As seen in its flashy Super Bowl promo, featuring Aquaman, Flash, and a superhero jacked Black Adam--courtesy of The Rock--the DCEU is no stranger to super-powered protagonists. However, it's often found that the most intriguing characters are the villains (especially the ones that have no superpowers).
Whether it's because of their intelligence, how they manage to deeply affect the hero's behavior, or because they cause a lot of problems for all, several villains have proven to be formidable foes. But which ones are the most dangerous? Depending on how intelligent and strong they can be, there are some that have stood out more than others.
Sportsmaster
Appearing in both the CW's Stargirl and the animated series Young Justice, Lawrence "Crusher" Crock is a world-class athlete, who uses a variety of sports-themed weapons (exploding javelins, hockey pucks, baseball bats) to defeat his opponents.
It might seem like a guy who uses sporting goods as an armory isn't the most intimidating of foes, but the father of Artemis Crock and Jade Nguyen (retconned in Young Justice) can more than hold his own against the most dangerous killers (including the super-powered Deathstroke). It's no wonder the evil council of supervillains, known as The Light, made Sportsmaster their chief enforcer.
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn's appearances are scattered throughout the DCEU. She is a proficient acrobat and hand-to-hand combatant, skilled in the use of a variety of weapons (most notably, her gigantic, county fair mallet).
Before Harley became an anti-hero in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), the former psychiatrist could have easily been seen as one of the most dangerous villains. She was unpredictable, she could betray her "allies" at any time, and she could have easily used her combat skills and intelligence to intimidate innocents. In fact, considering Amanda Waller recruited her for the Suicide Squad, she had to be viewed as one of the dangerous and most deadly villains.
Deadshot
One of the world's most dangerous assassins, Floyd Lawton never misses a shot (or so he claims). A rich man's Bloodsport (the character that replaced him in The Suicide Squad to preserve Will Smith's opportunity to return in a later film), Deadshot is the top marksman in the DCEU, having the ability to make his shots ricochet off of structures to hit his targets.
His most dangerous trait might be his absolute disregard for human life, including his own. He is notorious for his desire to die in dramatic fashion, making his status as a member of the Suicide Squad an inevitability.
Cheshire
Jade Nguyen is a supremely proficient martial artist. Yet to be portrayed in any of DC's live-action offerings, she plays a prominent role in its animated series and films, retconned in Young Justice as the daughter of Sportsmaster and the older sister of Artemis Crock.
This version of Cheshire was a member of the League of Shadows, trained by Sensei and mentored by supervillain (and initial member of The Light) Ra's al Ghul. According to Black Canary, Cheshire is "the second most deadly assassin in the world," outranked only by Lady Shiva.
Red Hood
Originally a character from 1951 (best known for inspiring the Joker's origin story), the Red Hood was re-introduced to a larger audience in spectacular fashion (with the comic series Batman: Under the Hood and its critically acclaimed animated adaptation Batman: Under the Red Hood).
This version of the character, a recently killed and reincarnated Jason Todd, goes on a murderous rampage in Gotham, eventually coming into conflict with his former mentor, Batman. Jason Todd possesses all of the tactical brilliance expected from a protege of the Bat, but what makes him even more dangerous is his absence of remorse (an after effect of being revived in the Lazarus pit). He enjoys killing criminals, as well as anyone else, who gets in his way.
Scarecrow
Dr. Jonathan Crane is not motivated by money. He's not motivated by fame. He's motivated by fear, or in this case, the study of it. The side villain of Batman Begins and an evil mastermind in Titans season 3, the Scarecrow is a genius in the fields of psychology and biochemistry. He uses this expertise to create a chemical armory of neurotoxins that induce hallucination, paralysis, and fear-based psychological torture.
Whereas many of the villains in the comics are proficient at attacking their enemies' physical pressure points, Crane specializes in pinpointing his opponents' psychological weak points--a truly dangerous skill, and as such, shared by most of the villains yet to come.
Ozymandias
Of Watchmen fame, Adrian Veidt is both brawn and brains. His nom de guerre, Ozymandias is perfect. Inspired by Percy Shelley's poem about a great civilization long faded into the sands of time, Veidt knows that no empire lasts forever, which makes him even more resolute to discover a way to save the world from destroying itself.
He finally finds a solution. The downside? Millions of people have to die. His indifference to this fact and willingness to push his plan forward make him that most dangerous of people: a powerful genius with good intentions.
Lady Shiva
A master of every martial arts known to man, Sandra Wu-San is the most dangerous assassin in the DCEU. Her ability to read her opponents' body language in order to predict their movements exceeds even that of Deathstroke, and none other than Batman itted that "she may well be the best fighter alive."
In Young Justice, Lady Shiva serves as a prominent member of the League of Shadows and the newest enforcer for The Light. She demonstrates the wisdom of The Light's HR decision by easily killing the powerful Oceanmaster.
The Joker
Routinely voted the greatest comic book villain of all time, the Joker exploits have been quite shocking (such as murdering Jason Todd, paralyzing Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl). But perhaps his most insidious achievement is manipulating Batman to kill.
All jokes aside, it's not his bladed playing cards, Joker venom, or even his unpredictable spontaneity that makes the Joker so dangerous; it's that their spectacle hides the devious plan that hides just beneath the surface of everything he does (a prestidigitation of carnage that can sometimes even fool Batman).
Lex Luthor
No character in comic book history symbolizes the weaponization of intellect better than Lex Luthor. The most intelligent human in the DCEU and one of the most intelligent beings on any planet, Luthor has mastered every form of science imaginable. He uses this knowledge, fueled by his eidetic memory, to create weapons and meta suits of immense power.
The most impressive thing about Lex Luthor isn't that he can go toe-to-toe with Superman; it's that Superman often requires help from other heroes to do so.
