10 Justice Leaguers Who Turned Into Villains, Ranked

The Justice League is the leading superhero team in the DC Multiverse, consistently pushing the boundaries of what teams can achieve. For all of its existence, the League has protected the entire multiverse, requiring it to assemble the most capable heroes. Joining the Justice League is a significant honor, reserved for those heroes considered the most reliable. Given the immense responsibility – and access to the world’s most powerful technology – League members are generally known for their strong moral compass. However, even the most trusted heroes can sometimes face difficult choices.

Fans have seen several stories where members of the Justice League become villains. These transformations happen in a few ways – sometimes it’s in alternate realities where different life events lead them down a dark path, and other times it’s core members of the main Justice League turning evil. Here are ten examples of Justice League members who became villains, causing harm to their teams.

10) Batman

Over the years, Batman has sometimes been portrayed as the antagonist in Justice League storylines. He frequently bends or breaks his own rules, and his relationships with other heroes are often tense and dangerous. The most famous example is the “Tower of Babel” story, where his deception made him a key opposing force. However, across different versions of the DC universe, there have been several instances where Batman has turned against the League. This isn’t unusual for his character; he’s known for operating outside the established rules, which has repeatedly put him at odds with his teammates.

9) Hawkman

Hawkman is known as DC’s fiercest warrior, but he’s also a very complex character. This complexity leads to the story of how he once became a villain. The core of Hawkman’s story is that he’s reborn throughout time and space, trying to atone for the lives he took in a past life. This means there can be multiple versions of Hawkman existing at the same time, like Sky Tyrant, who is currently the Hawkman of Earth-3. When the villainous Batman Who Laughs broke free after the events of *Dark Knights: Metal*, he used a special Joker toxin to turn Hawkman into the Sky Tyrant of the main DC universe. Hawkman operated as Sky Tyrant for a period before eventually being restored to his normal self.

8) Lex Luthor

It might seem surprising, but Lex Luthor actually joined the Justice League in the New 52 comics after the “Forever Evil” storyline. He fought alongside them against Darkseid during “The Darkseid War,” and briefly took on the role of Superman in Metropolis after the New 52 Superman’s death – though he remained a member of the League. Later, he teamed up with the original, post-Crisis Superman to fight evil, even working together on Apokolips. For a time, Lex even became a powerful, Darkseid-like figure, but ultimately returned to being a villain.

7) Green Arrow

Green Arrow is known for being outspoken and passionate about his progressive beliefs, which can cause friction with those who disagree with him. While he’s clashed with teammates like Hawkman, he’s rarely been a true villain, even in different versions of the story. Recently, after returning as Green Arrow, Ollie tried to reunite his former team. To do this, he reluctantly partnered with Amanda Waller, assisting her in a plan targeting other heroes. Although he followed her orders, he was secretly aiding the League and ultimately betrayed Waller in the storyline *Absolute Power*.

6) Orion

The situation with Orion is complicated. While he wasn’t a traditional villain in Tom King and Mitch Gerads’s *Mister Miracle*, he became a key adversary. Considering his history as a Justice League member (from Grant Morrison’s *JLA* run), it’s fair to say he always had the potential for conflict. After Highfather’s death, Orion became the ruler of New Genesis and continued the war against Apokolips. He constantly sent Mister Miracle and Big Barda into dangerous fights, because he needed Mister Miracle – the other potential heir to Highfather – to die in order to maintain his power. Ultimately, Mister Miracle was accused of treason for disobeying Orion, which would have made him appear guilty to the other New Gods. In the end, Mister Miracle and Barda killed Orion, effectively ending his control of the war.

5) Aquaman

DC Comics’ history is known for being complex, with several major restarts over time. The story *Flashpoint* introduced an alternate reality where Barry Allen never became the Flash. In this world, the Justice League didn’t exist as we know it, but many of its members became villains – including Aquaman. Aquaman and Wonder Woman had a romantic relationship that ended badly, sparking a devastating war between Atlantis and the Amazons. This conflict threatened to destroy the entire planet, with Aquaman’s forces committing widespread slaughter. Later, in *Flashpoint Beyond*, Aquaman held Wonder Woman captive, but ultimately died when Batman rescued her.

4) Wonder Woman

Like Batman, Wonder Woman has frequently clashed with her Justice League teammates and been portrayed as a villain in various storylines. For example, in the *Flashpoint* storyline, her conflict with the Atlanteans escalated into a conquest of Europe and a threat to the world. Leading up to *Infinite Crisis*, her actions against Maxwell Lord were seen as villainous by her fellow League members. More recently, in *Dark Knights of Steel*, she led forces against Superman, positioning her as an antagonist and unpredictable factor in the ensuing war. Because she’s willing to take extreme measures as a hero, Wonder Woman is often cast as the villain in comic book arcs.

3) Maxwell Lord

Maxwell Lord is infamous for betraying the Justice League. While he initially funded the team after the *Crisis on Infinite Earths* event, his motives were far more malicious. He was secretly working for the organization Checkmate, monitoring the League and compiling files on metahumans. Eventually, he became Checkmate’s leader, known as the Black King, and used the organization’s satellite system, Brother Eye, to control the metahuman population. Lord was responsible for the death of Blue Beetle II and attempted to manipulate Superman into killing Batman. Wonder Woman killed him, but he has since been resurrected and continues to oppose the heroes, sometimes working alone and sometimes alongside Amanda Waller.

2) Superman

Stories featuring an evil Superman have become somewhat predictable, but they still appear frequently. While Superman is generally seen as a symbol of hope, he’s been portrayed as a villain on numerous occasions. The most famous examples are probably the ‘Injustice’ comics and games, where the Joker’s murder of Lois Lane caused Superman to become a tyrannical ruler, sparking a conflict among superpowered individuals. Beyond that, many alternate universe tales explore Superman as a villain, using his powers against those he usually allies with. There are also stories where Superman is controlled against his will, like in ‘Sacrifice,’ where Wonder Woman was forced to kill the entity controlling him, Lord.

1) Hal Jordan

Okay, so Hal Jordan’s story is *intense*. Becoming Parallax really messed him up. After Coast City was destroyed, he became obsessed with bringing it back, and that drove him to grab insane amounts of power. It went way too far – he actually wiped out the entire Green Lantern Corps! That led to a huge fight with the new Lantern, Kyle Rayner. Then, things got *really* weird. Hal disappeared and teamed up with this being called Extant, and they started messing with alternate timelines, trying to create a perfect reality where his friends were happy. Eventually, he made the ultimate sacrifice, rebuilding the sun and even bringing Green Arrow back to life! But that wasn’t the end – he became the Spectre, and somehow, that all led to *him* being resurrected, along with the entire Green Lantern Corps. It’s a wild ride, honestly – a total superhero soap opera!

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2025-09-26 22:46