Three Silver Age villains, only totally different;
 
I'd bring the Prankster back, only change him completely so that he's like a shape-changing alien psychotic who feeds off confusion. 
 
The Trickster as a quasi-mystical parasite that clings to a host and causes them to see illusions that make them act out of character, as well as giving them superman human strength, durability and magical energy projection.  
 
 The Toyman would be a psychotic that killed children and replaced them with cybernetic parts so they'd be his "dolls". Which he could then turn into suicide bombs.  

 Three Silver Age villains, only totally different;  I'd bring the Prankster back, only change him completely so that he's like a shape-changing alien psychotic who feeds off confusion.  The Trickster as a quasi-mystical parasite that clings to a host and causes them to see illusions that make them act out of character, as well as giving them superman human strength, durability and magical energy projection.    The Toyman would be a psychotic that killed children and replaced them with cybernetic parts so they'd be his "dolls". Which he could then turn into suicide bombs.  

I actually like the modern Prankster. The idea of a criminal distraction for hire is a pretty original one as far as Superman villains go. As such, Prankster is one of the few that actually gets the better of Superman. He pulls of a weird device and Superman of course defeats it, but that's exactly what the Prankster wants. The day is saved, Prankster gets his money, the real villain gets what he wants, and only Superman is left none the wiser. That idea I think has a place in Superman's mythos.

@Primmaster64 said:

@AtPhantom: What about a physical threat to Supes?

You mean regarding Prankster or in general?

@Adnan said:

I'm sure there'll be some big General Zod arc to coincide with the Man of Steel movie.

But there isnt a bane arc except for the 2 issues that he was featured in batman tdk

I'd like to see Metallo revamped to a mainstay. His uberbot body and added kryptonite heart poses a an actual, significant threat to Superman. He just needs some characterization that actually makes him something other than a mook. Both Johns and Morrison established him as an army officer serving under Lane (And BTW, have I mentioned how much I really really really hate General Lane) and being involved in an experiment, and honestly, I fail to see anything anything interesting in that version. He's just a Glenn Talbot in a big ass suit.

I had an idea about Metallo as an adrenaline junkie before the transformation. Fast cars, parachuting, beautiful women, risky situations, he's the man always looking for the next high, enjoying life to the fullest, taking in everything it has to offer. Then something happens to him. He's injured, he's forced into an experiment, it doesn't matter. his mind is placed into the Metallo body. Suddenly, he is trapped inside this cold metal shell and has no power to feel anything. The robotic body has no sense of touch, no adrenaline boost, no emotional connection with anything he does. He used to enjoy every aspect of life, and now he can't do anything. He feels like he's a guy constantly playing a video game. Nothing has any importance to him anymore. It's torture and it drives him mad. He desperately wants it to end, he wants to die, but the robot has an in built defense system that kicks in every time he's in danger and keeps him alive. Unable to kill himself, he turns to the only being powerful enough to defeat the robot's defense system and end his life: Superman.

Superman refuses of course, reasoning that he can still be helped, So Metallo becomes a vile criminal to make him do it. Helped by his cold, calculating computer body Metallo will kill, he will destroy, he will slaughter, he will threaten everyone close to Superman and he will push Superman further and further just to get him mad enough to actually end his life. This Metallo would test Superman's resolve, his willingness to stand to his principles, his morality at denying death to someone who is clearly suffering, and he would present a nice contrast to Superman.

The Man of Steel is known for his boundless compassion and love for everyone and anyone around him. Metallo has no compassion, because his metal body won't let him have any. It won't let him see the world through the eyes of a human, just a cold, heartless, amazingly powerful robot, and he's suffering for it. Metallo is an actual Man of Steel. But he doesn't want to be.

Thoughts?

@Primmaster64:

I'd say Prankster (his original, bulbous comedic version, full of gags and wits), Toyman (lookin' like a toy-lovin' Benjamin Franklin again), Atomic Skull, SKULL, and Master Jailer....BUT, upon reading throughout your thread, all this discussion you're trying to make is what villains YOU want brought back, while blasting about what others like, just because YOU don't like them.

Any of the lesser known villains that you guys think should be given a chance?

@Primmaster64 said:

@ngroove: What? Any villain is welcome.Even the ones that i don't like and if you pay more attention, some people didn't like my options. Whether they're good or bad, it doesn't matter, with a good writer anything is possible. Ok buddy? :)

OK...my apologies then....

Myself, I'd say, some powerhouse characters (Doomsday, Mongul, Darkseid) with mid-power enhanced humans (Metallo, Parasite), after all, Superman has his strength and all, would be a waste if he does not use them every full moon, equalled out with some tricksters (Prankster, Toyman, original Puzzler, J Wilbur Wolfingham, Mxyzptlk) because some issues, fiends, does not all have to be serious, but rather, can be fun, seeing in what ways they can get into Supes' skin all the same.

YES on Bizarro World, YES on Phantom Zone

The masterminds - of course, Lex Luthor, bring back some form of Luthor-owned company, often manufacturing robots often created solely to bash Superman around, and Brainiac, hope his centipedal form is just his version 1.0, come next time, another body, until he reaches something recognizedly familiar again.

Ohh yeah, and an occasional good ol' rumble would be entertaining once-in-a-while, against Vartox or Lobo.

@Primmaster64: But conduit is a more well known character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Superman_enemies

I consider those in the central rogue gallery his more well known ones.

@Primmaster64 said:

@ngroove: What about kryptoans villains? Though they kinda fit in the powerhouse level.

Ohhh yeah...makes no sense if they're not considered otherwise...would be like saying Superman himself is not a powerhouse hahaha...

I'd go for, some of the ones who made a lasting impact over the past 50+ years Phantom Zone History....General Zod (in his general uniform and hat), Ursa (personally, I love the name Faora better, but I'm sure Superman II made a lot more people identify with the name "Ursa"), Non, Jax-Ur, and Kru-El (love that name!), along with an entire Kryptonian prison-full of criminals - well maybe not too many of them - Earth, the universe, may be as good as enslaved if it was overran by Superman-strengthed pyscho, times many!

@Primmaster64: I would consider Mercy Graves the Talia of Superman. I think she should be given a bigger role in DCU.

Another person I would consider to get a revamp is All-American Boy (Joshua Walker)

Mr. Orr and Hotshot would also be a good characters to mesh into the DCU. Perhaps tie him in to Team 7 or Lex Luthor would be pretty cool.

Terra-Man sounds like he could be a cool character to be reinvented. I could see a story line with him attacking Glen Glenmorgan and have Superman caught in between. Its like a social justice crusader gone too far.

Ofcourse one of the kryptonian that I really miss is Jax-Ur.

I think Jax Ur, Faora and Zod are Kryptonian must haves.

@Primmaster64: You're right about Maxima. I guess I meant Mercy Graves could be like the next Harley Quinn.

@cattlebattle: Is that the Nuclear Man?

I think he would make a cool villain also. But his back story needs to be retcon crazily.

@cattlebattle: Is that the Nuclear Man?

I think he would make a cool villain also. But his back story needs to be retcon crazily.

@cattlebattle: I saw some of your suggestions, and I do think they'll make a good villain if they're being heavily retcon. Because several of their outlooks and their motives seemed a little old fashion, but if reworked properly could be done very well.

Except they might have a huge departure from the standard affair and I'm not sure how much you guys embrace change.

I for one loved that Grant Morrison is updating all the villains, bringing them together and giving them new life.

I love it that in the 90s, they used Hank Henshaw, a one time villain that appeared years ago and made him cyborg superman.

I'm hoping to see more like that. With the new creative team in #0 I hope the Superman title gets much better.

@cattlebattle said:

@Primmaster64:

I can't be the only one who finds this gif incredibly arousing.

I'm waiting for the new and improved Toyman!

@RenegadeRobin said:

@cattlebattle said:

@Primmaster64:

I can't be the only one who finds this gif incredibly arousing.

I'm waiting for the new and improved Toyman!

you and i both. LOL. Love her.

Possible enemies and villains

The Ultra Humanite was originally intended to be a dark parallel to Supes so that could be good.

Imperiex sounds interesting, they couldn't use him all the time but there could probably be a few good stories there

The Conduit could pose a serious physical and emotional threat to Superman and if they give him higher motivation than jealousy he could be really deep

Mister Myxlplix if made darker could be a serious villain

Live Wire but only if made way more powerful

Gog and Magog could be re imagined as planet destroyer level threats with little to no good in them

Possible frienemys and antiheroes

Toyman (child version) could be a cool frienemy to Superman who could help or hurt him based on the situation

Lobo could pop up more as an antagonist but help him out occasionally albiet less than Toyman

Muhammad X had potential, even though he was only in 2 issues they'd have to make him extreme and an anti-hero who would attack Superman on their first encounter but he got be a social parallel to Superman

I really liked Livewire too...but, in the end (pre-Flashpoint), they finally got her controlling her power (thanks to a regulator costume Superman gave her, that was once his thank-god-it's-temporary blue costume he sported in the mid-nineties), last seen, in the last issue of Superman volume one, she was under the "good guys" category. I find that great for character development, but I got a feeling, that DC did so because they had nothing to lose, they're going to retcon everything anyways. I hope, next we ever see her, she'll be in grey zone at the least, but I won't hold my breath, if she'll be restarted back as a baddie again.

@ngroove said:

I really liked Livewire too...but, in the end (pre-Flashpoint), they finally got her controlling her power (thanks to a regulator costume Superman gave her, that was once his thank-god-it's-temporary blue costume he sported in the mid-nineties), last seen, in the last issue of Superman volume one, she was under the "good guys" category. I find that great for character development, but I got a feeling, that DC did so because they had nothing to lose, they're going to retcon everything anyways. I hope, next we ever see her, she'll be in grey zone at the least, but I won't hold my breath, if she'll be restarted back as a baddie again.

I do agree with this. I wanna see Livewire as part of Superman family, as a grey area character. Maybe even spin her off into her own book.

@Primmaster64: I like these villains come back..

Parasite: I hope Grant Morison bring him back to superman's rogues gallery and gives more depth in his personality,I think he deserves another type of treatment, it should not be only the guy capable of absorbing powers.He could be a sort of leader of the gang The 100,trying to take control of the city,which they use technology to commit crimes,this could be the cause he became the Parasite.

Doomsday:As much as it is a refusal of 90's dark years,It was good to show that Kryption wasn't a perfect planet as was shown many times. In new 52,he e must not appear as an improved and descerebrate version of the Hulk,it could be as smart as Doomslayer, but with a warrior character...A nomad,who travels through the cosmos in search of revenge against his creator or a owner of an intergalactic empire enemy of the Kryptonians. And the conversation between Superboy and Supergirl about clones ruined Krypton,is an indication that he will return

@Primmaster64 said:

@AtPhantom: That's an interesting concept. Kinda parallels Hanks.

The difference being that Hank can't be killed, period. He has the tragedy, but offers no moral ambiguity to be explored.

@CitizenBane: Puzzle. LOL you forgot Riot

Enter the Multiverse!!!

Kal-L of Black Lantern. He was brief, he was bad-ass, he is exactly what a new possible black lantern corps run needs. If you have read the past few weeks of comics, you'll see signs of a possible return of the B.L. and there is already some "fresh meat" "ripe for the picking".

Gallery

E-3 and A.M.U. Ultramen. This is as classic as Bizzaro, the serious, non-comical anti-Supermen. This isn't looking at Superman through a cracked mirror, this glass has shattered.

okay, MAYBE NOT "him"! Super Boy Prime needs a remake, he had the potential to be a great villain, only to end up a whinny disastrous memory we all want to forget, if anyone gets to complain about his situation its those who subjected themselves to reading his fall from grace ... not him! He needs redemption: figuratively, literally, & literary-ly

Not exactly a "Superman" villain, but what if his "demise" lead to him surviving flash point? Black-Zero could be to Superman what Zoom is to Flash, he knows what a world without a "true Superman" leads too, and he will make "current Superman" a better hero!

@matchesmalone21: I believe they're going to stay away from Parasite for a while, considering its the main villain in Earth One vol 2

I agree with Cyborg Superman and Hercules but Composite Superman sucks.

Maybe we should do one about Supporting characters...

@sethysquare: Unfortunately this is true, it is a pity one of my favorite Sup's villains ... Superman has great villains, but they were not well developed through the years

@SandMan_: Doomsday is one my favourite too,but I think he will appear very soon..The conversation between Superboy and Supergirl in Superboy 4,about clones ruined Krypton,is an indication that he will return and Reign (one of Worldkillers) saidthey are a genetic experiment (clones) created on Krypton, and a missing member who is gone for a long...

@SandMan_: when least expected, he will appear and certainly will not be that brawler he was before...because we already know that there were experiments with cloning in Krypton and they've appeared on Earth, certainly will not let him out

@SandMan_: This was said in Animal Man, but it seems that will not be Doomsday will kill him this time

@SandMan_: sorry,I confused the comics

@SandMan_: when least expected, he will appear and certainly will not be that brawler he was before... because we already know that there were experiments with cloning in Krypton and they've appeared on Earth, certainly will not let him out

@Dernman: I think it's cool, that's almost what I was arguing as our colleague andI even made a theory below,where Doomsday is a nomad,who travels through the cosmos in search of revenge against his creator or a owner of an intergalactic empire enemy of the Kryptonians