Some villains are kitschy and make the audience laugh. Others convey a healthy sense of danger that makes fans love the bad guy. Then there are villains that are downright sinister. The Arrowverse has delivered all throughout the series’ run on the CW.
From scary speedsters on The Flash to psychotic humans on Arrow, the DC villains of the Arrowverse serve a generous dose of terror to the characters and fans alike. When the heroes seem on the verge of losing that’s when the bad guys really get scary. Here are 10 of the scariest villains across the Arrowverse.
Cyrus Gold
Known as the Acolyte or Brother Cyrus, Cyrus Gold terrorized Starling City as a follower of the Church of Blood. The overzealous organization, run by Cyrus’s childhood friend, Sebastian Blood, unwittingly followed Slade Wilson on his vendetta to destroy the city.
Cyrus survived the Mirakuru injection, dedicating himself to Sebastian and the Church of Blood. This made him a terrifying enemy that was willing to do anything for his beliefs. But some fans were disappointed that he didn’t live up to his full potential as Solomon Grundy from the comics.
Black Flash
Hunter Zolomon went by many names and identities as he chased after glory. First, he was the supervillain Zoom, but he wanted to be a hero. So he stole the identity of another Flash, Jay Garrick, and kept him prisoner. Later, he became Barry Allen’s mentor, teaching him to increase his speed to defeat Zoom.
But in reality, he wanted Barry’s speed for himself. Black Flash was by far his scariest face. After so much meddling with the timeline, Hunter was taken prisoner by Time Wraiths and reduced to a gruesome, ghoulish form.
Murmur
Michael Amar was beaten and forced to give a false confession to a crime he didn’t commit. After being released from Iron Heights Prison with his mouth sewn shut, he became known as Murmur. His criminal activity didn’t make him particularly scary, as a thief didn’t instill much fear in the heroes’ hearts.
But the stitches across the lips with a dead-behind-the-eyes look gave Murmur a disconcerting appearance that sent chills down the audience’s spine. His combat skills were nothing to shake a stick at either.
Overgirl
The Kara Zor-El from Earth-X was the exact opposite of the Supergirl fans knew and loved. Given the nickname Overgirl, this Kryptonian became the dictator of Earth-X alongside husband Führer Oliver. Nobody likes a Nazi, but a Nazi Kara was unthinkable until Overgirl came along.
Equipped with the same powers as Kara of Earth-38, Overgirl used her might to rule the humans, a path that many on Supergirl’s Earth often feared their hero could take. A superhero on the villains’ side made Overgirl a formidable enemy.
Alchemy
Though his alter ego Julian Albert left something to be desired, Alchemy created a menacing presence on The Flash. But this is because the true mastermind behind the avatar of Alchemy was Savitar.
A villain that’s nothing but a puppet controlled through a third vessel created a mysterious atmosphere that left the heroes scrambling to learn who the true bad guy was. Donning a mask resembling that of a plague doctor of the 17th century put the final touch of creepy on Alchemy’s terrifying appearance.
Mallus
When Legends of Tomorrow introduced a primordial demon as its big baddie, some fans were skeptical. But scenes of demonic possession as the beast used humans as his personal puppets always made for creepy fun.
Mallus had been imprisoned in hell by the lost tribe of Zambesi after they used his power to animate the Death Totem. Team Legends released Mallus with the intention to defeat him once and for all on their plane of existence. His true form sent chills down their spines as he appeared as a fierce, dragon-like creature.
Time Wraiths
Time Wraiths aren’t so much bad guys as neutral beings whose job is to protect the timeline, punishing those who mess with it. That’s why Barry has gotten on their bad side so many times. They’re just trying to keep speedsters from ripping the fabric of the universe through their time-traveling shenanigans.
But their forms are reminiscent of the dementors of Harry Potter, making them super creepy specters. Those bony hands reaching for Barry and his comrades as they run through the timeline are the stuff of nightmares.
Neron
Another demon villain from Team Legends, Neron doesn’t often appear in his true form. But he does cause mayhem by possessing anyone from innocent children to members of the team. Before he ventures into Ray Palmer’s body though, he takes over Desmond, John Constantine’s love interest.
Neron’s possession forced John to banish the man he loved to hell. Neron managed to take over Ray when he threatened to make the Atom kill his best friend, Nate. The demon wanted to cause suffering and pain through the most brutal means: by making his victims kill their loved ones.
The Dollmaker
Among metahumans, demons, and creatures from other dimensions, nothing is scarier than an ordinary human who commits monstrous acts. Barton Mathis becomes known as the Dollmaker when he goes on a serial killing spree in Starling City.
His victims are always women whom he drowns with polymer poured into their throats. He then dresses them up, like his personal dolls, and leaves them for the police to find. Seeking revenge against Detective Quentin Lance, the Dollmaker goes after Laurel. Little did he know the Black Canary would bring him to justice.
Rag Doll
By far the creepiest metahuman Team Flash has encountered was Peter Merkel’s Rag Doll. Created on the night of the Enlightenment, Peter was crushed by pieces of the destroyed satellite. But as it was saturated in dark matter, it turned him into a metahuman that could contort and manipulate his body to fit anywhere.
His movements gave the appearance of demonic possession. But the chilling white mask with empty eyes he wore made the whole character’s appearance an absolute nightmare. If the Jigsaw doll ever came to life, Rag Doll would be a close fit.
