When DC Comics began introducing its heroes in the Golden Age, they were all exceedingly heroic, but in modern days, there are many heroes who are one step from becoming the villain in the stories. This is something that started in the 1980s when DC realized it had to compete with Marvel Comics by introducing more realistic characters who operated in shades of grey rather than the more white hat heroes that it always relied on. The company even showed, over the years, what could happen if their best heroes somehow decided to turn bad, whether that was Batman betraying the Justice League, Superman turning evil in Injustice, or Wonder Woman murdering a villain to save the world.
However, those instances were just ways to say “What if” while there are other heroes in DC Comics who always seem to be one bad move away from turning evil and becoming the villain in the end.
7) Huntress
There has been a couple of different versions of Huntress in DC Comics over the years. The original Huntress was Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman from Earth-Two who ended up on Prime Earth where she became part of the Batman Family. However, the later version is the DC Comics character who is always teetering on the brink of becoming a villain.
This is Helena Bettinelli, the orphaned daughter of a murdered mafia family who swore bloody vengeance on the entire criminal underworld. This has often put her at odds with Batman, who disliked her willingness to kill people, but she has often tried to become a better hero and hold back, including stints in the Justice League, Birds of Prey, and the Outsiders. However, as the firmer director of the espionage agency Spyral, she is always walking on the line of good and evil.
6) Roy Harper
At one time, Roy Harper was a sidekick to Green Arrow named Speedy who needed a strong mentor to help him. Sadly for Roy, Green Arrow was in no way a strong enough mentor to do his job and he hung Roy out to dry when the young man began to slip into addiction. However, no thanks to Green Arrow, Roy finally pulled himself out of his addiction and be became a government agent for several years.
Of course, working for the U.S. government could put anyone one step closer to becoming a fully-fledged villain, and when he changed his name to Arsenal, he stepped over that line one too many times. He has been a great hero at times, including stints in the Justice League and Outsiders, but he has also been part of the Suicide Squad. Roy Harper’s willingness to kill and his short-fused temper has led him to make way too many rash decisions over his career.
5) John Constantine
John Constantine has always walked on the dark side, but he has done his best to do things the right way when he can. At the end of the day, Constantine is only out for Constantine, and while he will help others, he is morally grey, manipulative, and self-serving. He puts other people ibn danger if he thinks it will make his odds of winning better, and his actions often cause more damage than expected.
The truth is that John Constantine is a DC Comics hero, but he is not a “good guy” or a “bad guy.” He is someone that other heroes can’t trust, and for good reason. He isn’t welcome in Heaven or Hell, and he is someone who has no problems crossing the line to achieve his own personal goals, even if makes him appear to be the villain.
4) Lobo
Honestly, if anyone called Lobo a hero to his face, he would probably come out swinging. But, the truth is that he is a hero by the technical sense of the word, even though he has also fought heroes when the price is right. In many ways, Lobo is the DC Comics version of Wolverine or the Punisher, but he is also possibly the company’s alien answer to Deathstroke, someone who is for sale to the highest bidder.
He is an antihero who has hos own moral codes, but at the same time, he is more interested in his own self-interests and his own survival. He has also shown that he can be the worst villain in existence, as he murdered his entire race to make sure that he was the only one of his kind. This proves that he could become a full villain without any warning.
3) Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne should be an honorable hero since he spent much of his life training under his father, Batman. However, it was his life before Batman that shaped his personality and turned him into someone who could easily turn dark at a moment’s notice. He was raised by his mother Talia al Ghul and her father, Ra’s al Ghul’s League of Assassins. When Damian joined Batman, he was one step away from becoming a cold-blooded murderer.
Throughout his time in DC Comics, Damian Wayne has always teetered close to stepping over the line. When he reformed the Teen Titans, his arrogance and lethal tendencies kicked into high drive, and he turned a lot of other heroes against him. He turned bad in the Injustice timeline, he was recruited into the Sinestro Corps, and he even tried to kill Tim Drake to force his way into the Robin role.
2) Peacemaker
Peacemaker is a hero in his own mind at least, a man who will kill anyone he needs to so that he can ensure there is peace. However, this makes him a hardened vigilante who has dedicated his entire life to eradicating war from the world by killing everyone who threatens his ideas of peace. It is easy to see Peacemaker as a more deranged version of the Punisher who has no idea of the damage he is causing.
Peacemaker has been part of the Suicide Squad, but he has also been seen as a villain to other heroes in the same way Marvel Comics heroes look at the Punisher. That said, Chris sees himself as the hero in the stories, and he sets out to do the right thing and hurt the bad guys, but there has always been the moments where he has stepped over the line and become a genuine villain, often without even realizing it.
1) The Red Hood
When Jason Todd debuted, he was a kid who needed help and Batman took him in and helped him become the new Robin. However, after Joker murdered him, it seemed that Jason’s feel-good story ended in tragedy. However, his story wasn’t finished and Jason returned a few years later when he was resurrected and became the Red Hood. His first appearances had him as a villain.
However, once he got over blaming Batman for his death, he became a hero and a member of the Bat Family. However, the trauma of his death left a lingering trace in his mind and Jason never shook the impulsive nature to lash out, and even to kill people when his anger grew too powerful. Jason Todd is one bad day away from becoming one of DC Comics’ most dangerous villains, and it is only the Bat Family that helps keep him in line.
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