Suicide Squad hit the silver screen recently, and it’s not done well so far. Complaints among fans have included the misrepresentation of the Joker and content that doesn’t accurately portray the DC source material. Despite this, the Suicide Squad is one of DC’s greatest ideas to date. Comprised entirely of villains, it’s a strong contender for the top seat of teams who work together on the other side of the legal line. Then again, that leaves a strong competition for us to look at. Here we check out the best villain teams in the DC universe.
Suicide Squad
Starting with the do-gooders of the bunch, Suicide Squad is a government-sponsored team formed to do what the heroes refuse to. Upon the capture of a villain, Amanda Waller would approach them with an offer – service for freedom. In exchange for undertaking deadly missions, Task Force X – dubbed the Suicide Squad – would have time taken off their sentences. Their compliance came from embedded explosives that would detonate if they refused to go along with the plan.
The Injustice Gang/League
Much the same as their Justice League counterparts, the Injustice Gang/League’s roster would change over the years. Consisting of the strongest enemies around, the most powerful group came during Grant Morrison’s JLA run. Headed by Lex Luthor, other members included Joker, Circe, Mirror Master, Ocean Master and Dr. Light. Wielding the Worlogog, the group were only defeated as Batman planted Plastic Man as the Joker and paid Mirror Master to switch sides.
The Crime Syndicate
Villains are often portrayed as the flip-side of heroes. Batman has Joker; Superman has Lex Luthor, and The Flash has the Reverse-Flash. In the cast of the Crime Syndicate, nothing could be truer. Based on Earth-3, the entire universe is reversed along the good/evil axis. Batman becomes Owlman and is opposed by the heroic Joker. Johnny Quick is a drug addicted speedster, and Power Ring is a cowardly reflection of Hal Jordan. For many years, fights in Earth-1 would end on the side of good and Earth-3 would end with the Syndicate winning.
The Rogues
Rogues generally refer to villains who fight against heroes. But the Rogues are The Flash’s greatest foes. Featuring another shifting roster, the core group comprises of Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang and Weather Wizard. Despite their criminal ways, the Rogues have stringent rules, including no women or children, no drugs, and no killing. Given these strict guidelines, the Rogues are particularly gentle villains. While they may put civilians in danger, they always trust The Flash to save them as the Rogues slip away.
Love you some good villain action? Find out more about our favourite comic book villains and their tragic backstories or delve into DC and Marvel’s 6 best anti-heroes.