The members of the Justice League aren’t the only ones who have built legacies with sons and daughters. Though fans may be familiar with Batman’s son Robin or Wonder Woman’s daughter Trinity, there are dozens of evil-doers who have sired children.

Some of these offspring have followed in the footsteps of their villainous parents. Others have broken the mold and become heroes in their own right. But these kids don’t get the spotlight as much as their parents, even though many of them show promise that exceeds their parents. Read on to discover 12 Justice League villains that have children.

12

Captain Boomerang’s Son Was Far More Deplorable Than His Father

First appearance: Identity Crisis #3 (2004)

Captain Boomerang is one of the oldest members of Flash’s notorious group of villains the Rogues. But as time went on, George “Digger” Harkness lost his way, forcing him to take contract work just to get by. During the downswing of his career in Identity Crisis, Captain Boomerang finally met his estranged son Owen, who was just as proficient at boomerang-throwing as his father was.

Digger died shortly after meeting Owen, manipulated into a plot orchestrated by an insane Jean Loring. However, the Captain Boomerang legacy lived on as Owen took his father’s criminal identity. While he eventually joined up with the Rogues, he crossed one of their major lines in Blackest Night when Owen attempted to revive his father (brought back as a zombified Black Lantern) by feeding him women and children. The Rogues turned on Owen and arranged for the Black Lantern Captain Boomerang to kill his son.

11

Crush and Lobo Have a Contentious Relationship

First appearance: Teen Titans Special #1 (2018)

While Lobo thought he was the last Czarnian in the DC Universe, that changed forever when he discovered he had a daughter, Xiomara Rojas, aka Crush. Crush is very much her father’s daughter and is just as prone to violence as he is. However, Crush has a bit more of a heroic streak than her father does and she spent a considerable amount of time with the Teen Titans.

Given their love of violence and personal history, Crush and Lobo do not exactly get along. Lobo’s even used his daughter to help him escape prison while setting her up to take his place. The two might be able to be a family one day, but for now, neither Crush nor Lobo are particularly interested in being in each other’s lives.

10

Dr. Sivana Has More Children Than People Think

First appearance: Captain Marvel Adventures #52 (1946), Mary Marvel #1 (1945), Whiz Comics #15 (1941), Whiz Comics #3B (1940)

For nearly as long as Billy Batson has been Shazam (aka Captain Marvel), he’s been vexed by the dangerous mad scientist Dr. Sivana. But just as Billy expanded the Shazam family by bringing in his friends and family to create a line of heroes, Sivana also tried making his criminal exploits a true family affair. Sivana has four children, two of whom are the spitting image of their father.

Thaddeus Jr. and Georgia don’t just resemble their father, they are just as inclined to crime as their father was, often joining him in his evil schemes against the Big Red Cheese. However, Sivana’s other children Magnificus and Beautia stood out from the Sivana family and were a bit more heroically inclined, even allying with the Shazam Family (much to the annoyance of their family).

9

Addison Cobblepot Has All the Penguin’s Ruthlessness

First appearance: Batman #126 (2022)

After the Penguin faked his death, it brought out the worst of two of his children, Addison and Aiden Cobblepot. The brother and sister duo eliminated every one of Oswald’s other children so they could be the only ones to inherit the Penguin’s estate (though they only wound up getting the Iceberg Lounge). With the Penguin gone from Gotham City, the duo, Addison in particular, began running Gotham’s criminal underground.

With Aiden as her muscle, Addison demonstrated that she was just as good at racketeering and intimidation as her father. From setting up death games in “Beast World” to blackmailing assassins to do her dirty work, the Penguin’s daughter has sunk her teeth into Gotham City’s criminal element and she’s not letting go. Even as her father returns to reclaim his old territory, Addison is prepared to spill blood to stay in power.

8

Bizarro and Boyzarro are a Dark Reflection of Superman and Jon

First appearance: Superman #42 (2018)

Bizarro has always served as a complicated mirror of Superman’s life. So when the Man of Steel returned to live life with his wife and son, it was only right that Clark’s backward nemesis have a family of his own. Superboy Jon Kent discovered that Bizarro had a child who resembled Jon on an excursion to Bizarro World. But unlike Jon and the wholesome relationship he has with Clark, Boyzarro and Bizarro’s relationship is extremely dysfunctional.

After being abandoned by his parents, Boyzarro took up residence on Earth in the town of Hamilton with his pal Robzarro. Boyzarro did eventually reunite with his father during an adventure with the Terrifics. While the escapade left Bizarro miniaturized and trapped in a jar, Boyzarro was just happy (in his own Bizarro way) to be together with his father again.

7

Things Are Complicated With Sinestro’s Children

First appearance: Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 (2005), Green Lantern #4 (2023)

Green Lantern’s archenemy Sinestro has always been about order, but his relationship with his children is anything but. It wasn’t long after Korugarian doctor Soranik Natu became a Green Lantern that she discovered she was actually the daughter of Thaal Sinestro, who placed her in the care of Korugarians, fearing that she wasn’t safe being raised by him. While Soranik took this discovery hard, she wound up taking after her father, even becoming the Sinestro Corps’ leader for a time.

However, Soranik might not be the only secret child Sinestro had. Recently, a young man named Korg was introduced in the backups of the current Green Lantern. While he has no evidence, Korg genuinely believes he is Sinestro’s child and began calling himself ‘Sinson’. Though Korg is currently being waylaid in his crusade, he’s not backing down from his mission and won’t stop until he proves Sinestro is his father.

6

Lex Luthor Was Unsurprisingly a Terrible Father to Lena

First appearance: Superman #131 (1998)

Lex Luthor has done some pretty awful crimes over the years. But his treatment of Lena Luthor has to be one of the worst. Lex had a daughter with Contessa Erica Del Portenza and it wasn’t long into Lena Luthor’s life that she was possessed by Brainiac. After Brainiac was purged from her mind, Lex traded Lena to Brainiac in exchange for futuristic tech. Lex saw Lena a few times afterward until she disappeared completely after Flashpoint.

But Lex got another chance to be a father after Lena came back into his life (along with Lex’s mother Leticia). Lena is now a teenager and is currently working for Supercorp. Despite all the bad blood between Lex and Lena, he has done everything he can to protect her from the Chained, the Lex Luthor Revenge Squad, and a re-emerged Brainiac.

5

The Mongul Lineage is One Built on Blood and Death

First appearance: Superman: Villains #1 (2020)

One of the most frightening despots ever faced by the Justice League is Mongul, the unquestioned ruler of Warworld. What’s curious about the villain is that DC heroes have faced numerous Monguls all of whom are related to one another. In accordance with Warzoon law, the current Mongul sires numerous potential offspring, who compete with one another, honing their fighting skills. Whoever becomes strong enough to kill Mongul and actually does so succeeds and rules as the new Mongul.

The most recent Mongul (aka Mongul MDCCXCII) was the weakest of his father’s offspring and was cast out to die. But he showed resilience and learned to fight from one of the most brutal tribes on Warworld. After killing his father and succeeding his father, this Mongul also had children. However, Mongul’s children were all killed, something that pleased Mongul as there was no one who threatened to usurp his throne.

4

General Zod Raised His Son to be as Cruel as Him

First appearance: Action Comics #844 (2006)

One of Superman’s most bitter enemies, General Zod, spent decades in the Phantom Zone. During that time he bonded with Ursa and the two wound up having a child, Lor-Zod. In the pre-Flashpoint continuity, Lor-Zod was a sweet kid, who Superman and Lois Lane took into their home, ready to formally adopt him. Unfortunately, things got out of hand during the “New Krypton” epic and prevented Chris from being a full Super-Family member.

Lor-Zod later returned in the DC Rebirth era, but this time he was a pint-sized version of General Zod. Though he was just as warlike as his father, Lor-Zod was cast out from the House of Zod and forced to make his own way in the galaxy. Despite the cold shoulder from his family, Lor-Zod seems fine on his own and nearly brought a planet under his rule.

3

Bane and Vengeance Have a Decent Relationship

First appearance: The Joker #2 (2021)

Vengeance is Bane’s half-clone and was secretly created in a lab in Santa Prisca as a weapon that would deal with the island nation’s worst threats. It wasn’t until adulthood that Vengeance discovered her connection to Bane and she left the life she’d lived to enact revenge on the man she believed to kill Bane, the Joker. To her surprise, Bane wasn’t dead and he took her under his wing, seeing potential in his daughter.

Like her father, Vengeance also uses Venom to achieve enhanced strength. She also shares Bane’s tactical brilliance and combat prowess. While the two’s relationship was a bit awkward at first, Bane accepted Vengeance as his daughter and promised to help bring out the best in her.

2

Mickey Mxyzptlk is a Toxic Twist on His Father

First appearance: Dark Crisis: Young Justice #2 (2022)

Mister Mxyzptlk has always been one of the biggest pests Superman’s ever faced. But as big of a pain in the neck as the Fifth Dimensional imp is, he’s nothing compared to his own son, Mickey. The son of the DC Universe’s interdimensional trickster made his appearance during Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths where he gathered Young Justice and brought them to a pocket dimension.

Though Mickey proclaims to be a fan of the heroes, he’s got an incredibly warped view of how things used to be. He’s also incredibly toxic and refuses to acknowledge how things have changed for the better. As bad as Mxyzptlk can be, Mickey’s obsessive nostalgia made Young Justice’s lives hell during a Crisis when every hero was needed.

1

The Joker Has Two Very Different Sons

First appearance: Batman: Three Jokers (2020), Batman Vol 2 #23.1: The Joker (2013)

The Joker might prefer to have his past be multiple choice, but an unfortunate truth came to light during Batman: Three Jokers. After the Dark Knight’s battle with the trio of Jokers ended, Bruce revealed to Alfred that a week after Batman met the Joker, Bruce discovered the villain’s name and sought out Joker’s ex-wife Jeannie from The Killing Joke. Jeannie was seen still raising her and Joker’s unnamed son, as Batman vowed to keep them hidden from the public.

While the canonicity of Three Jokers remains in limbo, an indisputable fact is Joker’s other ‘son’, Jackanapes. Jackanapes is an ape that Joker stole and raised to be a henchman. Though he only appears sporadically, Joker loves Jackanapes as much as someone like Joker can love something else.