9 Villains Black Adam Fought In DC Comics (& Could Fight In The DCEU)
Black Adam started off as a great villain in DC Comics before slowly fighting other villains in the role of an anti-hero as depicted in his new movie. Black Adam has fought many heroes, including Superman and Shazam, but he also has his share of battles with those on the side of evil.
The DCEU already has a small stable of established villains, but most of the ones Black Adam has fought in the comics have yet to make their live-action debut. Time will tell if future films adapt Black Adam’s most famous fights or if they will establish new villainous rivalries that fans haven’t yet seen.
A more dangerous version of the Justice League is the evil version of Earth’s heroes from Earth 3, the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman was Black Adam’s main threat as he destroyed Adam’s jaw. Adam required Sinestro’s help to defeat Earth 3’s version of Superman.
The Crime Syndicate in the DCEU requires little recasting as Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot could return to play evil versions of their characters. The DCEU is led by anti-heroes like Black Adam and Harley Quinn, making villains that resemble the heroes the perfect foils.
Dr. Psycho doesn’t fight as he manipulates others to do it for him with his cunning personality and his powers to control the minds of others. Dr. Psycho has seen a rise in popularity after his role on the animated HBO Harley Quinn series as it subverts tropes within DC Comics and presents more crass versions of popular characters. Dr. Psycho didn’t go hand to hand with Black Adam himself but started a fight between him and Superman using his powers, even getting innocent people involved.
With Henry Cavill rumored to return to the role of Superman, Dr. Psycho can be the tool to get them to fight each other for his own amusement. Dr. Psycho is a Wonder Woman villain that can appear in a future film as a threat to her and the Man of Steel, with Black Adam serving as his hand of destruction and eventual opponent as he does not take kindly to being mined controlled.
Ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid has the army and strength capable of beating Superman in a fight. His search for the anti-life equation and to control the universe makes him a major threat to the Justice League.
The Darkseid that Adam went up against in the comics wasn’t the real thing, as it was a trick by his loyal henchman Desaad. The arrival of Black Adam was said to bring a change in the power hierarchy of the DCEU that could lead to this new powerful character being the one to stand up against Darkseid if he ever makes another appearance.
Roger Haden comes from Earth 2 but also contains memories coming from the prior Earth, causing him to take the mantle of Psycho Pirate. Psycho Pirate wears a special mask known as the Madusa Mask that allows him to control others by controlling their emotions.
To keep Black Adam in the Secret Society of Super-Villains, Lex Luthor placed Psycho Pirate by his side to control the ruler of Kahndaq. Psycho Pirate did pay the price with a finger through the eyes, creating one of Black Adam’s most terrifying appearances in DC Comics. Lex was last seen planning to unite a team of villains, and Psycho Pirate could be the man to bring Teth Adam to the team.
Aligned with the Great Darkness, Pariah proved himself a threat as he killed the Justice League and heroes from other worlds in 2022 DC’s Dark Crisis series. The series shows Adam on the side of good (for the most part) as a member of the Justice League, leaving him as the sole survivor of Pariah’s attack.
Dwayne Johnson looks like he will become a major player, meaning Black Adam could become a member of the team in the movies. Pariah’s involvement would introduce a major threat to the multiverse that would require someone with Adam’s power and intelligence to win.
A charismatic leader of a cult and terrorist group, Kobra once invaded the powerful king’s home of Kahndaq. Kobra’s actions caused Black Adam and Atom Smasher to question their morals and abandon the Justice Society of America to stop Kobra’s villainy.
Atom Smasher and Black Adam have a bond in the comics as they were once enemies that slowly saw their similarities to each other and became respected allies. A relationship between the two was already formed, and if continued, it could see a future adaptation where Atom Smasher joins Black Adam to battle Kobra.
Mongul rules with his strength and intellect and takes pleasure in conflict as he destroys planets on his ship/home of Warworld. The two collided when Black Adam went to aid Sinestro by putting on a Yellow Lantern ring and defeating Mongul.
Despite not yet appearing in a live-action DC movie, Mongul does have connections to the DCEU as his daughter Mongal made an appearance in The Suicide Squad. Although a small role, it opens up doors for her father to arrive with his planet-destroying ship. Mongul’s and Black Adam’s similarities in being rulers can create a new story and help put Black Adam more in the role of a hero.
Stepping out of the shadow of the Joker, the former psychiatrist turned henchman Harley Quinn found herself as a mainstay of the DCEU through Margot Robbie’s charismatic performance in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey. Being more of an anti-hero now, Harley Quinn now celebrates her independence and does whatever she wants, whenever she wants.
The two can be seen fighting each other briefly in the Injustice video game tie in the comic Injustice: Ground Zero. The Injustice story was teased in Justice League through a dream sequence scene. If a live-action adaptation were to happen, the two anti-heroes fighting on opposite sides could cause them to collide.
With Earth Prime destroyed by the Anti-Monitor, Superboy-Prime tries to win it back by shattering the source wall causing changes in reality. Consumed by anger, Superboy-Prime goes across the multiverse and kills multiple heroes. He was defeated by the hands of both Black Adam and Shazam as the two enemies would put their differences aside and work together.
Superboy-Prime is essentially Superman from another Earth, willing to destroy heroes. His impact on the universe brought great changes to DC Comics, and he can do the same by bringing necessary changes in the DCEU. With Black Adam, Shazam, and Superman having yet to cross paths on the big screen (though the movie hints at a future confrontation), a villain powerful enough to alter reality can bring these powerhouses together.
