Superman Villains Appreciation 2021

[Prime]

Who are your essentials?

[Vordan]

It’s kind of funny. For years I dismissed Mongul as a lame knockoff, diet Darkseid/Thanos, but man writers are really chomping at the bit to use him as of late. Jurgens, Bendis, and now PKJ, even amongst writers who don’t have any interest in the rest of Superman’s Rogues, Mongul is surprisingly repeatedly used. Is it just because he’s a way to use Darkseid without having to justify an event? I don’t really know, would love for someone to ask Bendis and PKJ why they wanted to use Mongul. It’s gotten me thinking again about how to use him:



It started to click for me when I began to think about what Mongul’s appeal is from a creator’s standpoint. And then it hit me: He’s Doomsday but with some actual personality to him. His whole deal Pre-Crisis was that he was one of the few foes who was on even terms with Superman physically. Post-Crisis they fleshed out Warworld into a Roman Empire expy with gladiator matches, making Mongul the sort of cruel tyrant Superman could actually tear off his throne.

At his best Mongul should be a mix of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the scheming mind mixed with terrifying raw brutal power, and all the weapons and gladiators Warworld can offer. In other words he can be the terrifying physical threat for Superman that Doomsday is, while actually providing some conflict beyond just raw physical force which Doomsday can’t



It bears remembering that Mongul’s biggest and best story was one that challenged Superman on two fronts: Mentally and physically. It cut to the emotional core of the character and opened up the reader to Superman’s feelings of loneliness and desire for a place where he belonged. And another great story with Mongul in it happened to tackle Superman both physically and mentally as well:



In Exile Kal had to wrestle with his guilt over killing Zod and come to terms with his actions while being challenged yet again by a foe who was his physical equal. He had to make peace with himself while being tested yet again with whether he needed to kill. It was a great story and I think both help illustrate why Mongul is worth keeping a round and what his role should be. He’s the one who is going to make Superman eat dirt and ask himself just how much he can take before he breaks.

Mongul is a playground bully who grew up to be a conquerer. Someone that lets even a Superman at the peak of his powers be the Champion of the Oppressed once again, that lets him cut lose and kick ass.

[9th.]

Its funny I grew up thinking Mongul and Darksied were the same person, just different forms.

[9th.]

Any love for Volcana?

[Robanker]

Any love for Volcana?

She was great. Still sucks she never made the jump to the comics.

[manwhohaseverything]

Any love for Volcana?

here,love the character.

[Lvenger]

It’s kind of funny. For years I dismissed Mongul as a lame knockoff, diet Darkseid/Thanos, but man writers are really chomping at the bit to use him as of late. Jurgens, Bendis, and now PKJ, even amongst writers who don’t have any interest in the rest of Superman’s Rogues, Mongul is surprisingly repeatedly used. Is it just because he’s a way to use Darkseid without having to justify an event? I don’t really know, would love for someone to ask Bendis and PKJ why they wanted to use Mongul. It’s gotten me thinking again about how to use him:



It started to click for me when I began to think about what Mongul’s appeal is from a creator’s standpoint. And then it hit me: He’s Doomsday but with some actual personality to him. His whole deal Pre-Crisis was that he was one of the few foes who was on even terms with Superman physically. Post-Crisis they fleshed out Warworld into a Roman Empire expy with gladiator matches, making Mongul the sort of cruel tyrant Superman could actually tear off his throne.

At his best Mongul should be a mix of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the scheming mind mixed with terrifying raw brutal power, and all the weapons and gladiators Warworld can offer. In other words he can be the terrifying physical threat for Superman that Doomsday is, while actually providing some conflict beyond just raw physical force which Doomsday can’t



It bears remembering that Mongul’s biggest and best story was one that challenged Superman on two fronts: Mentally and physically. It cut to the emotional core of the character and opened up the reader to Superman’s feelings of loneliness and desire for a place where he belonged. And another great story with Mongul in it happened to tackle Superman both physically and mentally as well:



In Exile Kal had to wrestle with his guilt over killing Zod and come to terms with his actions while being challenged yet again by a foe who was his physical equal. He had to make peace with himself while being tested yet again with whether he needed to kill. It was a great story and I think both help illustrate why Mongul is worth keeping a round and what his role should be. He’s the one who is going to make Superman eat dirt and ask himself just how much he can take before he breaks.

Mongul is a playground bully who grew up to be a conquerer. Someone that lets even a Superman at the peak of his powers be the Champion of the Oppressed once again, that lets him cut lose and kick ass.

This is a really great post on the untapped potential of Mongul's place in the Superman rogues gallery. I particularly like your points that Mongul is supposed to be Doomsday with an actual personality which should make him more interesting for writers to use than Doomsday. A cosmic Roman Emperor with a moon/planet sized battle station along with the power to stand toe to toe with Superman is actually a much bigger deal than the majority of writers who have used Mongul have realised. Mongul's son was turned into a punching bag for Clark after he helped train Clark to unlock his mental blocks on his powers and use them more creatively in combat. Your concluding point about Mongul allowing Superman to act as Champion of the Oppressed even at full power is an astute observation too.

[Mistah K88]

She was great. Still sucks she never made the jump to the comics.

Speaking of villains developed for Superman the Animated Series who didn't make the jump to comics, wasn't Luminus supposed to be based off of someone (perhaps Dr. Light?).

[Robanker]

It’s kind of funny. For years I dismissed Mongul as a lame knockoff, diet Darkseid/Thanos, but man writers are really chomping at the bit to use him as of late. Jurgens, Bendis, and now PKJ, even amongst writers who don’t have any interest in the rest of Superman’s Rogues, Mongul is surprisingly repeatedly used. Is it just because he’s a way to use Darkseid without having to justify an event? I don’t really know, would love for someone to ask Bendis and PKJ why they wanted to use Mongul. It’s gotten me thinking again about how to use him:



It started to click for me when I began to think about what Mongul’s appeal is from a creator’s standpoint. And then it hit me: He’s Doomsday but with some actual personality to him. His whole deal Pre-Crisis was that he was one of the few foes who was on even terms with Superman physically. Post-Crisis they fleshed out Warworld into a Roman Empire expy with gladiator matches, making Mongul the sort of cruel tyrant Superman could actually tear off his throne.

At his best Mongul should be a mix of the Emperor and Darth Vader, the scheming mind mixed with terrifying raw brutal power, and all the weapons and gladiators Warworld can offer. In other words he can be the terrifying physical threat for Superman that Doomsday is, while actually providing some conflict beyond just raw physical force which Doomsday can’t



It bears remembering that Mongul’s biggest and best story was one that challenged Superman on two fronts: Mentally and physically. It cut to the emotional core of the character and opened up the reader to Superman’s feelings of loneliness and desire for a place where he belonged. And another great story with Mongul in it happened to tackle Superman both physically and mentally as well:



In Exile Kal had to wrestle with his guilt over killing Zod and come to terms with his actions while being challenged yet again by a foe who was his physical equal. He had to make peace with himself while being tested yet again with whether he needed to kill. It was a great story and I think both help illustrate why Mongul is worth keeping a round and what his role should be. He’s the one who is going to make Superman eat dirt and ask himself just how much he can take before he breaks.

Mongul is a playground bully who grew up to be a conquerer. Someone that lets even a Superman at the peak of his powers be the Champion of the Oppressed once again, that lets him cut lose and kick ass.

It helps that he's kind of the end boss of Superman cosmic as of now. I'd put Maxima in there too, but I've had her on the brain a lot lately.

Mongul is great, but he's easy to undermine. You've touched on a lot of his strengths and I love this post.

Sidebar but if you ever had to write Mongul, he's essentially very well-spoken wrestling heel. It's all **** talk all the time, which depending on your take can be very fun to write. Even when he's being a bigot, the worse you make the dude the more satisfying it is to see him get put down.

[Multiverse]

He’s my opinion on certain Super-Rogues, and/or how I’d pick at them:

Aethyr: Rather than just being a simple entity of the Phantom Zone. I’d have him to be the Seth to Rao’s Osiris (Rao is the Sun God and Aethyr is the Night God)
Conduit: He was Superman’s answer to Batman’s Hush before there even was one (being a threat to both Clark and Superman) and it’s always annoyed me how they never revived him.
Dabney Donovan: I have Donovan responsible for the creations of not only Conner Kent/ Superboy (still Clark/Lex DNA), but Bizarro and Nuclear Man as well (basically famous for messing acquiring some of Superman’s blood, which he’s synthesised to no end). He’d also have genetic material on countless Metropolis citizens (Some of the Daily Planet Staff, members STAR Labs and the SCU, even members of LexCorp)
Kryptonite Man: I’d keep Clay Ramsey as the Kryptonite Man (keeping the elements of Golden Age Superman villainy), but also expand Dr. K Russell Abernathy as a scientist who’s experiments led certain types of synthetic Kryptonite (his subsequent waste materials creating the Parasite) and once again the Post-Infinite Crisis creator of Titano.
Livewire: The Superman Animated Series’ answer to Harley Quinn; I’d have she doesn’t just bash Superman, she bashes any hero and villain that comes to mind (making her a difficult person to work with, as she just can’t help but spew her venomous words at just anyone, especially those who don’t take her seriously).
Metallo: I prefer the current Geoff Johns/ Grant Morrison military origin of John Corben. I’d also would like to have him portrayed as more tragic; an hardened veteran who was shakened by wartime in certain DC nations (say Khandaq or Bialya), explaining his more heartless persona. Being a “favourite son” of General Sam Lane is also interesting, as we could have him have a grudge against the General for certain events in the war.
Morgan Edge: Preferring his Pre-Crisis persona, I’d have him the equvilient of “Legend of Korra”’s Varrick; basically he’s a charismatic yet morally ambiguous character. Not Evil, just singleminded and his actions accidently lead to the creations of certain media-based Superman Villains (such as Prankster and Livewire)
Phantom Zoners: As far as Zoners go, outside of Zod, Ursa/Faora (whichever you prefer), and Non, I find the following interesting:
• Dr. Xa-Du/ The Phantom King: Grant Morrison’s take on this scientist is amazing; I prefer him as the 1st Kryptonian banished to the Phantom Zone. Also, I’d rather have it that he looks that way because of the crud technology of the Phantom Zone Projector caused him to lose his physical form (hence the term “Phantom”)
• Jax-Ur: Taking elements from Alan Moore’s “For the Man Who Has Everything”, I have it that before his sentence, Jax-Ur leaked the secret about the Phantom Zone Projector to the general Kryptonian public. The backlash led to the rise of the “Black Zero Insurrectionists” causing trouble with the Council, and the Council made Jor-El adjust the Projector so that you could enter the Zone without losing your physical form (allowing for sentences of rehabilitation to be included in the charter).
Prankster: Kurt Buisek’s interpretation of Oswald Loomis will always be my favourite; a “distraction-for-hire” (he knows he can’t beat Superman, but he doesn’t have to)
Terra-Man: The “Terran with No Name” concept brought up earlier is the perfect idea. Also merging the character with Nimrod’s design would be fantastic.
Titano: Keeping his origin the “Up, Up and Away” version (an experiment of Dr. Abernathy, juiced with synthetic Kryptonite and steroid cocktail), Titano is NOT evil; simply a sympathetic, misunderstood, and easily scared “8ft” (he’s huge but not Giganta-huge) baby chimpanzee (once scared, get out of his line of sight, cause that's when Kryptonite beams start blasting).
Toyman: Winslow P Schott is one of my personal favourite Superman villains. I’d have Jack Nimball and the STAS “Toyboy” as his Toy Assistants. (Hiro Okamura still exists… as Toymaster, though I wants to sue Schott for copyright and Schott vice versa) I'd also incorporate one element from the "Smallville" Series; his knowledge of Superman as Clark Kent. He would treat Clark as a favourite Toy he loves to play with (I even taking a note from "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and have him privately call Superman "Clarky-Boy")
Ultra-Humanite: Gerald Shugel deserves more recognition as Superman’s first Big Bad. Especially all of his different forms: His elderly self, Delores Winters and the albino Gorilla stolen from Gorilla City.
Volcana: Another underrated and underutilised DCAU villain, she deserves to be a recurring “femme fatale” in the mainstream comic.

[Prime]

Has anything interesting been done with Mongol on the Superman side of things? I don't want to share him with GL

[Vordan]

I liked Conduit as well. But he’d have to be revamped heavily in every aspect to work nowadays:



The basic color scheme I actually like, black and yellow isn’t that widely utilized for villains I don’t think, but the costume needs a redesign. As for the background and motivation, current Clark wasn’t a football star, so that would have to change. Also if I recall correctly his powers were mainly Kryptonite based, he was kinda Kryptonite Man-ish if I recall. I’d change his powers and while this might be a controversial take, I’d base them off of the Dark Multiverse. Stuff from that place can hurt Kal and I think a villain who can literally draw power from a dimension based around people’s fears, going up against Superman, that would have a lot of potential.

Also it would justify the Conduit name lol.

[Alpha]

I think it would be cool if they merged Ventriloquist&Scarface with Toyman. A 60 year old asian geek man who lost his son long ago builds robots that look like toys and is experimenting with artificial intelligence. He has severe anxiety and decides to hack the government. He ends up learning shocking secrets, not just of government operations but lots of other things, and puts them into one of his most advanced toy robots modelled after his son. This robot becomes self aware and starts pressuring Toyman into creating incredibly dangerous public displays with his inventions to awaken the population.

Superman is tied in a choke hold because this "villain" is a scared old man with asthma and anxiety. He could die of a heart attack. At the same time he is revealing important secrets, but in the worst way possible. Imagine if Snowden decided to create a giant parade in the middle of the city displaying everything you do in a massive screen while your kids toys record you.

Or that he created a massive oil leak in the middle of Times Square to get more people to worry about pollution

[Vordan]

Has anything interesting been done with Mongol on the Superman side of things? I don't want to share him with GL

No worries they’ve pretty much solidly brought him back to being a Superman Rogue again. I enjoyed Bendis’ take on him, PKJ will have Superman going up against Mongul on Warworld in his the next FS Superman: Worlds of War issue, AND he’s using Mongul as the first big classic Superman Rogue in his Action Comics run. So Mongul is getting used a lot recently.

[Prime]

I liked Conduit as well. But he’d have to be revamped heavily in every aspect to work nowadays:



The basic color scheme I actually like, black and yellow isn’t that widely utilized for villains I don’t think, but the costume needs a redesign. As for the background and motivation, current Clark wasn’t a football star, so that would have to change. Also if I recall correctly his powers were mainly Kryptonite based, he was kinda Kryptonite Man-ish if I recall. I’d change his powers and while this might be a controversial take, I’d base them off of the Dark Multiverse. Stuff from that place can hurt Kal and I think a villain who can literally draw power from a dimension based around people’s fears, going up against Superman, that would have a lot of potential.

Also it would justify the Conduit name lol.

How come this guy was never revived?