Which Supervillain Dc Underwent The Most Dramatic Redesigns?

For me, Lex Luthor is a standout when thinking about radical redesigns, because his changes alter not just what he wears but his entire presence and function in stories. Early comics showed Lex as a mustachioed mad scientist with wild hair and a purple battle-suit — almost a caricature. Then decades of retcons smoothed him into the clean-shaven, bald corporate magnate in a tailored suit, which was a huge tonal swing: villainy moved from obvious sci-fi tech to boardroom manipulation.

That boundary-shift kept happening. Sometimes he’s back in an armored Kryptonite mech or wearing full powered armor in comics and games; other takes, like in 'Smallville', pushed him into a sympathetic, complex figure whose costumes are more subtle but emotionally significant. Alternate-universe stories like 'Superman: Red Son' or big reboots during 'Rebirth' mix and match those elements, giving fans a Lex who can be industrialist, warlord, or tragic antagonist. I love how those redesigns force readers to rethink his motivations — bald head and suit or towering green armor, Lex keeps reshaping the idea of what Superman’s opposite should look like.

No contest — if we're talking about sheer scope and radical swings in tone, look, and mythology, the Joker takes the trophy for me.

From the earliest Golden Age clownish psychopathic prankster to the campy, neatly groomed TV version I watched in reruns, the Joker has been remade again and again. I grew up watching 'Batman: The Animated Series' and then flipping comics like 'The Killing Joke' and being floored by how Alan Moore and Brian Bolland could make him disturbing in a way that comics hadn't quite done before. That shifted the Joker from mischievous menace to a darker, more tragic-terrifying figure, and artists kept pushing that boundary.

Then the movies and games kicked the redesigns into hyperdrive: Jack Nicholson’s neon mobster-Joker in 'Batman' (1989) gave us color and swagger; Heath Ledger’s gritty, realistic anarchist in 'The Dark Knight' stripped away the clown glam and made the character plausibly terrifying in the real world; Joaquin Phoenix’s 'Joker' reimagined him as a raw, 1970s-style character study with a very different costume and vibe. On the comics and games side, the 'Arkham' series and the New 52/ Rebirth era experimented with prosthetics, scarring, and changed proportions — sometimes almost Joker-as-monster, other times Joker-as-everyman. Each redesign doesn't just change clothes; it changes who he is, how he moves, and what he represents. As someone who collects variants, I love watching a single character reflect so many artistic eras — it keeps the Joker endlessly fascinating and, honestly, a little unnerving.

I can't stop geeking out over Harley Quinn's glow-up — she's basically a masterclass in dramatic redesigns, but in a different way than the Joker. Harley started as a playful jester in 'Batman: The Animated Series', and when that character leapt into comics via 'Mad Love' she already had a personality that begged for reinvention. Over the years, every new creative team shoved her through a filter: goth, punk, sultry antihero, marketing-friendly pop star.

The visuals changed fast. For a long while she was the black-and-red jester I would doodle on notebook margins. Then the 2011 New 52 era gave her a shorter, punkier look with a baseball bat and more skin, and movies like 'Suicide Squad' remixed her into Margot Robbie’s inked, street-style persona with red and blue highlights. 'Birds of Prey' and the solo 'Harley Quinn' animated series pushed her into bright, chaotic fashion territory that oscillates between playful and grim. Even the video games — from 'Injustice' to the 'Arkham' series — offered different takes that emphasize either the comedy, the menace, or the tragic side of her origin.

What interests me most is how Harley’s redesigns aren't purely cosmetic: they parallel her shifting narrative role from sidekick to independent antihero. That evolution makes each look feel earned, and as a casual cosplayer I’ve appreciated how flexible she is — there’s a Harley for goofy convention panels and a Harley for gritty fan art. If you’re curious, flip between 'Mad Love', the 'Harley Quinn' animated show, and 'Suicide Squad' to see three wildly different Harleys that all somehow work.