Top 10 Most Brutal Deaths in DC Animated Universe
#10: Sal Dies Laughing
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“Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993) The Joker has disposed of innocent lives in every way imaginable, and yet, this one might just be the most disturbing of all. In the film “Mask of the Phantasm”, exposure to Joker’s venom sends gangster Sal "The Wheezer" Valestra laughing all the way to an early grave. Death by laughing is just the kind of twisted fate that only the Joker could think up. When the Phantasm finds Valestra’s body, an eerie smile is plastered across his dead face. Since this marked the first lethal use of Joker’s gas, it’s fair to say his villainy was no laughing matter anymore.
#9: Doomsday Takes Superman Down with Him
“The Death of Superman” (2018) Even though the film’s title totally spoils the ending, that doesn’t make the inevitable smackdown any less ferocious. The villainous Doomsday manages to match Superman’s attacks blow for blow. So, with Lois and the rest of Metropolis at stake, Clark rams into the monster with everything he has. The force is enough to take Doomsday down for good, but in doing so, he’s caught by one of the fiend’s spikes. It’s a tragic end to the Son of Krypton, but Lois can take solace that dying for his city is exactly the way Clark would’ve wanted to go out.
#8: Cyborg Superman Eradicated
“Reign of the Supermen” (2019) Up against a cyborg version of himself, the Blue Boy Scout realized that punches won’t get the job done. Instead, he needs a technological solution. So, the real Kal-El uploads the faker with an eradication program. Right in the face, no less. The robot immediately short-circuits from the inside out, conveniently taking out his machine empire in the process. It couldn’t have been a pleasant way to go, but considering how much damage faux-Superman did, we can’t say he didn’t have it coming. Either way, Kal-El definitely proved that the real Man of Steel doesn’t need any actual metal.
#7: Crystal’s Parricide
“Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay” (2018) Most villains relish a kill, but the way Crystal Frost disposed of her parents is just, well, cold. After years of abuse at their hands, she manifested her metahuman abilities as a child. Her first order of business is to put her mom and dad on ice. Think she’s dismayed at what she’s done? Think again. She gets her revenge using a fire poker - shattering them into pieces. After seeing her turn her parents into snow cones, it’s no surprise to hear Crystal would grow up to become Killer Frost. Emphasis on the “killer” part.
#6: Zatanna's Final Bow
“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” (2020) From the moment Darkseid waged war on humanity, it was obvious that not every hero was going to make it out alive. Unfortunately for Zatanna, that meant the curtain was falling on her show. The sharp-tongue sorceress ended up as the Parademons’ next meal, and they definitely cleaned their plate. While being devoured isn’t a particularly good way to go, what hurts the most is that Zatanna could’ve survived. She spent her final moments crying out for her lover, Constantine. But she had already enchanted him to run away automatically if the battle went south. As her body was torn apart, Zatanna had to accept that she had doomed herself to this grim fate.
#5: Talon’s Heart to Heart with the Dollmaker
“Batman vs. Robin” (2015) The Dollmaker must’ve had some serious heart palpitations in his final minutes. Damian Wayne spared the villain’s life because of Bruce’s teachings about justice over vengeance. However, the vigilante, Talon, had no such qualms. He certainly stopped Dollmaker’s spiking heart rate, but he did it by performing an impromptu surgery with his bare hands. There’s something incredibly visceral about someone holding an actual beating heart in their hands. It’s all the more jarring because of the tonal whiplash between Damian’s mercy and Talon’s murder. So, we can only imagine how shocking it must’ve been for Dollmaker.
#4: Queen Atlanna Betrayed
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“Justice League: Throne of Atlantis” (2015) After Queen Atlanna refuses to wage war on the surface world, her bloodthirsty son, Orm, stages an attack on Atlantis. When the queen sees through his machinations, he gives up on the subtle, roundabout route, and quite literally stabs her in the back. While it might be a relatively quick death, the fact that she’s killed by her own son is just a different kind of messed up. The worst part of it all, though, is that Orm doesn’t even seem bothered by the blood on his hands.
#3: Joker's Last Laugh
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“Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker” (2000) There’s a deep, poetic justice that the Dark Knight’s nemesis ended up dying at the hands of his own creation. After all, the madcap villain kidnapped and brainwashed Tim Drake into a terrifying Joker Junior of sorts. So, it’s both disturbing and moving to see the crazed Robin make the right choice in the end - even though it comes at the cost of the Joker’s life. However, a shot to the chest didn’t keep the crook down for good. So, decades later, it was up to Terry McGinnis to fry the Joker’s consciousness once and for all. This might be the only movie with two Joker deaths for the price of one.
#2: The Green Lanterns Are Snuffed Out
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“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” (2020) With malice and eye beams, Darkseid successfully dismantles the entire Green Lantern Corp. In fact, even though the heroes are on their own turf, the warlord tears through each of them until their uniforms have more red than green. Each death is somehow more gruesome than the last, until John Stewart is the last Lantern remaining. Then, in suitably dramatic fashion, Darkseid ends his assault by dumping magma on the planet. Against all that, John Stewart didn’t stand a chance. At the very least, his death was mercifully quick. That’s more than his green-clad comrades can say.
#1: Bye Bye Billy Batson
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“Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” (2013) As tragic as it is, death is a common work hazard for superheros. But, it’s completely different watching the same fate befall a young kid - even if he is a part-time hero. Shazam, or Captain Thunder as he’s known in his timeline, is actually a pretty good match for the belligerent Wonder Woman. The issue is that she knows that, too. So, using her lasso, she compels him to transform back into the young Billy Batson. Without getting into the gory details, let’s just say Wonder Woman doesn’t show any mercy to the youthful hero. This horrifying moment really showed that these time-lost variants are anything but heroic.
