5 DC Villains Who Took Over Superhero Mantles And Even Lex Luthor Had Fans Cheering

DC Comics has been around since the Golden Age, and, over the years, many of their original heroes passed their mantles to the next generation. Some of these legacy heroes proved to be even stronger and more popular than the originals. However, while most of the inheritors of these mantles are compassionate and heroic individuals, sometimes these mantles fell into completely different hands. Indeed, there have been several instances where supervillains have hijacked the mantles and legacies of their heroic enemies. The reasons these villains impersonated some of DC’s biggest heroes range from an attempt at redemption to trying to prove their superiority.

When DC’s greatest heroes become incapacitated or die, many villains will use this as an opportunity to steal their names and legacies. While these villains never permanently retain these purloined heroic identities, they are an important warning about how people can taint and twist the legacies of good people for their own ends.

5) Bane

When the evil Crime Syndicate took over the Earth and the Justice League went missing, there was no Dark Knight to defend Gotham from its countless deranged criminals. Ironically, one of these villains, Bane, would assume the Batman mantle to ensure that he alone ruled Gotham. The “Arkham War” storyline has Bane and Scarecrow struggling for control over the city, with Bane becoming Batman to intimidate his rival. Bane even got his own Robin-like sidekick, Talon, who joined him in his fight against Scarecrow and his army of villains. As one can imagine, Bane was one of the physically strongest versions of Batman, as through his pure brutal strength alone, he could effortlessly defeat numerous villains, including Killer Croc. He was also incredibly ruthless and had no qualms with crippling or killing his enemies. As Batman, Bane ultimately emerged the victor in the “Arkham War.” However, Bane’s victory and time as Batman were short-lived because the real Caped Crusader soon returned and threw the imposter back into Arkham.

4) Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor always likes to claim that without Superman in his way, he could save the world. After helping the Justice League defeat the Crime Syndicate, Luthor was allowed into the team’s ranks. This led to Luthor arriving on Apokolips and being mistaken for the hero of the people, Superman. Playing into their mistake, Luthor donned a Superman-inspired armor and became the new ruler of Apokolips after the death of Darkseid. Eventually, Luthor returned to Earth and discovered that the real Superman had died. Desiring to make amends and be someone that his sister could be proud of, Luthor decided to become the new Superman of Metropolis and outfitted his suit with Superman’s cape. He even bought the Daily Planet. Luthor became a genuine protector of Metropolis and its people. Unfortunately, when the real Superman returned, Luthor’s envy and hatred for the Man of Steel reemerged, and he once again returned to his villainous ways.

3) Reverse-Flash

Barry Allen’s death during the Crisis on Infinite Earths led to his sidekick, Wally West, continuing his legacy as the next Scarlet Speedster. However, it soon seemed that Barry had actually returned from the grave to reclaim his mantle. With his reappearance, Barry seemed changed to be a far angrier and more violent version of himself than before. It would eventually be revealed that “Barry” was none other than the hero’s longtime nemesis, Eobard Thawne, aka the Reverse Flash. Originally a Barry Allen fanboy from the 25th century, Eobard gave himself super speed and underwent plastic surgery to look like his hero. Upon traveling to the past and accidentally arriving a few years after Barry’s death, Eobard discovered that he was destined to become the Reverse-Flash. The shock drove Eobard mad and caused him to believe he was Barry. However, Eobard’s plans were ultimately thwarted by Wally and the rest of the Flash family, proving that they were the true inheritors of Barry’s legacy.

2) Azrael

Batman’s historic loss to Bane paved the way for a new, darker Dark Knight to assume his mantle. Surprisingly, out of all the potential candidates Batman had trained over the years, he decided that his successor would be Jean-Paul Valley, aka Azrael. Valley was originally a brainwashed assassin for a religious secret society until Batman freed him. As the new Batman, Azrael developed an all-new and terrifying suit of armor that was bulletproof and outfitted with a shuriken launcher, flamethrower, machine gun, mechanical wings, and razor-sharp claws. With this suit, Azrael quickly avenged Bruce by beating Bane to a bloody pulp. Unfortunately, Azrael’s psychosis soon returned, and he started brutally murdering criminals, including dropping one in a vat of molten metal. Azrael’s reign of terror as Batman came to an end when Bruce recovered from his injuries and defeated his deranged successor. To this day, Azrael is recognized as one of the most vicious people ever to don the Batman mantle.

1) Cyborg Superman

When Superman tragically lost his life fighting Doomsday, many heroes stepped up to continue the Man of Steel’s legacy. However, soon afterward, the original Superman seemed to have made his triumphant return as a cyborg. This Cyborg Superman convinced everyone that he was the Man of Tomorrow resurrected with the help of Kryptonian technology, but it was all a lie. Cyborg Superman’s is Hank Henshaw, an astronaut who, along with his wife and crew, died from exposure to cosmic rays. However, Henshaw transformed into a being of pure energy and began plotting his revenge against Superman for failing to save him and his loved ones. Hijacking Superman’s rocket, Henshaw used the Man of Tomorrow’s DNA and Kryptonian technology to construct a new body for himself. Henshaw sought to destroy the hero’s legacy by committing atrocities while impersonating him. Henshaw managed to demolish Coast City and nearly annihilate Metropolis until the real Superman came back to life and defeated him.

What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!