WhenInjustice: Gods Among Usfirst hit the scene nearly a decade ago, the idea of an evil Superman was relatively new. The strongest member of the Justice League losing his moral compass and becoming a murderous dictator was something that felt fresh to many players, and it was exciting to see that storyline unfold. But in the years since, the concept has become a little played out. Homelander, Omni-man and the Viltrumites,Brightburn’s Brandon Breyer, and even Regime Superman himself have all had so much time to shine that the“evil Superman” tropehas overstayed its welcome. It’s clear thatInjustice 3needs a new big bad.
But ifInjustice 3lets Regime Superman sit out his role as primary antagonist, it begs the question as to who can and should take his place. The DC universe has no shortage of planet-level threats, but for a series that’s already gone through Braniac, Doomsday, and Superman himself, some of the heaviest hitters have already been accounted for. Some, but by no means all.
Injustice 3 Main Villain Wishlist
Darkseid
DC’s very own Thanos-level threat, Darkseid was one of thestrongest DLC characters inInjustice 2but did not make an appearance in the game’s story mode. The Lord of Apokolips has made a few appearances in theInjusticetie-in comics, but those can be considered as loose canon, as Scarecrow was said to have died in Joker’s Metropolis bombing scheme before he appeared inInjustice 2as a playable fighter.
Darkseid’s potential as a villainneeds no introduction or explanation. He’s pure evil in the most deliciously comic book way, and, like Braniac, he serves as the perfect threat to bring together the heroes (and former heroes) of Earth. And if NetherRealm so chooses, Darkseid’s malevolent tyranny could even spur Regime Superman into a redemption arc, after he sees how close his ideals have become to the Lord of Apokolips’s, though the character may already be too far gone to be saved.
Trigon
In a comic book universe full of terrible dads, Trigon might just be the worst of them all. Best known asthe father of Raven, Trigon is essentially the devil of the DC universe. Ultimately evil and practically all-powerful, Trigon is an eldritch being who usually needs to be kept out of the mainline reality to prevent him from bringing about the end times. Though some would say such a huge villain needs a bigger level of build-up, Trigon has actually been teased inInjusticeas early as the first game.
In theInjusticetimeline, the Teen Titans are killed in the Metropolis explosion, leaving Cyborg and Raven to embrace their darker sides and join Superman’s regime. For Raven in particular, this means forsaking her humanity and submitting to Trigon’s will, turning her skin a demonic red and giving her powers a decidedly more evil edge. Though Trigon himself hasn’t quite broken into reality in the games,Raven is still active in theInjusticeuniverse, and her father can’t be too far behind.
Nekron
The embodiment of death, Nekron is the one behind the famous“Blackest Night” storyline, wherein every DC character who has died returns as an evil Black Lantern. Nekron himself is described by author Geoff Johns as one of the most powerful forces of evil in the DC universe, and the upper limits of his powers are undefined and very possibly nonexistent.
Injusticehas never made any attempts to hide how dark its timeline has gotten. The number of characters that have died, both on and off-screen, is staggering, and Luthor, Shazam, The Teen Titans, Joker, and Lois Lane are just a few among them.Nekron initiating a Blackest Night adaptationcould bring all these characters back from the dead, initiating a fascinating storyline and giving players access to fighters that the narrative would otherwise prevent.
General Zod
Zod appeared as a DLC fighter all the way back in the originalInjustice, but, besides that, not much has been done with him or his contingent of Krypotnian supremacists, which is a missed opportunity. While some would say that Regime Superman is already too similar to Zod’s characterization, there’s still interesting potential for a story there.
Zod is one of the most dangerous villains in the DC canon. The specifics of his motivations change from adaptation to adaptation, and with the various comic reboots, but two things always remain the same: he always has designs on Earth, and he always has a heated rivalry with Superman. If/when Zod arrived on an Earth controlled by his greatest enemy, he’d go berserk with jealousy and rage. As an added bonus,Zod’s gameplay from the originalInjusticewas incredibly underrated, and he’d be a welcome return to the roster.
Injustice 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Power up and build the ultimate version of your favourite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2.EVERY BATTLE DEFINES YOU: With every match you’ll earn gear to equip, customise and evolve your roster.A NEW THREAT RISES: Picking up where Injustice left off, Batman struggles against Superman’s regime, as a new threat appears that will put Earth’s very existence at risk.THE BEST OF DC: Choose from the biggest DC Universe roster ever and battle across iconic locations in epic-scale battles.BUILT BY NETHERREALM: Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed MORTAL KOMBAT franchise.
