Originally Posted by
Kuwagaton
If you squint and smudge, sure, you can group them all by something like how they contrast with aspects of his personality. But that's a small box. Admittedly Flash, Spider-Man, and chiefly Batman prove that a small box can be great. You can weave Joker, or R'as and Scarecrow simultaneously, into the origin story. Or you can team up in many combinations. You don't have to worry about a mold breaker like Mxy and you can elevator pitch a Sinister Six or Rogues group with an ease unknown to even Johns' Commercial Revenge Squad.
I like Superman villains because when they're on, they can make the box seem too big to see the walls. The one obvious trait they need is persistence: what happens when you go head to head with Superman and lose? How do you answer a man who has everything and does anything? With recurring villains the plots can be extravagant and nutty. They often morph in order to change their threat. Some have the ability to just reinvent their approach even if they don't change themselves. The top ones can do both well.
Power levels can be high but I think that's more likely to limit the villain. That's not really an interesting kind of persistence. I'd rather see a writer use a buffoon they just enjoy.