right with her extensive training and water-based powers similar to Aquaman’s. She’s become even more prominent thanks to her appearances in the DCEU in both Justice League and Aquaman, portrayed by Amber Heard (in a very unfortunate red wig).
In this piece by cric, Mera’s merging with the Venom symbiote, her face and limbs gradually getting covered in that slimy symbiote. Needless to say, having the symbiote on her side would make the Queen of Atlantis even more formidable than she already is. Of course, that would also mean she’d get a voracious appetite for human flesh like Eddie Brock.
12 Batgirl
If you haven’t noticed already, zombies are immensely popular. There’s a whole film genre dedicated to the undead, so it should come as no surprise that zombified characters are also popular in fan art. Here, Batgirl has also received the undead treatment.
Mothbot has drawn Batgirl as a zombie, complete with twisted limbs and a chunk missing from her abdomen. Judging by that signature russet red hair, Barbara Gordon’s the one under the mask. While she keeps her natural hair color, she’s now a sickly shade of green. She might not be able to swing around Gotham considering the state of her decomposing body, but you’re sure to find her roaming the streets for some brains.
11 Batman
Batman is angsty, and his moodiness is definitely justified, having lost his parents at a young age. But still, it can be kind of funny to poke fun at his brooding nature, as they do in the Lego series, especially the Lego Batman Movie. So it’s only natural that zathraya would reimagine Bruce Wayne as a Sith Lord from the Star Wars universe. If anything, Bruce Wayne certainly matches the aesthetic of the Sith.
Batman gets a futuristic makeover in this piece, complete with a double-bladed lightsaber just like Darth Maul. Plus, as a Sith Lord, he’d have access to the Force, and finally join the ranks of superpowered characters. That then begs the question: What’s his Sith name? Darth Bat? Darth Bruce Pain? The Darth Knight?
10 Wonder Woman
Part of Wonder Woman’s appeal is her unwavering sense of justice and the way she sees the best in people. Despite witnessing the pains of war, she never loses her optimism and faith in humanity. But not this version of her. This iteration of Wonder Woman by HypnolordX sports glowing red eyes, the trademark of supervillains everywhere.
Maybe the much beloved Princess Diana has finally given up on the human race in this alternate universe, and joins forces with Ares, the god of war and one of Wonder Woman’s most prominent enemies. If so, humans must have done something truly unforgivable for this icon to turn her back on us. And with her superhuman abilities and array of weapons, we wouldn’t stand a chance.
9 Robin
In Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans show, Raven’s malicious father Trigon is a major antagonist and is Raven’s nemesis. At one point, he makes evil clone versions of the teen heroes, pitting them against their own clones. The only one who doesn’t get an evil doppelganger is Robin. But fan artist NickNinja02 is out to change that.
This version of evil Robin has the same black and white design and red eyes as the other clones, and presumably has all of the original Robin’s skills and abilities as well. There hasn’t been any official confirmation regarding Robin’s true identity in the series, but it’s probably Dick Grayson. So despite not having any superpowers, this evil Robin would still kick some serious behind.
8 Hawkgirl
As one of DC’s earliest female superheroes, Hawkgirl has been in the thick of the action for decades, often alongside her partner Hawkman. She swoops down on her enemies with her mace and her gravity-defying Nth metal wings. The mantle of Hawkgirl has been passed down to multiple people, much like other comic book characters. In this particular piece by JosephB222, the artist has chosen to depict Shayera Hol with a lightsaber.
The title of the drawing does say that this Shayera is a Jedi with a red lightsaber, but after over forty years, it’s hard to shake the association between red lightsabers and the Dark Side. Let’s just hope it’s really just an aesthetic choice and not a sign of another Anakin-esque betrayal.
7 Raven And Starfire
Raven and Starfire have been holding their own as part of the Teen Titans, not to be outdone by their male teammates. As the daughter of the human Arella and the interdimensional demon Trigon, Raven has considerable superpowers, including the ability to astral project and use telekinesis. Starfire, on the other hand, is a princess of Tamaran, and is able to absorb and harness the power of ultraviolet radiation. The usually channel their superpowers for the greater good, but not so much in this piece by eviliscyberdex2.
Both of their designs remain mostly the same, except for the giant mouths full of sharp fangs that now take up their faces. Well, at least the two girls are still friends.
6 Starfire And Robin
Who could ever forget that episode of the animated Teen Titans when Starfire got engaged to a literal green blob alien? And who didn’t screech when Robin and Starfire finally got together at the end of Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo? The two are obviously made for each other, so it should come as no surprise that the two are portrayed together even as supervillains.
Dawnstarset has chosen the classic villain color scheme, red and black, for this redesign. It’s a palette that Robin himself chose for his Red X persona as well. That said, Starfire’s starbolts are still green, so maybe it’s a sign that they could be persuaded to come back to the good guys.
5 Green Lantern
The name “Green Lantern” might bring up some unpleasant memories of the 2011 movie starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan. Luckily, the character – or rather, characters – still has a solid fan base thanks to the comics and TV shows. The Green Lanterns fight crime with their power rings, but fan artist HiiVolt-07 has different ideas.
We can’t find the artist’s original post, so we don’t know for sure, but this Green Lantern is probably John Stewart, DC Comic’s first Black superhero. Here, he’s merged with the Venom symbiote, which has turned his green suit purple and black. Again, having the symbiote doesn’t necessarily make someone evil, but the symbiote has made it clear that it has its own best interests in mind.
4 Raven
Raven struggles a lot with her demonic heritage and powers. Thankfully, she’s been able to fight those impulses with her resilience and the support of her friends, but in this Teen Titans and Star Wars mashup by GLAZiZ, Raven doesn’t quite see the light.
Instead of being a Jedi, Raven is now a Sith, complete with two red lightsabers. She almost always fights with her superpowers, but she’s shown herself more than competent at hand-to-hand combat as well. That means Raven would really wreak havoc with those sabers and her superpowers and the Force. Let’s hope that she’s just doing something similar to Robin and his Red X identity, infiltrating the bad guys to take them down.
3 Martian Manhunter
J’onn J’onzz, aka Martian Manhunter, is perhaps best known as one of the seven original members of the Justice League. Not only does he have power similar to Superman’s, but he also a telepath, leading the Man of Steel himself to call Martian Manhunter the most powerful being in the universe.
TimelessUnknown has reimagined this humanoid alien as a zombie. His body hasn’t decomposed quite as much as your typical zombie (maybe it’s his Green Martian genes), but he definitely looks much more intimidating than his usual self. That being said, Martian Manhunter does have the ability to shapeshift, so it could be that this undead version is just a façade to help him fight crime.
2 Big Barda
Even though she has sometimes appeared as a villain, Big Barda has fought alongside the Justice League on several occasions, having defected from the Female Fury Battalion. As a member of the New Gods, a race with godlike abilities, Big Barda is already a formidable warrior. Add to that her training under the supervillain Granny Goodness and her high-tech weaponry, and she’s one tough cookie, to say the least.
Darkness33 has created a zombie version of Big Barda, and boy does she look scary. Other undead characters retain some of their facial features, but here, Big Barda is so zombified and decomposed that she would be barely recognizable if it weren’t for her signature armor. Maybe her new undead state would render her more vulnerable to physical attacks.
1 Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a member of the Homo magi race, and is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the DC universe. She wasn’t always aware of her true abilities though, and only discovered her powers while investigating her father Giovanni Zatara’s disappearance. Mothboth has also drawn a zombie version of her, and she’s far from the charming stage magician we first meet.
For starters, her skin is a shade of classic zombie green, and half of her face is rotting off. Her top hat contains a brain. The only thing on her mind now is where to get brains (said backward, of course). Since she’s cast spells by writing them before, Zombie Zatara can probably still use her magic when her larynx decomposes completely.