10 Most Underrated Superman Villains

Superman's rogues gallery is more than just Lex Luthor and Brainiac...

By James Egan /

Since Superman has been saving the world since the 1930s, it's no surprise the Last Son of Krypton has faced a gargantuan amount of foes.

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Even though the Man of Steel has butted heads with hundreds of costumed vigilantes, armies of evil robots, and swarms of aliens, most people unfamiliar with the comics can only name a handful of Superman's greatest rivals.

If your knowledge of the spandex-sporting superhero is only relegated to what you've seen in the movies, you might think Supes' entire rogue gallery boils down to Lex Luthor and General Zod.

But there are so many underrated Superman villains that deserve a lot more attention. Toyman and Parasite may seem like Z-list baddies but they are far more dangerous than you could ever imagine. Characters like Ruin and Conduit are barely known, despite the fact they have come very close to besting the Man of Tomorrow for good.

Even though we know the likes of Brainiac, Darkseid, and Doomsday are as tough as Superman himself, it's high time some of the Kryptonian's lesser known enemies get the credit they deserve.

10. Livewire

Lesley Willis was a broadcaster who lost her job due to her negative slants on news stories, especially against Superman. Soon after, she was struck by lightning, endowing her with the ability to create and control electricity. Renaming herself Livewire, she decided to dedicate her life to destroying Metropolis' beloved hero.

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Superman may have bulletproof skin but he still has a nervous system, meaning he's vulnerable to electricity, making Livewire a serious threat.

Not only can she harness lightning, she transform into living energy, move at phenomenal speeds through power lines, manipulate matter, disable electricity in an entire city, render herself intangible, and create an electromagnetic field that shields her from most attacks.

It's also worth mentioning that this shocking supervillain came very close to killing Superman. In 2008's Superman/Batman #44, she shot an electric bolt at a chunk of kryptonite, causing a dozen splinters to skewer Superman's face. If the Flash didn't rush him to the Fortress of Solitude immediately after, Supes would've been a goner.

Encounters such as this prove that Livewire is one baddie not to be underestimated.

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