You've seen the destruction...you know the end was near -- but you do not know why...or who was behind it. We do. 
Membership History
Metropolis Organized Crime
Before Superman donned his costume, Metropolis was already controlled by several gangs. Even though in America, Metropolis is seen as a gleaming city of hope and prosperity, underneath there are many facets of the city under control by the most ruthless mobsters and criminals.
Intergang
From the beginnings of Superman's career to now, a crime syndicate has had its cluthes on Metropolis for a long time. This organization had ties to the far outer reaches of space to Apokolips.
- Bruno Mannheim[1] Bruno Mannheim, nicknamed "Ugly", is arguably the second formidable human being to ever challenge Superman. His organization, Intergang, has been under the control of Darkseid for many years. After Edge was in the hospital, Mannheim took control over Intergang. When Clark Kent and his partner exposed Intergang, Mannheim was arrested, but he escaped. Recently, Bruno has become a psychopath who's a giant with advanced alien technology; another mysterious villain has now begun running Intergang's activities.
- Morgan Edge[2] Morgan Edge was former president of Galaxy Broadcasting Systems, a prominent media corporation that owned television station WGBS. Edge was also the original leader of Intergang. His Apokoliptian contact was Desaad, one of Darkseid's henchmen. After being hospitalized for a stress related heart attack, Morgan's father took over GBS/WGBS and Mannheim temporarily took control over Intergang. Superman's alter-ego, Clark Kent and Cat Grant exposed Egde when it was discovered that he had ties to Intergang. Edge has since lost his job and sponsored the Superman Revenge Squad.
- Box Maxie: Bruno's father Boss Maxie, a career mobster criminal, was released from prison after Crisis on Infinite Earths and proceeded to gain control of Intergang. Maxie met with Cadmus scientist Dabney Donovan and arranged for himself and his former gang members to be fitted with superpowers. Afterwards, Maxie used Vincent Edge to set up a meeting with all of Metropolis's gang-leaders and then killed them single-handedly, declaring himself as the new leader of Intergang. Maxie directed all of Intergang's efforts on locating Jimmy Olsen, whom he thought knew Superman's true identity. When Lex Luthor gained control of Intergang after Morgan Edge's short-lived attempt to regain the spot, Luthor retained Moxie as a figurehead. Maxie and his lieutenants were captured by Superman himself. There's some suggestion that maybe Superboy-Prime killed Moxie by snapping his neck during Infinite Crisis.
- Vincent Egde: Morgan's father who took control of GBS/WGBS temporarily until Maxie gained prominence. His son Morgan soon lost the company and Intergang when he was exposed. Vincent's whereabouts are unknown.
- Frank Sixty: A criminal cyberneticist who gained control of Intergang up until 52 when Mannheim regained control.
The Masterminds
Besides Mannheim and Edge, other denizens of subjugation, power, and darkness have appeared in Superman's career that continue to challenge him to this day with their uncanny ability to formulate complex schemes of evil acts.
Heavy Hitters:
- Lex Luthor: [3] Coming out of a rough childhood and adolescence, Alexander Joseph Luthor began furthering his career in the business world. Soon, Luthor became Superman's oldest and most driven foe, thus becoming Kal-El's arch-enemy. A shrewd powerful businessman hell-bent on world domination, Luthor has no special powers, except maybe his exceptional genius intellect, which he uses to formulate plans of destruction towards Superman and sometimes Metropolis; plans of omnipotence over the world. A self-proclaimed Machiavellian industrialist, scientist, and white-collar criminal as referenced by one of his famous quotes, "I'm the greatest criminal mind of all time!," Luthor has proven to be Superman's own "super-foe", being responsible for cloning Superman in order to ultimately destroy him, engineering smear campaigns to ruin Superman's reputation, and for almost destroying Metropolis.
- Darkseid: [4] After assassinating his mother, Uxas had become ruler of Apokolips for thousands of years. A sadistic despot, Darkseid is determined to make sure that he's ruler of the entire universe and to attain that goal, he desperately seeks the Anti-Life Equation, a device that can control all life. Darkseid is responsible for partially igniting Our Worlds at War, and has been a persistent villain until before Final Crisis where his son, Orion, killed him. However, Darkseid was reincarnated and is still wreaking havoc yet again.
- Brainiac: [5] Originally from the distant planet, Colu, The Brain InterActive Construct was designed by The Computer Tyrants, Colu's living computers, to obtain information in the universe. Brainiac thus broke away from his superiors and has a goal of ulimately obtaining all information in the universe and destroying all the planets it came from. Brainiac's rampage has made him enemies with Kal-El, the only humanoid who can stop him. Brainiac has since shrunk the city of Kandor, inhabited a human being, gained a new body, lusted for Superman's body, and has almost dominated the universe in his 13th version. Currently, Brainiac and Superman continue to be enemies.
- General Zod: [6] Dru-Zod was one of Krypton's most efficient military commanders. That all changed when he hears that his friends, renowned scientists Jor-El and Non have predicted Krypton's imminent destruction. The High Council lobotomizes Non to keep him quiet, making Zod become disillusioned with the Kryptonian society. Zod, with the aid of his lover, Ursa, and Non, launch an insurrection plot to overthrow Krypton's government and establish a new order on the planet. Zod's main motivation applied to his megalomania, his insatiable need to control everything. Zod tried to get Jor-El to join their rebellion, but he refused. Eventually, The Council thwarted Zod's plot; sentenced him, Ursa, and Non to eternal imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. Jor-El condemned them to the imprisonment, prompting Zod to swear vengeance against him and his heirs. Zod has since escaped the Phantom Zone and terrorized Jor-El's son, Kal-El, just as he promised.
Compulsive Monsters
- Doomsday: [7] Born on Krypton in the distant past as an evolved artificial life-form, The Ultimate was created by a mysterious alien scientist, Bertron. After many years of dying and coming back alive in Berton's experiments of evolution, Doomsday snapped and turned on Berton, killing him and hordes of other living Kryptonian creatures. Doomsday then traveled the galaxy, becoming a extraterrestrial serial killer bent on destructing the universe's society. His murder spree lead him to Earth where his plan for destroying Earth was thwarted by Superman. Doomsday and Superman engaged in fight that lead to both of their deaths. Superman and Doomsday were later resurrected and they still challenge each other currently. Whatever kills Doomsday only makes him stronger; he revives himself only to bring death to all sentient beings.
- Parasite: [8] A menial slacker and janitor of a Pittsburgh S.T.A.R. Labs facility, Rudy Jones came in contact with hazardous chemicals changing him into a purple being capable of draining energy from anyone. Jones has since used his newfound abilities to gain Superman's powers in order to better himself. After Jones's defeat, Superman has had to battle other versions of Parasite like Dr.Freeman, Alex and Alexandra Allston.
Minor Villains
- Satanus (No information yet)
- Blaze (No information yet)
- Brainiac 13 (No information yet)
Recommended Reading
- Crisis on Infinite Earths
- Infinite Crisis
- Final Crisis
- Our Worlds at War
- Lex Luthor: Man of Steel
- Death of Superman
- Superman: Up, Up and Away!
- Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
See Also
- Gallery of Superman Villains
- List of Superman Villains (Alphabetical Order)
Links and References
- ↑ First Appearance: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #39
- ↑ First Appearance: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133
- ↑ First Appearance: Action Comics #23
- ↑ First Appearance: Superman Pal's, Jimmy Olsen #134
- ↑ First Appearance: Action Comics #242
- ↑ First Appearance: 'Adventure Comics 283'
- ↑ First Appearance: Death of Superman
- ↑ First Appearance: 'Action Comics 340'