10 Children of DC Villains Who Became Heroes, Despite Their Parents

Many characters in the DC Universe become heroes due to some personal tragedy in their lives or because they have someone to push them in the right direction. Some even become heroes simply because they have the power to make a difference. But some characters chose to be heroes even though their own families were trying to make them into villains.

As these DC characters have come to know, the relationship with one’s parents can truly affect how one grows up into an adult. A good parent can make all the difference between someone being a hero and being a villain. Superman, for example, knows that he turned out so well partially due to the upbringing the Kents gave him. Bruce Wayne was only able to become Batman because of the love of his parents and the trauma of their loss. But many of DC’s most beloved characters had to fight to become heroes, even as their parents were trying to turn them into villains.

10

Stephanie Brown Became Spoiler to Stop Her Villainous Father

First Appearance: Detective Comics #647 by Chuck Dixon, Tom Lyle, Scott Hanna, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza

Stephanie Brown only got into the vigilante business because of her father. Learning that her father was the supervillain Cluemaster, Stephanie took on the identity of Spoiler and made it her life mission to make sure her father ended up behind bars. This was a major moment in her life, and it eventually led Stephanie Brown to become Batgirl.

All because her father was a supervillain, Stephanie has become one of the greatest heroes the Bat-Family has to offer. While Stephanie Brown rarely interacts with her father in comics these days, it’s impossible to forget that her entire heroic journey, which continues to this day, was kickstarted by a desire to prevent her father from doing evil.

9

Aquaman Jackson Hyde Rejected His Father’s Hatred

First Appearance: Brightest Day #4 by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, Ivan Reis, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, Oclair Albert, Vicente Cifuentes, David Beaty, Peter Steigerwald, John Starr, and Rob Clark Jr.

Black Manta hates Aquaman more than any villain hates their superhero opposite. Black Manta will never stop until he can kill Aquaman once and for all, and he’s gone as far as killing both Aquaman’s teammate and his child. This quest for vengeance is complicated by the fact that Jackson Hyde, Black Manta’s very own son, has joined Aquaman as his sidekick and partner.

Jackson has fully rejected his father’s evil murderous vendetta against Arthur and has sided with Arthur several times against his own father, even becoming the second Aquaman along the way. While there have been times when Black Manta and Jackson have worked together in the past, it’s always been a shaky and complicated relationship due to their differing views of Aquaman.

8

Batgirl Cassandra Cain Was Born to Be a Weapon and Chose to Be a Hero

First Appearance: Batman #567 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott, John Floyd, Gregory Wright, and Todd Klein

Cassandra Cain was born to be the perfect weapon. Originally intended to become the ultimate bodyguard for Ra’s al Ghul, Cassandra was birthed by Lady Shiva, the deadliest martial artist on the planet. She was then raised by David Cain, one of the most brutal assassins around. From a young age, Cassandra was trained in the art of murder and knew every possible way to kill someone.

It seemed like she was set up to be the perfect new villain in DC, but after killing a man and witnessing the sorrow of death, Cassandra turned her back on her cruel father and fled. Eventually, Cassandra Cain would become Batgirl and would be one of the greatest to wear the mantle at that. While both her parents wanted her to become a monster, Cassandra chose to become a hero instead.

7

Raven Was Destined For Evil and Chose Good as a Teen Titan

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy, and Ben Oda

Raven is one of the most powerful Titans, and that’s partly because Raven is the daughter of the demon Trigon. One of the most powerful demons in the underworld, Trigon planned for Raven to be his ticket to Earth so he could conquer it once and for all. Despite these dark origins, Raven has managed to go on to become one of the greatest heroes on the Titans team, and with heavy hitters like Nightwing, the Flash, and Starfire, that’s no easy feat. The battle between her will and her father is an integral part of her character, but there’s no bigger evidence that a person isn’t defined by their parents than Raven.

6

Orion Will Always Fight Against His Father’s Tyranny

First Appearance: New Gods #1 by Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta, and John Costanza

Darkseid is one of the most evil beings in the DC Universe and is the literal personification of tyranny. It’s difficult to find a more overbearing parent than that, but Orion still manages to avoid becoming a monster like his father. Part of this is likely due to the fact Orion wasn’t raised by Darkseid — at least not for long. As part of a peace deal between Apokolips and New Genesis, two sons from each planet were exchanged.

Originally, Orion was fully intent on destroying New Genesis from the inside, but over time, Orion actually grew to love the people there and turned against his father Darkseid. Meanwhile, Darkseid immediately took Scott Free and tossed him into the deepest, darkest dungeon he had.

5

Chris Kent Was Superman’s First Child, Rejecting His Evil Parents Ursa and Zod

First Appearane: Action Comics #844 by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Adam Kubert, Dave Stewart, and Rob Leigh.

Superman has had numerous children over the years, from the beloved Jon Kent to the newer characters Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra. But Superman’s first and forgotten son was Chris Kent, the biological child of Ursa and Zod. Trapped in the Phantom Zone, Chris — originally born Lor-Zod — manages to escape, leaving his parents behind. Chris is then adopted by Clark and Lois and is shown a world of love that he’d never seen before.

When Zod and Ursa eventually escaped and began invading Earth with an army of criminal Kryptonians, Chris sacrificed himself to stop his biological parents, becoming a true hero. This results in both Chris and the invading army being sucked back into the Phantom Zone. He would eventually escape again, an adult now, and take on the mantle of Nightwing, utterly rejecting his father Zod’s villainous ways.

4

Jericho Had One of the Worst Fathers Imaginable

First Appearance: Tales of the Teen Titans #42 by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza

Jericho may not appear much these days, but he was one of the many children of Deathstroke and part of the iconic New Teen Titans roster. Considering Deathstroke is a major villain in the DC Universe, and even called himself the “King of Villains” at one point, it’s rather surprising that Jericho has turned out to be, at worst, neutral. He has been both a villain and a cherished member of the Teen Titans at different points in his life. While he has been a villain in the past, it was never on the level of his father, who had killed hundreds of innocent people along with several darker crimes.

3

Ravager Rose Wilson Eventually Broke Away from Her Evil Father

First Appearance: Deathstroke the Terminator #15 by Marv Wolfman, Art Nichols, Will Blyberg, Tom McCraw, and John Costanza

Unlike her brother Jericho, Rose Wilson has managed to be much more firmly on the side of good in her life. While she started out as a rather naive pawn for Deathstroke in his attempts to corrupt Nightwing, she eventually branched out and became her own person. While she has tended to ally herself with the darker heroes DC has to offer, often teaming up with Jason Todd, she is still a true hero and has been on both the Teen Titans and even Justice League International. Very few know her as simply Deathstroke’s daughter, and instead recognize her as Ravager, a full-blown hero.

2

Sinestro’s Daughter Soranik Stood Against Everything Her Father Believed In

First Appearance: Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 by Geoff Johns, Patrick Gleason, Prentis Rollins, Christian Alamy, Moose Baumann, Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, and Travis Lanham

The daughter of Sinestro, Soranik lived on Korugar, where the people viewed Green Lanterns as monsters. This standpoint was understandable, since the first Green Lantern they’d ever known was Sinestro. Using his Green Lantern ring, Sinestro enslaved everyone on Korugar and was a horrific dictator. Even after Sinestro was disposed of and locked up, the people of Korugar still hated Green Lanterns.

When the medical expert Soranik was chosen to become a Green Lantern, she tried to reject the ring, but her patient began to die due to a lack of medical equipment. Desperate to save him, Soranik accepted the ring and became a full-blown Green Lantern, which eventually led her into conflict with her father.

1

Damian Wayne Was Born to Rule the World — and He Chose to Help People Instead

First Appearance: Batman #655 by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, Dave Stewart, and Nick J. Napolitano

Raised by Talia al Ghul and Ra’s al Ghul for the first ten years of his life, Damian Wayne was born to be a villain. The al Ghuls intended him to be the next Alexander the Great as the commander of the League of Assassins. Because of this plan, Damian’s al Ghul family intended for him to take over the world and fulfill Ra’s vision of saving the planet through genocide.

This fate didn’t come to pass though, since instead of following that dark legacy, Damian ended up in the care of his father, Bruce Wayne. While Damian was initially borderline hyper-violent and often cruel to his Bat-Family allies, he eventually grew to become a true hero as Robin, wanting to help the people of the DC Universe instead of hurting them. This allowed Damian to become a true hero, despite the dark legacy he was born for.