5 Forgotten Superman Villains Who Really Need a Comeback

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Great superheroes need great villains! Villains create the conflicts that allow heroes to prove themselves. While iconic heroes often have many enemies, comics frequently reuse the same few well-known villains instead of exploring the full range of characters available. For example, everyone knows Batman has the Joker, and Superman has Lex Luthor, but this reliance on a small group of baddies can be limiting.

This is particularly true when looking at Superman’s long history. Over nearly 90 years, he’s faced a huge number of villains. While a few have become recurring threats, most have faded into obscurity, which is a shame. There are some truly compelling villains who deserve another chance. These are the unusual or underused bad guys who could bring fresh, interesting stories – especially with a modern twist. Here are five of the best examples.

5) Mister Z

Mister Z, created by Jerry Ordway and Dennis Janke, debuted in Superman #51 and was the first villain Superman encountered during the “Triangle Era.” This seemingly immortal villain possessed magical abilities and used a gem in his cane to steal people’s souls. When he attempted to take Superman’s soul, the gem was overloaded and shattered, freeing all those it had captured over centuries. Shortly after, Superman was sent back in time to 1943, to Germany, where he confronted a younger Mister Z working as a Nazi general. Superman stopped Z from building an atomic bomb before the Americans, returned to his own time, and left Mister Z stranded on a tropical island with amnesia.

Mister Z is a potentially great villain. He seems to be immortal, uses magic, and keeps encountering Superman. Because Superman has stopped him repeatedly, there’s a strong basis for a real rivalry, especially if Mister Z regained his memories. There’s a lot of story potential with this character.

4) Funnyface

Funnyface, a strange and early foe of Superman, first appeared in Superman #19 back in 1942. Created by Jerry Siegel, Funnyface was a frustrated comic artist who used technology to make the characters from comic strips real. Although a difficult opponent for Superman, his time as a villain was brief. Lois Lane discovered the secret to his power and cleverly used it to summon heroes from other comics to assist Superman, ultimately leading to Funnyface’s defeat.

Bringing Funnyface back would require a modern makeover, but with today’s AI and deepfake technology, he could be a genuinely frightening villain. It would also be refreshing to see such a unique Superman antagonist return – there aren’t many truly bizarre villains left in that universe.

3) Titano the Super Ape

It’s my belief that a good superhero story always benefits from having an ape character – they’re popular with comic book readers! That’s where Titano the Super Ape comes in. Created by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye, he first appeared in Superman #127. The story begins with Toto, a chimpanzee befriended by Lois Lane. After being launched into space, Toto is exposed to radiation and returns as a massive, powerful ape – with abilities similar to kryptonite!

Titano is essentially Superman’s giant ape nemesis, similar to King Kong. Though he’s shown up in DC Comics at different points over the years, the company’s ape characters are consistently popular, and fans would like to see more of Titano. He recently appeared in a Supergirl comic as part of the Super-Pets team.

2) Bloodsport

Several characters have been known as Bloodsport, but the original, created by John Byrne and debuting in Superman #4, remains the most compelling. Robert DuBois avoided the draft, while his brother served in Vietnam and suffered terrible trauma. This led to a psychological break for DuBois, causing him to believe he was perpetually in combat. Lex Luthor capitalized on this, equipping him with technology that instantly teleported weapons to him – including a gun firing kryptonite needles, capable of harming Superman.

Bloodsport (DuBois) recently showed up in comics – in the 2021 Suicide Squad series – and he’s a compelling character who deserves more appearances. He’s grappling with significant trauma, and there’s potential for a truly meaningful redemption arc.

1) Conduit

Truly great villains have a personal connection to the hero, and that’s why fans would love to see Conduit return. First appearing in Superman: The Man of Steel #0, created by Dan Jurgens and Louise Simonson, Conduit (real name Kenny Braverman) was Clark Kent’s high school rival. Kenny always fell short compared to Clark growing up, which fueled his resentment. Discovering Clark was actually Superman, Kenny became obsessed with defeating him.

Conduit’s sole purpose was to defeat Superman, driven by a deep-seated, childhood grudge. While the reason is surprisingly small and personal, this intense hatred has the potential to make him a truly frightening villain. He could even surpass Lex Luthor as a major threat, and his story would be incredibly compelling.

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2026-04-04 18:12