8 Great Comic Book Superheroes Who Ended Up Becoming Supervillains

Comic book heroes and villains can usually be slotted neatly into two very different categories, but there are some good guys who ended up deciding to break bad in the most shocking and brutal ways possible...

By JoshWilding - Jul 16, 2016 08:07 AM EST

Filed Under: Marvel Comics

Some people say that comic book movies are already running out of ideas, and while that's a pretty daft statement to make, there's no denying that there are still a lot of new things they could, and likely will, eventually do. Something we've yet to see properly explored on the big screen is a superhero who has become a supervillain, though the planned adaptation of Mark Waid's Irredeemable looks set to change that soon. However, what about characters from the Marvel and DC Comics Universes?

Many heroes have ended up turning to the dark side over the years, and while they've more often than not been redeemed and returned to the side of the angels, some have remained bad as they clearly enjoy the perks of being a badass supervillain. What you'll find here then is a look at eight iconic characters who made the decision to walk a darker path along with a look at why it happened and the ramifications their actions had. Some you may know about, but others are sure to surprise you...

8. Superman

Superman may just be the greatest superhero in the DC Universe, but in the alternate reality where the Injustice: Gods Among Us video game is set, he's become a brutal and unrelenting dictator. After being fooled into murdering his wife Lois Lane and their unborn child by The Joker, the Man of Steel is left despondent, especially as Metropolis was also destroyed by a nuclear warhead.

Realising that the old way of doing things was useless, Superman set out to take over the world by removing dictators and regimes from positions of power, but as time passed, he went from being a well meaning anti-hero to a brutal and fascistic character whose actions often border on being completely psychotic. As a result, Superman became one of this DC Universe's greatest bad guys.

Wolverine has always been an anti-hero, and while his methods are often brutal, his heart is usually in the right place as he slices and dices his way through bad guys. However, his past with Weapon X has made Logan susceptible to brainwashing, and that's something which has led to him making a villainous turn on more than one occasion.

One of the earliest examples came when Wolverine was transformed into Apocalypse's Horseman of Death, though his most unforgivable actions occurred after he fell under the control of HYDRA. It was during that period that he murdered hundreds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and even stabbed Northstar to death. So, while Wolverine hasn't technically broken bad by his own volition, it's fair to say that he's flirted with villainy on more than one occasion.

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6. Jason Todd

Jason Todd was such an unpopular Robin that comic book fans actually called a 900 number to vote for him to be killed off, and killed he was at the hands of The Joker. After being beaten half to death with a crowbar, the youngster was left in an exploding warehouse to finish him off. However, a very complicated set of circumstances led to his resurrection, and Jason came back to Gotham as a bad guy.

Suited up as the Red Hood, he set out to prove to Batman that his no-kill policy was a joke, and it's just a shame that DC Comics dropped the ball on that by later making him a completely batsh*t crazy bad guy obsessed with Dick Grayson. Thankfully The New 52 reboot cleared things up, and while he's disappointingly become a hero again and forgiven Batman, his villainous days were a lot of fun!

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5. Bucky Barnes

The fall of Bucky Barnes is tragic, especially as he had no control over his villainous actions. Thought dead after being blown up alongside the rocket which led to Captain America plunging into the ocean and spending decades on ice, it turned out the sidekick was also preserved under the sea, albeit with just the one arm.

Recovered by the Russians, Barnes was subjected to brainwashing which transformed him into the Cold War's greatest assassin, The Winter Soldier. From there, he murdered anyone he was pointed at, and very nearly even killed Steve Rogers before a Cosmic Cube was used to restore his mind. Since then, Bucky has become one of the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes, even serving as the new Captain America for a short time. He now leads the Thunderbolts.

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4. Ozymandias

The big reveal that Ozymandias - the smartest man on Earth - was responsible for the murder of The Comedian and a plan to kill millions in order to ensure world peace made for an incredible twist in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen. While there's no denying that this member of the superhero team became a villain the second he orchestrated that scheme, his goal was a worthy one, leaving comic book fans with plenty to think about.

However, his methods were vile, and even he seemed to recognise that when all was said and done. Interestingly, Adrian Veidt's days of pulling people's strings may be far from over; DC Rebirth has strongly hinted that he's the mysterious Mr. Oz who has been keeping tabs on Superman and that he may have played a role in the hero's recent demise.

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3. Hal Jordan

Arguably the greatest Green Lantern ever, Hal Jordan was at one point also the greatest enemy of the Corps. During the controversial "Emerald Twilight" storyline, Han lost the plot following the destruction of Coast City and proceeded to try and recreate it using his ring. When the Guardians of Oa stepped in to condemn Hal for using his powers for his own gain to try and get over his loss, he snapped, murdering them, most of the Corps, and even his best friends (taking their rings for his own).

Calling himself Parallax, Hal spent years as one of the DC Universe's greatest villains until it was later revealed that "Parallax" was actaully a fear entity which had influenced him to commit such atrocities. Even so, for a long time, the Green Lantern everyone loved was a truly despicable bad guy.

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2. Superboy-Prime

Another Kal-El who was unable to stay on the side of the angels, this alternate version of Superman landed on an Earth where superheroes don't exist beyond the pages of comic books. However, he soon found his way into the Multiverse an helped save that during Crisis on Infinite Earths, only to end up trapped in a "paradise dimension" where he was driven completely mad.

Punching his way out of that - which is what brought Jason Todd back to life - Superboy murdered several heroes, destroyed planets, and even killed an entire universe. His punishment came when he was sent back to his own Earth and his friends and family realised what a monster he'd become. How? They'd read his adventures in the DC Comics sold in that reality! Superboy has not been seen since.

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1. Jean Grey

The story of Jean Grey and the Phoenix is one every comic book fan should be familiar with, but for those of you not up to date on your X-Men lore, this founding member of the iconic superhero team was resurrected by a powerful alien entity after sacrificing herself to save her teammates during an earlier adventure. However, despite initially being able to keep the Phoenix Force under control, Jean quickly fell under its influence and ended up consuming a star and murdering billions in the process.

The Dark Phoenix is arguably one of the Marvel Universe's most underrated villains, and while recent stories like Avengers vs. X-Men have failed to do this entity justice, Jean's original turn to the dark side while under its influence remains one of the most shocking and tragic moments in the history of this team of mutants.

Which of these heroes turned villains is your favourite? Have we missed any others? As always, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

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54 Comments

1 2

Quicker - 7/16/2016, 7:47 AM

So...

Quicker - 7/16/2016, 7:52 AM

Nah. Superboy Prime didn't turn into a villain. He turned into a BITCH!!!
"I DON'T WANT THIS EARTH!!! I WANT MY EARTH!!! EVERYTHING WAS BETTER ON MY EARTH!!!
God, SHUT UP!!!

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a bitch.

scapegoatjones - 7/16/2016, 7:58 AM

I only made it to Superman, Next buttons are my kryptonite. so how was the rest of the list?

bornlikethis - 7/16/2016, 8:01 AM

these next articles keep getting worse...and worse. each one, such a reach and such obvious cash grabs.

JoshWilding - 7/16/2016, 8:06 AM

@Millz333 - Breaking News: Online writer writes article to make money and pay bills. Oh, the humanity!

MrPositive - 7/16/2016, 8:05 AM

Forgot one

Skwad - 7/16/2016, 8:36 AM

@MrPositive -

1 2

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8 Great Comic Book Superheroes Who Ended Up Becoming Supervillains

Comic book heroes and villains can usually be slotted neatly into two very different categories, but there are some good guys who ended up deciding to break bad in the most shocking and brutal ways possible...

8. Superman

7. Wolverine

6. Jason Todd

5. Bucky Barnes

4. Ozymandias

3. Hal Jordan

2. Superboy-Prime

1. Jean Grey

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