Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad are a team that feature in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Pre-Crisis
The Suicide Squad
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Task Force X was a secret United States government initiative that was formed under Amanda Waller that was tasked with capturing supervillains and using them as super-powered operatives on high-risk missions. (Legends v1 #3)
During Darkseid's attack on Earth, Waller assembled the Suicide Squad who were dispatched to defeat the New God's creation Brimstone. (Legends v1 #3)
Waller later had Manchester Black take into custody where he was doped to prevent the use of his powers but his abilities managed to gradually restore themselves over the next few months. During the Imperiex War, Black came to be drafted by the U.S. government under the orders of President Lex Luthor who had a regulator fluid injected in him that used nanotechnology to control his actions. In this role, Black served as a field operative for Project: Suicide Squad where he directed team of superpowered criminals that included Shrapnel, Plasmus and Chemo. The team was dispatched on a test run where they fought against Superman with orders then being made to acquire Mongul for the group. (Adventures of Superman v1 #593)
Later on, the former Injustice League were involved in a terminally botched attempt to extract a kidnapped scientist from an Icelandic facility. Seemingly, the only survivor of the incident was Major Disaster who came to be recruited into Sgt. Rock's newly formed Suicide Squad for the missions ahead. (Suicide Squad v2 #1)
After he was believed dead, Rick Flag Jr. resurfaced on the dinosaur-infested island of Skartaris alongside his enemy Rustam. (Suicide Squad v3 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Over the years, it was noted that there were previous iterations of Task Force X. These included Task Force U consisting of animals, Task Force V that involved machines, Task Force W involving soldiers along with others. (Suicide Squad v4 #25)
Under the direction of Amanda Waller, the Squad was led in the field by Colonel Rick Flag, and included members such as Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, the Enchantress, and Duchess. On an early mission for which it was joined by new member Battle-Taur, the Squad was set against Brainiac and tasked with recovering an item from a crypt accessed by aerial drop. (Suicide Squad 2021 Annual v7 #1)
Deadshot, Yo-Yo and El Diablo are tasked with dealing with all of Belle Reve's prisoners when their cells are all opened. Diablo is knocked out and Deadshot is thrown off of the guard tower when the virus causes his muscles to freeze up, while Black Spider beats up several other inmates before collapsing on the floor. Yo-Yo makes himself extremely thin to retrieve King Shark so he can help, but Shark eats him. Diablo wakes up and scares all of the prisoners back into their cells by burning three. Waller allows Deadshot a visit with a girl named Suchin, cutting it short when she learns Harley Quinn was behind the prison break, and used it to escape. Deadshot and King Shark, joined by Savant—whose betrayal had been a ruse of Waller's—and the fame-seeking villains Lime and Light, tracked Quinn through Gotham City only to be set upon by a group of henchmen dressed in her costume. After defeating them, the Squad interrogated a survivor and discovered that Quinn was trying to recover the face of her deceased former partner the Joker from the Gotham City Police Department, and had turned herself into them to do so.[9] King Shark, disguised as Clayface by Lime and Light, provided a distraction while Deadshot and Savant stormed the precinct. Quinn, loose in the station, trapped the two and fitted the Joker's face over Deadshot's in attempt to speak to the dead man through him as a proxy. Lawton played along, drawing Quinn in until he could reach a gun concealed in his boot and shoot her through the stomach. Outside, Lime was arrested by the GCPD and attempted to expose to Squad's existence, forcing Waller to terminate her. (Suicide Squad v4 #7)
After learning of Colonel Jonas's Damage Program, Waller attempted to gain control of the superhuman warrior created by the black ops project. (Damage v2 #1)
On a mission to Badhinisia, the team had been dispatched to prevent the Brimstone Brotherhood from causing an earthquake. During the events, the Squad is confronted by the Justice League, having learned of the team's existence from Batman. (Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad v1 #1)
Overview
A specialised unit of the Squad was Task Force XL that consisted of much more powerful villains that were deployed to deal with more dangerous threats. (Damage v2 #1) In time, a special detachment of the unit was made called the Suicide Squad Black who were made to combat mystical threat. Thus, its ranks consisted of those who were touched by magics and were deployed on such assignments. (Suicide Squad: Black Files v1 #1)
Criminal operatives were outfitted with an explosive device in order to ensure their compliance. (Legends v1 #3)
A special compound called the Samsarra Serum was capable of bringing back the dead allowing it to be used to revive recently killed Suicide Squad members. (Suicide Squad v4 20)
Members
- Amanda Waller :
- Rick Flag :
- Deadshot :
- Bronze Tiger :
- Enchantress :
- Captain Boomerang :
- Count Vertigo :
- Multiplex :
- Harley Quinn :
- King Shark :
- Killer Croc :
- El Diablo :
Notes
- The Suicide Squad were originally created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru where they first appeared in The Brave and the Bold v1 #25 (September, 1959) whilst they were re-imagined by John Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne with their modern first appearance being in Legends v1 #3 (January, 1987).
In other media
Television
- In Justice League Unlimited, the Suicide Squad appeared in the DC Animated Universe in the episode "Task Force X". They were an elite black ops unit created by the United States government and was linked to Cadmus. It consisted of captured supervillains that were detained at Belle Reve who were given the choice of continued imprisonment/death or service in the squad that shortened their sentence. Amanda Waller had this group assembled with them being headed by a field leader in the form of Rick Flag that were deployed on covert op missions. By this point, Cadmus had formed to counter the threat posed by the Justice League as the government felt that they had no defense against superpowered beings. One of the tasks of Cadmus was the acquisition of Ares's Annihilator armor that was kept in the custody of the Justice League on board the Watchtower. The Suicide Squad was gathered in order to recover the armor with this incarnation consisting of Rick Flag, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Plastique and the Clock King.
- In Smallville, the Suicide Squad was referenced in the live-action television series with them being mentioned in the episode "Absolute Justice".
- In Arrow, the Suicide Squad appeared in the setting of the live-action television series second season set in the Arrowverse. Introduced in the second season, this version of the team works for A.R.G.U.S. Director Amanda Waller and initially consists of Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, Mark Scheffer / Shrapnel and Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger. Additionally, John Diggle and Lyla Michaels also work as part of the team, but are not implanted with explosives, and Harley Quinn makes a cameo appearance, but is not called for duty. Scheffer is killed by Waller as a result of him abandoning the mission while Diggle releases the remaining members from A.R.G.U.S.'s custody to help him stop Waller from bombing Starling City in an attempt to defeat Slade Wilson's army. In the third season, Oliver Queen takes pity on Carrie Cutter / Cupid and hands her over to Waller for use in the squad. Additionally, former member Digger Harkness attempts to seek revenge on Michaels for attempting to terminate him for failing to complete a mission, only to be foiled by Queen and the Flash. In the episode "Suicidal Tendencies", Diggle, Michaels, Lawton, and Cutter rescue Senator Joseph Cray from a hostage situation, during which Lawton sacrifices himself to save the others after discovering Cray had set up the attack to stage his own rescue and eventually mount a presidential campaign. After Shadowspire kills Waller, Michaels becomes A.R.G.U.S.'s new director and, as part of her efforts to reform the organization, temporarily disbands the squad to rework it into the Ghost Initiative. She then recruits Cutter, Chien Na Wei, Kane Wolfman, and Ricardo Diaz to locate and capture a terrorist financier named Dante without A.R.G.U.S.'s oversight. However, the operation fails after Diaz disables his explosive implant and warns Dante, who subsequently escapes. When the Joint Chiefs of Staff learn that the squad had been reactivated, Diggle resigns from A.R.G.U.S. to protect Michaels.
- In Young Justice, Task Force X appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Leverage". Amanda Waller rans the group which operated out of Belle Reve prison and its members consist of Rick Flag, Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, along with Monsieur Mallah. In the audio play "The Prize", Brick and Tuppence Terror of the Terror Twins were said to had since joined the team.
Films
- In Batman: Assault on Arkham, Task Force X featured in the animated film where they were referred to as a black ops covert team consisting of supervillain convicts deployed on classified missions. Amanda Waller was in charge of the program with the convicts implanted with bombs to ensure compliance with numerous iterations of the squad. The Riddler had hacked the files of Task Force X containing all information on former, current and future squad members. Thus, Amanda Waller activated a new Suicide Squad and dispatched them to Arkham Asylum to recover the Riddler's cane that held the thumb drive with the information.
- In Suicide Squad, the Suicide Squad made their first appearance in the DC Extended Universe where they appeared in the live-action film. They were officially a part of Task Force X that was headed by Amanda Waller. Waller wanted to use Metahuman criminals as deniable and disposable black ops team to be used against Metahuman threats. After securing government approval, she recruited a team that consisted of villains locked away in the Belle Reve blacksite. Its members included Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, Killer Croc, Slipknot and the Enchantress. Heading the team was Rick Flag with Katana serving as support to manage the squad who had nanite bombs to insure compliance.
- In Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, Task Force X featured in the setting of the animated film. They were shown as a special forces unit consisting of supervillains that had nanite bombs planted in their brains to ensure their compliance where successful missions reduced their sentence. The squad were based in Belle Reve and were under the control of Amanda Waller. The team consisted of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, Killer Frost, and Copperhead. Additionally, Black Manta, Count Vertigo, Punch and Jewelee appear as previous members of the group in a flashback. The present team is assigned to retrieve a "Get Out of Hell Free" card. By the end of the film, Waller detonates Copperhead's bomb to kill the traitorous Killer Frost and Bronze Tiger is killed by Professor Zoom, though Deadshot gives the former the card to send him to heaven.
- In Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the Suicide Squad appeared in the setting of the animated film. Following Waller's death, the group is now led by Harley and consists of Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Black Manta, Bane, and the Cheetah. After Darkseid and his forces successfully conquer Earth, the squad take refuge on Stryker's Island. Two years later, they are recruited by Lois Lane to aid her and Clark Kent in an effort to defeat Darkseid and destroy Apokolips. The group storm LexCorp so Kent's team can reach Apokolips via Lex Luthor's Boom Tube before the squad stays behind with Lane and Luthor to defend the Boom Tube from Darkseid's Paradooms. After Cheetah, Luthor, Bane, and Manta are killed, the remaining members and Lane sacrifice themselves to stop the Paradooms from reaching Apokolips.
Video games
- In the Arkhamverse, the Suicide Squad appeared in the shared continuity setting:
- In Batman: Arkham Origins, the Suicide Squad appeared in the setting of the prequel video game. Amanda Waller visited Deathstroke in Blackgate Penitentiary and asked him to join the Suicide Squad in exchange for his freedom.
- In Injustice 2, the Suicide Squad was referenced in the fighting video game in dialogues between Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Enchantress.
Appearances
- Legends v1: (1987)
- Suicide Squad v1:
- Adventures of Superman v1:
- Damage v2:
- Suicide Squad: Black Files v1:
External Links
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
