DC Comics is home to some of the world’s finest heroes as well as many of its vilest villains. More often than not, these two opposing forces come head-to-head in clashes that reverberate through DC continuity.

But every now and then, these icons are forced to put their enmity aside when even greater threats emerge. And in more than one instance, from Harley Quinn to Lex Luthor to Darkseid himself, DC’s worst villains have helped its heroes save the DC Universe in team ups that fans will never forget.

10 Harley Quinn ed Batman’s Resistance

Injustice by Tom Taylor, Brian Buccellato, Jheremy Raapack, & more

Though she’s now considered a lovable antihero, Harley Quinn’s checkered past as a Gotham rogue rarely saw her on the side of the angels. But in the twisted morality of the Injustice universe, Harleen Quinzel became one of the world’s greatest heroes. Seeing her traumatic relationship with the Joker for what it truly was and taking responsibility for her own wrongdoing after helping the Joker murder Lois Lane, traumatize Superman, and nuke Metropolis, a repentant Clown Princess of Crime sought to make amends for her misdeeds.

Forming close bonds with Green Arrow, Black Canary, and even Batman himself, Quinn became a key player within the Resistance, which fought against a broken Superman’s fascist Regime. And while she’s not exactly capable of going toe-to-toe with a corrupt Man of Steel, she was one of this timeline’s staunchest defenders.

9 Black Adam s the Justice Society of America

JSA #17 by David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns, Stephen Sadowski, Michael Bair, John Kalisz, Heroic Age, and Ken Lopez

The mighty Teth-Adam has long been a thorn in the side of the Wizard’s Champion, but there was a time in which the World’s Mightiest Mortals were forced to put aside their mutual enmity during Black Adam’s all-too-brief stint with the Justice Society of America. Seeking to reclaim his ancient reputation as a hero while making amends for the crimes of his descendant and former host, Theo Adam, Black Adam allied himself with the JSA.

Adam aided the JSA against Johnny Sorrow’s Injustice Society and other notable villains, with Shazam – then called Captain Marvel – ing the team as well in JSA #37 by Goyer, Johns, and Leonard Kirk to keep an eye on his old foe. Despite harsh feelings, the two managed to put their history aside, with Billy even considering Adam a part of the extended Marvel Family until the events of World War III reverted Adam to type as one of DC’s major threats.

8 Lex Luthor s the Justice League

DCeased by Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, James Harren, and More

Lex Luthor may be one of DC’s most conniving villains, but there are some situations of which even he cannot take advantage. When a virulent plague ravages the heroes and villains of the DCeased timeline, the lines between hero and villain are blurred in favor of an overall fight for survival, and Lex Luthor himself signs up with the heroes of the DC Universe – mirroring his brief stint with the Justice League during the New 52 – to save what’s left of humanity.

Luthor’s allyship with the League proves that his hatred of Superman doesn’t outweigh his sense of self-preservation.

With Batman taken out of play early on, Lex becomes the Justice League’s de facto Big Brain and helps devise an escape strategy to evacuate the remnants of humanity from a dying Earth. Ultimately, Lex is later killed by an infected Martian Manhunter, but Luthor’s allyship with the League proves that his hatred of Superman doesn’t outweigh his sense of self-preservation.

7 Blackest Night United the DC Universe

Blackest Night by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, and More

When the Blackest Night event threatened to engulf the entire DC Universe in a never-ending wave of death, heroes and villains alike were forced to face off against Nekron and the undead Black Lanterns for the sake of their very existence. The fan-favorite crossover had already seen Green Lantern team up with the likes of Larfleeze and Atrocitus, but the climax of the event shook fans' expectations to their core as hero and villain alike were inducted into the various Corps of the Emotional Spectrum.

Longtime heroes like the Flash, the Atom, Mera, and Wonder Woman the Blue Lanterns, the Indigo Tribe, the Red Lantern Corps, and the Star Sapphires respectively, but it was Lex Luthor and Scarecrow's inductions into the Orange Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps that seemingly turned the tide – at least until Lex predictably got too greedy and turned on his fellow Lanterns.

6 Batman ed the Injustice League

Forever Evil by Geoff Johns, David Finch, Richard Friend, and More

After the CSA first appears and shakes the DCU to its core, Lex Luthor is forced to put together a team of like-minded villains to face off against the interlopers seemingly homing in on his territory. Leading a team consisting of Deathstroke, Sinestro, Black Adam, Captain Cold, Black Manta, Bizarro, and Catwoman, Lex resolves to save the world his way, even forcing a lone Batman to temporarily play by his rules.

And while Batman is typically used to being in charge, even Bruce finds himself out of his depth when forced to ally with some of the world's worst villains. Ultimately, the biggest villains of the DCU are the ones to save the day when the Justice League had initially failed, paving the way for Lex to eventually the League itself.

5 Wonder Woman and Cheetah Are Longtime Allies

Wonder Woman #792 by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Marguerite Sauvage, and Pat Brosseau

Wonder Woman has always been one of DC’s most comionate heroes with her arch-enemy, the Cheetah, one of its most brutal baddies. With the duo’s enmity complicated ever since their shared history was altered during Wonder Woman: Rebirth, there’s far more to their relationship than sheer rivalry.

Their long-awaited team-up finally came to fruition in 2022's Wonder Woman #792, as Diana rescues and rehabilitates a bestial Cheetah from the clutches of Cale Industries, with Barbara Minerva even ing up with Diana and Checkmate to revenge herself upon her captors. This team-up isn’t the last between the two, as recent issues of the ongoing Wonder Woman series by Tom King and Daniel Sampere once again ally Minerva with Wonder Woman in Diana's battle against the Sovereign – and the odds of a return to form as strict enemies seem highly unlikely.

4 Green Lantern and Sinestro Are Often Forced to Work Together

Green Lantern #67 by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Tom Nguyen, Gabe Eltaeb, Randy Mayor, and Nick J. Napolitano

While the villainous Sinestro was initially ousted from the Green Lantern Corps and branded a renegade for his fascist actions on his homeworld, the former Greatest Green Lantern actually managed to, at least temporarily, find redemption and re his former allies as a Green Lantern to defeat the villainous Krona after the rogue Guardian brainwashed the entirety of the Green Lantern Corps to his sinister will.

What is Green Lantern and the Corps up to in DC's All In era? Check out 2025's Green Lantern #19 and Green Lantern Corps #1 to learn more about their role in DC's latest saga.

Sinestro remained a Green Lantern for a time, partnering with his old apprentice Hal until reverting to his role as a Yellow Lantern of Fear. Now, the recent shakeup with the Emotional Spectrum has seen Sinestro become a Green Lantern once again for the first time since Dark Nights: Death Metal. And it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself right alongside his best friend and worst foe, Hal Jordan.

3 Batman and the Joker Team Up to Battle the Batman Who Laughs

Dark Nights: Metal #6 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, and Steve Wands

Batman and the Joker have one of the most famous rivalries in all of pop culture, but the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime have been forced to work together more than once. Aside from their team-up in the Black Label series Batman & the Joker: The Deadly Duo by Marc Silvestri, the archrivals have worked together in continuity for the greater good to take on the Batman Who Laughs in Dark Nights: Metal.

As the twisted Bruce Wayne of Earth-22 threatens to put down Batman once and for all, the Joker steps in, fighting alongside his beloved Bats in the only team-up that their enemy could never have predicted. While Batman states that they’ll never speak of this team-up again, it’s hard to deny how effective the duo are, just as it's hard to deny the Joker’s potential as a force for good had he never fallen into a life of crime.

2 Superman ed Lex Luthor’s Revenge Squad

Action Comics #851 by Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Adam Kubert, Dave Stewart, and Rob Leigh

When a newly freed Zod brings an army of Phantom Zone criminals to conquer the Earth, it’s up to Lex Luthor and his Superman Revenge Squad to take the fight to the invaders with the help of the Man of Steel himself. Realizing that there’s no way that he can defeat an army of similarly-powered Kryptonians and rescue his adopted son, Chris, on his own after escaping the Phantom Zone, Superman turns to Lex – the person who’s spent most of his adult life devising ways to kill the Last Son of Krypton.

Confronting Luthor, Superman is quickly humbled by the appearances of Metallo, Bizarro, and Parasite in a strike force formed by Luthor to rid the Earth of its invaders. Ultimately, Earth’s saviors are successful in defeating Zod’s forces, but there’s no way that Superman could’ve done it without Lex Luthor and his greatest foes by his side.

1 Darkseid and the Justice League Work Together to Take Down Imperiex

“Our Worlds at War” by Jeph Loeb, Joe Casey, Mark Schultz, Phil Jimenez, and More

Darkseid is undoubtedly one of the greatest forces of evil in all the DC Multiverse, so when he is forced to ally himself with Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League in order to combat Imperiex, it’s clear that the threat is like nothing the DCU has ever seen. The living embodiment of entropy, Imperiex has destroyed the universe time and again since the dawn of creation in order to usher in a new universe – a gambit Darkseid would not allow without his say-so.

In the end, the allied forces of Earth, Apokolips, and the rest of the universe manage to beat back disaster, but Darkseid doesn’t escape unscathed as a last-ditch team-up with Wonder Woman and the Amazons linked his soul to Diana's, thereby “infecting” him with some of her goodness. These days, “Our Worlds At War” is all but a memory, but the team-up between Darkseid and DC Comics’ greatest forces for good is one partnership that fans never saw coming.