5 DC Comics Villains Who Need to Make a Major Return in 2026

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Now that 2025 has passed, let’s look ahead at what’s coming for DC Comics. With shows like DC K.O. currently airing and DC Next Level on the way, it’s an exciting time. One thing I’ve really enjoyed lately is the focus on introducing new villains to challenge DC’s heroes. It’s tough to create villains who feel as impactful as the classic ones, but the DC Universe always benefits from fresh, new threats.

I often find myself drawn to classic villains like the Riddler and Reverse-Flash. However, some newer villains have caught my attention recently, even if they didn’t all become hugely popular. It’s a shame when a villain with a lot of promise gets overlooked. I think initiatives like Next Level are a perfect opportunity to revisit at least five of these underrated villains in 2026 and give them another chance.

5. The Sinister Sons

Korg and Lor-Zod, the sons of Sinestro and General Zod, teamed up in a short-lived comic series called Sinister Sons in early 2024. The series, which only lasted six issues, followed the rocky beginnings of their friendship – starting with Korg stealing Lor-Zod’s spaceship! Though they made a brief appearance in Green Lantern, the characters haven’t been used much since. With a potential Super Sons reunion unlikely, it would be great to see this mischievous duo get another chance.

4. Doom-Mite

Fans are familiar with incredibly powerful fifth-dimensional imps like Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. However, Doom-Mite comes from the even more powerful Sixth Dimension, and he almost conquered the entire DC Universe a long time ago (as shown in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest). I really enjoyed Doom-Mite as a villain, but unfortunately, he hasn’t been used in stories since his initial appearance. He’s powerful enough to be the central villain of a major event, and given that Mark Waid often sets up future storylines, I’m hoping he has plans for this character.

3. Flatline

It was compelling to see Damian Wayne develop a relationship with someone as intense as Flatline – their first meeting was literally a life-or-death situation! While she played a significant role in a Robin storyline a few years ago, she hasn’t been around much since. She did make a brief appearance last year, but they’ve been largely separated ever since. This is especially strange considering Flatline is now connected to the spirit of Ra’s al Ghul following the events of Lazarus Planet. Hopefully, she’ll reappear soon to resolve that ongoing plot thread.

2. Punchline

It’s strange that Punchline seems to have disappeared from DC Comics. She was a prominent part of the Joker’s stories and even had her own miniseries not long ago, but I haven’t seen her appear in any new comics recently. Considering how often DC still features the Joker, it’s surprising. I’m hoping we’ll see more of Punchline next year – she’s a character with a lot of interesting possibilities.

1. Olgrun

Olgrun is a strange character to include, considering we’ve never actually seen him. He’s an ancient god who lost his mind after his daughter died, and the only way to contain him was to split him into seven separate parts, called Aspects. These Aspects have appeared in various DC Comics titles like Action Comics, Green Lantern: War Journal, and Adventures of Superman: Book of El. While we haven’t seen Olgrun’s full power unleashed in the DC Universe yet, with one of Superman’s enemies now trying to bring the Aspects back together, it looks like next year will be a major one for this troubled god.

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2026-01-07 00:15