There Are 100s of DC Characters — We'll Be Impressed if You Can Name 40!

Batman has been cleaning up crime throughout Gotham City since 1939, when he was first introduced in "Detective Comics." The character is the alternate persona of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy businessman whose parents were murdered in front of him when he was young.

Led by curiosity and intellect, Lois Lane serves as a high-level reporter in Metropolis for the Daily Planet. Her desire to get the story constantly puts her in harms way, especially when she gets in the middle of an earth-ending disaster.

Lex Luthor might rely heavily on his large ego, but that doesn't mean his intentions are all bad. In fact, he just wants to save the world. The problem is that he wants to save it from Superman, a powerful alien who other humans see as a hero.

King of the Seven Seas, Aquaman sits on the throne of Atlantis, where he rules over the ocean. Though his father was only a lighthouse keeper, Aquaman gained the throne of Atlantis because his mother was an Atlantean queen.

Green Arrow was turned into a television series that first aired on the CW in 2012. The story follows Oliver Queen, who becomes Arrow after he returns from being shipwrecked on an island. Well-trained and battle-torn, he's ready to clean up the corruption that has overtaken his city.

Dick Grayson, who eventually becomes Nightwing, grew up in the circus life, where his parents were acrobat performers. His heroic beginnings started when he was taken in and trained by Bruce Wayne after his parents were murdered.

Cyborg once was a normal kid named Victor Stone who was left mutilated after an accident tore apart his body. His father, Dr. Silas Stone, refused to let his son die, though, instead using advanced technology to turn his son into a half human, half machine.

An alien from Krypton, Superman was sent to earth as a child by his birth parents before their home planet was destroyed. The god-like boy was found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who taught him to responsibly use his powers.

Wonder Woman is one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, who constantly struggles with the power inside of her and her desire to bring peace to the world. If she must fight, however, she fights for truth and justice.

The Joker from "The Dark Knight," played by the late Heath Ledger, portrayed the chaotic nature of the killer clown first created in 1940. With his only end goal being to corrupt Batman, the Joker carries out horrendous acts from murdering a police commissioner to blowing up a hospital.

Holding the title of the Fastest Man Alive, Flash possesses such incredible speed that he can travel through time. The gift has not always been beneficial, as Flash learns that the past is not so easy to change, especially when it comes to the death of his loved ones.

Driven by her demonic powers, Raven's greatest threats are her own emotions, which can send her abilities into overdrive. Fearing that her demonic side will be released, Raven regrettably must keep herself from living a normal life.

A strategic military leader, General Zod was once in charge of the Kryptonian forces on his home planet before it was destroyed. Right before the destruction of Krypton, Zod led a rebellion to conquer the planet. His plan failed, however, and Zod was sentenced to 40 years in the Phantom Zone.

Static lost his powers prior to the "Flashpoint" story arc, where the DC Universe was significantly altered after Flash messed with the timeline. When DC rebooted with The New 52, Static was given back his powers, where he used them to fight crime across New York.

It takes a special villain to flirt and steal a wristwatch in the same conversation, but that's exactly who Catwoman is. Once an orphan who lived on the rougher side of Gotham, Catwoman learned to fend for herself from an early age.

Supporting Batman through thick and thin, James Gordon hopes to rid Gotham City of the crime that has overtaken the streets. His loyalty to the Dark Knight has not been without its complications, as Batman has a very violent way of dealing with criminals that might be viewed as inhumane.

The entire DC Universe mourned the day that Superman died defending the planet from the planet-destroyer Doomsday in "The Death of Superman." Essentially unable to stay dead, Doomsday eventually came back to life after he was strapped to an asteroid and sent into space.

Hal Jordan was the first human to take on the mantle of the Green Lantern when a ship carrying a dying member of the Green Lantern Corps crashed on earth. The alien's power ring chose Jordan because he easily overcame his fears.

An android with advanced intelligence, Brainiac travels the universe looking for cities with vast amounts of knowledge. Once he finds a target, he captures the entire city, drains it of all knowledge, then leaves the city in waste. For him, knowledge is clearly power.

Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul have a son named Damian Wayne, who was raised by Talia to be a deadly assassin. She eventually loses control of her son to his father, who teaches him to be more compassionate to others.

Though there have been many incarnations of Firestorm, The New 52 introduced him as the combination of the athletic Ronnie Raymond and the bookworm Jason Rusch. Raymond controls the body of the superhero, and Rusch controls the mind.

The Riddler is, of course, known for his many riddles. That includes this one: "I have billions of eyes, yet I live in darkness. I have millions of ears, yet only four lobes. I have no muscle, yet I rule two hemispheres. What am I?"

Where Dick Grayson was the first to hold the mantle of Robin and Jason Todd became the most dynamic Boy Wonder when he turned to a life of crime, it was Tim Drake who displayed the greatest detective skills. Drake, who could have easily been dismissed as just another Robin, possessed traits of independence and intelligence, which had not been displayed in combination by the previous Robins.

Introduced in 1980, Deathstroke quickly became popular with fans because he was unapologetic about his actions. He didn't care if he did bad things, not because he thought people deserved it, but because he wanted to do them.

What would you do for love? Well, if you're Harley Quinn, you will do just about anything for your puddin', the Joker. To help her lover, Quinn has both committed crimes and gone to jail.

With the speed of a cheetah and the power of an elephant, there is little that Vixen can't do through the powers of her necklace, the Tantu Totem. She obtained the necklace from her uncle, who had previously murdered her father for it.

Ra's al Ghul has lived for centuries by harnessing the powers of the Lazarus Pits, a pool of water that restores his youth. With centuries of training beneath his belt, few characters in the DC Universe are as skilled at hand-to-hand combat as Ra's.

Captain Marvel, one of the strongest people in the DC Universe, is actually a small boy named Billy Batson. Batson transforms into the powerful superhero when he uses the word "Shazam," causing a magical lightning bolt to come down and strike him.

Poison Ivy's career with plants began when she worked as a botanical biochemist named Pamela Isley, where she eventually took part in experiments that gave her the ability to control plants. She used her new abilities to create a pheromone that allowed her to manipulate humans, forcing them to do as she says.

Darkseid has often served as the main antagonist for the Justice League, with one of his most prevalent storylines being in "Final Crisis." The tyrannical villain was originally introduced as the ruler of Apokolips when he was created during the "Fourth World" storyline.

After being forced off her home planet of Tamaran, Starfire traveled on a stolen spaceship to earth. Once on earth, she became a member of the Teen Titans after meeting Robin, who she later started a relationship with.

Of the many characters depicted in "Watchmen," Rorschach is the one hero left with a strong moral compass that points to only right and wrong. Refusing to take a job with the government like the other heroes in the story, Rorschach continues to destroy evil wherever it lies.

Brick's story began in 2004 when he was introduced in Green Arrow #40 as a gang leader looking to expand his territory. With invulnerable skin, it didn't take long for his plan to play out, even using an explosive at one point that left him undamaged while killing off other mafia leaders.

Named Garfield Logan at birth, Beast Boy gained his powers while his parents were conducting research in Africa. On the trip, he came down with a rare illness that was known to be lethal to humans, forcing his parents to use an experimental treatment to cure him.

Many people have carried the title of Huntress, the second being Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. She makes her first appearance in "DC Super Stars" #17 when she is shown in the alternate universe known as Earth-Two.

Bane's life started in a prison on the island of Santa Prisca, where he was born to a criminal father. He later escaped the prison after he took a steroid called Venom that enhanced his strength substantially, though his time on the island had already made him cruel and hardened.

Known for her Canary Cry, Black Canary was one of the first two members of the Birds of Prey, with the other member being Barbara Gordon. Despite being a member of the Birds of Prey, Canary also worked solo, taking on crime throughout both Gotham City and Star City.

Along with most of the DC Universe, Jonah Hex received a remake in 2011 with The New 52 relaunch. The new story, called "All-Star Western vol. 3," placed Jonah's character more in line with the DC world, even taking him on a trip to Gotham City in the 19th century.

DC Comics is filled with villains who have a tragic past, but Mr. Freeze is right at the top when it comes to being a tormented antagonist. Not only is his wife cryogenically frozen, but an accident has left Freeze in a state where he must keep his body temperature at a certain level.

When Mera made her debut in "Aquaman" #11, released in 1963, she was shown to be the former Queen of Xebel, another underwater kingdom. She gives away her throne to marry Aquaman, becoming the Queen of Atlantis.