Knockout is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...
, a
supervillainess 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 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. ...
. She first appeared in ''
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 ...
'' (vol. 4) #1 (February 1994), and was created by
Karl Kesel
Karl Kesel (born January 7, 1959, Victor, New York) is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics. He is a member of Periscope Studio and is best known for his collaborations with fellow artis ...
and
Tom Grummett
Thomas Grummett (born 1959) is a Canadian Cartoonist#Comic books, comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as ''Teen Titans, The New Titans'', ''Superman (comic book)#1986 revamp, The Adventures o ...
.
A former
Female Fury warrior from the hellish planet
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 ...
like
Big Barda
Big Barda is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #4 (October 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan, who had re ...
, Knockout also escaped to Earth. Though while Barda became a superheroine, Knockout became a supervillainess. She later joined the
Secret Six
The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown.
Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in po ...
team, which committed actions more as
antiheroes.
Fictional character biography
''Superboy'' (vol. 4)
Knockout first appeared shortly after
Superboy (Kon-El)
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 the original Superboy, the character first appeared as Superboy in '' The Adventures of Superman'' #50 ...
moved to Hawaii. Using her superstrength, she fought and flirted with
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 ...
just for the fun of it. Her hidden identity was that of a super strong stripper who worked at a club called the BoomBoom Room. Later, she was recruited to join
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
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 ...
for an attack against the international crime cartel Silicon Dragons. She joined
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is the name of two supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, who respectively serve as enemies to both the Flash (Barry Allen), Barry Allen and Wally West versions of the Flash (DC Comics character) ...
,
Deadshot
Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in '' Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
, Sidearm, and
King Shark
King Shark is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character, also known as Nanaue, was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett. King Shark's first key appearance was in ''Superboy'' #0 (October 1994) ...
on the Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad had to overcome betrayal and overwhelming enemies, and in the end, Knockout was supposedly killed when the Squad left her and King Shark in the exploding base. She later returned alive, and assisted Superboy in a battle against Valor, although she and Superboy did spar. She turned up shortly thereafter and teamed up with Superboy in several of his adventures. Soon, however, her past caught up with her. She was originally 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 ...
, a former member of
Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics.
Granny Goodness made her live-action debut in the final two seasons of ''Smallville'', and she was portrayed by Nancy Amelia Bell and Christine Willes. Granny Goodness made her ...
's
Female Furies
The Female Furies are a group of women warriors and supervillains appearing in comics published by DC Comics. All of them are New Gods who serve Darkseid. They operate directly under Granny Goodness, who trains all of Darkseid's soldiers.
Publica ...
. After
Big Barda
Big Barda is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #4 (October 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan, who had re ...
escaped with
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby.
Publication history
Mister Miracle debuted in ...
, Knockout decided to leave the Furies as well. At one point when she was chained to a wall in the Fire Pits as punishment, she broke her chains and leapt into the fires. As she did so, a Boom Tube opened and took her to Hawaii.
The Female Furies arrived on Hawaii to reclaim Knockout. A battle broke out between Superboy, Knockout, and a small contingent of police officers against the Furies. One police officer died during the battle, but the Furies were driven off when
Dubbilex
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian (a clone of the original Guardian), Auron, Superboy (Kon-El) (a clone from Superman's DNA), and Dubbilex (a ...
used his mental abilities to convince them that Knockout had died in the battle as well. Dubbilex investigated the murder of the police officer, using his mental powers to scan the memories of most of the survivors. They soon realized that Knockout had killed the officer simply because he was in her way.
The police attempted to bring her in, but Superboy refused to believe she was guilty, forcing the two to briefly hide from the law. The two encountered an explorer named Victor Volcanum, whom Knockout hoped Superboy would kill as a sign of deference to her. Superboy refused, and thus Knockout killed Volcanum instead. Upon seeing Knockout's true colors, Superboy managed to defeat her and bring her into custody.
Knockout never escaped custody for the rest of the Superboy series, as anti-gravity items were used to keep her restrained.
In the storyline ''Hypertension'', Superboy met a number of variations of Knockouts during his journey through Hypertime, one of which was an agent of
Black Zero
Black Zero is a name shared by two supervillains, two terrorist organizations, one special forces group, and a computer virus that have all appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics.
Original Black Zero supervillain Fictional ch ...
, an alternate adult version of Superboy. Another notable version gave her life to save Superboy and the
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces.
The characters' provenance is ...
from a horde of rampaging
Doomsday
Doomsday may refer to:
* Eschatology, a time period described in the eschatological writings in Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios of non-Abrahamic religions.
* Global catastrophic risk, a hypothetical event explored in science and fict ...
s.
Since then she has been revealed to be on the loose and has joined up with the
Society
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...
as seen in ''
Villains United
''Villains United'' is a six-issue 2005 comic book limited series, published by DC Comics, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, and later by Val Semeiks and Prentis Rollins.
Publication history
''Vil ...
''. In that book, she was revealed to have joined the Society as a mole at the request of her lover,
Scandal Savage
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain and antiheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Villains United'' #1 (July 2005), and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham. She is ...
, a member of the
Secret Six
The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown.
Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in po ...
.
Secret Six
Knockout joined the
Secret Six
The so-called Secret Six, or the Secret Committee of Six, were a group of men who secretly funded the 1859 raid on Harper's Ferry by abolitionist John Brown.
Sometimes described as "wealthy," this was true of only two. The other four were in po ...
alongside Scandal. The team successfully assassinated a jail warden in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
, allowing the Secret Six to relax for a time. Each member celebrated in his or her own way when a team of assassins attacked each member, save
Catman.
Knockout was almost killed when she was shot by an assassin with a
Thanagarian
List of alien races in DC Comics is a list of fictional extraterrestrial races that have appeared in comic book titles published by DC Comics, as well as properties from other media that are listed below, with appropriately brief descriptions and ...
sniper rifle. The shot implanted a bomb in her skin and when Scandal refused to leave her side, she threw Scandal from the blast range telling her they would meet again in the afterlife. After the bomb went off, Scandal scrambled through the debris to find Knockout miraculously still alive, though horribly burned and unconscious. Knockout received medical treatment for her extensive injuries but recovered fully due to her body's Apokoliptian regenerative capabilities.
Knockout rejoined the Secret Six in hopes of finding the person behind their attempted assassinations, but was injured when
Rag Doll attacked them due to
Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as a recurring adversary of the superhero Wonder Woman. First appearing in ''Wonder Woman'', issue #5 (1943), written by Wonder Woman creator W ...
's manipulations, although her regeneration prevented any lasting damage. Although she was Scandal's lover, Knockout was found having sex with
Deadshot
Deadshot (Floyd Lawton) is a supervillain and antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by David Vern Reed, Lew Schwartz and Bob Kane, the character made his first appearance in '' Batman'' #59 (June–July 1950). ...
, when Scandal caught the two in the act. It was revealed that Knockout had slept with Floyd because she misunderstood the sexual exclusivity of her relationship with Scandal; Apokolips lacks any similar social convention and she was surprised but apologetic that she had caused Scandal pain. Scandal and Knockout were together when the series ended and Scandal still refers to her as her girlfriend.
Knockout, along with the rest of the Secret Six, were hired by a
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
n mercenary and battled
Barbara Gordon's team in ''
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
''. Knockout engaged in a one-on-one fight against
Big Barda
Big Barda is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #4 (October 1971), and was created by Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan, who had re ...
, a battle which continued above all other concerns (including the resurrection of
Ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaqu ...
), and despite Barda breaking her arm, Knockout's refusal to yield left the fight with no clear victor.
Weeks later, after Scandal suggested that her bad mood was the result of her inconclusive encounter with Barda, Knockout went to the Birds of Prey headquarters looking to continue their fight. Upon her arrival, she was tracked and killed by
Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, in the '' Fourth World'' storyline.
Publication history
Infinity-Man first appeared in '' Forever People'' #1 (February 1971).
Fictional character biography
Infinity-Man's story beg ...
, adding her name to the list of
murdered New Gods. She recognized her assailant and requested one last phone call to Scandal, the contents of which are unknown.
Knockout made a possible post-mortem appearance in ''Secret Six'' (vol. 2) #1, when the team tries to cheer Scandal up with a stripper dressed like Knockout. Scandal, in her drunken stupor, has a vision, possibly a hallucination, of Knockout comforting her, though Scandal Savage later noted she didn't "see Knockout inside" when she accidentally meets the stripper—who introduces herself as Liana Kerzner—while shopping and subsequently starts dating her.
Scandal is shown to have kept the "Get out of Hell Free" card the Six had been tasked with capturing and had falsely reported lost or destroyed. When Ragdoll is discovered to have stolen it, Scandal murders him. Afterwards, Black Alice—as her final act before leaving the team—teleports the rest of the team to Hell to retrieve the card, where to Scandal's horror she discovers a brainwashed Knockout betrothed to Ragdoll as part of his elevation to the hierarchy of the Underworld. An exceptionally violent fight breaks out, resulting in the entire team with Knockout in tow escaping back to Earth with the certain knowledge of their ultimate destination.
Following her resurrection and a period of mental recovery, she rejoins the Secret Six and accompanies the team on a mission to Gotham to kill several of
Batman's allies. While in Gotham, Scandal proposes a
polygamous marriage
Polygyny (; from Neoclassical Greek πολυγυνία (); ) is the most common and accepted form of polygamy around the world, entailing the marriage of a man with several women.
Incidence
Polygyny is more widespread in Africa than in any ...
between Knockout, herself, and the stripper that she had been dating while Knockout was still dead. Knockout accepts the proposal just prior to the team being ambushed by a number of superheroes who come to assist Batman, resulting in a massive battle. Knockout is quickly blasted in the face by
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 falls to the ground next to Scandal. The two women hold hands one last time, with Knockout referring to Scandal as her "wife" before losing consciousness. The fates of Knockout and the other members of the Secret Six (save for Bane) are ultimately left ambiguous as the series ends.
During the next ''Secret Six'' series set in 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 series ...
, both Scandal and Knockout are shown to be perfectly healthy and living in freedom instead of prison, and are still happily together with Liana. The three make plans to have a child together, and Scandal has even chosen the man she wants to be the
donor
A donor in general is a person, organization or government which donates something voluntarily. The term is usually used to represent a form of pure altruism, but is sometimes used when the payment for a service is recognized by all parties as rep ...
.
Post-''DC Rebirth''
Knockout was among a motley assortment of supervillains and superheroes yanked from different timelines during the ''
Generations'' event. Set against the heroes at first, she and the villains join with them at the final battle.
With DC's ''
Infinite Frontier
Infinite Frontier is a 2021 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles in 2021. It is the follow-up to the 2016 DC Rebirth relaunch. The relaunch and event was shepher ...
'' relaunch, Knockout turns up with a group of supervillains gathered by
Clayface (Basil Karlo) who volunteer to help
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 is ...
defend her neighborhood in
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...
from the city's new fascistic mayor and paramilitary enforcement militia.
Powers and abilities
Knockout is a highly trained warrior and master of unarmed combat. Unlike the other Female Furies, she is not armed with her own weapon. (If she had one back when she was a Fury, Knockout wasn't able to bring it with her to Earth.) In common with most other New Gods of the planet Apokolips, she has immense strength, stamina, and durability, as well as a
healing factor
With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells i ...
.
[''Secret Six: Six Degrees of Devastation'']
In other media
Knockout appears in ''
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'', voiced by
Cissy Jones
Cissy Jones is an American voice actress.
Jones's voice has appeared in games such as ''Firewatch'', '' The Walking Dead'', '' Life Is Strange'', '' Grand Theft Auto V'' and ''Darksiders III''. She voiced the part of Lois Lane in the 2018 game ...
. This version is a former
Female Fury who works under
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
alongside her lover
Scandal Savage
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain and antiheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in ''Villains United'' #1 (July 2005), and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham. She is ...
. While attempting to retrieve a "Get Out of Hell Free" card for Vandal, Knockout and Scandal run afoul of 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 ...
before the former is betrayed by Vandal, who orders his men to kill her. Despite this, Knockout is hospitalized.
References
External links
Titan's Tower: KnockoutKnockoutat DC Database
Knockoutat Comic Vine
Knockoutat Writeups.org
{{Superboy
Characters created by Karl Kesel
Comics characters introduced in 1994
DC Comics aliens
DC Comics characters with accelerated healing
DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
DC Comics deities
DC Comics extraterrestrial supervillains
DC Comics female supervillains
DC Comics LGBT supervillains
Fictional bisexual females
Fictional lesbians
Fictional characters with immortality
Fictional characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability
New Gods of Apokolips
de:New Gods#Knockout