Superman first debuted back in 1938, almost 80 years ago. During his time, he’s come up against an army of villains from around the world and universe. Some of those villains have been pretty weird. They were either just too “out there” or just look a bit dated in retrospect. While Superman has great villains in his rogue gallery like Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Bizarro, there are quite a few that don’t fit the mold.

Superboy Prime

First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #85 (1985)

Originally, Superboy Prime was a Superman from another Earth, and there wasn’t much to him. However, during Infinite Crisis, the character was completely reinvented to be an echo of angry comic book fans online, which totally made them madder. Superboy Prime spent time in forums, complaining about DC comics, and he was known for his epic hissy-fits during battle. When he was given a Sinestro Corps Ring, he was easily one of the most overpowered characters in the DC Universe but still couldn’t win. The character’s reinvention was nothing more than an epic case of trolling which some readers found to be brilliant and hilarious.

The Dummy

First Appearance: Leading Comics #1 (1941)

The Dummy is a super-intelligent criminal who looks like a ventriloquist dummy. While he’s been a formidable opponent for many DC villains, he’s gone up against Superman a number of times. Obviously, he was beaten quickly because he’s just a small man with a gun and Superman is Superman.

Hobby Robber

First Appearance: Action Comics #73 (1944)

The Hobby Robber first came up against Superman after he stole Clark Kent’s rare clock collection and held it for ransom. Why does Clark Kent have a rare clock collection? Who knows? That’s what the Hobby Robber does though. He’ll steal your hobby-related items and laugh in your face about it, all while looking like a young Vincent Price.

Amazing Grace

First Appearance: Adventures of Superman #426 (1987)

Amazing Grace isn’t just a song that gets stuck in your head any time those two words are stuck together; she’s also a Superman villain whose powers are that she’s really pretty and persuasive. She’s also immortal and technically a god, but those are terms that get tossed around a lot in comics. She works for Darkseid and wants to crush those who resist him. There’s not much to her, and she’s really not that amazing.

Clawster

First Appearance: Superman #66 (1992)

If you’re familiar with the Thing from Fantastic Four, that’s Clawster. The big difference is that Clawster is a villain who lives in the sewers. He’s been a punching-bag for Superman over the years, especially during the Death of Superman story, where Superman put a grenade in his mouth. One of the stranger things about this character is the design. The bones coming out of his face are confusing. He’s probably the only villain on this list that appeared in a video game: The Death and Return of Superman.

Master Jailer

First Appearance: Superman #331 (1979)

Master Jailer is an interesting character, coming from an era where creators seemed to have trouble finding worthy opponents for Superman. He has the ability to summon and control chains and ropes, to hold his enemies. His biggest claim to fame is that he has come close to defeating some of DC’s strongest heroes. Can you call yourself “Master Jailer” when never actually jail anyone though?

Microwave Man

First Appearance: Action Comics #487 (1978)

Microwave Man, who may go down in history as one of the worst costumes in a Superman comic, only appeared in one story, back in the late 70s. A scientist gave himself super powers using microwaves, which made him invulnerable. At no point in time did he use his powers to reheat a pizza. Microwave Man ended up dying after growing old, got his youth restored by aliens, and defeated Superman. After he accomplished his greatest feat, Microwave Man keeled over and died.

Mr. Mxyzptlk

First Appearance: Superman #30 (1944)

While the vast majority of weird villains get one or two stories, then fizzle out of existence, here’s one of Superman’s weirdest villains, who has been kicking around for 70 years. Mr. Mxyzptlk (Mix-yez-pittle-ik) is an imp from the fifth dimension who likes to play pranks on Superman and cause havoc. He has unbelievable powers and can warp reality. The only way to defeat him is to get him to say or spell his name backwards, sending him back to the fifth dimension.

Mr. Z

First Appearance: Action Comics #33 (1940)

Superman had yet another immortal to take on back in the 40s and years afterward. Mr. Z is an immortal who is incredibly mysterious and loves travelling through time to trap famous people throughout history in his crystal.

Muhammad Ali

First Appearance: Superman vs Muhammad Ali #1 (1978)

When aliens come to Earth and demand the planet’s greatest champion step forward, both Superman and Muhammad Ali answer the call. Saying Ali is the villain of the story is a bit of a stretch, but one could say they were enemies, for a moment, for the greater good. Ali and a depowered Superman had a boxing match to see who was the greatest fighter on Earth.

Sand Creature

First Appearance: Superman #233 (1971)

Sand Creature looks like Superman, acts like Superman, and has Superman’s memories, but he’s made of sand. He’s even noble like the hero it models itself after. The character was revamped in the Futures End book but was quickly forgotten about.

Louto Malone

First Appearance: Superman #385 (1983)

Lex Luthor isn’t a physically strong man. He couldn’t go toe-to-toe with Superman. That’s why he once employed a man named Louto Malone as his muscle. Malone was an ex-wrestler who had a prosthetic arm. For unknown reasons, he still wore his wrestling outfit while heading into battle.

Toyman

First Appearance: Action Comics #64 (1943)

For some strange reason, Toyman is a villain that still exists in current Superman continuity. This bizarre genius creates toys that can be used as weapons. He’s a bit creepy, and although he’s always getting beaten down, he pops right back up again a few years later. Toyman has recently even appeared on CBS’ Supergirl.

Klakok

First Appearance: Superman #366 (1981)

Klakok, the seldom-seen villain, was a member of the Superman Revenge Squad. His power was he could double in size, dwarfing Superman in a fight. While he was created in the early 80s, the bulk of his appearances come from 2010, when he was briefly involved in the Last Stand of New Krypton storyline.

Blue Matt

First Appearance: World’s Finest Comics #311 (1985)

Blue Matt is the member of the group Network. They’re rock music video producers who use their super-powers to take hostages and demand ransom. Blue Matt’s ability is that he can fadeout. Obviously, this villain was no match for Superman.