The 10 Lamest DC Heroes & 10 We’ll Always Love

The Misfires And Masterpieces

DC’s roster is filled with unforgettable legends, but not every hero makes the cut. While some rise to greatness through courage and impact, others are remembered for their unusual powers or quirky designs. This list explores both ends of that spectrum: those who captured our admiration and those who left us scratching our heads. Let’s first consider the ones that stumble in the DC universe.

1. Matter-Eater Lad

His power is eating anything, from steel girders to alien tech. But that rarely comes in handy during battles. Most of his screen time in the Legion of Super-Heroes plays for laughs. Fans admire the weirdness, but he’s not really heroic.

2. Arm-Fall-Off Boy

When your superpower is detaching your arm and using it as a club, you're not exactly Justice League material. Even the Legion of Substitute Heroes didn’t choose him. His name alone invites giggles, and the concept feels more like a parody than a superhero.

3. Infectious Lass

This hero’s power is making people sick just by being near them. Unfortunately, that includes allies as well. She means well, but more often than not, she’s a walking biohazard to her own team. Even when she tries to help, her abilities turn missions into sneeze-filled disasters.

4. Color Kid

Changing the color of objects isn’t exactly a game-changer in a fight. Sure, it’s funny watching him turn things pink mid-battle, but even among the Legion of Substitute Heroes, he’s barely taken seriously. His one big moment was turning a monster invisible. Still not quite enough.

5. The Red Bee

He’s got a striped costume, a stinger gun, and—wait for it—a trained bee named Michael. While charming in a 1940s comic kind of way, The Red Bee faded fast after World War II. Attempts to modernize him usually earn eye-rolls more than applause.

6. B’wana Beast

Fusing animals into hybrid creatures sounds wild, but the results are usually more grotesque than heroic. This hero’s powers confuse more than they help, and the character is weighed down by outdated, culturally insensitive portrayals. No surprise modern fans find him baffling rather than badass.

7. The Heckler

A guy who battles crime using sarcasm and insults—that’s The Heckler in a nutshell. His solo series barely lasted six issues, and he had zero actual powers. Despite trying to be edgy and meta, readers mostly found him irritating, not the kind of hero who sticks.

8. Dogwelder

Dogwelder might be the darkest, weirdest joke in DC’s lineup. He literally welds dead dogs to criminals’ faces. With no clear origin and almost no dialogue, he’s more unsettling than funny. Even fellow heroes avoid him, and the grotesque gimmick overshadows any actual heroics.

9. Zan

His water-based powers never quite held up next to his sister’s animal transformations. Turning into steam, puddles, or ice cubes just isn’t that impressive. Over the years, the hero has become a running joke in pop culture, outmatched even in his own duo.

10. Extraño

Extraño’s original portrayal leaned into flamboyant stereotypes and vague magic tricks that lacked depth. Instead of being a powerful magician, he came off as a gimmick. Later reboots tried to fix his image, but for many fans and critics, the damage was already done.

Thankfully, not every character is a misfire. Let’s turn to the ones who truly earned their place among DC’s legends.

1. Batman

He is both a hero and a symbol of relentless will. No powers, just brains, training, and a massive chip on his shoulder. Batman thrives in Gotham’s shadows and solves mysteries no one else can. Over the decades, he’s become the blueprint for complex, layered superheroes.

2. Superman

Though he can crush mountains, he chooses kindness. Superman is more than an alien with godlike powers: he’s a farm-raised optimist who believes in humanity. His restraint defines him, not his strength, and he’s one hero you’d want to save the world.

3. Wonder Woman

Myth and might collide in Wonder Woman. She fights like a warrior but leads with compassion, bringing peace as often as she brings justice. Her Amazon roots give her timeless strength, while her moral clarity makes her one of DC’s most respected and enduring icons.

4. The Flash

For The Flash, speed is just the start. He rewrites and saves timelines and still makes it home before you know it. Barry Allen’s heart and humor ground him, even as the Speed Force propels him to god-tier feats. He’s proof that heroism is about the heart.

5. Green Lantern

Wielding a ring powered by pure will, Green Lantern turns imagination into action. From battling cosmic threats to wrestling inner demons, Hal Jordan’s journey is one of redemption and grit. With each new Lantern added to the Corps, the legacy only gets brighter—and more deeply human.

6. Nightwing

Nightwing ditched the Robin cape and soared past it. In no time, he carved out his own identity with agility and empathy. Blüdhaven is his to protect now, and while he honors Batman’s legacy, he brings something lighter and more hopeful to the fight.

7. Martian Manhunter

Thoughtful but devastatingly powerful, Martian Manhunter is the heart of any Justice League lineup. Behind his stoic presence lies deep loneliness, the last survivor of Mars. With shapeshifting, telepathy, and wisdom to spare, he’s often the calm center when the world starts to fall apart.

8. Aquaman

Aquaman was once dismissed as the guy who talks to fish but is now a powerhouse of the seas. Wielding his Atlantean strength and regal presence, he commands respect above and below the surface. Thanks to modern reimaginings, he’s gone from punchline to protector.

9. Zatanna

With a top hat and backward spells, Zatanna dazzles before she even casts a spell. But her real magic lies in her ability to balance showmanship and sincerity. As one of DC’s most powerful mystics, she’s performance, legacy, loyalty, and arcane brilliance in action.

10. Cyborg

This half-human-half-machine hero wrestles with circuits and soul as he reconnects with his humanity. Whether confronting cyber threats or standing with Titans, his nanotech gives him incredible adaptability. However, it’s his resilience and empathy—battling self-doubt and isolation—that make Victor Stone a hero you can’t help rooting for.