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List of DC Comics characters: B
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from Wikipedia

B'wana Beast

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Baby Boom

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Baby Boom is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

She was among the children who were experimented on by Doctor Love while they were still in their mother's womb, causing her to develop the ability to generate accelerate matter and generate explosions with her mind. She becomes a member of Helix and an enemy of Infinity, Inc.[1]

Baby Wildebeest

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Bad Samaritan

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The Bad Samaritan (alias Zviad Baazovi) is a reformed anti-villain, and former enemy of the Outsiders who first appeared in The Outsiders #3 (January 1986). He is a former Soviet spymaster and eventually becomes the second White Queen's Bishop of Checkmate.[2] After the fall of the Soviet Union, Baazovi is loyal to his native country of Georgia and shows a great deal of distrust for Russia. While working with a Russian White Queen and White Queen's Knight, Baazovi has shown to be cooperative despite their different political ideologies.

Bad Samaritan in other media

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Lashawn Baez

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Bag O' Bones

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Buddy Baker

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Jacob Baker

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Anica Balcescu

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Grace Balin

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Sebastian Ballesteros

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Ballistic

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Balloon Man

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Balloon Man is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Balloon Man is a size-shifting supervillain of indeterminate origin who fought the Metal Men.[5]

Balloon Man in other media

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  • An unrelated version of Balloon Man appears in the Gotham episode "The Balloonman", portrayed by Dan Bakkedahl. This version is a social worker named Davis Lamond who secretly uses weather balloons to target corrupt people.
  • Balloon Man appears in Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, voiced by Greg Davies.

Bane

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Jason Bard

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Bobby Barnes

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Baron Bedlam

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Baron Blitzkrieg

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Baron Reiter

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Jim Barr

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Barrage

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Barrage is the name of a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Phillip Karnowski is a criminal who originally fought Maggie Sawyer and lost his right arm in the process. While incarcerated at Stryker's Island, he builds high-tech armor and a prosthetic arm. Using his technology, Karnowski attacks the Metropolis Police Department's Special Victims Unit to get revenge on Sawyer before being defeated by Superman.[6]

Barrage later escapes and joins Morgan Edge's Superman Revenge Squad.[7]

Barrage in other media

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  • Phillip Karnowski appears in the Supergirl episode "The Darkest Place", portrayed by Victor Zinck Jr.[8] This version is a former Navy SEAL. who became a vigilante after his wife Julie was murdered. He frames Guardian for the attacks, but is defeated by him and arrested by the National City Police Department.
  • Phillip Karnowski appears in the Superman & Lois episode "The Ties That Bind", portrayed by Shaw Madsen. This version is an arms and drug dealer.

Guillermo Barrera

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Bat-Devil

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Bat Lash

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Bat-Mite

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Hannibal Bates

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Batgirl

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Batman

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The Batman Who Laughs

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Batman Jones

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Batman Jones is a Batman expert in the DC Universe.[9]

The character, created by Jack Schiff and Bill Finger, first appeared in Batman #108 (June 1957). A rebooted version appears in Battle for the Cowl interviewed by Vicki Vale.[10]

Within the context of the stories, his parents were rescued by Batman shortly before Jones was born and they named him "Batman" as thanks. The boy grew up idolizing Batman and tried to become a crimefighter before he began collecting stamps.[11] As an adult, he is an expert on Batman.[10]

Battalion

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Batwoman

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Billy Batson

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Battalion

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Batwing

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Batwoman

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Simon Baz

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Beard Hunter

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Beard Hunter is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Ernest Franklin is a disturbed and closeted gay assassin of bearded men who is hired by the Bearded Gentlemen's Club of Metropolis to kill the Chief because he will not sell his beard to them. He cannot grow a beard due to a male hormone deficiency, as stated by his mother when she is visited by the police.[12]

Beard Hunter in other media

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  • Beard Hunter appears in Doom Patrol, portrayed by Tommy Snider. This version is a bounty hunter with the ability to track down individuals by consuming their facial hair.
  • Beard Hunter appears in a self-titled episode of Teen Titans Go!, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. This version is Australian.

Beast Boy

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Beast Girl

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Beast Girl (Kareli) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Unstoppable Doom Patrol #1 (May 2023), and was created by writer Dennis Culver and artist Chris Burnham.[13][14]

Kareli is a girl whose metagene activated after she was attacked by coyotes during a hike, giving her an animalistic appearance and the ability to manipulate the emotions of others by affecting their amygdala. Kareli was rejected by her father, who saw her as a monster, and chased by a group of civilians, who she accidentally enraged with her powers. After being rescued by the Doom Patrol, Kareli was taken in and mentored by Niles Caulder and Flex Mentallo, who taught her to control and utilize her powers. Eventually, she was inducted into the Doom Patrol by the Chief, who was impressed with her performance.[15][16]

During the Absolute Power event, Beast Girl loses her powers after being attacked by Amanda Waller's Amazo robots.[17] After the Amazos are destroyed and the heroes regain their powers, Beast Girl is accidentally given Zookeeper's ability to transform into animals while retaining her original abilities.[18][19][20][21][22]

Karen Beecher

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Beefeater

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Bekka

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Burt Belker

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Floyd Belkin

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Shauna Belzer

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Khalid Ben-Hassin

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Angelo Bend

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Andrew Bennett

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May Bennett

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Beppo

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Helena Bertinelli

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Andrea Beaumont

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Bibbo Bibbowski

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Big Barda

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Big Sir

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Delbert Billings

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Billy Numerous

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Billy Numerous is a character created for the Teen Titans animated series, voiced by Jason Marsden.[23] Numerous first appears as a student of the H.I.V.E. Academy who possesses the ability to clone himself. After H.I.V.E. is destroyed during Cyborg's confrontation with Brother Blood, Numerous and most of the other students become freelance villains.

At some point, Numerous joins Jinx's H.I.V.E. Five and the Brotherhood of Evil. When the Brotherhood executes a worldwide strike against the Titans and their allies, Numerous and Gizmo are sent to capture Kole and Gnarrk, but are unsuccessful. Beast Boy and the remaining members of the Titans attack the Brotherhood's headquarters, with Numerous being subdued by Kid Flash.

Billy Numerous is introduced into the main comics continuity in the third volume of Cyborg (2023).[24]

Billy Numerous in other media

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Bison-Black-as-Midnight-Sky

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Bison-Black-as-Midnight-Sky is a Native American shaman in the DC Universe.

The character, created by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick, first appeared in The Fury of Firestorm #1 (June 1982).[25]

Bison-Black-as-Midnight-Sky is the great-grandfather of Black Bison and the last great shaman of the Bison Cult. He resents his great-grandson's disrespect for the cult's traditions. When he is killed by muggers in Central Park, he binds his spirit to a magical amulet that allows his spirit to influence his great-grandson when worn.[Firestorm 1]

Bizarro

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Danton Black

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Mitchell Black

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Black Adam

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Black Alice

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Black Arrow

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Black Arrow was created by Otto Binder and George Papp, first appearing in Adventure Comics #143 (August 1949). He is a leader of a criminal gang, who creates the identity as part of a robbery scheme to outwit the Green Arrow.[26]

Black Beetle

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Black Beetle is the name of several characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as enemies of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

Unnamed version

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An unnamed individual posed as a future version of Blue Beetle. Black Beetle appears to Booster Gold and offers to help prevent Maxwell Lord from killing Ted Kord. They succeed, but their efforts create an alternate timeline where Lord's OMAC army have taken over the world.[27] Kord sacrifices himself to return to the past and restore the timeline.[28][29]

Black Beetle later returns and manipulates the timeline, leading to Dick Grayson's death.[30] He steals a Scarab from Trigon, becomes the Scarlet Scarab, and battles Jaime Reyes. Jaime allows him to escape due to being busy with his sister Milagro Reyes.[31][32]

In Time Masters: Vanishing Point, Black Beetle attempts to steal Waverider's power before being defeated by the Time Masters and forced to flee.[33]

Hector

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Hector is the brother of Nadia, a technician and ally of Jaime. After Nadia is killed by the Khaji Da Revolutionary Army, a group of Reach Infiltrators, Hector bonds with Reach technology in order to be an enemy.[34][35]

Black Beetle in other media

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  • An original incarnation of Black Beetle appears in Young Justice, voiced by Kevin Grevioux.[36] This version is an unnamed Reach warrior and enforcer who wears a black scarab akin to the Blue Beetle's blue scarab. He assists the Reach in their invasion of Earth until Blue Beetle defeats and depowers him.
  • Black Beetle, based on the Young Justice incarnation, appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains via the Young Justice DLC.[37]

Black Bison

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Further reading

Black Bison is the name of two supervillains in the DC Universe.

The character, created by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick, first appeared in The Fury of Firestorm #1 (June 1982).[25]

John Ravenhair

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Black-Cloud-In-Morning is a Native American who was raised in the modern world and legally renamed himself John Ravenhair. After being possessed by his ancestor, Bison-Black-as-Midnight-Sky, Ravenhair sets about avenging the wrongs committed against the Native American people.[38][Firestorm 1] When removed from Bison's spirit, he occasionally acts for good, but is frequently a threat to Firestorm.[39]

During the Day of Vengeance event, Black Bison is killed by the Spectre during his crusade against magic.[40] He is temporarily resurrected as a Black Lantern during the Blackest Night event and permanently resurrected following The New 52 continuity reboot.[41]

Powers and abilities of Black Bison

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Black Bison is armed with a coup-stick that allows him to bring inanimate objects to life and manipulate weather. He is also trained in martial arts.

Black Bison in other media

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Black Canary

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Black Condor

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Black Flash

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Black Hand

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Black Lightning

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Black Manta

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Black Mask

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Black Orchid

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Black Spider

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Black Vulcan

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Flora Black

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Manchester Black

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Vera Black

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Further reading

Vera Black, also known as Sister Superior, is a British psionic cyborg in the DC Universe.

The character, created by Joe Kelly and Doug Mahnke, first appeared in JLA #100 (August 2004).[44] The storyline set up the limited series Justice League Elite which consisted of 12 issues published between 2004 and 2005.

Vera Black is the sister of Manchester Black. As children, their parents would often fight and Manchester would take her out to play to avoid them. As his idea of "play" became killing sprees, Vera's perspective became twisted. When her brother dies after attempting to destroy Superman, she has her damaged arms replaced with malleable cybernetic prostheses, initially contemplating revenge on Superman before she decides to be better than her brother.

Her new abilities result in her leading the remnants of the Elite and tacitly working with the Justice League. This leads to the League, encouraged by the Flash, asking her to lead a new team with the intention that she will handle black ops missions that the League cannot due to what they represent to the public, primarily involving hunting down and eliminating metahuman threats before they go public. Starting with Coldcast and Menagerie, she adds Flash, Manitou Raven, Major Disaster, Green Arrow, and Kasumi to the team. She also enlists Naif al-Sheikh to keep the team in check and serve as a liaison to the governments of the world.

Powers and abilities of Vera Black

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Vera's cybernetic arms can transform into various melee, projectile and beam weapons. They also incorporate camouflage technology relying on optics, as well as altering sense perception in others.

Vera Black in other media

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Black-Cloud-in-Morning

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Blackbriar Thorn

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Blackbriar Thorn is an ancient druid and the last survivor of his sect who can manipulate and transform into plants. After resurfacing in the present, Thorn becomes an enemy of the Justice Society. In Crisis on Infinite Earths, he assists the heroes in battling the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons.[47]

Thorn has exhibited a plethora of abilities, including manipulation of the weather, extensive control over vegetation, regeneration, and the creation of illusions. Thorn can increase his strength via physical contact with the earth.

Blackbriar Thorn in other media

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Joseph Blackfire

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Blackguard

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Blackguard is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Richard Hertz is a man who works for the 1,000, serving as their enforcer under the codename Blackguard. When the 1,000 tried to kill Blackguard in their mission to kill Booster Gold, Blackguard was saved by Booster Gold.[49]

In Underworld Unleashed, Blackguard gives his soul to Neron in exchange for super-strength, enhanced intellect, and special equipment.[50] He joins Cheetah and Earthworm in attacking the Warriors bar.[51]

In both the original and DC Rebirth continuities, Blackguard is killed while serving in the Suicide Squad.[52]

Blackguard in other media

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Blackguard appears in The Suicide Squad, portrayed by Pete Davidson.[53] This version is recruited into the eponymous team for a mission in Corto Maltese, but betrays the group by warning the military of their arrival. When he tries to surrender upon making landfall, he is shot and killed.

Blackhawk

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Blackout

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Further reading

Blackout (Farooq) is a metahuman who can harness electricity. He makes his first appearance in Flashpoint (vol. 2) #1 (July 2011). In the alternate timeline created by the events of Flashpoint, Blackout is recruited by Cyborg to help end the Amazon-Atlantean war, which has devastated Europe and killed millions of people.

Another new recruit, the Outsider, revealed during a meeting with Batman that he had been hunting Blackout so he could use his abilities to power India. This manhunt resulted in the loss of Blackout's girlfriend and his departure from school. Blackout has since voiced his reluctance to be part of the same team with his worst enemy.

Blackout in other media

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Farooq Gibran / Blackout appears in The Flash episode "Power Outage", portrayed by Michael Reventar.[54] This version acquired his abilities after being electrocuted amidst the explosion of S.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator and sought revenge against the head of S.T.A.R. Labs, Harrison Wells. In pursuit of this goal, Farooq is confronted by the Flash, who eventually overcharges and kills him.

Blackrock

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Blackrock is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Blackrock is a recurring enemy of Superman first appearing in Action Comics #458 (April 1976).[55]

Peter Silverstone is a doctor who creates Blackrock to increase ratings for the United Broadcasting television network. He eventually becomes Blackrock himself, using a special gem to manipulate electric energy.[56][57]

After Silverstone is defeated, Alexander Luthor Jr. retrieves the Blackrock and gives it to South American drug smuggler and revolutionary Lucia.[58]

Batman later obtains the Blackrock and uses it to stop Despero. Afterward, Superman forces Blackrock to leave Superman by threatening to kill it.

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Blackrock is Bradley Glenn, an ex-con who is hired to star in the reality television series Badass Nation.[59][60]

Blackrock in other media

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The Lucia incarnation of Blackrock appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[3]

Blackwing

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Blackwing (Charles "Charlie" Bullock) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Paul Levitz, Joe Staton, and Joey Cavalieri.

The character was chronologically introduced in Adventure Comics #464 (April 1979), but was unnamed in that comic. He was, however, named in his next appearance in Wonder Woman #281 (April 1981) and later, became Blackwing in Wonder Woman #297 (August 1982). Also, worth to note, the original story in Adventure Comics was intended for All Star Comics #75. Charlie was drawn as a teen in that story, but his next appearance (only three years later) depicts him as a young adult who graduated from law school.

In his mid-teens, Charles Bullock was searching for a direction in life. The teenager found it after he helped fight off street punks alongside Wildcat and was invited to join him at his gym. Charlie attended law school and later became a junior partner and top-notch researcher to the law firm called Cranston, Grayson and Wayne. When a criminal named Karnage broke into the office looking for his boss Arthur Cranston, this, and another event, led him to become the costumed hero Blackwing. Although his first outing as a crime fighter proved unsuccessful when he was captured by the costumed villain Boa's gang, Blackwing managed to contribute in freeing the Huntress from Boa's giant snake and recorded some evidence that was used to put the mastermind and his men away.

Since then, Blackwing has never appeared again in any other published story.

Adam Blake

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Evan Blake

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George Blake

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Thomas Blake

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Zinda Blake

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Buddy Blank

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Blaze

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Klarion Bleak

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Bleez

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Blight

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Blitzkrieg

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Blitzkrieg is a character appearing in American comic books related to DC Comics. The character was created by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham and first appeared in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #2 (March 2007) as Baroness Blitzkrieg. An apparent descendant of Baron Blitzkrieg, she is a speedster, member of the Fourth Reich, and enemy of the Justice Society of America.[61][62][63]

Additionally, two alternative equivalents of the character appear as inhabitants of Earth-10:

  • The first, a male speedster identified as the Flash appears in the stories 52, Countdown and Countdown to Final Crisis as a member of the JSAxis before he is recruited by the Monarch.[64]
  • The second, a female speedster identified as Blitzen appears in The Multiversity as a member of the New Reichsmen.[65]

Blitzkrieg in other media

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Two characters inspired by Blitzkrieg appear in media set in the Arrowverse:

Block

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Block is a young Maori woman living in Melbourne, Australia, who was once inexplicably struck by lightning and survived the incident. Unknown to her, this similar event had happened to many other individuals throughout time and was caused by the Speed Force.

Block joins a side show attraction in a carnival, exploiting her ability to manipulate her own density. Later, she joins Zoom's Acolytes.[volume & issue needed]

Powers and abilities

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Being imbued with the Speed Force, Block has the unique ability to slow down her atoms. In doing this, they become denser than steel and grant her invulnerability, super-strength and immobility. She can possibly slow down other speedsters, if not other people as well, through physical touch, as she stopped the Top's ability to spin and was able to hold Zoom in place in a headlock. After training centuries with Zoom, she is a deadly fighter.

Block in other media

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Vanessa Jansen / Block appears in The Flash episode "Blocked", portrayed by Erin Cummings.[68] This version was a weapons dealer who worked for the East Street Skulls gang until she was betrayed and sent to Iron Heights Penitentiary for four years. After becoming a metahuman with the ability to create boxes of dense air and getting out of Iron Heights, both by unknown means, she seeks revenge on her former gang until she is stopped by the Flash and XS. Before the heroes can re-incarcerate Jansen, she is attacked and mortally wounded by Cicada. XS rushes her to the hospital, but Jansen dies of her injuries off-screen.

Blockbuster

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Blok

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Jason Blood

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Sebastian Blood

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Bloodsport

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Bloodwork

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Bloodwork (Ramsey Rosso) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by Joshua Williamson, Paul Pelletier, and Howard Porter, first appeared in The Flash (vol. 5) #28 (October 2017). An enemy of Barry Allen / Flash, he possesses the metahuman ability to manipulate blood, which he gave himself in an attempt to cure his hemophilia.

Bloodwork in other media

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Bloodwork appears in the sixth and ninth seasons of The Flash, portrayed by Sendhil Ramamurthy.[69]

Bloodwynd

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Edward Bloomberg

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Blue Beetle

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Blue Devil

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Blue Jay

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Bluebird

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Mackenzie Bock

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Mackenzie "Hardback" Bock is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Mackenzie Bock was a detective in the Gotham City Police Department.[70]

Mackenzie Bock in other media

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Mackenzie Bock appears in media set in The Batman franchise, portrayed by Con O'Neill. This version is the Gotham City Police Department's chief of police. He first appears in the film The Batman (2022) and makes subsequent appearances in the spin-off miniseries The Penguin (2024).[71]

Bolphunga

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Further reading

Bolphunga is an extraterrestrial bounty hunter in the DC Universe.

The character, created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, first appeared in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #188 (May 1985).[72]

Bolphunga has a love of destruction and plots to make a name for himself by challenging the most feared and mysterious beings in creation, fixating on Green Lanterns. This has led to his defeat by Mogo,[GL 1] Kilowog,[GL 2] and Guy Gardner.[GL 3]

Bolphunga in other media

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Bolphunga appears in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, voiced by Roddy Piper.[73]

Bolt

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Larry Boltiansky

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Terry Boltiansky

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Lyle Bolton

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Bombshell

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Rocker Bonn

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Boodikka

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Boom

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Boom is the name of two characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

First version

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The first Boom is a rock-skinned alien who was previously locked into combat with another alien of his species named Thoom. They were recruited into the Poglachian Green Lantern Corps as part of a plot by the Weaponers of Qward to discredit the real Green Lantern Corps.[74]

Judy Garrick

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The New Golden Age reveals that Jay Garrick and Joan Garrick had a daughter, Judy Garrick, who inherited her father's superhuman speed and served as his sidekick before being kidnapped by the Time Masters and Childminder.[75] Following their defeat, Boom is transported to the present day, with Judy regaining her memories of her.[76]

Boomerang Killer

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Booster Gold

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Sasha Bordeaux

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Sy Borgman

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Sy Borgman is a retired scooter-bound U.S. agent with cybernetic enhancements and an ally of Harley Quinn. He first appeared in Harley Quinn (vol. 2) #2 (March 2014) as part of The New 52.[77][78]

Sy Borgman in other media

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Sy Borgman appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by Jason Alexander.[79][80] This version is a cyborg landlord, former CIA fixer, and member of Harley Quinn's crew. Additionally, he has a scientist sister named Mirielle, who was transformed into an octopus hybrid while trying to fuse a monkey and octopus to assist him in the field.

Neil Borman

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Bouncer

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First appearanceDetective Comics #347 (January 1966)
Created byGardner Fox
Carmine Infantino

Bouncer is an enemy of Batman who constructed a special suit out of alloy that gave him enhanced bouncing abilities. In their first encounter, he shot and killed Batman, who is replaced by the Batman of Earth-Two.[81]

He later returned as a henchman for the Monarch of Menace. When Batman was missing, the Monarch of Menace hired various Batman villains to commit crimes for him, including the Bouncer, however he was once again defeated when Batman returned.[82]

Bouncer in other media

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Bouncer makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!".

Bouncing Boy

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Bounder

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Bounder is a Cairnian police officer who joined the Vril Dox and his R.E.B.E.L.S. team, to escape his corrupt world dedicated to galactical production of drugs.

Isaac Bowin

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Bozo the Iron Man

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Slam Bradley

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Brain

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Brain Wave

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Brainiac

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Brainiac 2

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Brainiac 3

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Brainiac 3 (Lyrl Dox) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a Coluan who is the son of Brainiac 2 (Vril Dox) and the Gryxian Stealth. Lyrl was born after Stealth went into heat and raped Vril Dox before killing him.[83][84] Stealth becomes pregnant with Dox's child and gives birth in isolation on another planet, afraid of Dox's influence.[85]

Even as a child, Lyrl demonstrates an advanced twelfth-level intelligence, leading his father to promote him to a senior position within L.E.G.I.O.N.[86] However, Lyrl takes over L.E.G.I.O.N. utilizing his father's charisma program to brainwash the organization's members.[87] Dox later gives Lyrl drugs that suppress his intelligence, making it average.[88] During the Blackest Night event, Starro restores Lyrl's intelligence and exploits his abilities for his own use.[89]

Brainiac 3 in other media

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Brainiac 3 appears in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), voiced by Zeno Robinson.[90][91] This version is a clone of Brainiac and member of the Dark Circle who was created to steal the Miracle Machine. After his failure to do so, Brainiac fuses him into himself before Brainiac 5 manipulates Brainiac 3 and his fellow clones into fighting and killing one another from the inside.

Brainiac 4

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Brainiac 5

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Brainiac 8

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Brainwave

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Boston Brand

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Cindy Brand

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R. J. Brande

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Gunter Braun

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Kenny Braverman

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Breach

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Breathtaker

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Breathtaker is a name of two supervillains appearing in DC Universe.

First version

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The first Breathtaker is an unnamed assassin and the leader of the Assassination Bureau. He first appeared in Firestorm (vol. 2) #29 (November 1984), and was created by Joey Cavalieri and Rafael Kayanan.

Ostracized throughout his adolescence for being an albino dwarf, Breathtaker constructed a powerful exoskeleton and formed the Assassination Bureau.[92]

Second version

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The second Breathtaker is an unnamed female assassin who first appeared in Titans #21 (November 2000), and was created by Jay Faerber and Paul Pelletier. She is a metahuman who can manipulate air, enabling her to drain it from others' lungs.[93][94] Breathtaker is later killed by Crispus Allen as the Spectre.[95]

Breathtaker in other media

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Anthony Bressi

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Anthony "Tough Tony" Bressi was a mid-level mob boss in Gotham City, who was able to maintain his operations following the appearance of Batman, until he was ousted by Bane.

Anthony Bressi in other media

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Anthony Bressi was intended to appear in Batgirl, portrayed by Jacob Scipio, prior to its cancellation.[96]

Brick

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Emily Briggs

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Brimstone

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Mary Bromfield

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Tom Bronson

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Bronze Tiger

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Paula Brooks

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Brother Blood

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Brother Night

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Brother Night (Eldon Peck) is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Paul Dini and artist Stéphane Roux, and first appearing in Zatanna (vol. 2) #1 (July 2010), the character is a San Francisco-based sorcerer and enemy of Zatanna who bargained with evil spirits to gain extended life in exchange for serving them. Zatanna defeats him by forcing him to renounce his powers, leading him to be tortured by the spirits for breaking his bargain with them.[97]

Brother Night in other media

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Brother Night appears in Justice League Action, voiced by Dan Donohue.[98] This version is the owner of a nightclub that is primarily frequented by demons and offers power to those who desire it.

Brother Power the Geek

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Arthur Brown

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Chuck Brown

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Crystal Brown

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Crystal Brown is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Crystal Brown is a nurse who is the ex-wife of Arthur Brown and the mother of Stephanie Brown, and struggles with pain pill addiction.[99]

Crystal Brown in other media

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Crystal Brown appears in the Gotham Knights episode "Daddy Issues", portrayed by Sunny Mabrey.[100]

Thaddeus Brown

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Stephanie Brown

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Bruno

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Bruno is a Neo-Nazi criminal and gang leader operating in Gotham City who possesses distinctive swastika tattoos. Created by Frank Miller, she first appeared in The Dark Knight Returns #3 (August 1986).

Bruno in other media

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Bruno appears in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Tress MacNeille.

Brutale

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Brutale (Guillermo Barrera) is a supervillain who first appeared in Nightwing (vol. 2) #22. He was created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel.

Brutale is an expert with all forms of knives and blades, utilizing a variety of scalpels, throwing knives, and other blades.[101]

Brutale in other media

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Lester Buchinsky

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Bug

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Bug is the name of several characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Bug I

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The first Bug is a criminal who wears a helmet that enables him to control insects and rides around in a spider-like vehicle.[102]

Bernard Bonner

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Bernard Bonner is an electrokinetic supervillain in an insect-like suit who is the brother of Blythe Bonner / Byte. Byte is able to interface with technology, while Bug is able to transform into living electricity.[103][104]

During the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, Bug and Byte appear as members of Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.[105]

Steel villain

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This Bug is an insect-themed henchman of White Rabbit.[106]

Maximums version

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This version of Bug is a member of the Maximums, who were created by Joker using the powers of Mister Mxyzptlk. He is a pastiche of Spider-Man.[107]

Bug in other media

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The Bernard Bonner incarnation of Bug appears in The Flash episode "Godspeed", portrayed by an uncredited actor.

Bug-Eyed Bandit

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Bulleteer

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Bulletman and Bulletgirl

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Charlie Bullock

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Harvey Bullock

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Bumblebee

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Bunker

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Cindy Burman

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Jason Burr

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Jeffrey Burr

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Drake Burroughs

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Bushido

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Byte

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Byte is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Blythe Bonner is an electrokinetic supervillain and the sister of Bernard Bonner. Byte is able to interface with technology, while Bug is able to transform into living electricity. They try to target a friend of Martin Stein, only to be defeated by Firestorm.[104][103]

During the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, Bug and Byte appear as members of Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.[105]

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Blythe Bonner is a classmate of Jason Rusch.[108]

Byte in other media

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Byte appears in The Flash episode "Godspeed", portrayed by an uncredited actress.

Byth Rok

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Byth Rok is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and who is commonly known as a recurring enemy of the Silver Age Hawkman (Katar Hol). He is a scientist who stole a pill from the Thanagarian scientist Krotan, gaining shapeshifting abilities.[109]

In the Hawkworld miniseries, Byth is a corrupt Wingman commander and Katar Hol's superior. He manipulated a drug-induced Katar into killing his father, aiding his rise to power.[110] Now Administrator of Protection, he gains his shapeshifting powers from a new drug called Krotan. Katar Hol, with the help of Shayera Thal, uncovers his schemes but Byth escapes arrest.[111] He flees to Earth and runs criminal operations in Chicago, during which he supplied Carl Sands with a shadow generator.[112] He is later captured and returned to Thanagar.[113][114]

In The New 52 continuity reboot, Byth creates Ultra the Multi-Alien by combining the DNA of several alien prisoners.[115]

Byth Rok in other media

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
List of DC Comics characters: B is a catalog of fictional entities—primarily superheroes, supervillains, and supporting cast members—from the DC Comics whose primary names or aliases commence with the letter B.
Among the most defining entries is Batman, the Gotham-based vigilante who relies on peak human conditioning, detective acumen, and cutting-edge gadgets to combat criminality, debuting in * in 1939. Other prominent figures include Bane, a tactically brilliant inmate-turned-conqueror augmented by the strength-enhancing steroid Venom, who infamously shattered Batman's spine in a pivotal confrontation, first appearing in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 in 1993; Black Canary (Dinah Lance), a martial arts expert with a sonic scream capable of disorienting foes, originating in * #86 in 1947 and frequently allied with teams like the ; and Blue Beetle, a legacy mantle involving alien scarab technology granting adaptive armor and weaponry, tracing back to * #1 in 1939 across multiple incumbents such as Jaime Reyes. These characters exemplify DC's tradition of blending street-level realism with extraordinary abilities, often intersecting in narratives exploring themes of justice, vengeance, and human limits amid Gotham's underbelly or broader multiversal threats.

Major Superheroes

Batman

Batman, also known as , is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, a billionaire industrialist and philanthropist in DC Comics. Created by artist and writer , the character first appeared in *, cover-dated May 1939 and published on March 30, 1939. Wayne assumes the Batman persona to wage a relentless crusade against crime in the fictional , a perpetually corrupt modeled after with influences from and other urban centers. As a child, Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents, physician and socialite , in a random alleyway by a criminal named , an event that traumatizes him and instills a vow to eradicate crime through fear and preparation. After extensive global training in detective work, , forensics, and —mastering over 127 fighting styles—he returns to Gotham, adopting the bat motif inspired by a childhood fear of bats and a cave-dwelling swarm that symbolizes his resolve. Operating primarily at night from the beneath , Batman employs , embodying a bat-like terror to intimidate criminals without killing, a code reinforced across most canonical depictions. Batman possesses no abilities, relying instead on peak human physical conditioning, genius-level intellect, and vast resources from to deploy advanced gadgets like the utility belt, Batarangs, and the . His detective skills, often dubbed "the World's Greatest Detective," enable forensic analysis and strategic planning that outmatch superpowered foes, as seen in encounters with villains like the Joker and . This reliance on preparation and technology underscores Batman's role as a human pinnacle of willpower and discipline within the , influencing teams like the while maintaining a solitary, brooding vigilance over Gotham.

Batgirl

Batgirl is a codename adopted by multiple female vigilantes in DC Comics, serving as allies to in and emphasizing themes of independence, intellect, and combat prowess. The mantle originated with Betty Kane, introduced as Bat-Girl in Batman #139 (April 1961), created by and as a counterpart to , but this version was largely retconned following the Silver Age. The role gained enduring prominence with , daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon, who debuted as in Detective Comics #359 ("The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl," cover-dated January 1967; on-sale December 1966), crafted by writer and artist to revitalize Batman's supporting cast amid the Batman television series popularity. Barbara Gordon's tenure as Batgirl spanned decades, portraying her as a librarian by day with exceptional gymnastic, martial arts, and deductive skills, often operating solo or in tandem with Batman and Robin against threats like Killer Moth and the Joker. In Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), she suffered permanent paralysis from a shooting by the Joker, shifting her role to Oracle, a wheelchair-bound master hacker coordinating the Birds of Prey team and aiding heroes like Black Canary and Huntress with intelligence networks. Following DC's 2011 New 52 relaunch, Barbara regained mobility through retconned events and resumed as Batgirl in her self-titled series (Batgirl vol. 4 #1, September 2011), exploring psychological recovery and urban vigilantism, with the title running 52 issues until 2016. Subsequent inheritors expanded the legacy amid dynamics. , a mute assassin-trained operative, assumed the mantle in Batgirl vol. 1 #1 (January 2000), emphasizing body-language reading and lethal precision before evolving into post-Rebirth. Stephanie Brown, formerly Spoiler and briefly Robin, wore the costume during Batgirl vol. 3 (September 2009–August 2011), navigating mentorship tensions with amid gang wars. Helena Bertinelli (Huntress) donned it temporarily during the "" storyline (1999), while minor or alternate versions include Charlotte Gage-Radcliffe (Misfit) and future iterations like Tiffany Fox, reflecting DC's pattern of legacy succession to sustain the archetype's appeal without diluting Batman's centrality.

Black Canary

Black Canary is the codename of two successive superheroines in DC Comics publications: the original Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance, with the latter becoming the primary iteration in modern continuity. The character debuted as Dinah Drake in Flash Comics #86 (cover-dated August 1947), created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino as a supporting figure in a Johnny Thunder story, where she operated as a crimefighter posing as a criminal to dismantle gangs through hand-to-hand combat and disguise expertise, without superhuman abilities. Dinah Laurel Lance assumed the mantle after her mother's apparent death, inheriting an updated persona that incorporated the "Canary Cry"—an ultrasonic vocal scream capable of generating concussive force, shattering materials like glass or metal, and incapacitating enemies through sonic disruption—first prominently featured upon her integration into team books in the late . Exceptional martial arts proficiency defines both versions, with Laurel training under masters like and the League of Assassins, enabling her to overpower multiple armed opponents in close quarters; she also employs gadgets such as a specialized for high-speed pursuits. This skill set, combined with her tactical acumen as a former florist-turned-vigilante in Gotham and , positions her as a street-level operative adept at solo infiltration and team coordination. Black Canary's publication history spans Golden Age adventures with the , where Dinah Drake served during World War II-era stories, to Silver Age expansions including her recruitment to the of America in Justice League of America #75 (November 1969), where the Canary Cry ability was emphasized to align with superhuman teammates. Post- (1985-1986) retcons established Laurel as a founding member of the League's post-Legends reformation in Justice League #1 (May 1987), reflecting editorial efforts to streamline continuity by merging maternal legacy with enhanced powers. She co-founded the Birds of Prey with () in Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 (1999), focusing on covert intelligence-driven missions, and maintains a longstanding partnership and intermittent romance with (Oliver Queen), highlighted in titles like Green Arrow/Black Canary (2007-2010).

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle denotes a superhero legacy in DC Comics, with the character originating from publications dating to 1939 and later integrated into the DC Universe following acquisitions from Fox Feature Syndicate and Charlton Comics. The mantle has been borne by Dan Garrett, Ted Kord, and Jaime Reyes, who employ varying sources of power ranging from an ancient Scarab artifact to technological gadgets and symbiotic alien armor. These iterations have featured in solo titles, team affiliations such as the Justice League International and Teen Titans, and major events, embodying themes of ingenuity, resilience, and extraterrestrial influence. Dan Garrett, the inaugural , was an archaeologist who unearthed a mystical Scarab from an Egyptian tomb, endowing him with , durability, and other abilities to combat crime. He debuted in Mystery Men Comics #1 (August 1939), initially as a enhanced by a fictional "Vitamin 2X" serum in early stories, though DC continuities retroactively emphasized the Scarab's role in granting powers tied to ancient pharaonic origins. Garrett's adventures laid the foundation for the character's enduring motif of insect-themed heroism, though his tenure ended with his death during a confrontation in DC's post-Crisis narratives. Ted Kord assumed the Blue Beetle identity after Garrett, forgoing the Scarab's powers in favor of self-developed gadgets, aerial vehicles like the Bug, and exceptional intellect honed through scientific expertise and business acumen as founder of Kord Industries. First appearing as Blue Beetle in Charlton Comics' Blue Beetle #1 (June 1967), following an introduction in Captain Atom #83 (1965), Kord integrated into DC's shared universe via Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) and gained prominence in Justice League International for his quippy demeanor and strategic contributions. His arc concluded tragically when he was murdered by Maxwell Lord in Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 (May 2005), highlighting vulnerabilities in superhero alliances. Jaime Reyes represents the current primary Blue Beetle, a high school student from El Paso, Texas, who symbiotically bonded with the Reach-engineered Scarab—originally Garrett's artifact—triggering its activation as adaptive alien exoskeleton armor. Debuting in Infinite Crisis #3 (February 2006), the Scarab, named Khaji Da, equips Reyes with flight, enhanced strength, invulnerability, energy blasts, and on-demand weaponry, often manifesting instinctively but occasionally overriding his control due to its warrior programming. Reyes balances teen life with protecting his community and affiliations in the Teen Titans and Justice League, confronting interstellar threats from the Reach invasion while navigating family dynamics and personal growth.

Booster Gold

Booster Gold is the superhero alias of Michael Jon Carter, a DC Comics character created by Dan Jurgens who first appeared in Booster Gold #1 in February 1986. Born on December 29, 2442, in a dystopian 25th-century Gotham City, Carter rose as a college quarterback before a gambling scandal—fixed games for profit—ruined his career and left him in poverty, supporting his ailing mother through petty crime. As a janitor at the Metropolis Space Museum, he stole prototypes of 25th-century technology, including a power suit, energy blaster, flight ring, force field belt, and the sentient robot companion Skeets, then hijacked a time sphere to relocate to the late 20th century. His initial goal was self-aggrandizement: leveraging future knowledge of events and crimes to pose as a celebrity hero for endorsements and wealth, debuting publicly by thwarting a theft at a Superman exhibit. Lacking inherent powers, Booster Gold's capabilities derive entirely from his pilfered futuristic arsenal, emphasizing technological superiority over biological enhancement. The microcircuitry suit provides sufficient to contend with mid-tier threats, sustained flight at high speeds, reinforced durability against impacts and projectiles, and offensive energy blasts from wrist-mounted projectors. Defensive force fields absorb significant kinetic and energy attacks, while his visor grants enhanced sensory modes including thermal imaging, , and drawn from historical data. Skeets augments this with , repairs, and computational aid, though the system's reliance on future power cells limits indefinite operation without maintenance. Over iterations, upgrades have incorporated rudimentary time manipulation, allowing minor temporal interventions tied to his origin tech. Though starting as a fame-hungry opportunist—often clashing with peers over sponsorship deals— integrated into the in 1987, partnering closely with () in operations blending heroism with humor. This era showcased his tactical acumen despite ego-driven lapses, evolving him toward authentic guardianship, particularly in timeline preservation against paradoxes and multiversal threats. Subsequent arcs, including 52 (2006–2007) and solo series, depict him as a reluctant custodian of history, using prescience to avert disasters while grappling with the ethical perils of foreknowledge. His arc underscores causal tensions in time travel: interventions risk self-erasure, as seen in encounters with and the Linear Men, reinforcing his shift from profiteer to protector without erasing foundational self-interest.

Black Lightning

Black Lightning, whose real name is Jefferson Pierce, is a in DC Comics, depicted as a high school principal and Olympic-decathlon gold medalist who operates as a vigilante in the impoverished Suicide Slum district of . Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor von Eeden, the character debuted in Black Lightning #1 in April 1977, marking one of the earliest major African-American protagonists in mainstream DC titles during the Bronze Age of Comics. Pierce's narrative centers on combating urban crime syndicates like The 100, led by , while balancing his civilian role as an educator dedicated to uplifting his community. Pierce's origin involves returning to his hometown after success abroad, only to confront systemic corruption stifling local youth; his tailor and surrogate father figure, , provides a specialized belt enabling electrical energy projection, initially framing his abilities as technological rather than innate. In subsequent retellings, such as Black Lightning: Year One (2009), Pierce's powers evolve into bioelectric traits, triggered by latent amplified during a , allowing him to generate and manipulate electricity without reliance on gadgets. This shift aligns with broader crossovers, including the 1988 Invasion! event, where alien gene-bombs activate metahuman potential in characters like Pierce. His abilities encompass electrokinesis for discharging powerful blasts, creating force fields, and achieving limited flight via electromagnetic propulsion; Pierce is also portrayed as an elite athlete with mastery in martial arts, enhancing his hand-to-hand combat effectiveness against foes. These powers enable targeted, non-lethal takedowns, reflecting his principled stance against excessive violence. Throughout his publication history, Black Lightning features in self-titled series (1977–1978, revived 1995 and 2016), Justice League affiliations starting in the 1980s, and the Outsiders team, where he serves as a tactical leader. Key arcs involve family dynamics with daughters Anissa and Jennifer (who gain similar powers as Thunder and Lightning), alliances against interstellar threats, and critiques of institutional failures in urban environments, culminating in roles during events like Infinite Crisis (2005–2006).

Billy Batson

Billy Batson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, serving as the civilian identity and youthful alter ego of the superhero originally known as Captain Marvel and later rebranded as Shazam. Created by writer Bill Parker and artist , Batson first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated February 1940), initially published by as part of their effort to capitalize on the success of . In the character's origin story, Batson is depicted as an orphaned newsboy whose parents were killed, leading him to a life of hardship until a mysterious stranger guides him to the Rock of Eternity, lair of the ancient wizard Shazam. The wizard, recognizing Batson's pure heart, bestows upon him the ability to transform into an adult by uttering the word "Shazam," which channels magical lightning and grants powers derived from six mythological figures: the wisdom of , strength of , stamina of Atlas, power of (including lightning manipulation), courage of Achilles, and speed of Mercury. Fawcett Comics published Batson and Captain Marvel stories extensively through the 1940s, with titles like Captain Marvel Adventures achieving peak sales that surpassed even 's, but ceased production in 1953 following a 1941 lawsuit from DC Comics alleging similarities to , compounded by declining sales and legal costs. DC licensed the characters in the early 1970s, relaunching them in Shazam! #1 (1973) under the Shazam name to avoid trademark conflict with ' own Captain Marvel, and fully acquired the rights in the 1980s from CBS Publications, which had purchased Fawcett's assets. Integrated into the after (1985–1986), Batson's portrayal evolved, emphasizing his childlike innocence contrasting with his heroic adult form, and he has since starred in series like (1994–1999) and Shazam! (2019–present), often alongside a "" of empowered allies.

Beast Boy

Beast Boy, whose real name is Garfield Logan, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he first appeared in Doom Patrol #99 in September 1965. Logan originated as the son of scientists Mark and Marie Logan, who were conducting wildlife research in Africa; at age five, he contracted the rare, fatal disease Sakutia, treatable only via a serum derived from the blood of a green monkey, which his parents administered, curing him but permanently turning his skin green and granting him metahuman abilities. Following his parents' death in a boating accident, Logan was adopted by Steve Dayton (Mento) and Rita Farr (Elasti-Girl) of the Doom Patrol, becoming the team's youngest member despite initial tensions due to his youthful antics and desire for approval. Logan's primary power is therianthropy, enabling him to instantaneously transform his body into any animal form he has encountered or studied, including extinct species, extraterrestrial creatures, and in certain narratives mythical beings, while retaining his , memories, and vocal cords for speech. These transformations confer the physical attributes, strength, speed, and senses of the chosen animal—such as a gorilla's power or an eagle's flight—without altering his green pigmentation, though overuse can cause fatigue. Initially limited to earthly animals, his abilities expanded through experience and exposure to alien worlds, allowing forms like beasts or starfish-like entities in events such as the 2023 Titans: Beast World storyline, where he morphed into a massive hybrid to combat a global threat. After the 's apparent demise in Doom Patrol #121 (1968), Logan joined the , adopting the alias in Teen Titans #20 (1970) to dissociate from the "Beast Boy" moniker tied to his surrogate 's tragedy and to project maturity. He became a core member of the New under writers and George Pérez starting in 1980, contributing comic relief amid darker arcs like The Judas Contract (1984), where his shape-shifting aided in exposing a traitor. Logan has affiliated with groups including Titans West, Titans L.A. (as leader), the briefly in alternate scenarios, and the Outsiders; post- (2005–2006), he resumed "Beast Boy" amid resurrections and team rebuilds, emphasizing resilience over past losses. His character often explores themes of isolation from his condition, found in teams, and growth from impulsive youth to strategic hero, as seen in Titans: Beast World (2023–2024), where he orchestrates a planetary defense against Necrostar infection.

Major Supervillains

Bane

Bane is a in DC Comics, most notable as a primary antagonist to Batman, characterized by his exceptional intellect, strategic acumen, and enhanced physical prowess derived from the experimental steroid . The character was created by writer and artist , debuting in the one-shot Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, published by DC Comics on January 19, 1993. Bane's origin places him as the son of a criminal who was sentenced to life in Peña Duro, the notorious prison on the fictional Caribbean island of Santa Prisca; as a , Bane inherited his father's sentence and endured brutal conditions that forged his resilience, self-educating through voracious reading and training under prison inmates and a Jesuit priest who taught him advanced combat disciplines. During adolescence, Bane volunteered as a test subject for , a potent, addictive steroidal compound originally derived from the Miraclo formula and engineered to amplify strength exponentially, granting him levels of power—capable of lifting approximately 2-3 tons or more—along with heightened durability, speed, and stamina when injected via a network of tubes connected to his body. Without , Bane possesses peak human conditioning, genius-level intelligence evidenced by his polyglotism in over a dozen languages, mastery of multiple , and tactical brilliance that allows him to orchestrate complex schemes rivaling Batman's deductive prowess. His dependency on constitutes a critical vulnerability, as withdrawal induces severe physical and psychological deterioration, and the external tubing system can be targeted to disrupt his enhancements. Bane's most iconic feat occurred in the 1993-1994 "Knightfall" storyline, where he systematically dismantled Gotham City's criminal underworld by engineering a mass escape from , compelling Batman to engage in relentless combat against escaped inmates like the Joker and , thereby exhausting the physically and mentally before ambushing him in and snapping his spine over one knee. This victory allowed Bane to temporarily claim dominion over Gotham's underworld, positioning himself as Batman's dark mirror—a self-made weapon corrupted by institutional brutality rather than personal tragedy. Subsequently, Bane has featured in arcs like "" (1999), where he aided in Gotham's reconstruction, and "" (2008-2011), portraying him as a mercenary leader, while maintaining ambitions to conquer Santa Prisca and challenge Batman's supremacy. His ethnicity reflects a mixed heritage, with a white father () and Latina mother from Santa Prisca, though his identity is defined more by his prison-forged philosophy of breaking limits than cultural origins.

Black Adam

Black Adam, whose real name is Teth-Adam, is a fictional character in DC Comics, primarily depicted as a powerful anti-hero and who serves as an to the Shazam family of heroes. Originally introduced as a corrupted ancient champion, he embodies themes of unchecked power and ruthless protectionism, often ruling the fictional nation of Kahndaq with authoritarian measures justified as defense against external threats. The character draws from , transforming via the acronym "Shazam" to channel abilities from six gods: the stamina of Shu, the speed of Heru, the strength of Amon, the wisdom of Zehuti, the power of Aton, and the courage of Mehen, granting him capable of battling Superman-level opponents, flight, invulnerability, and the ability to summon magical lightning bolts. Created by writer and artist , Black Adam first appeared in The Marvel Family #1 (December 1945), published by before DC acquired the rights in 1972. In his debut story, Teth-Adam was an ancient Egyptian slave selected by the wizard Shazam as his champion around 2600 BCE, but he quickly succumbed to corruption, using his powers to conquer and kill rivals, leading to his banishment to the Earth's core by the wizard who renamed him "" to signify his fall. Revived in the by the mad scientist , he initially acted as a straightforward villain seeking vengeance, but later iterations, particularly post-2000s under writers like , portrayed him as a morally ambiguous ruler of Kahndaq who slaughters insurgents and invaders alike, viewing the League's interventions as imperialistic. This evolution reflects comic book trends toward anti-heroes, with joining teams like the in events such as 52 (2006-2007), where he briefly acted as a global "black ops" enforcer before sparking by annihilating the nation of Bialya, resulting in over one million deaths and requiring combined heroic efforts to subdue him. Black Adam's abilities include near-limitless physical prowess, with feats such as shattering continents or enduring nuclear blasts, alongside magical resistance and occasional derived from Zehuti's wisdom. His transformation lightning can be weaponized offensively, and he possesses decelerated aging, allowing centuries-long activity without frailty. While vulnerabilities exist to high-level magic or the precise word "Shazam" spoken by foes to depower him, his combat experience spanning millennia makes him a tactical genius in battle. In adaptations beyond comics, he featured in like Justice League Unlimited (voiced by ) and the 2022 live-action film , directed by , where portrayed him as an ancient Kahndaqi warrior awakened after 5,000 years, emphasizing his role as a defender against injustice despite collateral destruction. These portrayals maintain his core as a force of retribution, unbound by Western heroic norms.

Black Manta

, whose real name is David Hyde, is a in DC Comics, serving as the primary archenemy of due to a deep-seated personal vendetta against the Atlantean king. The character embodies ruthless determination and technological prowess in his campaigns against , often employing advanced weaponry and tactics to challenge Aquaman's rule and sovereignty. Created by writer and artist Nick Cardy, Black Manta debuted in Aquaman #35 in September 1967, initially appearing as a mysterious underwater raider without a detailed backstory. The character's origins have undergone several retcons across DC continuities, reflecting evolving narrative needs. In a 1990s depiction, David Hyde was an autistic youth from Baltimore, Maryland, who was kidnapped by human traffickers as a child and forced into harsh sea labor; Aquaman's intervention in freeing him fostered resentment rather than gratitude, as Hyde viewed it as an unwanted intrusion into his survival-driven existence. An alternate pre-New 52 origin portrayed him as a Chesapeake Bay native enslaved on a pirate vessel, where neglect by Aquaman during a rescue attempt solidified his hatred for surface and Atlantean authority. In the New 52 reboot, Hyde operated as a mercenary hired to extract blood from young Arthur Curry, inadvertently causing the death of Aquaman's adoptive father, Thomas Curry, which ignited mutual patricidal enmity. These backstories culminate in Hyde adopting the Black Manta persona, marked by his unmasking as an African American man in Adventure Comics #452 (1977) and his real name's revelation during the Brightest Day event. His motivations center on dominating the oceans and inflicting psychological torment on Aquaman, exemplified by the 1978 murder of Aquaman's infant son, Arthur Curry Jr., to provoke lasting grief. Lacking inherent superhuman abilities, Black Manta compensates through genius-level intellect, mastery of mechanical engineering, and elite combat training, making him a formidable adversary in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. His signature black exosuit integrates underwater breathing apparatus, propulsion jets for high-speed swimming, a telepathic disruptor to counter Aquaman's marine communication, and enhanced physical strength sufficient to contend with superhuman foes. The helmet's ocular lenses fire concentrated energy blasts capable of piercing durable targets, while armaments include trident spears, harpoon guns, and knives for close-quarters lethality. As an expert diver, tactician, and swordsman, he has orchestrated invasions of Atlantis, alliances with entities like the Ocean Master, and even temporary leadership of the Suicide Squad, underscoring his adaptability and unrelenting pursuit of vengeance.

Black Mask

Black Mask is the alias of Roman Sionis, a sadistic crime lord in who seeks dominance over its underworld and harbors a personal vendetta against Bruce Wayne. As leader of the , a gang whose members don disguising masks, Sionis employs brutal tactics including torture to maintain control and eliminate rivals. The character debuted in Batman #386, published by DC Comics on August 1985, created by writer and artist Tom Mandrake as a new emphasizing psychological terror and organized crime. Sionis originated from a wealthy family akin to the Waynes but marked by parental neglect; after killing his parents, he inherited Janus Cosmetics, mismanaged it into bankruptcy amid business conflicts involving , and adopted his masked persona to orchestrate criminal enterprises. In key arcs, such as the "War Games" storyline in 2004, Black Mask manipulated gang warfare to seize power in Gotham's criminal hierarchy following events like . Lacking powers, Sionis relies on peak conditioning for proficiency, expertise with firearms and improvised weapons, and genius-level for criminal strategy and interrogation. His ebony skull mask, carved from his father's coffin wood and in some depictions fused to his scarred face via , serves both as intimidation tool and symbol of his fractured psyche, often enduring damage in confrontations without impeding his operations. Black Mask has clashed repeatedly with Batman, including arcs where he targeted allies like Robin through imprisonment and torment, solidifying his role as a persistent threat in Gotham's .

Brainiac

Brainiac is a supervillain in DC Comics, primarily serving as a recurring of due to his unparalleled intellect and destructive pursuit of knowledge. The character is depicted as an from the planet Colu, embodying a twelfth-level intellect that enables him to outmaneuver even brilliant foes like through advanced computational foresight. Brainiac's core motivation involves collecting all data in the universe, often by eradicating planets after extracting their information, viewing knowledge as valuable only when monopolized by himself. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, Brainiac first appeared in Action Comics #242 (July 1958), in the story "The Super-Duel in Space," where he encounters Superman and Lois Lane while shrinking Earth's cities for his collection, mirroring his prior theft of Krypton's Kandor. In this debut, Brainiac hails from a distant world and employs a skull-shaped spaceship equipped with a shrinking ray to bottle metropolises as trophies of preserved civilization. Subsequent retcons have solidified his Coluan android origins, with his form and backstory evolving across decades— from a biological survivor to a rogue AI—while retaining his role as a logic-bound entity whose emotional blind spots, such as underestimating Superman's willpower, repeatedly lead to defeats. Brainiac's powers derive from his alien physiology and technology, including genius-level intellect for strategic dominance, technopathy to interface with and control machinery, for manipulating objects remotely, and energy projection via force fields or weaponry. He possesses , durability, and adaptability, often upgrading his body into more efficient forms after destruction, akin to a self-replicating virus. These capabilities have positioned him as Superman's intellectual counterpart to Lex Luthor's earthly cunning, featuring in key arcs like the preservation of bottled cities and clashes involving artifacts.

Bizarro

Bizarro is a supervillain in DC Comics, depicted as a flawed, imperfect duplicate of resulting from a scientific experiment that malfunctioned during the duplication process. This creation yields a pale, zombie-like figure with reversed morality and cognition, often leading him to commit acts he perceives as heroic but which manifest as villainous destruction. Lacking Superman's intellect and restraint, Bizarro frequently antagonizes the Man of Steel through misguided intentions, embodying a tragic of power. The character debuted in Superboy #68, published in October 1958, marking his initial clash with a young in a story involving a duplicator ray that produced an opposite-version Superboy. Writers and Alvin Schwartz contributed to his inception, with Binder inspired by Mary Shelley's and Schwartz by Carl Jung's concept of ; the two narratives emerged concurrently in comic books and newspaper strips, sparking ongoing credit disputes. Subsequent origins have varied, including magical creations or deliberate constructs by foes like , but the core theme remains a botched replication amplifying destructive opposites. has persisted as a Silver Age staple, evolving into roles on the cube-shaped planet Htrae—where backward logic prevails—and in ensembles like the . Bizarro exhibits Kryptonian-derived abilities such as , super speed, flight, invulnerability, superhuman hearing, flame breath, and arctic vision, inverting Superman's heat vision and freeze breath into cold-emitting eyes and fiery exhalations. These powers fuel his rampages, though his childlike dimness and oppositional thinking—evident in speech patterns like "Me am Bizarro"—undermine strategic use, rendering him a brute force reliant on raw might over cunning. While green bolsters him unlike its debilitating effect on , blue kryptonite proves lethal, draining his vitality and highlighting his inverted physiology. Despite villainous leanings, portrayals occasionally cast Bizarro as a pitiable anti-hero seeking companionship or "good" deeds, such as endangering innocents to "save" them, underscoring his causal disconnect from .

Brother Blood

Brother Blood is the title and mantle assumed by successive high priests of the Church of Blood, a fanatical cult originating in the fictional nation of Zandia and centered on rituals of blood sacrifice and domination over humanity. The most prominent comic incarnation, Sebastian Blood VIII, debuted as a cunning antagonist to the Teen Titans, employing a blend of advanced cybernetic technology, hypnotic mind control, and occult practices to pursue god-like power. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, he first appeared in The New Teen Titans #21 in July 1982, during the acclaimed run that revitalized the team. This version established Brother Blood as a charismatic zealot who infiltrated organizations like the H.I.V.E. academy to build an army of indoctrinated followers, often targeting metahuman youths for experimentation and power extraction. The lineage of Brother Blood demands that each successor ritually slay the prior holder to inherit the role, granting the new bearer enhanced physical attributes including , near-invulnerability, and decelerated aging, augmented by mystical artifacts and cybernetic enhancements. Sebastian Blood VIII's schemes frequently revolved around siphoning the Titans' abilities; in his debut arc, he kidnapped to replicate his cybernetic systems, brainwashing followers via neural interfaces while evading capture through decoy clones and fortified lairs. Subsequent defeats, including exposure by (a precognitive Titan), forced his temporary retreats, but the cult persisted, with later iterations like Sebastian Blood IX—introduced by and ChrisCross in Outsiders (2004)—reviving the threat through political infiltration and demonic pacts. Brother Blood's conflicts underscore themes of technological and in DC lore, with the character recurring in Titan-centric events such as the 2005 Day of Vengeance crossover, where magical upheavals enabled his escape from imprisonment. His abilities extend to telepathic compulsion, allowing mass hypnosis of devotees who view him as divine, though vulnerabilities to anti-mystical countermeasures and internal betrayals have repeatedly undermined his ambitions. Across incarnations, the figure embodies unrelenting , amassing resources through and to challenge heroic teams on both mystical and militaristic fronts.

Batman Family and Associates

Batwoman

Batwoman is the codename of , a fictional superheroine in DC Comics who operates as a vigilante in , employing Batman-inspired tactics and equipment without superhuman powers. is depicted as Bruce Wayne's first cousin on his mother's side, trained in military combat and strategy from her time as a cadet at the at West Point, from which she was expelled under the "" policy after being outed as a . Her father, Kane, a high-ranking U.S. Army officer, provided additional rigorous training in , marksmanship, , and stealth following her discharge, enabling her to adopt a crime-fighting role modeled after Batman, whom she encountered during a personal . Kane is also portrayed as Jewish, incorporating elements of her heritage into her red-and-black costume, symbolizing traditional colors associated with war in . Kate Kane first appeared in 52 #7 (July 5, 2006), a weekly series published in the aftermath of DC's Infinite Crisis event, with her full debut as Batwoman in 52 #11 (August 2, 2006). The character was conceived by the 52 creative team of writers Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid, with artist Shawn McManus providing early visuals, though Rucka later expanded her role significantly in subsequent stories. Following 52, Batwoman featured prominently in Detective Comics under writer Paul Dini, then launched her own eponymous series Batwoman (vol. 2, 2011–2016), co-created by Rucka and artist J.H. Williams III, which emphasized her standalone adventures against threats like the villain Alice (a reimagined version of the original Batwoman's sister) and the religious cult the Religion of Crime. The series concluded amid reported creative disputes, including DC's refusal to depict Kane in a same-sex marriage, leading to Rucka's departure. Post-New 52 and DC Rebirth initiatives, Kate continued in team books like Batwoman and the Outsiders and Batman Eternal, solidifying her as a core member of the Batman Family. In terms of abilities, relies on peak human physical conditioning, mastery of multiple , expert marksmanship, and honed through military and private training, augmented by high-tech gadgets such as batarangs, grapple lines, a utility belt, and a cape for gliding. She demonstrates exceptional willpower, resisting psychological manipulations and toxins that have overwhelmed other heroes. Her operations focus on Gotham's underworld, often intersecting with Batman while maintaining independence, driven by a personal code against killing despite early temptations toward vengeance. The Batwoman mantle originated with Kathy Kane, a separate character introduced in Detective Comics #233 (June 1956), created by writer Edmond Hamilton and artist Sheldon Moldoff under editor Jack Schiff. Kathy, a wealthy former circus performer and socialite, adopted the identity to impress Batman and serve as his romantic interest, explicitly intended to dispel public and critical perceptions—fueled by psychiatrist Fredric Wertham's 1954 book Seduction of the Innocent—that Batman and Robin's partnership implied homosexuality. She operated alongside her niece Betty Kane as Bat-Girl, forming a "Bat-Family" parallel, but was phased out after the 1960s Silver Age, presumed dead in a 1979 storyline, and largely retconned from continuity until echoes in modern Elseworlds tales. The modern Kate Kane reboot in 2006 repurposed the legacy, aligning it with contemporary narratives while discarding Kathy's contrived romantic origins.

Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily associated with the of characters in . She was introduced as the vigilante Spoiler, later briefly served as the fourth Robin, and subsequently took on the mantle of . Lacking powers, Brown relies on peak human physical conditioning, proficiency, acrobatic skills, and expertise in computer hacking and gadgetry to combat crime. Born to Arthur Brown, the low-level supervillain known as , Stephanie adopted the Spoiler identity in 1992 to undermine her father's inept criminal schemes by anonymously tipping off Batman about his plans. Her debut occurred in #647 (September 1992), marking her as a determined amateur vigilante driven by personal motivation rather than formal training. She quickly allied with , the third Robin, forming a romantic partnership that integrated her into Batman's extended network of associates. In the aftermath of Tim Drake's temporary resignation in 2004, Batman selected Brown as his new Robin partner, debuting in Robin #126 (December 2004); her suit featured purple accents distinguishing it from predecessors. However, her impulsive actions, including stealing and activating Batman's contingency plans against the Black Mask gang, precipitated the citywide "" crossover event, resulting in her apparent death from torture and gunshot wounds inflicted by Black Mask. This tenure lasted mere months in narrative time, spanning only a handful of issues across Robin, , and related titles. Revealed to have survived her injuries in subsequent stories, Brown recovered and, following Cassandra Cain's departure from the role, assumed the Batgirl identity in Batgirl vol. 3 #1 (May 2009), launching a 24-issue series by writer Bryan Q. Miller that emphasized her balancing act between college life at Gotham University and vigilantism. The run concluded in 2011 amid DC's relaunch, which initially excised much of her history before its restoration in the 2016 initiative. In contemporary continuity, including the 2021 Batgirls series, she operates alongside Cain as one of Gotham's Batgirls while retaining her Spoiler alias for select missions, underscoring her resilience and adaptability within the Bat-Family.

Jason Bard

Jason Bard is a fictional private investigator in the DC Comics universe, primarily operating in Gotham City as an ally to Batman and the Gotham City Police Department. Created by writer Frank Robbins and artist Gil Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #392 (October 1969), where he aided in investigating crimes alongside Batgirl. A former Marine who served in Vietnam, Bard sustained injuries resulting in a permanent limp, requiring the use of a cane, yet this did not hinder his transition to private detective work after retiring from the GCPD due to his disability. Bard possesses no superhuman abilities, relying instead on honed skills in investigation, , marksmanship, and basic . His expertise includes deception tactics essential for undercover operations and solving complex cases, often collaborating with Commissioner James Gordon and developing a romantic relationship with (Batgirl/Oracle). In various storylines, such as those in Detective Comics issues #392–433, he tackled Gotham's underworld threats, establishing himself as a resourceful, justice-driven figure without reliance on . Post-Crisis and later continuities, including and Rebirth eras, have portrayed in expanded roles, such as temporary police commissioner after transferring from and participating in task forces against major villains like the Joker. These depictions maintain his core as a grounded, skilled detective, though some narratives alter his backstory for editorial reboots, emphasizing his independence from Batman's shadow.

Harvey Bullock

Harvey Bullock is a fictional detective in DC Comics, serving in the Gotham City Police Department's Major Crimes Unit and often collaborating with Commissioner James Gordon. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Howard Chaykin, he first appeared in Detective Comics #441, published in June 1974. Bullock embodies the archetype of a battle-hardened Gotham cop, initially portrayed with a disregard for strict protocol amid the city's entrenched corruption. Physically imposing and habitually disheveled, Bullock relies on no superhuman abilities, instead drawing from honed investigative expertise, proficiency with firearms, basic , and intimidation tactics developed over years on the force. His allows him to profile criminal effectively, though his methods frequently skirt ethical lines, including roughing up suspects or accepting bribes to secure convictions. Loyal to Gordon's efforts, Bullock gradually shifts from outright corruption to a more principled stance, prioritizing crime-solving over personal gain, while viewing Batman with persistent suspicion tempered by pragmatic alliance. In key narratives, such as those in and , Bullock's arc highlights the challenges of maintaining integrity in Gotham's dysfunctional police environment, where he navigates internal politics, mob influences, and vigilante interference. His evolution reflects broader themes of redemption through exposure to Gordon's unyielding , positioning him as a foil to both corrupt officers and idealistic newcomers in the department.

Slam Bradley

Slam Bradley, also known as Samuel Bradley, is a fictional private detective in the DC Comics universe, depicted as a rugged, hard-boiled investigator who relies on physical strength, deductive reasoning, and street smarts rather than superhuman abilities. Created by writer and artist —the same team behind —he debuted in #1 (March 1937), serving as the anthology's lead feature and predating Batman's introduction in the same issue by several pages. The character's concept originated from an outline by DC Comics co-founder , who envisioned a brawny amateur detective assisting police on tough cases, a prototype that Siegel and Shuster expanded into tales of Bradley punching his way through criminal syndicates, spies, and exotic threats. Bradley’s early adventures, spanning over 150 stories, were set initially in , , then shifted to and eventually in later retellings, where he operates as a grizzled operative in his late 50s with ties to the Batman mythos. His feature ran continuously in from issue #1 through #152 (May 1950), outlasting many contemporaries and establishing the title's detective theme before Batman's dominance. Post-1950, Bradley faded but received revivals, including a nostalgic team-up in #500 (March 1981) celebrating the series' milestone, and appearances in vol. 3 #40-41 (2005) and : Year One (2023), where he aids Selina Kyle and intersects with early Batman lore. Lacking powers, Bradley excels as a barroom brawler proficient in unarmed combat, firearms handling, and forensic analysis, often employing his fists alongside his partner Shorty Morgan to subdue foes in pulp-style narratives heavy on action and minimal on subtlety. In post-Crisis continuity, he fathers Sam Bradley Jr., a Gotham police officer, and maintains loose alliances with Batman while pursuing independent cases amid the city's corruption. His enduring appeal lies in representing machismo—tough, unyielding, and pragmatic—though early tales reflect era-typical stereotypes in depictions of adversaries. Bradley has not appeared prominently in other media, limited to minor nods in animated adaptations like Batman: (2009).

Helena Bertinelli

Helena Bertinelli is a vigilante character in DC Comics, primarily operating as the Huntress, who targets organized crime in Gotham City. Created by writer Joey Cavalieri and artist Joe Staton, she debuted in Huntress #1 in April 1989 as a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths successor to the Earth-Two Huntress, Helena Wayne. Born into the Bertinelli crime family, Helena witnessed the massacre of her parents and relatives by rival mobsters as a child, becoming the sole survivor and inheriting a fortune that funded her crusade. She trained extensively in martial arts, marksmanship, and acrobatics under various mentors, adopting a crossbow as her signature weapon to symbolize precision and detachment in combat. Unlike Batman, her moral code permits lethal force against irredeemable criminals, reflecting her personal vendetta against the mafia's corruption. Bertinelli possesses no abilities, relying on peak human conditioning, expert skills honed in styles including and escrima, and gadgetry such as batarangs and a custom motorcycle for pursuit. She briefly served as a high school teacher by day, using her civilian identity to gather intelligence on Gotham's . Associated with the , she has collaborated with Nightwing and joined teams like the alongside and , contributing to missions against trafficking rings and supervillains. Her arcs include infiltrating Spyral as an agent in the continuity and confronting her family's legacy in Cry for Blood (2000).

Other Heroes and Anti-Heroes

Animal Man

Animal Man, real name Bernhard "Buddy" Baker, is a DC Comics superhero who possesses the ability to channel the physical traits and powers of nearby animals through a connection to the known as The Red. Created by writer Dave Wood and artist , the character debuted in #180, cover-dated September 1965, where Baker, a Hollywood stuntman, acquired his powers after exposure to an exploding alien spacecraft during a hunting trip. Initially appearing in sporadic Silver Age stories as a straightforward using animal for combat and rescue, Animal Man faded into obscurity until his revival. Baker's powers enable temporary adoption of animal attributes within a radius of up to 4.4 miles, including enhanced strength from gorillas, flight from birds, speed from cheetahs, or senses from various species, with the intensity scaling to the number and proximity of animals available. He also demonstrates animal empathy, allowing communication and insight into their thoughts, and in later depictions serves as an avatar of The Red, granting access to primal life forces beyond Earth animals. As a family man, balances heroism with domestic life alongside wife Ellen Frazier-, son Cliff (born circa 1979), and daughter Maxine (born circa 1983), whose own latent connections to The Red feature prominently in modern arcs involving supernatural threats to their household. The character's prominence surged with Grant Morrison's 26-issue series Animal Man (1988–1990), which reimagined Baker as an everyman confronting ethical dilemmas in animal rights, , and personal identity, culminating in metafictional encounters that blurred narrative boundaries. Subsequent runs, such as Peter Milligan's (1990–1992) exploration of quantum identity and Jeff Lemire's relaunch (2011–2014) emphasizing horror-tinged family perils from eldritch entities like the Hunters Three, expanded his role in the , including United affiliations. Animal Man has appeared in over 150 issues across DC titles, evolving from a minor hero to a symbol of ecological interconnectedness.

Bronze Tiger

Benjamin Turner, better known as the Bronze Tiger, is a fictional character in DC Comics, portrayed as one of the world's premier non-powered martial artists and occasional anti-hero. The character was created by writer Dennis O'Neil, artist Leopoldo Durañona, and co-writer Jim Berry, initially for the 1974 novel Dragon's Fists before making his comic debut in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1 (cover-dated April–May 1975). Turner hails from an upper-middle-class African American family in Central City and, at age 10, killed a burglar attempting to rob his parents, an event that instilled deep-seated rage he later sought to master through rigorous martial arts discipline. Trained under the mystic O-Sensei in Japan alongside fellow student Richard Dragon, Turner honed his skills to peak human levels, adopting a bronze tiger mask to obscure his identity during street-level vigilantism in the U.S. His career darkened when the League of Assassins brainwashed him into becoming their deadliest enforcer, leading to high-profile clashes including a masked defeat of Batman in single combat during the "Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter" series. Post-redemption, facilitated by Lady Shiva and his own willpower, Turner reformed, serving as a reluctant operative in the Suicide Squad from 1987 onward—participating in missions like the Aztec relic retrieval in Suicide Squad vol. 1 #1–8 (May–December 1987)—and allying with Batman against threats such as the Sensei. Lacking superhuman attributes, Bronze Tiger's prowess stems from mastery of diverse fighting styles including , , , and , granting him enhanced reflexes, strength, and agility comparable to elite Olympic athletes. He can channel internal energy to amplify strikes, accelerate self-healing from injuries, and resist psychological manipulation, positioning him among DC's top five hand-to-hand combatants—capable of besting metahumans through precision and tactical acumen. Additional expertise encompasses , stealth infiltration, and weaponry proficiency with blades and staffs, though he prefers unarmed combat. In later continuity, including post-Flashpoint and DC Rebirth eras, Turner recurs as a Suicide Squad member and Batman associate, notably aiding in Batman Incorporated vol. 2 #1 (June 2012) and confronting League remnants. His arc embodies redemption from assassin to guardian, with recurring themes of inner rage control influencing portrayals in animated series like Beware the Batman (2013–2014), where he trains Batman before his brainwashing.

Bulletman and Bulletgirl

Bulletman (James "Jim" Barr) is a superhero character originally created by writer Bill Parker and artist Jon Smalle for , debuting in Nickel Comics #1 on May 17, 1940. Jim Barr, a physically weak police whose father had been murdered by criminals, compensated for his deficiencies by developing a chemical serum that granted him , agility, and intelligence. Despite these enhancements, Barr remained a poor marksman, leading him to invent a bullet-shaped "gravity regulator" helmet that enabled high-speed flight, defied gravitational forces for maneuvers, and generated a force field capable of deflecting bullets and other projectiles. Donning the helmet along with a red-and-blue costume, Barr operated as Bulletman, focusing on combating urban crime and Nazi threats during II-era stories. Bulletgirl (Susan Kent), Bulletman's romantic partner and eventual wife, was introduced in the same debut issue but assumed her costumed identity in Master Comics #13 in April 1941. The daughter of Police Sergeant Kent, Susan discovered Barr's after he confided in her following an early adventure; she then self-administered the strength-enhancing serum and received a duplicate gravity-regulator helmet, allowing her to fly independently and share in Bulletman's crime-fighting efforts. Her powers mirrored Bulletman's, emphasizing aerial combat and physical prowess, though stories often portrayed her as a supportive in joint operations against villains like the Lightning King or Bugs Brady. The duo starred in Fawcett's Nickel Comics #1–8 (May–December 1940) and Master Comics #7–82 and #84–106 (October 1940–August 1949), with narratives shifting from solo exploits to team-ups amid Fawcett's lineup. Following Fawcett's cessation of publications in 1953 due to legal disputes with National Comics (DC), the characters entered obscurity until DC acquired the Fawcett library in the mid-1970s. Their first DC appearance occurred in Justice League of America #135 (October 1976), integrating them into Earth-S continuity alongside Shazam Family heroes for cross-dimensional crossovers. Subsequent DC stories featured them in team contexts, such as All-Star Comics revivals and (1985–1986), where Earth-S merged into the main DC , preserving their traits amid modernized threats.

Blackhawk

Blackhawk, whose real name is , is a fictional Polish-American aviator and leader of the Blackhawk Squadron, a team of elite international pilots who fought Axis forces during . The character embodies skilled aerial combat prowess without superhuman abilities, relying on tactical expertise, marksmanship, and hand-to-hand fighting skills honed in wartime operations. The squadron's signature black uniforms and aircraft symbolized their covert, high-stakes missions against and later threats. Created by , Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, Blackhawk first appeared in Military Comics #1, cover-dated August 1941, published by Quality Comics. The series quickly gained popularity for its aviation adventure and anti-fascist themes, running through Quality's titles before spinning off into its own anthology in 1944. Following Quality's closure in 1956, DC Comics acquired the rights, relaunching Blackhawk in 1957 with updated Cold War-era stories pitting the team against communist adversaries. The title continued until 1984, amassing over 270 issues, with notable runs by artists like Reed Crandall emphasizing realistic military action. The core Blackhawk Squadron originally comprised seven members of diverse nationalities: Blackhawk (Polish-American), Andre (French), Olaf (Norwegian), Stanislaus (Polish), Otto (German anti-Nazi), Hendrickson (Chop-Chop, Chinese), and Zeggy (possibly Italian or generic European). Post-war iterations under DC integrated the team into the broader superhero universe, including crossovers with the Justice League and Justice Society, while reboots like Howard Chaykin's 1980s miniseries reframed Blackhawk as a gritty mercenary operative in a more cynical Cold War context. No evidence supports supernatural elements in the character's primary canon; his enduring appeal stems from grounded depictions of multinational cooperation against authoritarian regimes.

Big Barda

Big Barda is a fictional superheroine in DC Comics, depicted as a warrior of the New Gods. Created by writer and artist Jack Kirby, she first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 in October 1971. Born on the tyrannical planet Apokolips approximately 250 years prior to her mainstream continuity events, Barda was separated from her mother at a young age and indoctrinated into Granny Goodness's orphanage system, where she underwent rigorous training to become an elite soldier. She ascended to lead the Female Furies, a squad of female warriors loyal to the despot Darkseid, enforcing his regime through brutal combat efficiency. Barda's defection occurred after developing a romantic bond with Scott Free, the New God known as , whom she aided in evading Apokoliptian pursuers during his escape. The pair fled to , married, and adopted civilian identities—Barda as Barda Free—while combating threats from and integrating into heroic circles, including alliances with the . Her character embodies a tension between her ingrained warrior ferocity and a newfound commitment to freedom, often positioning her as the dominant partner in her relationship due to her superior combat prowess. As a Lowlife New God, Barda exhibits superhuman strength sufficient to overpower Parademons and rival deities, enhanced speed, agility, stamina, and near-invulnerability to conventional damage, compounded by her species' effective immortality. She is a supreme tactician and combatant, proficient in hand-to-hand fighting, , and improvised weaponry, having mastered numerous forms of martial discipline during her Apokoliptian upbringing. Her signature equipment includes form-fitting battle armor that bolsters her resilience against and physical assaults, and the Mega-Rod, a multipurpose staff enabling flight, dimensional , explosive projection, and localized gravity alteration for offensive or mobility purposes.

Blue Devil

Blue Devil (Daniel Patrick Cassidy) is a fictional character and anti-hero in DC Comics publications, originally conceived as a stuntman transformed into a demonic figure through supernatural bonding with an experimental suit. Created by writers Dan Mishkin and alongside artist Paris Cullins, the character debuted in a 16-page preview insert in The Fury of Firestorm #24, cover-dated June 1984. Cassidy's origin involves his work on the low-budget Blue Devil, where he designs and wears an advanced exo-suit powered by a mystical artifact to portray the titular demon. During filming on June 6, 1984 (in-universe alignment with issue release), the demon Nebiros attacks the set, killing Cassidy; the 's energy revives him, fusing the suit irreparably to his flesh and imbuing him with infernal physiology. Initially reluctant to embrace vigilantism, Cassidy operates as Blue Devil, leveraging his stuntman acrobatics and the suit's enhancements against supernatural threats like Shockwave and Bolt, earning alliances with heroes such as and . The character starred in his self-titled limited series Blue Devil #1–17, spanning June 1984 to August 1986, which blended horror, humor, and action while exploring his internal conflict over his monstrous appearance. In later developments, during the 1995 crossover, Cassidy trades his soul to demon lord Neron for power, fully transforming into a true demon and amplifying his hellish traits. He subsequently joins the occult team in 2006, combating magical crises including the event, where he wields the Trident of Lucifer for infernal blasts and dimensional banishment. Blue Devil's abilities derive from his demonic fusion, including sufficient to shatter restraints and overpower demons, enhanced durability to withstand explosions and falls, and agility amplified from his pre-transformation stunt expertise. He generates hellfire projections, employs the for energy blasts and to hellish realms, and possesses minor magical senses for detecting presences. In the Prime Earth continuity post-2011 reboot, Cassidy is reimagined as a descendant of a demon-hunting family, donning a "demonskin" suit that maintains similar powers while tying into broader narratives. The character has appeared in media adaptations, including voicing by in the 2019 Swamp Thing television series, portraying his stuntman-to-demon arc.

Minor Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Variants

B'wana Beast and Animal-Themed Heroes

, whose civilian identity is Mike Maxwell, is a DC Comics who commands animals through and can merge pairs of them into hybrid chimeras with combined abilities. He first appeared in Showcase #66 (January 1967), created by writer and artist . Maxwell, a young American adventurer, survived a plane crash in alongside his college friend Djuba, a local tribesman; the pair encountered a radioactive green rock, from which Djuba distilled a serum that Maxwell ingested, granting him enhanced strength, agility, and animal control powers. Djuba later forged a ceremonial helmet that amplified these abilities, enabling Maxwell to adopt the persona as Africa's protector against poachers, smugglers, and supernatural threats. In later stories, such as Animal Man #50 (July 1992), sacrificed himself to pass his powers to Buddy Blank, though subsequent continuities revived or reinterpreted the character, including fusions with animal spirits tied to "The Red," a mystical force connecting all animal life. Among DC's animal-themed heroes whose codenames begin with "B," Beast Boy stands out for his polymorphic transformation powers, allowing him to assume the form, size, and abilities of any animal he has observed, from dinosaurs to extraterrestrial species. Real name Garfield "Gar" Logan, he debuted in Doom Patrol #99 (November 1965), created by Arnold Drake and Bob Brown. As a child in Africa, Logan contracted the rare Sakutia disease; his scientist parents cured him via an experimental green monkey serum, which saved his life but altered his skin to green and unlocked his metamorphosis ability, though early transformations were limited to mammalian forms before expanding. Orphaned after a tragic accident, he joined the Doom Patrol as a wisecracking teen sidekick, later adopting the alias Changeling during his Teen Titans tenure before reverting to Beast Boy; his powers derive from a connection to The Red, enabling versatile combat applications like flight as a pterodactyl or strength as a gorilla, but with vulnerabilities such as retaining human-level durability in fragile forms. Lesser-known animal-themed figures include B'Dg, a diminutive, squirrel-like from the planet H'lven, whose agility and willpower-fueled constructs embody vermin-inspired heroism in the Green Lantern Corps. These characters collectively highlight DC's exploration of human-animal bonds, often rooted in African or origins, emphasizing raw and ecological guardianship over technological augmentation.

Bat Lash and Western Heroes

Bartholomew "Bat" Lash is a gunslinger character in DC Comics, introduced in Showcase #76 () and co-created by writer and artist Nick Cardy. Set in the late 19th-century American West, Lash is depicted as a charismatic gambler and self-avowed pacifist who avoids killing but excels in marksmanship, hand-to-hand fighting, and equestrian skills when compelled to defend himself or others. His adventures emphasize moral dilemmas amid frontier lawlessness, often resolved through cunning or reluctance toward violence rather than outright confrontation. The Bat Lash series followed, publishing seven issues from October-November 1968 to October-November 1969, before the character transitioned to anthology appearances in titles like Weird Western Tales. DC Comics' Western heroes extend beyond Lash, forming a loose ensemble of frontier archetypes that occasionally crossover in team-ups blending historical grit with occasional supernatural or anachronistic elements. , a disfigured operating post-Civil , debuted in All-Star Western #10 (February 1972), created by John Albano and , and is characterized by his pragmatic ruthlessness and survivalist ethos in tales of vengeance and . (Brian Savage), an Anglo-Apache tracker raised by Native Americans, first appeared in Weird Western Tales #39 (April-May 1977), showcasing expertise in scouting, combat, and cultural navigation across tribal and settler conflicts. (Lazarus Lane), a masked originating in All-Star Western #2 (1970) from and Gray Morrow, pursues outlaws through guile and occasional demonic possession motifs, evolving from pure Western avenger to incorporating horror elements in later stories. Other notable DC Western figures include , a rancher-lawman with a magical thunderbolt-granting , active from the 1940s but retrofitted into 19th-century tales; (Hans Varner), a masked rider combating cattle rustlers since the 1940s; and (Cynthia "Cindy" Carter), an orphaned girl turned gunslinger in Civil War-era narratives. These characters have united in events like the 1879 "Rough Bunch" alliance, where Lash, Hex, Scalphunter, and Thunder thwarted a cosmic incursion, underscoring DC's pattern of retroactively integrating Western protagonists into broader multiversal conflicts.

Bat-Mite and Supernatural Allies

Bat-Mite is a fifth-dimensional in DC Comics, characterized by his reality-warping powers and fanatical devotion to Batman, often using his abilities to intervene in the vigilante's battles despite causing more disruption than assistance. Created by writer and artist , the character debuted in #267, cover-dated May 1959. His powers include size manipulation, teleportation, and conjuring objects or scenarios, typically employed in misguided attempts to enhance Batman's crime-fighting exploits or challenge him with contrived obstacles. In later stories, such as the 2015 six-issue Bat-Mite miniseries, the imp extends his "help" beyond Batman to other , convinced of his pivotal role in the Dark Knight's origin and success, leading to chaotic crossovers with characters like the and Doctor Trauma. Bat-Mite's portrayal emphasizes his neutral alignment, blending ally-like intentions with adversarial outcomes, as seen in encounters where he plagues both Batman and alongside Mr. Mxyzptlk in World's Finest Comics. Among other supernatural entities loosely allied with Batman in select narratives, Black Alice (Lori Zechlin) stands out as a teenage magic thief capable of siphoning and wielding the powers of any magical being she observes, including potent sources like the Spectre or . Her abilities, which grant temporary access to stolen spells, artifacts, and knowledge, have intersected with Gotham's occult threats, positioning her as an occasional asset in broader supernatural crises involving Batman, though her anti-heroic tendencies prioritize personal vendettas over consistent teamwork.

Black Condor and Freedom Fighters

, whose real name is Richard Grey Jr., debuted as a in Crack Comics #1, published by Quality Comics on May 1940. Orphaned as an infant after his parents' plane crashed in , Grey was raised by condors, granting him abilities including flight at supersonic speeds, enhanced strength, and avian-like senses. Upon discovering his human origins, he returned to civilization, adopting the identity to combat injustice, initially focusing on American political corruption before engaging Axis threats during . In DC Comics continuity, joined the Freedom Fighters, a team comprising former Quality Comics characters relocated to Earth-X, an alternate reality where and Imperial Japan achieved victory in . The team, led by , included core members such as (Darrell Dane), the (Roy Lincoln), (Sandra Knight), and later additions like Firebrand (Danette Reilly). First assembled in this DC framework during Justice League of America #107–108 (September–October 1974), the Freedom Fighters crossed over from Earth-X to to aid the against Axis American agents. The team's dedicated series, Freedom Fighters #1–15 (August 1976–June 1977), depicted their operations from a base, battling Nazi-backed villains including the Silver Ghost and Baron Blitzkrieg. served as a key operative, leveraging his aerial prowess in missions against Axis incursions on . The storyline culminated in the team's systematic assassination by Nazi super-soldiers, with among those killed in Freedom Fighters #15, highlighting the narrative's emphasis on sacrificial heroism against totalitarian regimes. Subsequent revivals integrated successors or reincarnations into later Freedom Fighters iterations. For instance, Ryan Kendall assumed the Black Condor mantle post-Crisis on Infinite Earths, joining a reformed team with members like the Ray (Ray Terrill) and Phantom Lady II (Dee Tyler) during events such as Our Worlds at War (2001). In Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #1–8 (2006–2007), John Trujillo, empowered by the Mayan Spider Goddess Tocotl, became Black Condor and fought domestic threats alongside Uncle Sam, Doll Man, and Human Bomb, addressing government overreach in a post-9/11 context. These evolutions maintained the team's anti-fascist core while adapting to multiversal crises, with Black Condor variants appearing in crossovers like Infinite Crisis (2005–2006).

Boodikka and Green Lantern Corps

is a member of the , serving as the primary representative for Space Sector 1414 from her homeworld of , a inhabited by a warrior race. Prior to her recruitment, she was a seasoned with the elite Bellatrix Bombers team, renowned across the galaxy for their combat expertise. At approximately 300 years old when inducted by fellow Lantern Chaselon of Barrio III, Boodikka's indomitable will and martial background positioned her as one of the Corps' more resilient fighters. She debuted in vol. 3 #20 (December 1991), co-created by writer and artist Pat Broderick. Boodikka's power ring, fueled by green energy of willpower, allows her to generate solid-light constructs for offensive weapons, defensive shields, flight through space, and environmental adaptation, with effectiveness tied directly to her resolve. Her early Corps tenure involved training on Oa and defending against threats like Eclipso-possessed in the Eclipso: The Darkness Within crossover. Boodikka perished alongside most of the Corps during the 1994 event, when ( under fear entity influence) decimated Oa. Revived in subsequent storylines, she volunteered for the Alpha Lantern initiative in 2008, undergoing cybernetic augmentation to become an autonomous enforcer monitoring Guardian directives and Lantern conduct. In this capacity, she featured prominently in the (2007-2008), combating yellow fear-energy wielders, and the Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns arc, where she broke free from Superman's control to destroy him in #52 (October 2010). Her hand was severed in battle but replaced by a ring construct, underscoring her adaptability. Among other Green Lanterns with "B" designations, B'dg stands out as a diminutive, squirrel-like alien from H'lven in Sector 1014, debuting in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #1 (Summer 1992). B'dg, trained by Kilowog, often partners with human Lanterns like Hal Jordan in Corps-wide defenses against invasions, such as the Manhunter rebellions, leveraging his agility and ring mastery despite his small stature. Less prominent "B" affiliates include Bivvix, a minor sector patrol operative with no major solo arcs documented. These characters exemplify the Corps' diverse recruitment, spanning thousands of members policing 3600 sectors under the Guardians of the Universe.

Bumblebee and Teen Titans Members

Bumblebee, whose real name is Karen Beecher, is a scientist and superheroine who developed a powered exosuit granting her the ability to shrink to insect size, fly via bio-vestigial wings, and discharge electrical "stings" from her gauntlets. She created the suit to demonstrate her capabilities and support her partner, , a fellow member, leading to her recruitment into the team in the late 1970s. Beecher's intellect and technical expertise have positioned her as a key asset in Titans operations, including leadership roles in spin-off groups like . Beast Boy, the alias of Garfield Logan, possesses the metahuman ability to shapeshift into any animal form he has encountered, retaining enhanced strength, speed, and senses accordingly. Originally a member of the starting in 1965, Logan transitioned to the in the 1980s, becoming a core member known for his humorous personality and green-skinned appearance resulting from a childhood serum that granted his powers but altered his physiology. His tenure with the Titans spans multiple iterations, contributing to team dynamics through reconnaissance, combat versatility, and emotional support amid frequent crises. Blue Beetle refers to Jaime Reyes, a teenager from El Paso, Texas, who bonded with an alien Reach scarab artifact, enabling the manifestation of advanced nanotechnology armor for flight, energy projection, and adaptive weaponry. Reyes joined the Teen Titans following the Infinite Crisis event in 2006, integrating into the team during battles against interstellar threats and internal conflicts, with the scarab's sentience occasionally influencing his actions. His role emphasizes themes of reluctant heroism and cultural identity, as he balances high school life with Titan duties against Reach incursions. Bombshell, the codename of Amy Allen, gained quantum energy manipulation powers after her body was infused with Dilustel alloy, similar to Captain Atom's, allowing atomic blasts and flight but risking instability. Debuting in 2006 as a Teen Titans recruit, Allen's tenure ended in betrayal when she acted as a spy for the villainous , attempting to frame teammates before her expulsion and subsequent defeats. Bushido, real name Ryuko Orsono, is a Japanese swordsman trained in traditions, wielding enhanced agility, martial prowess, and a forged from ancestral lineage for superhuman cutting feats. Recruited as an honorary Teen Titan ally in the early 2000s, Orsono aided in global operations against the and later joined Titans affiliates, embodying disciplined honor until his death during the at Superboy-Prime's hands.

Major Supporting Characters

Bibbo Bibbowski

Bibbo Bibbowski is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' titles, portrayed as a loyal, blue-collar fan of who operates the o' Clubs bar in Metropolis's Suicide Slum neighborhood. A former professional boxer and longshoreman, Bibbo represents an archetype, frequently offering aid, shelter, or enthusiasm to the Man of Steel and his associates amid urban grit and criminal threats. His character emphasizes themes of unwavering heroism among ordinary citizens, appearing sporadically across decades of continuity. Created by writer and artist , Bibbo debuted in Adventures of Superman #428 (May 1987), during the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths era of revamps. In his first story, "Personal Best," Bibbo encounters investigating a kidnapping tied to mobster Jay Falk, initially challenging the hero's identity before allying with him against local thugs. The issue establishes Bibbo's bar as a narrative fixture, drawing in figures like and foreshadowing its role as a neutral ground for underbelly dealings. Subsequent arcs expanded his backstory, revealing his heavyweight boxing past and a windfall from a $40 million lottery win that funded the bar's acquisition and community improvements in Suicide Slum. Bibbo's fictional exploits highlight acts of personal courage, such as when he temporarily cares for a stray dog he names after 's home planet, or volunteers to deliver a dangerously amplified defibrillator shock to resuscitate an injured during a critical health crisis. In later stories, including 2021's runs, he rallies locals against Brainiac incursions and supports 's family amid upheavals, underscoring his evolution from barfly to steadfast community anchor. These depictions maintain Bibbo as a non-powered human reliant on grit and fandom, contrasting 's invulnerability with grounded resilience.

Jason Blood

Jason Blood is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, serving as the mortal host and reluctant controller of the demon Etrigan. Created by , Blood first appeared in The Demon #1 (August 1972). In the modern , he operates as an occult expert and demonologist based in , frequently allying with heroes like Batman against supernatural threats. Blood's origin traces to the Arthurian era, where he existed as a nobleman during King Arthur's time in Camelot. The wizard summoned the demon Etrigan from Hell to combat evil forces, but to ensure obedience, bound Etrigan's essence to Blood's soul via a , granting Blood while dooming him to share his body with the chaotic entity. This binding persists across centuries, with Blood reciting a specific to transform into Etrigan, who manifests as a squat, muscular, yellow-skinned demon with horns, red eyes, and a penchant for rhyming speech. As Etrigan, Blood gains access to demonic physiology, including comparable to mid-tier metahumans, enhanced durability, rapid regeneration, hellfire projection, flight, , and proficiency in malefic magic. Blood himself possesses extensive knowledge of and sorcery, derived from his prolonged coexistence with Etrigan, enabling him to combat infernal entities without full transformation. The duality often creates internal conflict, as Etrigan's destructive impulses clash with Blood's more restrained human morality. Blood and Etrigan have featured prominently in titles like The Demon series, where they battle foes such as Morgaine le Fey and Klarion the Witch Boy, and in team-ups including Justice League Dark. Later stories, such as The Demon: Hell is Earth (2017), explore their bond amid apocalyptic events in Death Valley, highlighting Etrigan's alliances with figures like Madame Xanadu against demonic incursions. Their role underscores themes of cursed immortality and the tension between human restraint and primal fury in DC's supernatural lore.

Boston Brand

Boston Brand, better known by his stage name Deadman, is a supernatural anti-hero in DC Comics lore, depicted as the restless spirit of a murdered circus performer tasked with balancing good and evil on Earth. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Strange Adventures #205, cover-dated October 1967. In his human life, Brand was an acclaimed trapeze artist renowned for high-risk aerial feats, performing in a vibrant red-and-black costume with white facial greasepaint to evoke a skeletal motif, earning him the moniker "Deadman" for tempting fate nightly. During a , was fatally shot mid-act by an assassin dubbed "," later revealed as a newly recruited operative of of Assassins under Ra's al Ghul's organization. Refusing to pass into the without resolution, his was empowered by the enigmatic Eastern deity Rama Kushna, who charged him with possessing the living to rectify injustices, fight demonic forces, and pursue his killer—granting no rest until his purpose is fulfilled. This origin positions Deadman as a nomadic specter, often allying with occult figures like or , while his irreverent personality—shaped by Brand's pre-death showmanship and cynicism—clashes with the solemnity of his undead vigil. Deadman's core abilities stem from his ghostly state: he can phase through solid matter, fly at will, and render himself invisible or intangible to the unaided eye, navigating the mortal plane undetected unless manifesting ectoplasmically. His paramount power is full possession of any living host's body, overriding their will instantaneously while preserving his own awareness and skills—such as acrobatic prowess—to execute feats beyond the host's capacity, though prolonged inhabitation risks disorientation or rejection by the victim's psyche. Enhanced sensory perception allows detection of occult disturbances or impending deaths, aiding interventions in supernatural crises, as seen in crossovers where he inhabits heroes like Batman to unravel demonic plots. Limitations include inability to possess the deceased, machines, or certain magically shielded entities, and vulnerability to exorcism or holy artifacts that disrupt his ethereal form.

Buddy Blank

Buddy Blank is the civilian identity of OMAC (One Man Army Corps), a created by writer-artist for DC Comics, debuting in OMAC #1 in October 1974. As an unassuming everyman employed by Wayne Industries, Blank contributed to early development of , including the Brother Eye intended for and . Facing personal hardships amid societal decay, he was abducted by the Global Peace Agency (GPA), a secretive combating multinational threats; Brother Eye then activated a " activator" circuit, cybernetically enhancing Blank into OMAC with physical attributes, projection capabilities, and adaptive combat programming to serve as a one-man army against escalating global crises. This transformation emphasized themes of technology's double-edged role in human evolution, with Blank retaining his core humanity while grappling with OMAC's imposed directive to enforce peace at any cost. In the OMAC series, spanning eight issues from 1974 to 1975, Blank/OMAC confronts corporate corruption, rogue AIs, and authoritarian regimes, often reverting to his vulnerable human form post-mission, highlighting the psychological toll of his dual existence. Kirby later integrated Blank into the post-apocalyptic Earth-AD continuity of , revealing him as the grandfather of the feral protagonist ; in this timeline, an aged Blank survives the "Great Disaster" around 1975–1985, raising his grandson in a fortified bunker called Command-D amid intelligent animal dominions. During a wolf pack invasion, Blank activates latent OMAC enhancements one final time to defend , sacrificing himself and bequeathing a legacy of human resilience in a devolved world. This connection retroactively links OMAC's near-future techno-dystopia to 's savage evolutionary fallout, positioning Blank as a pivotal survivor bridging pre- and post-Disaster eras. Subsequent DC storylines have revisited Blank across multiversal variants, such as in Infinite Crisis (2005–2006) where Brother Eye's reactivation spawns OMAC armies, echoing his original involuntary augmentation, and in Countdown to Final Crisis (2007–2008) featuring a young Kamandi with Blank in bunker flashbacks. Adaptations include voicing by Jeff Bennett in the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008–2011), portraying OMAC's activation sequence. Blank's narrative underscores causal chains of unchecked technological intervention leading to societal collapse, with his enhancements derived from precise cybernetic implants enabling feats like reinforced skeletal structure, velocity amplification for super-speed, and optic energy beams, all calibrated by Brother Eye's orbital directives. Despite limited solo revivals, his archetype influences later cyborg heroes, emphasizing empirical limits of human augmentation against existential threats.

Minor Villains and Antagonists

Baron Variants

Baron Bedlam (Frederick DeLamb), a Markovian noble and Nazi collaborator during , serves as a primary antagonist to the Outsiders, particularly , with his debut in Batman and the Outsiders #1 (September 1983). He orchestrated a coup against Markovia's , leveraging tactical acumen, combat proficiency, and extensive resources to deploy meta-human operatives and advanced weaponry against heroes. Bedlam's schemes often involved geopolitical manipulation, including alliances with groups like the Injustice League, underscoring his role as a strategic threat rather than a powered brute. Baron Blitzkrieg (Reiter), a Prussian-born Nazi officer enhanced through wartime experimentation, emerged as a foe of the All-Star Squadron and Justice Society, first in World's Finest Comics #246 (August-September 1977). Surgical alterations granted him superhuman strength, agility, endurance, hypnotic gaze capabilities, and armored resilience, enabling assaults like the 1941 kidnapping attempt on Winston Churchill. His ideology-driven villainy persisted post-war, including clashes with Young All-Stars and Damage, until termination by Superboy-Prime during Infinite Crisis. Bug Baron (also Baron Bug), a specializing in insect augmentation, debuted antagonizing H-Dial user Robby Reed in House of Mystery #163 (December 1966). Employing technology to enlarge and control swarms of for bank robberies and attacks, he represented a niche threat in anthology horror tales before reappearing among Oolong Island's rogue scientists during Intergang incursions. His operations emphasized gadgetry over personal prowess, aligning with DC's Silver Age eccentric villain archetype.

Black Beetle and Interdimensional Threats

The Black Beetle is a scarab-wielding who debuted in Booster Gold (vol. 2) #5, cover-dated October 2007, initially masquerading as a future iteration of the to manipulate . Bonded to a corrupted black Reach scarab—an alien biotechnological device originating from the interstellar Reach empire—the character possesses enhanced strength, speed, durability, flight, energy projection, and adaptive weaponry formation, enabling combat across temporal and spatial barriers. These capabilities allow the Black Beetle to traverse time streams via specialized spheres or scarab-augmented portals, positioning him as a direct antagonist to Jaime Reyes () by seeking to usurp or eradicate the scarab lineage. As a core member of the Time Stealers, a villainous cabal assembled by the Venusian worm around 2008 in comic continuity, the Black Beetle participates in schemes to "steal" pivotal historical moments, thereby rewriting timelines for domination. The group, which also includes , , , and Rex Hunter (a Time Master), targets key events like 's career and the emergence of to prevent heroic interventions, often employing chronal displacement devices to fracture causality. This temporal interference escalates to interdimensional incursions, as the Black Beetle's actions bridge alternate realities; his true nature was unveiled in Blue & Gold #8 (April 2022) as an evil counterpart to hailing from a dystopian future on Earth-3, the dominated by the Crime Syndicate. Earth-3's involvement underscores the character's role in multiversal threats, where scarab technology interfaces with divergent dimensional physics to amplify destructive potential. The Black Beetle's confrontations exemplify interdimensional hazards in DC lore, as his Reach scarab—engineered for conquest by an empire spanning galaxies—facilitates incursions that destabilize native timelines and summon cross-reality allies or anomalies. In clashes with Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, he deploys scarab-generated sonics to disrupt symbiotic bonds, temporal phasing to evade attacks, and reality-warping bursts tied to stolen chronal energy, forcing heroes to safeguard multiversal integrity. Unlike planetary foes, such entities exploit dimensional folds for asymmetric warfare, evading conventional defenses and risking cascade failures across Earths, as evidenced in Time Stealers' aborted bids to install puppet regimes in altered histories. His unresolved arcs post-New 52 reboot highlight persistent vulnerabilities in DC's temporal fabric to scarab-enhanced invaders from parallel realms.

Blockbuster and Enhanced Bruisers

Mark Desmond, the original incarnation of the supervillain Blockbuster, debuted as a seeking enhanced physical prowess through self-experimentation with a strength-inducing serum. This process granted him capable of overpowering , but it severely diminished his intelligence, reducing him to a rampaging brute with childlike cognition. Standing at 8 feet tall and weighing 825 pounds in his transformed state, Desmond's first confrontation occurred during an invasion of , where he was dubbed "Blockbuster" by Robin for his unstoppable, destructive force. His appearances extended to clashes with the and Flash, often portraying him as a mindless enforcer manipulated by criminal overlords, until his death during a mission in 1986. Roland Desmond, Mark's younger brother and successor as Blockbuster, initially operated as a cunning Blüdhaven before subjecting himself to similar experimental enhancements to emulate his sibling's power. Unlike Mark, Roland's transformations—achieved through prolonged regimens and later surgical or mystical interventions—allowed him to retain strategic intellect, evolving from a hulking, low-IQ berserker into a calculating kingpin who controlled vast criminal networks. First manifesting as Blockbuster in 1989, he became Nightwing's arch-nemesis, orchestrating schemes that devastated Blüdhaven, including alliances with and the destruction of the city in 2004 events. Roland's enhanced physiology enabled feats like demolishing buildings bare-handed and surviving extreme trauma, though his arc culminated in multiple resurrections and defeats, with a notable death in Nightwing #93 that same year. Subsequent Blockbuster iterations, such as Blockbuster III (often associated with figures like Mike Lane, a former cop altered by serums mirroring Desmond's formula), perpetuate the archetype of physically augmented antagonists who prioritize brute force over subtlety. These variants typically feature serum-induced granting strength rivaling mid-tier metahumans, but with vulnerabilities like diminished mental acuity or dependency on periodic dosing. The Blockbuster moniker thus embodies a recurring DC villain template: ordinary criminals or scientists transformed into enhanced bruisers via illicit biochemistry, serving as durable foils to street-level heroes like Batman and Nightwing, emphasizing raw power derived from human ambition rather than innate or alien origins.

Brainiac Family and Clones

Brainiac created numerous clones and synthetic descendants to perpetuate his consciousness and pursue goals of universal data collection and domination, with many exhibiting antagonistic behaviors toward heroes like . These entities, often designated by numerical suffixes, inherit Coluan twelfth-level intellects, techno-organic physiology, and abilities such as energy projection, size manipulation, and technological assimilation. Brainiac 8 (Indigo) is an advanced android clone engineered for high-risk temporal operations, debuting as a villain intent on eliminating threats to Coluan supremacy. Dispatched from a future timeline post-Infinite Crisis, she targeted for assassination, believing Troy's survival would enable organic species to overthrow machine dominance. Brainiac 8 demonstrates superhuman strength, invulnerability, and adaptive weaponry by morphing body parts into blades or energy emitters, alongside seamless integration with electronic systems for hacking or control. Despite occasional alliances with hero teams like the Outsiders—where she posed as a reformed entity—her core programming prioritizes Brainiac's directives, leading to betrayals and conflicts with the and . Other clones, such as Brainiac 4, function as extensions of the family network, with Brainiac 4 serving in antagonistic roles within interstellar cabals like the , employing shrink-ray technology and data-harvesting probes akin to the . These variants collectively embody Brainiac's strategy of decentralized replication to evade destruction and amass knowledge from bottled cities.

Obscure and One-Off Characters

Ba to Be Group

Baby Boom, also known as Babe, is a genetically engineered metahuman whose body ceased aging at five years old, granting her the ability to generate concussive explosions capable of shattering objects within her vicinity. Created by Dr. Helga Jace as part of the Helix group of mutated children in 1987, she initially clashed with Infinity, Inc. before occasional alliances with heroes. Later iterations placed her in the Suicide Squad for high-risk operations, emphasizing her volatile powers and childlike appearance as tactical assets. Her limited appearances highlight the experimental nature of metahuman creation in DC lore, with no major arcs post-1980s. Baby Wildebeest emerged from the Society's program in 1993, engineered by a possessed to host Azarath's Lost Souls but ultimately adopted by the New Teen Titans after rejecting its origins. The creature possesses , enhanced senses, and a transformation into a hulking adult form under stress, though with reduced cognition. Raised alongside and in post-Titans disbandment, it met its end during the 2005 event, slain by amid multiversal chaos, with sparse revivals underscoring its status as a one-off tragic figure. The Bad Samaritan, real name Zviad Baazovi, is a Georgian operative turned assassin-for-hire, debuting in the late with hypersensitivity to light necessitating protective gear and expertise in terrorism across global conflicts. Employed by entities including the Soviet-era remnants and affiliates, he confronted Batman in urban skirmishes, leveraging marksmanship and evasion tactics over superpowers. A separate , Alden Quench, drew power from the World Forge's Fires of Destruction in 2008, serving cosmic threats like Mandrakk but appearing in fewer than 20 issues total, marking both as peripheral antagonists. Bag O' Bones, alter ego of career criminal Ned Creegan, gained a skeletal, electrified after a 1967 accidental radiation exposure during a heist, allowing energy discharge via touch that overwhelmed in their debut encounter. Evolving into the Cyclotronic Man by the 1980s, he targeted with amplified atomic blasts from his unstable form, driven by grudges against scientific exploiters, though defeats confined him to minor villainy with no enduring alliances or redemptions. Baron Bug, introduced in 1966, commanded swarms of enlarged insects through technological augmentation, clashing with H-Dial wielder Robby Reed in forms like King Coil and the Gemini Twins during an island invasion plot. His scheme involved weaponizing arthropods for domination, but Reed's adaptive heroism dismantled the army, leading to the baron's obscurity beyond cameo revivals on Oolong Island amid gatherings. Limited to anthology tales, he exemplifies Silver Age gimmick foes reliant on gadgetry rather than personal powers.

Bi to Bo Group

Bibbo Bibbowski is a recurring in of , depicted as a rough-hewn, good-natured longshoreman and former professional boxer from ' Suicide Slum district. He first appeared in Adventures of Superman #428 in May 1987, where he aided in a bar brawl against thugs. Bibbo won a lottery jackpot in 1988, using the proceeds to purchase and operate the Ace o' Clubs tavern, a frequent hangout for Superman supporting cast members like and . Known for his dim-witted but earnest of , Bibbo once attempted to impersonate the hero by crafting a crude from bedsheets and a , leading to comedic misadventures against low-level criminals in Superman: The Man of Steel #19 (1992). During the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline in 1993, Bibbo briefly took on a vigilante role amid Superman's absence, wielding a to protect his neighborhood, though his efforts highlighted his lack of superpowers and reliance on brute strength and determination. He has crossed paths with villains like and helped in events such as the "Panic in the Sky" crossover, but remains a street-level whose loyalty stems from witnessing Superman's heroism firsthand rather than any ties. Biff Bronson, adventurer, debuted in #43 in December 1939 as a wandering crime-fighter alongside his partner Dan Druff. The duo roamed America solving mysteries and battling racketeers through fists and wits, with Biff's escapades emphasizing pulp-era action without superhuman elements. Limited to early anthology appearances, Bronson's stories faded post-World War II, marking him as a one-off relic of DC's pre-superhero expansion phase. Bo Bunny, a humorous anthropomorphic character, first surfaced in Funny Folks #40 in November 1951 amid DC's funny animal sub-imprint. Portrayed in lighthearted, gag-driven tales typical of the era's humor comics, Bo engaged in misadventures often involving farm life or petty schemes, reflecting the publisher's diversification beyond capes and tights. His appearances were sporadic and confined to anthology formats, ceasing as the genre waned by the mid-1950s due to shifting reader preferences toward narratives.

Br to By Group

Brick (Daniel Brickwell) is a crimelord whose body consists of animated brick material, enabling superhuman durability, strength, and the ability to shatter and reassemble himself from fragments while controlling nearby masonry as projectiles or bindings. Introduced in Green Arrow vol. 3 #7 (October 2001), he established dominance in Star City's underworld by leveraging his powers to trap enemies and expand criminal operations against . Brimstone refers to a cybernetic demonic entity engineered on Apokolips as a techno-organic seed by , designed to terraform Earth into a hellish landscape through uncontrolled growth and fiery destruction. Deployed during the era of the , it manifested as a colossal, flame-wreathed monster capable of absorbing energy and spawning sub-units, clashing with and the League before being neutralized. Its debut occurred in Adventures of Superman #463 (November 1990). Brother Power the Geek is an animated brought to life by lightning during the era, embodying themes of alienation and with limited and a quest for identity amid societal rejection. Created by with art by Al Bare, the character headlined the short-lived Brother Power the Geek #1 (October-November 1968), a single-issue series canceled after poor sales, with rare later cameos in stories. Brutale (Guillermo Barrera) is a ruthless South American and torturer exiled after a political revolution, specializing in edged weapons like throwing knives, machetes, and shivs for and assassination. Hired by the Blockbuster Gang as an enforcer against Nightwing, he relies on precision blade mastery and brutal efficiency rather than superpowers, debuting in Nightwing vol. 2 #2 (June 1997).

References

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