7 DC Villains Who Actually Conquered the World

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DC Comics essentially created the modern idea of superheroes – and, importantly, supervillains. Strong villains are crucial to any superhero story; a hero is only as compelling as the challenges they face. Over time, DC’s villains have become iconic characters, captivating readers for decades. While these villains usually lose in the end, that’s often just temporary. They sometimes achieve major victories, even managing to conquer the world, before things ultimately return to normal.

Of course, no one can rule forever. There are famous stories where villains win and take control of Earth, the universe, or even multiple universes. These seven DC villains actually succeeded in taking over the world, demonstrating they were truly dangerous.

7) Ultra-Humanite

Ultra-Humanite was Superman’s first major enemy and later became a foe of the Justice Society. He famously transferred his brain into an albino gorilla! In one Justice Society adventure called “Stealing Thunder,” he even managed to inhabit the body of old man Johnny Thunder, steal the magical power of the Thunderbolt, and nearly conquered the world. Jakeem Thunder then assembled his own team of heroes to defeat Ultra-Humanite, ultimately combining Johnny’s mind with the Thunderbolt’s energy to create a new hero – Johnny Thunderbolt – and reclaim the stolen power. Though it’s not well known today, this story is definitely worth reading.

6) The Joker

The Joker is famous as Batman’s greatest enemy, though he doesn’t usually try to take over the world. But in the story “Emperor Joker,” he unexpectedly gained incredible power from a fifth-dimensional being named Mr. Mxyzptlk. This gave him the ability to change reality and do anything imaginable – and he used it to terrorize the globe, committing horrific acts like consuming China’s entire population or endlessly tormenting Batman. Though heroes eventually defeated him and ended his rule, millions suffered during his reign.

5) Eclipso

Eclipso is a hugely powerful villain within the DC Universe, and has actually succeeded in taking over the world twice. The first time was in an older story called “Eclipso: The Darkness Within,” where he mentally controlled everyone on Earth during an eclipse – heroes had to stop him from the Moon! More recently, in “Princes of Darkness,” Eclipso joined forces with Mordru and Obsidian. Together, they conquered the planet until the Justice Society rallied the heroes and defeated them.

4) Perpetua

Perpetua is a hugely powerful villain in the DC universe – she actually created the entire multiverse! With Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom’s help, she regained her full power and conquered the Justice League, turning everyone against them. Although The Batman Who Laughs initially served as Perpetua’s right hand, he ultimately defeated and destroyed her, shifting the heroes’ fight to him and ending her control over everything.

3) Mordru

Mordru originally appeared as an enemy of the Legion of Superheroes in the 31st century, but as a powerful being of chaos, he also existed in the present day. He served as the main villain for the first fifty issues of the JSA comic series. His master plan came together in the “Princes of Darkness” storyline, where he stole the power of Nabu from Doctor Fate and severely weakened the Justice Society. Teaming up with Eclipso and Obsidian, Mordru used his magic to create a worldwide eclipse, allowing Eclipso to control people’s minds. Ultimately, Doctor Fate (then Hector Hall) regained his power, and the Justice Society defeated Mordru and his allies, saving the world.

2) Omega

As a huge Batman fan, I was completely blown away by Batman: Last Knight on Earth. The story takes place on a devastated Earth, conquered after Lex Luthor somehow drove everyone insane and, tragically, killed Superman. It turns out this madness allowed a villain called Omega to take over. Years after going into hiding, Batman teams up with – get this – the Joker’s head (yes, you read that right!) to fight back and rebuild some kind of hero community. But the biggest twist? Omega is actually another version of Bruce Wayne – a clone! The story culminates in an epic battle between the two Bruce Waynes, and ultimately, the younger Batman defeats Omega, breaking his hold on the world. It’s a really dark, mind-bending story that I highly recommend!

1) Darkseid

As a long-time DC fan, I think Darkseid is truly their ultimate villain. I’ve read several stories where he completely takes over everything – two that really stand out are Grant Morrison’s “Rock of Ages” and Final Crisis. In “Rock of Ages,” the Justice League gets thrown into a future already conquered by him, after he used the Anti-Life Equation to control everyone. They barely escape! And it turns out Final Crisis is actually connected; Morrison intended (though it’s not always considered official continuity) that the awful future from “Rock of Ages” was caused by the events in Final Crisis, where we see Darkseid succeeding with the Anti-Life Equation. He even has his own perfect world, Absolute Earth, completely built around what he wants.

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2026-06-13 22:16