The following is a list of
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al
government agencies
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...
,
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
organizations that have been published by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
and their imprints.
A
Agency
The Agency was formed by
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of
Task Force X
The following is a list of fictional government agencies, comic book organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints.
A Agency
The Agency was formed by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task F ...
. It performed global operations which were vital to the security of American interests.
Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok is a fictional character by DC Comics. She first appeared in '' Showcase'' #94 (August 1977), and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Joe Staton.
In live-action, Valentina Vostok made her debut in the first season of the CW Arr ...
brought former
NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
Lieutenant
Harry Stein into the Agency as an operative. Adrian Chase (the
Vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
) and Christopher Smith (
Peacemaker
Peacemaker or The Peacemaker (in various forms) may refer to:
Individuals and groups
* UN Peacemaker, a project of the UN to support international peacemakers and mediators
* Peace makers, a list of contemporary individuals and organizations inv ...
) were contract operatives for the Agency.
Agency in other media
The Agency appears in ''
Batman: The Enemy Within''. As in the comics, it is led by Amanda Waller herself and its known members include Iman Avesta (voiced by
Emily O'Brien
Emily Roya O'Brien (born 28 May 1985) is an English three-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actress and writer who is known for her five-year series regular role of Jana Hawkes Fisher on ''The Young and the Restless'' from 2006–2011. She portrayed ...
), Vernon Blake (voiced by Christian Lanz), Mario Fernandez (voiced by
Robert Clotworthy
Robert Clotworthy is an American narrator and voice actor. He may be best known as the narrator for the History Channel series ''Ancient Aliens'' and ''The Curse of Oak Island'' and his role as the voice of Jim Raynor in the ''StarCraft'' video ...
), Roger Harrison (voiced by John Eric Bentley), and an assortment of other unnamed agents (variously voiced by Mark Barbolak, John Eric Bentley,
J.B. Blanc,
Matthew Mercer
Matthew Christopher Miller (born June 29, 1982), better known as Matthew Mercer, is an American voice actor. He is best known for his work with Studiopolis, Funimation, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Viz Media, and NYAV Post in anime, cartoons, and ...
,
Emily O'Brien
Emily Roya O'Brien (born 28 May 1985) is an English three-time Daytime Emmy-nominated actress and writer who is known for her five-year series regular role of Jana Hawkes Fisher on ''The Young and the Restless'' from 2006–2011. She portrayed ...
,
Laura Post
Laura Post (born June 23) is an American voice actress and voice director known for her works in anime dubbed in English by Bang Zoom! Entertainment and Studiopolis like portraying Aria Lieze in ''Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's'', Ragyo Kiryuin ...
,
Kirk Thornton
Kirk Thornton is an American voice actor, director and script writer working mainly with English-language versions of Japanese anime shows.
Career
His major roles include Brandon Heat in ''Gungrave'', Hotohori in ''Fushigi Yūgi'', Klein in ' ...
,
Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...
,
Debra Wilson
Debra Wilson, also known as Debra Wilson Skelton or Debra Skelton, is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series ''Mad TV'', having appeared on the show's firs ...
, and
Wally Wingert
Wallace Eugene Wingert (born May 6, 1961) is an American voice actor. His roles include Almighty Tallest Red in ''Invader Zim'', Renji Abarai in ''Bleach'', Kotetsu T. Kaburagi / Wild Tiger in '' Tiger & Bunny'', The Riddler in the '' Batman: ...
). The Agency seeks to stop the
Riddler
The Riddler (Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma or Edward Nashton) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, and debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #140 in Oc ...
and the villainous group he was formerly associated with known as the Pact (consisting of
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...
,
Bane
Bane may refer to:
Fictional characters
* Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman
* Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series
* Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy
* Bane the Druid, a Gu ...
,
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Batman'' #121 in February 1959 as the ice-based criminal Mr. Ze ...
,
"John Doe" and
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
), trying to hunt down the former to stop his criminal activities and the latter in order to stop them from stealing vials related to a plan called "Project Lotus" that can threaten Gotham and the world with a virus. The vials came from the group SANCTUS who later had their partnership dissolved from the Agency. They later encase the Riddler's deceased body in a container after learning he survived the virus. Their interference causes a clash with
Commissioner James Gordon
James W. "Jim" Gordon, Sr. is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane as an ally of Batman, the ...
and the GCPD; depending on the player's choice, Batman can either come to trust and ally with Waller and the Agency, straining his relationship with Gordon or continue being at odds with them, stand with Gordon and prefer his help. Regardless, Waller blackmails Batman to act as a double agent within the Pact and learn their motives and stop them from stealing the vials containing the virus by threatening to reveal his secret identity if he does not cooperate. The showdown between the Agency and the Pact occurs at the hideout of SANCTUS which ended with Harley Quinn getting away with the virus and Mr. Freeze getting infected. In the end if the player chooses the path where Doe becomes the vigilante Joker, Waller will feel betrayed and the Agency begins attacking both Batman and the Joker with Waller even having Bane, Quinn, and Catwoman under her control and forcing them to fight Batman and the Joker, during which the Agency suffers losses and many members are killed. Regardless, Waller will later pull the Agency operatives out of Gotham City.
A.P.E.S.
A.P.E.S. (short for All-Purpose Enforcement Squad) is a semi-independent U.S. governmental division within the D.E.O., possessing government IDs for multiple agencies ranging from the FBI to Scotland Yard and SMERSH; an agent has described the organisation as possessing more clearance than God. Donald Fite, father of the
Empress
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
, and Ishito Maad are their most well-known operatives. Their main headquarters is inside Mount Rushmore.
Argent
Argent was the domestic branch of Task Force X. It was a sister organization to the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
. Argent was led by Control and consisted mainly of former OSS (
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...
) agents. Argent was a powerful agency during most of the Cold War. After confronting and killing a government official responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy, Control ordered all records of Argent destroyed and pulled the organisation undercover. For years, the Argent continued their work in secret, but shrunk considerably in size. Eventually, Control died, but his granddaughter, Anne-Marie Vere, maintained the pretense that he was still alive to keep the group operating. In recent times, a confrontation with the Suicide Squad exposed the deception and Argent disbanded. Known agents of the Argent included Control, Falcon, Fleur,
Iron Munro
Iron Munro, real name Arn Munro, is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Roy Thomas created the character in 1987 for ''Young All-Stars''. He largely served to replace Superman in stories set during World ...
,
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...
and Anne-Marie Vere.
A.R.G.U.S.
Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans (A.R.G.U.S.) is a U.S. federal agency operating under the jurisdiction of
Homeland Security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
. It is under the command of Col.
Steve Trevor
General Steven Rockwell Trevor is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Wonder Woman. The character was created by William Moulton Marston and first appeared in ' ...
and Director
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
.
A.S.A.
The A.S.A. (short for American Security Agency) was a U.S. government organization that supervised the creation of the national team of super-agents called the
Force of July
The Outsiders are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As their name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who do not fit the norms of the "mainstream" superhero community, i.e. the Justice League.
The ...
. The chairman of the A.S.A. was B. Eric Blairman. Blairman was later replaced as head of the A.S.A. by the even more corrupt Abraham Lincoln Carlyle, who made an attempt to use the
Psycho Pirate's Medusa Mask to get himself elected president. During an internecine war within the U.S. Government called the
Janus Directive
"The Janus Directive" is an eleven-part comic book crossover first published by DC Comics between May and June of 1989. Among the creators who contributed to the storyline were writers John Ostrander, Kim Yale, Paul Kupperberg, Cary Bates and Gre ...
, Carlyle and most of the Force of July were killed in battle. The American Security Agency was made defunct shortly afterwards.
A variation of the A.S.A. appears in ''
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
''. In this show, it is stated that
Peter Gambi
Peter Gambi is a character appearing in comics published by DC Comics and is a supporting character of Black Lightning. He is the brother of Paul Gambi. Peter Gambi first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 and was created by Tony Isabella and Trev ...
under his real name of Peter Esposito used to work for the A.S.A. as their spotter. When he left, they gained Vice-Principal Kara Fowdy (portrayed by Skye P. Marshall) as their new spotter. During season one, a faction of the A.S.A. led by Martin Proctor (portrayed by
Gregg Henry
Gregg Lee Henry (born May 6, 1952) is an American character actor and rock, blues and country musician.
He is best known for his performance as serial killer Dennis Rader in the made-for-television film '' The Hunt for the BTK Killer'', and for ...
) has been abducting emerging metahumans and having them stored in pods so that he can build an army. He even planned to expand it by arranging for
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
to be abducted so that they can harvest his DNA. By the season finale, A.S.A. agents assault the Pierce family and Peter Gambi at a house in North Freeland which led to where Black Lightning,
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
, and Peter fought some of them which ended with most of the agents dead or retreating when
Deputy Chief Henderson and the police were approaching. During a confrontation at one of the warehouses storing the metahuman stasis pods, Martin is briefly attacked by
Jennifer
Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to:
People
*Jennifer (given name)
* Jenifer (singer), French pop singer
* Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer
* Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer
* Daniel Jenifer
Film and tele ...
and shot by Gambi. The news media broadcasts the information that exposed Proctor's rogue operation. As for the briefcase, it falls into the hands of
Tobias Whale
Tobias Whale is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Black Lightning.
Whale appears in the live-action Arrowverse series ''Black Lightning'', portrayed by Marvin "Krondon" Jones II ...
following his, Syonide, and
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
's raid on an A.S.A. base where he had Proctor's thumbs salvaged by his coroner ally. In season two, Lynn Stewart works with the A.S.A. agents that work for Agent Percy Odell (portrayed by
Bill Duke
William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently ...
) in preserving the pods to the point where they even enlisted convicted scientist
Helga Jace
Dr. Helga Jace is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. She is a supporting character of the Outsiders and was the scientist responsible for bestowing the different earth-controlling powers upon Princess Tara/Terra and her elder broth ...
to assist in it. As one of the contents in the briefcase, Tobias Whale's latest ally Todd Green cracked the code contained in it which revealed that the A.S.A. was developing metahumans for Project
Masters of Disaster
Jim LeRoy (April 5, 1961 – July 28, 2007) was an American aerobatics pilot. He died upon impact in a crash at the Dayton Air Show in Ohio.
Background
A former US Marine Corps Scout/ Sniper, Jim LeRoy held a B.S. degree in Aeronautical/Aerospa ...
. At the same time, Agent Odell secretly has the Pierce family under surveillance when he gets suspicious of them. By the end of season two, Agent Odell visits the Pierce family with his knowledge on Jefferson, Anissa, and Jennifer being Black Lightning, Thunder, and Lightning. He mentions that the metahuman pods have attracted the attention of the Markovians who have reclaimed Helga Jace and would like Black Lightning, Thunder, and Lightning to help the A.S.A. when the Markovians turn Freeland into a battleground. In the third season, Agent Odell starts having the A.S.A. soldiers round up any young metahumans and have Deputy Chief Henderson impose a curfew to keep the young metahumans from falling into the hands of the Markovians. Odell is assisted by Commander Carson Williams (portrayed by
Christopher B. Duncan
Christopher B. Duncan (born December 4, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his television series regular roles like Braxton P. Hartnabrig on ''The Jamie Foxx Show'', President William Johnson in ''The First Family (TV series), The First ...
), Major Sara Grey (portrayed by Katy M. O'Brian), and Sergeant
Gardner Grayle (portrayed by Boone Platt). It was also revealed by Tobias Whale to Issa Williams that Martin Proctor worked for Odell and Odell works for the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. The A.S.A.'s motives have often clashed with a resistance that is secretly led by Chief Henderson. By the season three finale and after the Markovian invasion on Freeland, Carson Williams is killed by Lynn Stewart in self-defense, Sara Grey is killed by
Technocrat during his and Gambi's shootout with her commandos, Gardner Grayle sides with the rebels, and Odell is wounded by Khalil and arrested. During the congressional hearing where Black Lightning exposed the A.S.A.'s experiments as well as Markovia's experiments using the decrypted briefcase they have, Representative Nagar states that Odell will be prosecuted and the A.S.A. will be disbanded.
B
B.A.A.
The B.A.A. (short for Bureau of Amplified Animals) is a U.S. government agency that monitors and deploys enhanced animal super-operatives. Currently known operatives of the Bureau are
Rex the Wonder Dog
Rex the Wonder Dog is a fictional superhero dog in the DC Comics universe. Created in 1952 by Robert Kanigher of Wonder Woman fame and artist Alex Toth, Rex has sometimes been compared to Superman's dog Krypto, who was created three years later ...
and
Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A common chimpanzee who wears a deerstalker hat (à la Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes), Detective Chimp has superhuman-leve ...
.
Bureau of Normalcy
The Bureau of Normalcy, formerly the Bureau of Oddities, is an organization dedicated to the weaponization or eradication of entities they deem to be odd.
C
C.B.I.
The C.B.I. (Central Bureau of Intelligence) was formerly led by
Sarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's ''Action Heroes'' line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group. H ...
and also included
Danny Chase
Danny Chase (later called Phantasm) is a fictional superhero in DC Comics publications.
Publication history
Phantasm first appeared in ''The New Teen Titans'' Annual (vol. 2) #3 and was created by Marv Wolfman. Although Wolfman hoped the characte ...
(and his parents),
King Faraday
King Faraday is a fictional secret agent featured in DC Comics. Faraday first appeared in ''Danger Trail'' #1 (July 1950), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino.
Faraday's last appearance in the 1950s was in ''World's Finest Com ...
,
Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon (or simply Dragon) is the alias of two fictional, comic book characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Although both incarnation differ in alignment, they're portrayed as extremely accomplished martial arti ...
, and
Ben Turner in its stable of agents. Steel was eventually depicted as a Federal Cabinet Secretary of Metahuman Affairs (giving him control of agencies such as the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
), until the election of
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
as president. Luthor then appointed
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
as his replacement until he was exposed as a criminal in the events of ''Superman/Batman: Public Enemies''.
Civil Defense Administration
The Civil Defense Administration is a U.S. intelligence agency created as a replacement for International Operations. It is led by Ivana Baiul as seen in the pages of ''
Stormwatch: Team Achilles''.
C.E.M.A.
C.E.M.A. (short for Cosmic Emergency Management Agency) is an interstellar organization tasked to help the survivors of cosmic disasters such as planet-eating monsters.
Checkmate
Checkmate is a covert operations agency within the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
. Created from the ashes of its predecessor group, the Agency, it was originally set up by
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of
Task Force X
The following is a list of fictional government agencies, comic book organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints.
A Agency
The Agency was formed by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task F ...
under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. In the wake of events depicted in the miniseries ''
The OMAC Project
''The OMAC Project'' is a six-issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005.
Overview
The book is one of four miniseries leading up to DC Comics' ''Infinite Crisis'' event ...
'' and ''
Infinite Crisis
"Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, a ...
'', Checkmate has been re-chartered as a
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
-affiliated agency.
Checkmate's original hierarchy was modelled after the pieces of a chess game - one King, one Queen, and several Bishops. The Bishops oversaw the Rooks behind the scenes, while the Rooks planned missions and supervised the field agents, or Knights, and the Knights' support, Pawns.
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1696, Checkmate was reorganized as the UN's chartered
metahuman
In DC Comics' DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with both ''mutant'' and ''mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In DC Comics, the term ...
monitoring force. The organization was restructured, utilizing the "Rule of Two". Each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the "Royal Family" must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. In addition, there are an indeterminate number of "Pawns". In the original incarnation of Checkmate, they were low-level field agents that provided intelligence-gathering, logistical and operational support; it appears that the Pawns in the current incarnation serve similar roles.
Checkmate! (Russia)
The
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n version of Checkmate was introduced in the last issues of the original series run. They were admittedly underfunded but wore armor similar to their U.S. counterparts.
D
D.E.O.
The D.E.O. (short for Department of Extranormal Operations) is a branch of the U.S. government concerned with the magical, the alien, and the superhuman and having connections with such organisations as the
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
and Knightwatch. Other divisions include an agency for training 'gifted' youngsters whose powers manifest at a difficult age, and numerous surveillance and data-collection operations. The current Regional Director for the
Eastern Seaboard is a former costumed villain named
Mister Bones
Mister Bones (Robert Todd) is a character in the , created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Todd McFarlane, in '' Infinity, Inc.'' #16 (July 1985). A former low-level supervillain and member of Helix, he reformed and joined the Infinity Inc. team ...
. One of its highest-profile agents is Cameron Chase.
Département Gamma
Département Gamma is the main
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
covert ops organization in the DC Comics universe. Known operatives are Andre Chevard (
Boy Commandos
Boy Commandos is a fictional organization from DC Comics first appearing in ''Detective Comics'' #64 (June 1942) by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. They are a combination of "kid gang" characters, an international cast of young boys fighting Nazis — ...
) founder and leader, Fleur-de-Lis (
Global Guardians
The Global Guardians is a team of DC Comics superheroes whose members hail from countries around the world. The concept originated in the ''Super Friends'' Saturday morning cartoon, which aired after the comics stories in ''Super Friends'' #7- ...
), Belphegor (Global Guardians), Tin, the Captain, the Professor, and Halfwolf.
Department PSI
Department PSI (short for Department for Paranormal Science Investigations) is a rival organization to the International Operations and employer of the superhero team
Wildcore
''Wildcore'' was an American comic book series created and co-written by writer Sean Ruffner and artist Brett Booth that debuted in 1997. Focusing on a team of superheroes of the same name, it was published by Wildstorm comics, then still a part ...
. Its director is Antonio Giovanni. When International Operations was dissolved, Department PSI absorbed most of its assets, equipment, and personnel.
D.M.A.
The D.M.A. (short for Department of Metahuman Affairs) is a division within the D.E.O. Known operatives are
Sarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's ''Action Heroes'' line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group. H ...
, Tom Tresser (
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
), and Diana Prince (
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
).
D.S.I.
The D.S.I. (short for Department of Scientific Investigation) is a government organization dedicated to the investigation of strange phenomena. Known operatives were
Darwin Jones
Darwin Jones is a fictional scientist, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Strange Adventures'' #1 (August 1950), and was created by David V Reed and Paul Norris.
Publication history
The first Darwin Jones story ...
, the chief of staff, and Tommy Dane, one of the Young Scienceers.
E
E.A.G.L.E.
E.A.G.L.E. (short for Extranormal Activities Garrison for Law Enforcement) is a government agency within the
Astro City
''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' is an American superhero anthology comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Created and written by Kurt Busiek, the series is mostly illustrated by Brent Anderson, with character designs and ...
universe. They are described to normally function as a sort of "clean up crew" for the superheroes ("taking supervillains into custody, guarding damaged property, etc."), but during the ''Confession'' storyline they are seen hunting down, and capturing, various superheroes. After the storyline, it is implied that they returned to their normal duties.
F
FDAA
Introduced in issue #1 of ''
The American Way
The American way of life or the American way refers to the American nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the belief in an American Dream that is claim ...
'', the FDAA (short for Federal Disaster Assistance Administration) handles a U.S. government superhero team called the Civil Defense Corps. The FDAA is responsible for using gene therapy to create many of America's heroes as well as "villains" who they have fight the heroes in publicly staged battles. The FDAA periodically unleashes Hellbent, a homicidal and sociopathic supervillain, to assassinate enemies of the United States.
Finger, Eye, and Ear
The Finger (secret police), the Eye (CCTV monitoring), and the Ear (phone surveillance) were the three branches of overt government surveillance depicted in the dystopian Britain of ''
V for Vendetta
''V for Vendetta'' is a British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd (with additional art by Tony Weare). Initially published between 1982 and 1985 in black and white as an ongoing serial in the British antholog ...
''.
G
G.E.O.R.G.E.
G.E.O.R.G.E. (short for the Group for Extermination of Organizations of Revenge, Greed, and Evil) debuted in ''
Blackhawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to:
Animals
* Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856
* Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus''
* Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii''
* Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus urub ...
'' #228, during that title's attempt to mainstream the Blackhawks as superheroes. G.E.O.R.G.E. opposed the
International Crime Combine, a
supraorganization
A supraorganization is an organization whose members or stakeholders are organizations rather than individuals and which performs an overarching function.
Some organizations may have membership of both organizations and individuals. These are usu ...
made up of operatives from various other criminal organizations some based in the DC Comics Universe, like
CYCLOPS
In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
and
O.G.R.E., and other fictional organizations such as
THRUSH
''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
and
SPECTRE
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
. Known G.E.O.R.G.E. operatives were their leader the Long L, Mister Delta, and the Champ, a
trenchcoat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.
Originally made from gabardine, ...
-wearing robot.
Global Peace Agency
The Global Peace Agency is an organization that first appeared outside the DC Universe in the original ''OMAC'' series, but which became part of the DCU proper in ''
Final Crisis
"Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely b ...
'' #7.
G.O.O.D.
G.O.O.D. (short for Global Organization of Organized Defense) is an international organization where the only known operatives are Barney Ling (the organization's director) and field operatives
Ben Turner and
Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon (or simply Dragon) is the alias of two fictional, comic book characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Although both incarnation differ in alignment, they're portrayed as extremely accomplished martial arti ...
.
H
Hayoth
The Hayoth are a team of four super-powered covert operatives who act as a special division of the
Mossad
Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
. Their first contact with the West came when Amanda Waller (see Suicide Squad) was contracted to capture
Kobra. Waller was informed of the Hayoth's existence by an Egyptian operative named Nazair.
Human Defense Corps
In the
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
Universe, the Human Defense Corps is a branch of the military established by then
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
to reduce government dependency on superhumans when a major alien crisis breaks out, act as back-up to Earth's superheroes, and specifically counter any alien threat to Earth. Membership of the Corps is open to 'Decorated veterans of alien campaigns only'.
I
International Operations
Internal Operations (I.O., IO or I/O) is a
fiction
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...
al U.S.
intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, Intelligence analysis, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objective ...
in
WildStorm
Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wilds ...
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
. It was originally called International Operations. I.O. (International Operations) was founded in 1964 as a branch of the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
with the mission to safeguard the United States' interests and safety abroad. It quickly became an independent agency under the leadership of Director Miles Craven. Following the Divine Right incident, the agency was severely weakened. It was shut down by the U.S. government within a year, but in 2004, it was reestablished under the leadership of John Lynch. IO first appeared in ''
WildC.A.T.S.
Wildcats, sometimes rendered WildCats or WildC.A.T.s, is a superhero team created by the United States, American comic book artist Jim Lee and writer Brandon Choi.
Publication history
The team first appeared in August 1992 in the first issue o ...
'' #1 (August 1992) and was created by
Brandon Choi
Brandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known as one of the co-creators of the series Gen¹³ which enjoyed high popularity in the middle and late 1990s. He also wrote several other titles for WildStorm.
Choi was born in Seoul, Korea, ...
and
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
.
K
Knightwatch
Knightwatch is the military arm of the D.E.O. Knightwatch operatives wore armor that resembled the suits worn by Checkmate agents.
Knightwatch in other media
Knightwatch appears in the
seventh season of the superhero television series ''
Arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
''. In flash-forwards set in 2040,
Connor Hawke
Connor Hawke is a fictional DC Comics superhero who operated as the second Green Arrow, created by Kelley Puckett and Jim Aparo. In the post-''Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!, Zero Hour'' continuity, Connor is the eldest son of Oliver Queen, the ori ...
is an agent of Knightwatch, who are described as a "good version of A.R.G.U.S." This version appears to be more grounded than its comic book counterpart, having no connection to the "extranormal" and instead focusing on everyday threats.
L
LexCorp
LexCorp is a government position run by President Lex Luthor.
LuthorCorp
Luthor Corp is a corporation run by Lex Luthor's father
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character portrayed by John Glover in the television series ''Smallville''. The character was initially a special guest in season one, and became a series regular in season two and continued until being written out o ...
in ''
Smallville
''Smallville'' is an American superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produced by Millar Gough ...
''. One of its bases is based in Smallville, LuthorCorp Fertilizer Plant No. 3 which has underground labs holding secret (and possibly illegal) research into genetically modifying living organisms using meteor rocks with the company's slogan being "We make things grow". Years later, Lex bought the company after he killed Lionel and inherited all of his money.
P
Project Atom
Project Atom is a U.S. government initiative masterminded by
General Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling, sometimes known as The General, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
Wade Eiling first appeared in ''Captain Atom'' #1 (March 1987) and was created by Cary B ...
and lead scientist Dr. Heinrich Megala with the aim of creating a superhero answerable only to the military. The project used a combination of nuclear physics and a unique alloy called ''Dilustel'' with quantum properties that was cut from the skin of a captured alien known as the ''Silver Shield'' using
X-Ionizer
Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations.
Publication history
Captain Atom was cr ...
technology. The project had only two recorded successes,
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations.
Publication history
Captain Atom was crea ...
and
Major Force
Major Force (Clifford Zmeck) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Major Force is the evil counterpart of the superhero Captain Atom.
Publication history
Major Force first appeared in ''Captain Atom'' (vol. 3) #12 ( ...
. The origin of the woman calling herself the
Bombshell is still unknown. Heinrich Megala was also responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting Captain Atom's skin and the skin of most invulnerable
metahuman
In DC Comics' DC Universe, a metahuman is a human with superpowers. The term is roughly synonymous with both ''mutant'' and ''mutate'' in the Marvel Universe and '' posthuman'' in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. In DC Comics, the term ...
s.
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a high tech genetic research facility responsible for the successful cloning of Jim Harper (the
Guardian
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...
), and
Conner Kent
Superboy (also known as Kon-El or Conner Kent) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A modern variation on Superboy (Kal-El), the original Superboy, the character first appeared as Superboy in ''The Adventures ...
(the second
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
), as well as a number of other heroes and villains.
Project 7734
Project 7734 is a secret
U.S. military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
black-ops facility commanded by
General Sam Lane. Its existence was uncovered by investigative reporter
James Olsen's investigations. Like the Human Defense Corps, and Squad K, this project was created to defend humanity against extraterrestrial threats, including
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to re ...
s (the number of the project itself is a play on a "word" that can be created on most calculators by simply typing in the number 7734 - turned upside down, it reads as "Hell").
Project M
Project M was a secret government organization which operated during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and specialized in experimental biotechnology and necromancy. Known creations of the Project include the Creature Commandos,
Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
, and the
G.I. Robot. The Project's main scientist is one Professor Mazursky. He was aided by
Robotman. As told in ''
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in ''Young All-Stars'' #1, dated June 1987. The team members Tsunami, Neptune Perkins, and Dan the Dy ...
'' #12, they operated from a secret underground complex on mythical Ferris Island in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
Project Peacemaker
Project Peacemaker is a U.S. government division that was tasked with handling Peacemaker's interaction with other government agencies. After the so-called "Janus Directive", the Project became part of Checkmate, and placed under the supervision of the CBI and Sarge Steel.
Q
Quorum
The Quorum is the clandestine and apparently corrupt department of an unnamed government agency in the DC Comics Universe. Former operatives are
Major Force
Major Force (Clifford Zmeck) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Major Force is the evil counterpart of the superhero Captain Atom.
Publication history
Major Force first appeared in ''Captain Atom'' (vol. 3) #12 ( ...
, Mace Gardner (brother of Guy Gardner), Loria a
New Blood, the metahuman known as Sledge, and an army of armored men known as Sweepers. The Quorum sponsored and funded the
Blood Pack, a superhero team made up of "New Bloods", in a failed attempt to create a superhuman army based on their
DNA.
R
Red Shadow
Red Shadow is the Russian version of
Task Force X
The following is a list of fictional government agencies, comic book organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints.
A Agency
The Agency was formed by Amanda Waller to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task F ...
. Just as they copied Checkmate, they also mirrored the Suicide Squad under the old
Soviet government
The Government of the Soviet Union ( rus, Прави́тельство СССР, p=prɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲstvə ɛs ɛs ɛs ˈɛr, r=Pravítelstvo SSSR, lang=no), formally the All-Union Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly ab ...
(implying that they worked directly for the
KGB
The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...
). The organization originally consisted of ex-members of the ''People's Heroes'' and the ''Blue Trinity''. Later on, other original Russian characters were introduced such as
Stainoivolk, Russia's World War II version of Superman. The Red Shadow operatives were all organized under
Amanda Waller
Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Legends'' #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and ...
's opposite number, a man known only as Major Zastrow. Other Red Shadow operatives were:
Pozhar
Paintball
Paintball is a DC Comics supervillain who first appeared in ''Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.'' #2 and was created by Geoff Johns and Leo Moder.
Paul Deisinger is an art teacher who was transformed into a paint-themed criminal and became a mini ...
(converts matter into energy), Bolshoi (martial artist), Molotov (explosives expert), Mrs. Gradenko (a were-bear), Yerosha (could alter a person's senses), Lamia (pheromone manipulation), the Blue Trinity (speedsters), and Schreck (metahuman vampire).
RONOL
RONOL (short for Research on the Nature of Light) is a pre-World War II agency theorized that the light that originated millennia ago where Earth now orbits would eventually circumnavigate the universe and return as a dangerous, conscious entity. The project leader, Dr. Dayzl, tricked a reporter named Langford "Happy" Terrill into a ballooning accident where a "genetic light bomb" gave Terrill superpowers, abilities he would use to become the
Ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
. Eventually, Dayzl's unorthodox actions and beliefs came to light and the government terminated the RONOL program.
S
S.H.A.D.E.
S.H.A.D.E. (short for Super Human Advanced Defense Executive) is a fictional U.S. military organization that investigates, assesses, and contains paranormal and superhuman activity.
Father Time
Father Time is a personification of time. In recent centuries he is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, sometimes with wings, dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device.
As an image, "Father ...
and his S.H.A.D.E. agency exercise martial law over the devastated city of
Blüdhaven
This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics.
Sites
* the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy.
* Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...
. Father Time used this posting to carry out S.H.A.D.E.'s other mandate, the harvesting and creation of new metahuman talent. S.H.A.D.E. uses its specially trained metahuman talent to carry out black ops assassinations of threats to the United States and its policies. Several S.H.A.D.E. operatives defect from the organization to form a new version of the
Freedom Fighters under the guidance of
Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...
, resulting in Sam and his team being declared enemies of S.H.A.D.E., and Father Time and his ally Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard ordering their deaths at the hands of
First Strike (see ''Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters''). After Father Time turned on the psychotic Gonzo, he and his troops vanished into the timestream; Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters were then made the leaders of S.H.A.D.E.
Squad K
Squad K is a special response team tasked with apprehending
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
if he should ever turn rogue, and with the apprehension of other
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race within the DC Comics universe that originated on the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman. The stories also use "Kryptonian" as an adjective to re ...
criminals. Perseus Hazard, the grandson of Ulysses Hazard, was the group's first commander; after his death, he was replaced by a
Native American named Sergeant Cloud, possibly a descendant of Johnny Cloud from the ''
Losers''.
S.T.O.R.M.
S.T.O.R.M. is the agency employing
John Stone. It is a tribute to
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
and a precursor to
Stormwatch. It appears in the pages of ''
Planetary''.
Stormwatch
Stormwatch is a United Nations crisis intervention team. It was founded by the United Nations during the late 1970s as part of an effort to police the growing population of post-humans created in the wake of the Comet Effect. The agency has generated significant controversy over the years. It was shut down in 1998 due to budgetary and political concerns. The agency was re-established sometime after the Authority's takeover of the United States under a severely limited budget.
Suicide Squad
The original Task Force X consisted of two branches: the domestic and the international. The domestic branch was called Argent and the international branch called the Suicide Squad was originally put under the command of General J.E.B. Stuart. The first Suicide Squad was a minor backup series about a quartet of adventurers. That version of the Squad consisted of
Rick Flag
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
, his
girlfriend
A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved.
In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the indi ...
Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright.
The second and better-known Suicide Squad was a "off the book" covert black ops government strike team. The team was partially made up of imprisoned
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are oft ...
s and death row convicts with no hope of release. These criminals had either agreed to or were coerced into serving as expendable agents, assigned to perform extremely dangerous or impossible missions, in return for a full pardon for their actions. They were officially unsanctioned and publicly denied by the U.S. government. The prisoners' participation was used as rationale for plausible deniability in the event of failed missions, as the rationale claiming that the incidents are merely attacks by criminals.
In addition, there were other non-prisoner members (such as
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
,
Nightshade
The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orna ...
, and the
Oracle
An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination.
Description
The word '' ...
) who participated in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operated out of Belle Reve Penitentiary in Louisiana.
T
Task Force Delta
Task Force Delta is a blanket organization that helps to oversee smaller U.S. government covert agencies such as Knightwatch.
Task Force X
The
OSS
OSS or Oss may refer to:
Places
* Oss, a city and municipality in the Netherlands
* Osh Airport, IATA code OSS
People with the name
* Oss (surname), a surname
Arts and entertainment
* ''O.S.S.'' (film), a 1946 World War II spy film about ...
was dissolved in October 1945 and replaced in 1946 by the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
. In 1951, seeking to fill the void left by the retired
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic ...
, President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
created Task Force X. The Task Force had a military and a civilian branch.
[''Suicide Squad'' Annual #1 (1988)] The military branch called the Suicide Squad was put under the command by General J.E.B. Stuart, who was later succeeded by
Rick Flag
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
. The civilian branch called Argent was headed by a former OSS chief known only as Control. Many years later, it was revealed through a conflict with Waller's Suicide Squad that Control had died and his granddaughter was covertly leading the now-small underground organization.
T.H.U.N.D.E.R.
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. (short for The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves) serves as a secretive counter-terrorism force. With a non-powered but highly trained special forces teams and a select number of agents fitted with powerful (but long-term dangerous to their health) performance-enhancing equipment, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. has fought against organizations like S.P.I.D.E.R. for decades, largely under the radar of the superhero community of the world.
U
Université Notre Dame des Ombres
Université Notre Dame des Ombres (Our Lady of the Shadows University) was originally created to train
OSS
OSS or Oss may refer to:
Places
* Oss, a city and municipality in the Netherlands
* Osh Airport, IATA code OSS
People with the name
* Oss (surname), a surname
Arts and entertainment
* ''O.S.S.'' (film), a 1946 World War II spy film about ...
agents during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Today, it is a N.A.T.O.-sponsored covert intelligence training academy situated on the
French Riviera
The French Riviera (known in French as the ; oc, Còsta d'Azur ; literal translation " Azure Coast") is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is usually considered to extend fro ...
, with an embassy office in
Washington D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
Its last known headmistress was Sandra Knight, the original
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...
. The school's most notable graduates are the
Crimson Fox
Crimson Fox is a codename for two fictional characters, both superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Publication history
The first two holders of the Crimson Fox moniker first appeared in ''Justice League Euro ...
twins and Dee Tyler, the second Phantom Lady.
W
World Army
In 2011, DC Comics rebooted the continuity of its books in an initiative called
The New 52
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the " Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new serie ...
. On Earth 2, the World Army is a global military organization that was created to support the Wonders of the World. Its known members are Amar Khan,
Commander Sonia Sato,
Sam Lane,
Robert Crane, and Stormy Foster. The World Army was organized after Earth 2's
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
,
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...
, and
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
sacrificed their lives to fight off the invasion from
Apokolips
Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
. They proceed to recruit and/or form alliances with superpowered individuals to prepare for the next attack from Apokolips.
[''Earth 2'' #2]
See also
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List of government agencies in comics
The following is a list of fictional government agencies that have appeared in the mythical universes of various comic books.
A
B
C
D
E-F
G-N
O-P
Q-R
S
T-Z
See also
{{Portal, Comics
* List of government agencies in DC Comics ...
*
List of government agencies in Marvel Comics
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places
Certain places fe ...
*
List of criminal organizations in DC Comics
The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints.
0-9 100
Originally based in Metropolis (comics), Metropolis, the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal unde ...
*
List of teams and organizations in DC Comics
:''Parent article'': List of DC Comics characters
This is a list of teams and organizations that appear in various DC Comics publications.
Note: Please check :DC Comics superhero teams before adding any redundant entries for superhero teams to t ...
References
External links
DCU GuideDatabank Checkmate!Cosmic TeamsSuperman HomepageTitans TowerDC Comics: Heroes & Villains
{{DC Comics
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*List of government agencies in DC Comics
Government agencies in DC Comics, List of
Government agencies in DC Comics, List of
Comic DC