The Justice League and fighting crime ever since first appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28 all the way back in 1960. The comic book powerhouse is now looking to shake things up with their new event, "Death of the Justice League" in Justice League #75.
The DC Universe has one of the greatest catalogs of heroes in all fiction, so it only makes sense that they have the most capable villains to oppose them. And when the heroes forces, so must the villains. While the Legion of Doom may be the most well-known villainous team, it isn't the only instance of evildoers collaborating. With a higher success rate and larger kill count, several other squads that fans may have forgotten about have united in their fight against good.
Crime Syndicate
The evil doppelgängers of the Justice League from a parallel earth, the Crime Syndicate is the mirror version of the superhero team that fans adore. Where the Justice League aims to be the peacekeeping do-gooders of earth, the Crime Syndicate exists only to destroy and rule for their own benefit.
With all the powers of the greatest superhero team, the Crime Syndicate wields near unlimited power to shape the world in a way they see fit. Briefly able to trap the Justice League in an interdimensional prison, the Crime Syndicate was almost able to conquer Earth-Prime.
The Suicide Squad
Also known as Task Force X, this villainous super team is now a household name with two feature films as well as a few animated ones, and a new video game called Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League slated for a 2023 release. The team has been comprised of several popular characters such as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, and even Deathstroke.
Led by the infamous Amanda Waller, The Suicide Squad’s main objective is to complete secret operations for the U.S. government. These are supervillains who are doing the dirty jobs the government doesn’t want to get caught doing, and more times than not it ends in a bloody mess.
The Court of Owls
The Court of Owls is a relatively new addition to the DC comics roster, making its debut in Scott Snyder’s opening New 52 Batman run. With news of The Batman sequel on the way, the Court of Owls could be making its big-screen debut sooner than later.
The Court is a secret society responsible for guiding Gotham City in the direction that they see fit. When options run scarce, they send their trained cryo-preserved assassins, the Talons, to do their bidding. Nothing happens in Gotham City without the Court’s knowledge.
Darkseid's Elite
The evil ruler of the wasteland planet Apokolips, Darkseid has an army of super beings willing to carry out his will. Darkseid’s elite consists of several including Kalibak, Steppenwolf, and Granny Goodness and her Female Furies.
Darkseid’s ultimate goal is to find anti-life and enslave the entire population of the multiverse to his will. His loyal followers, like their master, will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. Harnessing the immense power of the New Gods makes Darkseid’s Elite quite a malevolent force of destruction.
Sinestro Corps
The ultimate nemesis to the Green Lantern Corps, the Sinestro Corps flies in the face of all the good that the peacekeepers stand for. Once a Green Lantern himself, Sinestro gave up his green ring of willpower to start his own force with what he believed was the superior emotion.
Drawing their power from fear, the Sinestro Corps aims to strengthen itself by blanketing the universe in terror. The yellow rings of the Sinestro Corps recruit those capable of instilling great fear in others, making the entire team a frightful intergalactic terror.
League of Assassins
Another secret society and one of Batman’s greatest foes, the League of Assassins is a force not to be reckoned with. The League of Assassins has been a major player in Nolan’s Arrow and several animated movies and cartoons.
Led by the ruthless Ra’s al Ghul, the League of Assassins has been working from the shadows to influence the DCU since 1968. The league has not only been responsible for large-scale criminal operations, but has birthed some of the world’s most formidable foes like Lady Shiva, Bronze Tiger, and Merlyn.
The Manhunters
Created by the Guardians of the Universe, these androids were the predecessors to the Green Lanterns and were tasked with keeping peace throughout the universe. The creative work of legendary comic book writer Jack Kirby, the Manhunters were a large component of the since canceled Green Lantern: The Animated Series but have yet to make use of in any live-action or animated films.
The androids eventually turned on their creators, deciding that life was counterproductive to the goal of peace and extinguished trillions of lives. As a combined force, the Manhunters have wiped out more sentients than most others in the DC multiverse.
The Justice League – Injustice
The hit video game Injustice: Gods Among Us introduced fans to the alternate timeline where Superman leads the team down a dark path of planetary control. The game was successful enough to receive a sequel in 2016, its own comic series, and an animated Injustice movie in 2021.
In this timeline, the death of Lois Lane and his unborn child sends Superman into a downward murderous spiral. Superman abandons his old code, trading it for a new ends-justify-the-means philosophy which makes him willing to commit the most atrocious of acts if he deems it necessary.
The Fatal Five
The supervillain team from the future, The Fatal Five is the arch-nemesis of the Legion of Superheroes. The team was first created back in 1967 and has since made several appearances in the comics, cartoons, and even one animated film, Justice League vs. the Fatal Five.
Led by the powerful Emerald Empress, The Fatal Five is strong enough to go toe-to-toe with top heroes of the 30th century. The team seeks to conquer the worlds they once helped save, even succeeding in one case.
H.I.V.E.
The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination is a terrorist organization in the DC universe that has often gone up against heroes like Superman and The Teen Titans. The criminal group has also made appearances in other media besides comics including the cartoon Teen Titans and CW show Arrow.
Like most of the other evil organizations of the DCU, H.I.V.E.’s ultimate goal is world domination by any means necessary. The criminal organization does not shy away from recruiting younger metahumans to groom to their liking, which only adds to the power at their disposal. Through this tactic, H.I.V.E. was nearly successful in destroying the Teen Titans.
