DC Comics have some heroic and villainous characters. However, on top of the gods, there are also monsters. With Black Adam hitting theaters in 2022 for the DC Extended Universe, Teth-Adam proved to be a very frightening antihero, a man who could kill countless men with just a look. However, in the comics, some people are even more terrifying.
While Black Adam will kill without care, he is a fair man who usually only kills those who hurt him and the people he has sworn to protect. On the other hand, there are characters in DC Comics who will hurt anyone, often for no reason other than the fact they are sadistic. Add in frightening appearances, and some characters scare people in the comics and would terrify the readers if seen in real life.
Professor Pyg
Professor Pyg is terrifying, and it isn't just because he wears a face that resembles a giant pig. While he seems like a goofy old-school Batman villain from the pre-Frank Miller days, Pyg is anything but goofy. He is downright evil.
Professor Pyg is a sadistic killer, one of Batman's most terrifying enemies. While some readers look at Zsasz as the scariest Batman serial killer, Professor Pyg ranks ahead of him when it comes to the title of most sadistic. Other than his disturbing appearance, he is known to mutilate his victims on his way to killing them, a terrible human being.
Darkseid
Darkseid is a scary alien with a power level above most others. It took the entire might of the most powerful godly heroes just to send him back to his planet. Not even the Justice League could beat him, and when they do, they have to break their code as Batman used a gun to take him out at one time.
Darkseid is terrifying because he is a conqueror, and one of the mightiest in the DC Universe. He is a giant monster who towers over all, and he shows no fear. Not even the strongest heroes look powerful when facing this creature down. What makes him scarier is that his goal is the anti-life equation, which would allow him to control all humanity and place them in his servitude.
The Joker
Joker is one of Batman's oldest villains, and he is often the yin to Batman's yang. It has often been said that Joker wouldn't exist without Batman and the Caped Crusader needs Joker. While Batman is a dark hero, Joker is a sadistic killer.
What makes Joker so terrifying is that he has no rhyme or reason for his actions. He will kill an entire group of children just because it makes him laugh. From paralyzing Barbara Gordon with a gunshot to killing Sara Essex after throwing a live baby at her, Joker might be the most terrifying villain Batman ever faced. Besides, everyone is scared of evil clowns.
Batman
Batman sets out to stop some of the most terrifying villains in DC Comics. When it comes to sadistic killers, Batman has some of the worst in his rogues' gallery. However, to fight terrifying villains, Batman has to be equally terrifying.
The movie The Batman showed what he does to keep Gotham City safe. Superman is a beacon of light in DC Comics. However, Batman prefers to rule by fear. He even strikes fear in law-abiding citizens with his ominous presence, just to make sure they stay on the straight and narrow.
Corinthian
The Sandman might not connect directly with the DC characters, although he does have a connection with Constantine. Sandman creates dreams and nightmares and Corinthian was one of his nightmare creations that escaped when Sandman ended up captured.
Corinthian then became a serial killer with no conscious for years, and he is the last person anyone would want to meet on a dark street at night. Even for people with no knowledge of this man, when he takes off his glasses, his eyes are replaced by two sets of teeth. It is a terrifying look that would send anyone running if it wasn't already too late.
Trigon
There aren't many things more terrifying than a demon from the depths of hell, one that wants to destroy all humanity and rule over anything that survives. That is what Trigon is, and what makes him scarier in DC Comics is that he mostly targets teenage heroes since his daughter is Raven of the Teen Titans.
Trigon has enslaved entire worlds and killed millions of beings over his existence. He is a giant horrific-looking creature with unlimited power and is someone no one wants to cross, much less battle. The few times he has made it to Earth, there wasn't a single person who stuck around as he rampaged through the town.
Parallax
It is impossible to talk about terrifying DC creatures without mentioning the embodiment of fear, Parallax. This villain is an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps. He went as far as to take the greatest Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and turn him into one of DC's most infamous villains.
What makes Parallax more terrifying than other DC characters is that he embodies everything that is fear, and he corrupts all he touches. Just being in the presence of this DC villain will bring that person's deepest darkest fears to the surface, consuming them. Parallax is also a scary-looking demon, but no one will notice when he crushes them under their fears.
Nekron
When it comes to terrifying DC villains, one look at Nekron would likely send anyone running in terror. In DC, one of the scariest crossover events came with the Blackest Night storyline. This was when Black Lantern rings brought dead heroes and villains back as zombies.
Nekron created rings powerful enough to turn Superman and Wonder Woman into Black Lantern creatures. He also looks like a skeletal demon risen from the grave, and while that is scary enough, every hero and villain he raises is zombie-like as well, creating a Night of the Living Dead superhero experience in DC Comics.
Superman (Injustice)
When it comes to Superman, Batman knows that he has to be prepared if anything caused him to turn bad, That happened in Injustice: Gods Among Us. In that series, Joker tricked Superman into killing a pregnant Lois Lane when he made him think she was Doomsday.
Superman returned, punched a hole through Joker's midsection, and took over the world. This version of Superman was ruthless, and no one could stop him. In this story, he was anything but a hero, and when the most powerful being in the world takes over the planet and kills anyone who crosses him, it doesn't get any scarier than that. He made every government in the world submit in fear.
The Batman Who Laughs
Joker is one of the most terrifying DC characters in existence. Batman is even more terrifying than Joker and has everyone in Gotham City in fear to keep them in line. It makes sense that combining the two would create the most terrifying character in DC Comics' history.
The Batman Who Laughs comes from the Dark Multiverse, a world where Batman snapped and finally killed Joker. However, a booby trap released Joker toxin from his body to Batman, turning him into The Batman Who Laughs. He has a horrific appearance, all sharp teeth, and a sadistic mask, and after he killed all his allies and set his sights on Prime Earth, true horror came to the DC Universe. He was the most terrifying villain Batman ever faced, a twisted version of himself.