10 Essential Superman Villains Not Yet Used In The Movies

6. Mister Mxyzptlck

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DC Comics/Jaime Mendoza

The villain whose name everyone can't pronounce, Mister Mxyzptlck is one of the oddest characters in DC's library. The name alone should intimate as much, but while he's as weird as they come, he's still one of Supes' most iconic adversaries.

Introduced in 1944 by original Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, Mister Mxyzptlck is a literal imp from the 5th Dimension, a pocket dimension wherein he can do anything, irrespective of the metaphysical constraints of the universe as we'd know it. He was a complete prankster and made it his main preoccupation to screw with Superman, and while it's hard to see him forming the crux of any future Superman production, there's a way to incorporate Mxyzptlck without making a film feel irreverent and frustrating.

In doing so, filmmakers should look towards Alan Moore's seminal Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, the writer's interpretation of the 'last' Superman story where Mxyzptlck is the catalyst that triggers the Man of Steel's eventual downfall.

Actually, can we not just get an adaptation of that book? It's the kind of story that would work wonders for Supes' onscreen destiny, and it doesn't need to be tied down by a shared universe either.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.