The Justice League’s First 7 Villains, Ranked by Power

by

The Justice League is DC Comics’ leading team of superheroes. They’re known as the ultimate defense against all kinds of villains, from every possible universe. Whether facing relatively minor threats like T.O. Morrow, or universe-level dangers like Perpetua, the League has always prevailed. This success has earned them a reputation as the most powerful heroes, but it makes you wonder how they first built that legendary status.

To truly determine if the Justice League has always been the most powerful superhero team, we need to look back at their earliest battles. We’re going to examine the first seven villains they faced and rank them by their strength. This will finally answer the question of whether the League truly earned their reputation as the best, or if they were always deserving of the title. Let’s get started with the ranking!

7) Saturna

First appeared in Justice League of America (1960) #2.

Saturna is a planet that used to be a powerful war machine, once teaming up with the Troll King and Simon Magus in a plan to conquer Earth by swapping its location with a magical realm. Despite his history of planetary conquests, Saturna now relies more on his reputation and personal charm than actual power. While he can lead a large army, he used to rely on magical creatures and his own limited magical abilities. Ultimately, Saturna isn’t very dangerous on his own, making him the weakest of the group.

6) Troll King

First appeared in Justice League of America (1960) #2.

The Troll King started as Saturna’s equal, but later became known as her strong enforcer. As you’d expect from a troll, he was huge, possessed his own magical abilities, and led an army of both gigantic and tiny soldiers equipped with machine guns. Despite his size and army, Wonder Woman defeated him with a single hit. While losing to Wonder Woman isn’t a huge disgrace, other characters on this list are much more durable and powerful.

5) Simon Magus

First appeared in Justice League of America (1960) #2.

Simon Magus, the last of the Sinister Sorcerers, was arguably the most powerful. His magical abilities surpassed those of his fellow sorcerers, and he’s demonstrated power comparable to Merlin, a truly great wizard. He was able to challenge Batman, Superman, and Aquaman for a significant time. While not as strong as villains like Klarion or Sebastian Faust, Simon has enough magical skill to pose a serious threat to even the World’s Finest, though he likely couldn’t defeat the entire Justice League.

4) Xotar the Weapons Master

First appeared in Brave and the Bold (1955) #29. 

Okay, so Xotar is this guy from way, way in the future – like, 11,960 AD! He found Wonder Woman’s old journal and got it in his head that he was supposed to take down the entire Justice League. He came back in time loaded with crazy futuristic weapons, and basically put the League through a series of tests. But his biggest creation? The Ilaric. This massive robot suit was seriously powerful – it actually went toe-to-toe with almost the entire League at once! It battled the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all simultaneously. It took Superman showing up to finally stop it, but honestly, that Ilaric was a force to be reckoned with and deserves a ton of respect!

3) Amazo

First appeared in Brave and the Bold (1955) #30. 

Professor Ivo originally built Amazo, an android, to capture the Justice League and create a life-extending potion. Amazo was designed to copy the powers of each League member. Early versions could only use one power at a time, but later Amazos could combine abilities, making him a powerful, one-person version of the entire Justice League. Combining the speed of the Flash, the constructs of Green Lantern, and the strength of Superman makes Amazo incredibly dangerous – and he’s consistently been a major threat throughout his existence.

2) Despero

First appeared in Justice League of America (1960) #1.

As a huge fan of DC comics and seeing some truly epic battles, I’ve always felt Despero is seriously underestimated. He’s a terrifying villain! His mental powers are incredible – honestly, they’re right up there with Martian Manhunter’s, and he’s actually managed to control the entire Justice League at one point! It’s not just a simple trick either; even heroes with the strongest willpower, like Green Lantern, fall under his control. But it’s not just his mind control – physically, he’s a beast. He can take hits from both Superman and Wonder Woman simultaneously and barely flinch. What’s really scary is he can actually change his body, making himself even stronger fueled by his intense hatred for the League. Seriously, spite is practically his superpower. It always takes the full might of the entire League working together to finally defeat him, and even then it’s a struggle.

1) Starro the Conquerer

First appeared in Brave and the Bold (1955) #28. 

Starro, the giant starfish, is famous for being the villain who first brought the Justice League together, and he’s still considered one of their most dangerous foes. This creature can grow to incredible sizes – hundreds or even thousands of feet across – and can quickly heal from injuries. But his real power comes from the tiny drones he launches, which can take control of people’s minds. Starro can essentially turn an entire planet’s population into his personal army. The only way to break his control is to defeat Starro himself, a task that becomes increasingly difficult as he grows stronger. He was the first comic book villain to pose a threat to the entire planet, and remains a major challenge for the League.

https://comicbook.com/comics/list/10-physically-strongest-members-of-the-justice-league-ranked/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-25 22:16