Best traits you think Superman villains should have

[qwertyuiop1998]

Like topic said.I look into Supes rogues gallery.And find like LEX,Brainiac,ZOD,Cyborg superman,Darkseid(Yes,I still considering him could counting as one of Supes villains)ETC,They all have some attractive traits.
For examples
Determined,Brilliant,Powerful,Ruthless ETC
So I wonder what do you think traits a good superman villain should have?

[greatmetropolitan]

There are a few great ones for Superman villains, with, I think, selfishness being a standout. Superman is the most selfless character around, so a villain truly defining themselves against him is generally selfish as hell - Lex and Parasite are great examples of that. But also Darkseid, who wants complete control, Brainiac, who literally hordes civilizations. Selfishness feels like a key trait for a truly great Superman villain. Lex is basically the template for this. Selfish and arrogant, seeking praise and approval for his talents. The opposite of Clark.

Also, I think some of the best Superman villains are the "there but for the grace of God" characters. As Superman is so good and so powerful, he's a character whose dark reflections are really terrifying, because what's more frightening than an evil/out of control Superman? This manifests in different ways in different rogues. Ultraman, for example, is a straight up "What if Clark was evil", though I don't think that the character has ever been fully explore to his potential. Then you get Zod, who has the evil Superman angle but also the fear of "What if Superman was more Kryptonian than human?" Ever fear of Superman that comes from him being an alien is well represented in both Zod and Brainiac, with Zod being Superman if he cared more about Krypton than earth, and Brainiac being a cold alien intelligence that we'll never truly understand. Bizarro is the out of control Superman, the child throwing a tantrum. A reminder of how strong he is and how frightening it'd be if he wasn't as controlled and composed as he is. Metallo even falls into this category, as an actual evil "man of steel" himself, and powered by Kryptonite. And of course the Cyborg Superman is the same way. All these great rogues show something to measure Supeman against - they're selfish or cold, arrogant, alien, compared to Clark's warm, selfless humanity.

[Stanlos]

If they are stepping to the S they have to have confidence.

Stemming from their ability.

[ngroove]

Like topic said.I look into Supes rogues gallery.And find like LEX,Brainiac,ZOD,Cyborg superman,Darkseid(Yes,I still considering him could counting as one of Supes villains)ETC,They all have some attractive traits.
For examples
Determined,Brilliant,Powerful,Ruthless ETC
So I wonder what do you think traits a good superman villain should have?

Physical power to physically challenge Superman.

Yes, there were olden days, when all Superman had to do, was pick up criminals, and drop them into prison. Or, somehow just let Toyman or Prankster play a little game of wits on him, before he decided that was enough, and pick them up, and drop them into prison. Or, allow Luthor's scientific rays and toys to try on him, before they all break, then pick him up, drop him into prison.

There is, however, something just plain more all around fun, when actually seeing Parasite, Metallo, or super-powered suit Lex Luthor actually laying punches on Supes, that actually sends him flying.

[Vordan]

To challenge his faith in that while Human Are Flawed, deep down Human Want To Be Good. Clark believes that while yes humanity is selfish, petty, greedy, and even violent towards itself and others, they are capable of overcoming said negative traits. His human Rogues need to challenge that assumption. Force him to confront that not everyone wants to be better, can be better, or that human societies will even give the opportunity to be better. When he throws down with Lex, Livewire, Red Cloud, Conduit, Metallo, Parasite, etc, he needs to confront the dark side of his fellow men and women and see his ideals tested.

His alien Rogues need to challenge how Clark views himself. Is he interfering too much with humanity? Is he not intervening enough with humanity? Is he truly capable of wielding his gifts responsible? Is he a threat to humanity? Is he really living up to his full potential? Those are the kinds of questions he needs to think about when he goes up against Brainiac, Zod, Bizarro, or whoever: What is Superman’s proper role?

[Doctor Know]

Bald Heads.




I'd add Atomic Skull, Metallo, Doomsday, Mxyzsptlk, Darkseid, Time Trapper, Anti-Monitor/Mobius.

[Adekis]

To challenge his faith in that while Human Are Flawed, deep down Human Want To Be Good. Clark believes that while yes humanity is selfish, petty, greedy, and even violent towards itself and others, they are capable of overcoming said negative traits. His human Rogues need to challenge that assumption. Force him to confront that not everyone wants to be better, can be better, or that human societies will even give the opportunity to be better. When he throws down with Lex, Livewire, Red Cloud, Conduit, Metallo, Parasite, etc, he needs to confront the dark side of his fellow men and women and see his ideals tested.

His alien Rogues need to challenge how Clark views himself. Is he interfering too much with humanity? Is he not intervening enough with humanity? Is he truly capable of wielding his gifts responsible? Is he a threat to humanity? Is he really living up to his full potential? Those are the kinds of questions he needs to think about when he goes up against Brainiac, Zod, Bizarro, or whoever: What is Superman’s proper role?

I'm emphatically against the idea that being able to effectively attack Superman's sense of self or his view of human nature should be a common trait for his enemies!

I think if you do that so often it becomes the norm, then Superman isn't the world's greatest hero who gets challenged in an interesting way any more, he's just wishy washy.