DC Comics is sometimes thought of as the less-cool of the Big Two. Marvel has always had cool on its side, but anyone who thinks DC Comics can’t be cool has never actually read any DC books. DC has created some of the most important heroes and villains in the history of the comic industry. These heroes and villains have it all — great origins, cool costumes, formidable powers — and one thing that every fictional character needs to connect with the audience: aura. There’s something about the greatest heroes and villains that grabs fans; that’s aura. DC has created many characters that have that aura, allowing them to become some of the greatest villains in the comic industry.
DC villains are honestly some of the best villains in comics. They’ve challenged the most powerful heroes out there and have done it with a style and panache that has made them legends. While some DC villains are definitely goofy, the best of them have an amazing amount of aura. These villains are the ones that all the fans agree are the best, their aura helping them to become the best of the best. These ten DC villains have the most aura, their undeniable awesomeness radiating off the page.
10) General Zod
Superman is one of the most powerful heroes ever, so his enemies have to have something special to beat him. Some villains are definitely threats to Superman, and one of the biggest is General Zod. Zod is a Kryptonian just like Superman, meaning that he has the same power level as the Man of Steel. Zod was once the greatest Kryptonian soldier, and he’s carried that aura with him every time he’s decided that it’s time for Superman to die. Zod is dangerous every time he shows up; there’s just something about him. Zod knows that he’s superior to basically anyone out there and that attitude comes across every time he’s on the page. Zod has a feeling of danger to him and has earned his fearful reputation. Even though Superman has beat him so many times, there’s always that feeling that Zod can win. That’s aura and Zod is all about it.
9) The Joker
The Joker can be overrated at times, but that doesn’t change just how much aura the Joker has. The Joker is chaos personified, a man who exudes danger and unpredictability every time he shows up. Everyone fears the Joker, even those who would be able to beat him rather easily, because you never know exactly what the Joker is going to do. There’s only a few things that are guaranteed to happen when the Joker decides to rear his ugly head — pain, injury, and death. The Joker keeps Batman up at night; Batman has dealt with the Joker so many times that he knows how dangerous he can be anf that the Joker can surprise even him. The Joker’s rictus grin has been the last thing that many people seen before their death, and the terror the Joker brings with him everywhere he goes has made the Joker into a near-perfect villain.
8) Captain Cold
Captain Cold is a villain that looks like he has zero aura, but looks can definitely be deceiving. Captain Cold is the master of absolute zero, his cold gun allowing him to make life hard for the Flash, which is definitely not easy. Captain Cold is a guy in a parka and he puts himself up against a hero that is possibly the most powerful in the entire DC Universe. There’s a confidence to him that comes through every time he shows up. However, that’s just the beginning. Captain Cold is the leader of the Rogues, a group of costumed villains. Being the leader of a villain team isn’t easy; villains usually don’t work together very well. However, the Rogues do and a big part of that is Captain Cold. Cold is able to hold the team together, keeping the squabbling to a minimum, and keeping them on task the whole time. Cold is smart and tough, a villain who has earned the respect of everyone that has battled him.
7) Prometheus
Prometheus is one of those villains that doesn’t have a lot of victories, but has undeniable aura. Prometheus was raised by a criminal couple, on a cross country spree of mayhem. His parents were killed and he decided that he would destroy anyone who fought for justice. He made himself into the perfect villain, the Batman of bad guys, and one day decided to test his skills against the Justice League. Prometheus was able to defeat nearly every member of the team on his first try, cementing him as one of the most dangerous villains ever. Prometheus looks amazing, which plays a role in his aura, but there’s also the supreme confidence of Prometheus. Prometheus goes into every fight completely and totally prepared, with the utmost confidence in his skills. Prometheus could have been one of the greatest DC villains ever, but creators jobbed him out. However, Prometheus will always have his amazing aura of unbeatable cool.
6) Bane
Bane had the aura of a world beater right away. Bane broke Batman, jumping to the top of the heap of DC villains. He’d even prove able to outsmart Batman, kicking him out of Gotham with a plan so complicated and audacious that only the best heroes would have been able to survive the whole thing. Bane is one of Batman’s greatest foes, and that has helped him develop an aura unlike any other. Bane is a mountain of muscle with the mind of Alexander the Great. Bane isn’t loud and ostentatious, but there’s a surety to his actions that most people could only wish they had. Bane can cow even the toughest people with just a look. He’s the type of villain that walks into every situation with a plan that is almost certain to succeed and he knows it. Bane’s aura shakes his enemies so much that even they wonder if they can triumph against him.
5) Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a giant gorilla, which definitely helps him with his aura. There’s a certain wildness to Grodd; you never know what Grodd is going to do when he shows up, but you know it’s going to be terrible. Grodd comes from a society of super-intelligent gorillas, a society of peaceful beings building technology that humans haven’t been able to create yet. Grodd is the exact opposite of the other denizens of Gorilla City; he’s a violent monster who believes that might makes right. His desire for conquest and his ferocity are the things that define him, and he’s always ready to destroy everything in front of him. Grodd believes completely in his own superiority and will do anything to gain the power to make everyone follow his brutal commands. Grodd is a beast and anyone who has faced him knows fear every time they think of him.
4) Sinestro
Sinestro believes in order more than anything else, and will do anything to make sure that the universe is an orderly place. Sinestro wanted power, so when he got the chance, he took it, becoming the Green Lantern of Sector 1417. Sinestro became the best, using his power to spread fear; they feared him more than anything. That fear is Sinestro’s greatest power; he may not appear to be much, but there’s a power to him. You know that something terrible is going to happen when Sinestro shows up. He doesn’t care about the lives of the people around him, he only cares about the outcome. He’ll do anything to ensure that the order he believes in comes to pass. He’s a monster who can look fair but is foul on the inside and everyone knows it.
3) Reverse Flash
Reverse Flash hates Barry Allen, but he used to love him. Eobard Thawne was a fan of Allen from the 25th century, and did everything he could to become his idol, even changing his appearance and gaining a link to the Speed Force. However, meeting Allen was the worst thing that could happen to Thawne and he became the Reverse Flash, a person who existed to undo everything that Allen did and destroy what he loved. Reverse Flash is basically hate in human form; he’ll do anything to destroy Barry Allen. It can be something as terrible as going back in time to kill Allen’s mother, destroying his life, or pretending to be the boogeyman in Allen’s closet so he’d know fear in night. That’s who Reverse Flash is and the hatred has driven madder than ever. Reverse Flash is the greatest hater, and everyone who sees him knows it.
2) Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is the ultimate evil super genius, using his mind to make himself greater. Lex Luthor believes in himself, but there’s also a neediness to him. He wants the world to aggrandize him, wants everyone to worship him. Lex hates Superman, not just because Superman has beaten him so much, but because he sees Superman as someone who makes his own accomplishments look bad. Lex Luthor is hungry for everything at all times, and that hunger leads him to do terrible things. There’s a dangerousness to Lex; while he’s smiling at you, there’s this feeling that he can snap at any moment and devour you. Lex can fool anyone at a surface glance, but the longer you’re with him, the more dangerous he feels. Lex is a predator dressed in benign clothing.
1) Darkseid
Darkseid is evil. He’s the God of Evil, a force of hatred and pain that has no equal. Darkseid has taken many forms, but at his core is the predatory aura that has infected so many others throughout the history of everything. Darkseid believes that the entire universe should follow his will. He wants to be the only mind in the entirety of existence, everything existing as an extension of him. Darkseid is unlike any other villain out there because he has no greater plan than complete and total control. He doesn’t want to rule because he thinks he’s the best or because he hates those in charge. He doesn’t want to rule because he’s the strongest. He wants to rule because he doesn’t think that anyone else in the universe should exist outside of him. There are lots of monsters in the DC Multiverse, but Darkseid is the monster.
What villains do you think have the most aura in the DC Multiverse? Sound off in the comments below.
The post 10 DC Villains With the Most Aura appeared first on ComicBook.com.