MarvelandDC Comicsboth have a long list of villains who have the potential to be heroes. In some cases, there are villains who are beloved by the masses, but their personalities make a switch to fan-favorite easier said than done. In other cases, one small turn of events could have changed a villain’s trajectory for the better.
In other cases, some villains have ready-made redemption arcs just waiting to happen. Fans certainly believe that severalDC Comics villains deserve redemption. Marvel has said themselves thatredeeming villains is an uphill battle, but that doesn’t stop readers from wanting to see their favorite baddies go good.
10Bullseye Would Be the Perfect Hero if He Wasn’t a Sadist
He’d Be Sympathetic if He Wasn’t a Maniac
As far as marksmen go, it’s hard to come across someone better than Bullseye. In another life, his aptitude for precision is used for nobler causes, like a S.H.I.E.L.D. induction or entry into the Avengers. After all, he’s a better-skilled Hawkeye, minus the arrows.The problem is that Bullseye loves inflicting pain too much. Admittedly, he’s a product of growing up with an abusive father and falling in love with his dad’s rifle. His survival story is a sympathetic one, but he turns it into a cautionary tale once he uses his trauma as an excuse to commit unadulterated violence.
9Captain Cold Would Be the Easiest to Turn Good
He Steals, But He’s No Monster
Compared to most villains with hero potential, Captain Cold may be the easiest to redeem. He’s never done anything outright malicious enough to call irredeemable, so he’s never gone passed the point of no return. It helps that he’s always had a moral code, stopping himself from going too far. Even his archrival The Flash thinks he’s worthy of beinga hero in the Justice League. As much as he’s indulged in robbing for money, he’s not concerned with killing or destroying. He wants Central City in the palm of his hands, but on his terms, not through heinous actions.
8The Lizard’s Hero Turn May Be Long Overdue
Dr. Curt Connors Was Always More Tragic Than Evil
It’s hard to classify The Lizard as a villain, as he’s more of a tragic character than anything else. At his core, Dr. Curt Connors is a man who tried to use his genius to advance science whilst trying to regain his missing arm. Instead, he became a monster.If The Lizard maintained Connors' intelligence and mind, there’s no doubt he would be a hero. Marvel has yet to make that turn possible, but more than anything, Curt is a victim. For that reason, he’sone of the more likable Spider-Man villains, and sympathy could be enough to justify a hero turn.
7Ra’s al Ghul isn’t Beyond Redemption
He’s Shown Small Shades of Redemption
Ra’s al Ghul has beendenied a redemption arcfor far too long. The prospect of Ra’s one day finding redemption seems to be a recurring theme in many of his storylines. Oftentimes, he finds himself at a crossroads that makes him question his motives and actions, even if briefly. He’s evil, but he’s a lawful evil. He has a moral code, even if he tends to shift it to his liking whenever appropriate.Ra’s biggest sin is his lack of compromise, willing to go through extreme means to get what he wants without substitutions. If he overcomes that, he deserves redemption.
6Mystique Surprisingly Has Yet to Officially Become a Hero
She’s Teetered the Line So Many Times for So Long
Mystique is the textbook definition of a femme fatale. Seductive and alluring, but villainous at her core. Her exterior is softened whenever she’s paired with her children, Nightcrawler and Rogue, but never long enough to give her a full turn to the light side. DuringNightcrawler’s time as the Uncanny Spider-Man, Mystique experienced a deep psychosis that endeared her with readers, all whilst recontextualizing her relationship with her son.There’s still hope for Mystique to reach her destiny as a hero.It’s also worth noting there’s a possible future where she and Xavier are lovers, further highlighting a world where she can be steered toward good.
5Fans Want to See The Riddler as a Hero
He’s as Useful as He is Brilliant
As far as some fans are concerned, the time forThe Riddler to be a herois now. He’s been a foil to Batman for so long, but audiences have long seen the potential in Edward Nygma being a hero. Readers haven’t forgotten Detective Comics #822, where Nygma briefly rebranded himself as a private investigator, echoing a similar super-genius in Sherlock Holmes.Like Holmes, while prone to lunacy, Riddler is utterly useful in his brilliance and, in some characteristics, oddly likable. If he’s ever able to shed his more obsessive behaviors, his future as DC’s next big hero looks bright.
4Young Avengers Showed Readers What a Heroic Kang the Conqueror Looks Like
If the idea of a heroic Kang the Conqueror sounds strange, readers should revisit the first volume ofYoung Avengerscomics, where a young Kang rechristened himself as the heroic Iron Lad in hopes of averting his evil destiny. Unfortunately,The Children’s Crusadeends with his desire to rewrite his prophecy having inevitably plunged himself deeper into it. Still, though,knowing the desire to do good lies dormant in him, the hints of heroism his teenage self displayed opens the door for Marvel to play with the idea of Kang being heroic as an adult, especially in seeing hisrecent uneasy alliances with the Avengers.
3Mister Freeze is One of Batman’s More Sympathetic Enemies
He’s Doomed to Never Get His Happy Ending
Most Gotham villains seem to be intrinsically evil to the point thatthey can never be true heroesno matter how hard they try. Mr. Freeze is no different, but the biggest difference is that Victor Fries has achieved more sympathy than most villains for his motivations. His villain journey began with a desire to rob banks to fund research to cure his terminally ill wife.Fans have yet to waver in the love, admiration, and empathy they hold for Victor, and one has to wonder if DC Comics should capitalize on it by giving him a true hero’s run.
2Sabretooth Would Be a Surprisingly Tremendous Hero
But Making Him a Hero Would Betray Who Sabretooth Is
Sabretooth would be the hardest to turn into a hero.Changing his worst qualities deprives Sabretooth of what makes him Sabretooth. The only difference between himself and Wolverine is that Victor Creed adores violence. He relishes spilling blood. When he stops feeling that desire, he’s no longer Sabretooth. Any fans who love Sabretooth love him for that bloodlust, so it’d be hard to redeem him from a creative perspective. However, that being said, some food for thought to chew on is that theAXISevent did give audiencesa glimpse of a heroic Sabretoothand, unbelievably, heroism suits him well.
1DC Once Teased a Reformed Two-Face, But Never Pulled the Trigger
Is It Time to Still Believe in Harvey Dent?
It’s shocking to think that DC Comics has yet to give Two-Face a proper redemption arc that turns him into a hero. DC has teased the notion in the past, but never long-term and nothing that ever sticks. The closest that DC ever came toredeeming Harvey Dentwas the short-livedGCPD: The Blue Wallminiseries. He’s shown to legitimately want to change as a person, but his new perspective on life never finds its way into mainlineBatmancomics. Knowing how much of a good-natured man Dent was before becoming Two-Face, there’s no villain inDC ComicsorMarvelhas as much untapped potential for heroism as Two-Face.
