Top 10 Dumbest DC Decisions Ever
For this list, we're looking at the stupidest decisions made by DC's iconic characters in the comics.
Even the world’s greatest detective has off days. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Dumbest Decisions in DC.
For this list, we’re looking at the stupidest decisions made by DC’s iconic characters in the comics.
#10: Raven Casts a Magic Love Spell on Kid Flash
For the longest time, the assumption was that Raven cast a love spell on Kid Flash to motivate the hero into joining the Titans, but this proved to not be the case. According to a prequel comic published nearly two decades after the original incident, Raven used her empathy powers to save a depressed Wally on the verge of suicide. Along with replacing the speedster's despair with hope, Raven also erased their meeting from Wally's memory. As Kid Flash remains in the dark about this episode, Wally spends years second-guessing whether his feelings for Raven are real or not. Considering both scenarios involve the manipulation of emotions, there is little benefit to hiding the truth.
#9: Ray Palmer Commits Jean Loring to Arkham Asylum
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Revolving around the murder of Sue Dibny, "Identity Crisis" reveals Ray Palmer's ex-wife, Jean Loring, to be the person responsible. Clearly suffering through a mental breakdown, Jean's plan involves causing Sue to have a stroke as a way to convince the other heroes and Ray to prioritize their family above crime-fighting. After learning the truth, Ray commits his deranged ex-wife to – of all places – Arkham, because there is no better place to foster rehabilitation than an asylum housing the Joker, Two-Face, and Poison Ivy. While incarcerated, Jean stumbles upon a magic stone and transforms into the new Eclipso, a super-villain with god-like powers.
#8: Amanda Waller Creates the Suicide Squad
Why waste personnel and resources when Arkham is packed with super-villains perfect for government operations? Amanda Waller's brilliant plan for Task Force X involves recruiting criminals like Harley Quinn and Deadshot in exchange for a reduced sentence. While an implanted bomb keeps the villains somewhat in check, Waller's Suicide Squad is bound to backfire sooner or later. Along with Task Force X consisting solely of members more than ready to betray the team, Waller has been blackmailed by quite a number of people threatening to reveal the existence of the Suicide Squad to the public.
#7: The Justice League Erase Batman’s Memories
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Following a particularly brutal crime, certain members of the Justice League mind-wipe Doctor Light and alter the villain's personality to ensure no repeat incidents. This decision is morally ambiguous; however, the same cannot be said about the Justice League mind-wiping Batman, who tries to prevent Doctor Light's brainwashing. Once the truth is revealed, Batman grows distrustful of the Justice League and even fights Hawkman over the incident. If you’re going to pull something like this on a hero, the World’s Greatest Detective might not be the best victim.
#6: Creating Doomsday
Long before the Kryptonians took up residence, Krypton was a nightmarish hellscape ruled by Darwinian law. Desperate to survive, a scientist named Bertron dedicates the best part of half-a-century to creating and killing test subjects in order to produce an indestructible being. Stupidly, the scientist sees no issue with transferring a failed subject's memories to the next guinea pig in line. By the time Bertron successfully produces a monster impenetrable to harm and driven solely by an innate desire to survive, Doomsday wants nothing more than to murder the person responsible for all of its previous deaths.
#5: Dick Grayson Commits Arsenal to Villain Rehab
Following the events of "Cry for Justice," an emotionally distraught Roy Harper turns to substance abuse as a coping mechanism for the death of the superhero's daughter. After stealing drugs from some dealers, the out of control Roy is confronted by his close personal friend, Dick Grayson, who was serving as Batman at the time. Following a short fight that ends with an unconscious Roy, Dick decides the best course of action is to drop the grieving hero in a rehab center for convicted criminals. Shockingly, a glorified prison does not yield the support Roy desperately needs, leading to the former Titan spiraling further and further into madness.
#4: Not Listening to Blue Beetle’s Warnings
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A precursor to the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, DC's one-shot sees the Blue Beetle investigating a criminal organization responsible for stealing money to fund the mysterious O.M.A.C. Project. With the exception of Booster Gold, the Justice League – particularly Batman – ignore Blue Beetle's warnings. Long story short, Blue Beetle's fears are proven right and the hero ends up dying without any backup. Considering the O.M.A.C Project involves hijacking Batman's spy satellite to control unsuspecting people scattered across the globe, the Dark Knight should feel particularly ashamed for dismissing the former Justice League member.
#3: Supergirl & Wonder Girl Hijack Air Force Once
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A six-part arc centering around the Amazons, DC's messy story sees Themyscira's warriors declare war on Washington for illegally detaining Diana. Seeking to put an end to the conflict, Supergirl and Wonder Girl convince the Amazons' leader to meet with the United States of America's President to discuss a solution. In the name of peace and diplomacy, Supergirl and Wonder Girl hijack Air Force One and basically attempt to kidnap the President. Besides being utterly stupid, Supergirl and Wonder Girl's plan backfires instantly due to a group of Amazons staging an ambush on the plane, culminating in a destroyed Air Force One and an unconscious President.
#2: Batman Lets Joker Live
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Yes, the Caped Crusader does not kill. This restraint separates Batman from Gotham’s less savory individuals and keeps the vigilante from diving off the deep end. While most villains have motives, Joker is different. Serving as the yin to Batman's yang, the Clown Prince of Crime exists solely to spread chaos and mayhem. By repeatedly sending the Joker to Arkham where, as we discussed earlier, Batman is ensuring more innocents will ultimately die at the hands of the villain.
#1: Barry Allen Travels Back in Time to Save His Mother
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Certain terrible decisions cause an innocent person’s death or backfire spectacularly, but it takes a special level of stupidity to alter an entire planet. A depowered Barry Allen wakes up in a timeline with no Justice League, a deceased Bruce Wayne, a Western Europe sunk by Emperor Aquaman, and a Britain under Amazonian rule. After realizing this is not an alternate dimension, Barry initially blames the Reverse-Flash for changing history, before a big twist reveals this whole mess is actually the hero’s fault. The Flash traveled back in time to stop his mother’s murder, which inadvertently caused a butterfly effect encompassing the whole world. Good job, hero.
