He's just a product of his (creatively and financially) poor environment. An example of what can happen to a villain with no comic foundation, as B&R Bane and technically even Mutepool from X-Men Origins had. He can easily be introduced again.

It's harder for me to defend The Snake despite his place in history, or Piledriver considering the era and talent. Whirlicane just squeaks by due to writer persistence. Honestly, a Bum of the Month Club would make for a more historically extensive thread. Bum of the Day could run for a year.

That said, here are my Rogue Rankings.

Lex
(favorite issue: DC Comics Presents Annual 1, favorite storyarc: Luthor's Hostile Takeover)

Brainiac
(favorite issue: Superman Special #2, favorite storyarc: Brainiac Trilogy)

Bizarro
(favorite issue: Action Comics vol. 2 #41, favorite storyarc: Boyzarro Re-Death)

Zod
(favorite issue: Action Comics #984, favorite storyarc: Supergirl Saga)

Parasite
(favorite issue: Adventures of Superman #481, favorite storyarc: Absolute Power Play)

Hank Henshaw
(favorite issue: Adventures of Superman #468, favorite storyarc: Trial of Superman)

Mxy
(favorite issue: Adventures of Superman #463, favorite storyarc: Krimson Krypronite)

Doomsday
(favorite issue: Superman vol. 2 #175, favorite storyarc: Hunter Prey)

Toyman
(favorite issue: Superman #306, favorite storyarc: Rough day at the Office)

Prankster
(favorite issue: Superman #22, favorite storyarc: Polyester year)

Dominus
(favorite issue: Action Comics #754, favorite storyarc: The Dominus Effect)

Mongul
(favorite issue: Superman Annual 11, favorite storyarc: Better Together)

Intergang
(favorite issue: Superman vol. 2 #35 (Edge), Action Comics #669, favorite storyarc: Intergang Goes Down)

Conduit
(favorite issue: Superman vol. 2 #94, favorite storyarc: Peer Pressure)

Batman
(favorite issue: Man of Steel #3, favorite storyarc: Madness!)

Eradicator
(favorite issue: Superman Man of Steel #114, favorite storyarc: Day of the Krypton Man)

Darkseid
(favorite issue: Superman vol. 2 #104, favorite storyarc: Legends)

Rogol Zaar
(favorite issue: The Man of Steel vol. 2 #3, favorite storyarc: The Man of Steel)

Silver Banshee
(favorite issue: Superman vol. 2 #23, favorite storyarc: Legends of the World's Finest)

Ultra Humanite
(favorite issue: Action Comics vol. 2 #38, favorite storyarc: Generations)

So I think the highest profile villain to not make my top 20 is Metallo. Despite longevity, cartoon presence, and the incredibly memorable gimmick (terminator with Kryptonite heart comes back even if they make him over) I just don't think he's that great in the comics. He's almost always a henchman or opening act.