Amanda Waller
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Amanda Blake Waller (née White), also known as "the Wall", 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 tradi ...
al
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s 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 the ...
. The character first appeared in ''
Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...
'' #1 in 1986 and was created by
John Ostrander John Ostrander (born April 20, 1949) is an American writer of comic books, including '' Suicide Squad'', ''Grimjack'' and '' Star Wars: Legacy''. Career Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes ...
,
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...
, and John Byrne. Amanda Waller is an antagonist and occasional ally to the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
es of the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green L ...
, occasionally described as a
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 of ...
. She is the director for the deadly missions 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 ...
and a specialist who oversees research into people with powers. Although she lacks superpowers herself, the character is a ruthless, high-ranking government official who uses guile, political connections, and sheer intimidation to achieve her goals, often in the name of national security. Waller is commonly associated with the fictional government agencies
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
and A.R.G.U.S. In recent years, the character has been substantially adapted into animated and live-action media. Several actresses have voiced or portrayed the character: C. C. H. Pounder for various animated projects;
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...
on the live-action series ''
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/G ...
'';
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic '' What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
in the live-action film ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'';
Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...
in the animated series '' Young Justice'';
Cynthia Addai-Robinson Cynthia Addai-Robinson (born January 12, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series ''Spartacus'', DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series ''Arrow'', and Nadine Memphis on the US ...
in the live-action 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 ...
'';
Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and host. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 version of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS and as Dina Rose on the AB ...
in the franchise ''
DC Super Hero Girls ''DC Super Hero Girls'' or ''DC Superhero Girls'' (in various countries) is an American superhero web series and franchise Produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network based on characters from DC Entertainment that launched in the th ...
''; and
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
films ''
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 ...
'', '' The Suicide Squad'', and ''
Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...
'', as well as the
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
series ''
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 ...
''.


Publication history

The people most responsible for shaping the character in her earliest appearances were
John Ostrander John Ostrander (born April 20, 1949) is an American writer of comic books, including '' Suicide Squad'', ''Grimjack'' and '' Star Wars: Legacy''. Career Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes ...
and
Kim Yale Kim Yale (November 22, 1953 – March 7, 1997) was an American writer and editor of comic books for several publishers including DC Comics, Eclipse Comics, First Comics, Marvel Comics, and WaRP Graphics. Biography Yale was born in Evanston, Illi ...
, in the pages 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 ...
'' series in the late 1980s. Nicknamed "the Wall", she is a former congressional aide and government agent often placed in charge 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 ...
, a semi-secret government-run group of former supervillains working in return for amnesty. She later served as Secretary of
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 t ...
Affairs under President
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: April ...
, before being arrested in the wake of Luthor's public fall from grace. Waller was reassigned to the leadership of
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
as White Queen, but was forced to resign because of her involvement in Operation
Salvation Run ''Salvation Run'' is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie into the company's major event series ''Final Crisis'' in 2008. Premise The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by George R. R. Martin, ...
.


Fictional character biography


Early history

Amanda Waller has been established as a widow who escaped
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
's Cabrini–Green housing projects with her surviving family after one of her sons, one of her daughters and her husband were murdered. Waller excelled in political science and became a congressional aide. During that time, she discovered the existence of the first two incarnations of the Squad. Taking elements from both of these, she proposed the development of its third incarnation to the White House and was placed in charge upon its approval.


Federal service years

The
Agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...
was formed by Amanda Waller 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 ...
.
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 Arrowve ...
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. Amanda Waller later promoted Stein to the command position and demoted Vostok. Harry Stein would later reorganize the Agency and name it
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
. Waller's tenure as the official in charge of the third Suicide Squad was tumultuous and controversial. Despite many successes, she developed a habit of defying her superiors in Washington in order to achieve goals both legitimate and personal on more than one occasion. The earliest conflict between her and her superiors revolved around the leadership of the Suicide Squad. Although she proposed the
Bronze Tiger Bronze Tiger is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Leopoldo Dirampma, and Jim Berry, he first appeared in ''Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter'' #1 (May 1975). The character's rea ...
, the man she had helped out of his brainwashing, lead the team he was instead relegated to second-in-command, and
Rick Flag Jr. 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 ...
was made the leader. Waller resentfully presumed the situation to be racially charged, related to not only her own status as a black woman, but also Bronze Tiger's own skin tone, although the Tiger himself did not believe this was a factor, instead believing this was a result of mistrust due to the brainwashing imposed upon him by the League of Assassins. Her relationship with the Squad itself was one of mutual dislike. Most of the team's criminal members did not really take to Waller's methods (most notably
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) ...
), and even the team's heroes were often at odds with Waller. Waller's inability to deal and compromise with her troops led to
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 ...
's departure from the team and the death of a US senator, which indirectly caused the death of Rick Flag Jr. Those type of conflicts, however, were not only limited to her superiors and her team, but also extended to
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 the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
, who opposed the forming of the Suicide Squad (although he would later help to reform it). Nonetheless, the team remained loyal to her, often choosing to side with her instead of the government. It was ultimately revealed the reason Amanda Waller kept the heroes such as
Nightshade The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family (biology), family of flowering plants that ranges from Annual plant, annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal ...
around, was in order for them to act as her conscience. Over the course of her first run with the Suicide Squad, her actions became increasingly erratic as she fought to retain control of the Squad. This was heightened by the public revelation of the Suicide Squad, and her being officially replaced, although her 'replacement' was in fact an actor, and Waller remained the team's director. Even that secret would eventually be revealed and Amanda Waller would be put on trial. During this time, the Squad also became involved in an interagency conflict in a crossover between the ''Checkmate'' and ''Suicide Squad'' titles 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 G ...
. One of the field missions is against her will, as many members of the Squad, Waller included, are forcibly kidnapped and taken to
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 ...
. This is because team member Duchess remembered her past as
Lashina Lashina is a supervillainess and Goddess warrior appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Publication history Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #6 (January 1972). Fictional character biography Lashina w ...
of the
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 ...
, instead of being amnesiac as she pretended, and wished to return home with suitable sacrifices. The Squad suffers fatalities battling Apokolips' forces, with Waller personally confronting
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 f ...
. However, the confrontation ended with the deaths of Dr. Light and one of Waller's own nieces, and Count Vertigo near-fatally wounded. She eventually found herself serving prison time for her pursuit of an organized crime cartel based in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
called the LOA and killing its leadership, using Squad operatives Ravan, Poison Ivy and Deadshot in the process.


The Suicide Squad's rebirth

Waller is eventually pardoned and released a year later to reorganize the Suicide Squad as a freelance mercenary group at the behest of
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 ...
to deal with a crisis in Vlatava,
Count Vertigo Count Vertigo is a supervillain created by Gerry Conway, Trevor Von Eeden and Vince Colletta as an enemy of Black Canary and later Green Arrow in the DC Comics Universe. Count Vertigo is the last descendant of the royal family that ruled the sma ...
's home country; Waller allowed herself to enter prison because she knew two things perfectly well: one, by confronting the LOA with Squad operatives, she had crossed the line, and two, she would return to her position quite easily if she was ever needed again. Afterwards, the Suicide Squad performs a variety of missions, often treading dangerous political terrain when dealing with Soviet and Israeli interests. Most notably, the Squad help destroy the plans of a shadow organization to throw Qurac, Israel and the US into political disarray. During the course of her renewed tenure with this team, Amanda became closer to her operatives, even accompanying them on their field missions. This allows for her and her team to bond more effectively, although she retains her dominant and threatening personality. Waller quits after a later field mission, in which she personally takes down the seemingly immortal dictator of a small, South American island nation. As it turned out, he wasn't immortal, but had an immense amount of psychic power, and by tricking him, Waller merely provided a form of assisted suicide. Soon after, Amanda Waller organizes the
Shadow Fighters Shadow Fighters were a group of superpowered and non-superpowered DC Comics characters brought together, under the supervision of Amanda Waller, for the sole purpose of battling Eclipso in the ''Eclipso'' comic series. They were brought together ...
to confront the villain
Eclipso Eclipso () is a supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre. The character bares notable similarities to Dr. Jekyll an ...
. Again, she would confront Sarge Steel. Her first attempt at a team, formed with the assistance of Bruce Gordon and his wife Mona, did not go well. Most of the team are brutally murdered infiltrating Eclipso's stronghold. Her second attempt with a much larger team has much more success. During the Bloodlines debacle, the President sends
Guy Gardner Guy Gardner may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic ...
to fetch Waller from her island 'retirement'. She leads a multi-hero affair that results in the destruction of the alien parasites. She rejoins federal service, initially as Southeastern regional director for the Department of Extranormal Operations. She is promoted to Secretary of Metahuman Affairs as a member of the
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: April ...
Presidential Administration.


International service

Lex Luthor's brief tenure in office leads to Amanda Waller being jailed. This does not last long. She is released by Luthor's successor Jonathan Vincent Horne, who orders her to take command of the secret agent organization
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
. The organization had been shaken up due to
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'' eve ...
debacle and the related murderous leadership of Maxwell Lord whom Waller has had previous history with. Waller takes the rank of Black King until the United States and United Nations decide what to do with that organization. In the latter issues of '' 52'', Waller is shown commissioning the imprisoned Atom Smasher to organize a new Suicide Squad to attack
Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...
and his allies. This ends with the death of Squad member
Persuader Persuader is a Swedish power metal band from the city Umeå in the Swedish province of Västerbotten Norrland. The band was formed in 1997, and they have since released five full-length albums. They have a sound similar to bands including earl ...
and the expected public relations turn against the Black Marvel family. In the revamped ''Checkmate'' series set in the
One Year Later "One Year Later" is a 2006 comic book storyline running through books published by DC Comics. It involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Universe following the events of the ''Infinite Crisis'' storyline, to explore ...
continuity, Waller is shown to have been assigned by the UN to serve as Checkmate's White Queen, a member of its senior policy-making executive. Due to her previous activities, her appointment is contingent on her having no direct control over operations. Regardless, she continues to pursue her own agenda, secretly using the Suicide Squad to perform missions in favor of American interests and blackmailing
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames ...
. It is also implied that she may have betrayed a mission team in an attempt to protect her secrets and facilitated an attack on Checkmate headquarters for her own gain.''Checkmate'' vol. 2 #20 She then is in charge of Operation
Salvation Run ''Salvation Run'' is a seven-issue 2007-2008 DC Comics limited series which was designed to tie into the company's major event series ''Final Crisis'' in 2008. Premise The premise of the series, which is based on a pitch by George R. R. Martin, ...
, an initiative involving the mass deportation of supervillains to an alien world. When this was discovered by the rest of Checkmate, she was forced into resigning as White Queen in exchange for their delay in revealing what the US government was doing. She continues to run the Suicide Squad, and has been implanted with nanotechnology to allow her to directly control Chemo during missions. During the
Superman/Batman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ''World's ...
storyline "K", it is revealed that Waller has hoarded
Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...
and used it to power an anti-Superman group called the Last Line, and a Doomsday-like creature codenamed "All-American Boy", who has Kryptonite shards growing out of his body. All-American Boy, (real name: Josh Walker) was deceived into an experiment to use Kryptonite to bond cell scrapings taken from Doomsday to a human host, battles Superman, devastating
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/G ...
in the process. Batman, with the help of Brannon, the Last Line's leader, locate Josh's parents who convince him to stop. Waller is forced to pay towards repairing Smallville in return for her dealings in the AAB project to remain secret. 'Last Line' itself rebels against Waller because of her deceptions. In the eight-issue series of ''Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag'', she is again seen leading the Suicide Squad at some point when the General returned to Earth after his exile, and was promptly drafted into the Squad with special explosive implants grafted into his arm and brain to make him compliant with Waller's demands. Here, she personally uses technology devised by Cliff Carmichael to gain a measure of control over Chemo, allowing her to use the toxic behemoth for the Squad's benefit. Rick Flag is revealed to have survived the events at Jotunheim and was returned to Waller, who revealed to him Rick Flag Jr. was never anything but an alias, and that he was in reality a brainwashed soldier remade into Flag to serve Eiling's ends. She leads, as Chemo, an attack on a Dubai supercorp intending to release a deadly virus. However, Carmichael, with Eiling and part of her team, betrays her as part of Eiling's plan to benefit from the release of the virus, and she is nearly killed when Eiling orders a compliant Flag to use her pen, actually a transmitter, to detonate her own explosive implant. Instead, Flag, tricking him, detonates Eiling's own, releasing her and ultimately rejoining the Squad, refusing the chance of a normal life. She later attempted to forcibly return several members 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 ...
(Bane and Deadshot) into the Suicide Squad, and when her plan backfired due to the events of
Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...
and the defiance of the Six, she was shot by Deadshot and privately revealed to
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 ...
to be their new secret leader, Mockingbird. When Faraday questioned the need to be informed of the situation, and even the need to bring the Six under the banner of the Squad when she already controlled them, Amanda merely shrugged it off, stating "her left and right hand only knew what the other was thinking" in a strict need-to-know basis, implying Faraday will one day need that knowledge.


The New 52

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 serie ...
(a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), Amanda Waller is shown to be in direct command 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 ...
, choosing its members and having final say over when and if their implanted explosives are detonated. It is revealed she requested a command of a unit she could send to their deaths without regret after an operation she was involved in resulted in the death of all other squad members, including several she had personally recruited. She was also involved with
Team 7 ''Team 7'' is a comic book superhero team that appeared in titles published by Wildstorm Productions. The team has appeared in 3 self-titled miniseries: ''Team 7'', ''Team 7: Objective Hell'' and ''Team 7: Dead Reckoning''. The first 5-issue Ge ...
in some capacity while serving in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
as a
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, which led to her temporarily leaving the spy business. Also, this version of Amanda Waller is re-imagined as a young, thin woman in contrast with her original design. Amanda Waller later formed the Justice League of America that is separate from the main Justice League where she is shown as the Director of A.R.G.U.S. She recruited James Gordon Jr. who was alive despite his apparent death at the hands of his sister Barbara while saving their mother. However, it is shown that James Jr. only agreed to join as he is in love with Waller. During the "
Forever Evil "Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David Finch. It is the fir ...
" storyline, Amanda Waller is shown at Belle Reve trying to get
Black Manta Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...
to join the Suicide Squad at the time when Deathstorm and Power Ring infiltrate the prison. Amanda Waller later contacts Deadshot in order to get the Suicide Squad back together. Later clues point to an imposter Amanda Waller causing trouble behind the scenes.


DC Rebirth

Amanda Waller returns to her original design with the
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC ...
initiative. When confronted by
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
about Task Force X, she convinces him the Suicide Squad needs to exist to deal with threats neither the President or the
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
can be aware of, while conceding to nominate a non-criminal field leader to carry out her directives during missions and keep the convicts in line. She visits Rick Flag in Guantanamo Bay, where he had been imprisoned for disobeying direct instructions in order to save his teammates, and tries to convince him to work alongside supervillains for a greater good; she succeeds, releases him and makes him the field leader of Task Force X. In issue #11 of ''Suicide Squad'' (2016), as a part of DC Rebirth, Amanda Waller is shot and killed. Her death is confirmed in issue #12. However, it is revealed in issue #15 she faked her death with the help of Deadshot, who fired a bullet at her heart, and Enchantress, who magically moved the bullet to the most reparable part of the human heart. Because of this, she is able to use Deadshot against the villain Rustam and the international shadow organization known only as the People.


Other versions


''Flashpoint''

In the alternate timeline of the " Flashpoint" event, Amanda Waller is an advisor to the President of the United States who tells him
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in ''Sh ...
is insubordinate and irresponsible. However, the President tells her the world needs Hal as a hero.


''Batman Beyond''

Amanda Waller appears in the ''
Batman Beyond ''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
'' comic series, set before the events of "Epilogue", where she was involved in the creation of Dick Grayson's clone to create a new Batman, reasoning that Grayson was more stable than his mentor, only for the clone to become the new
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi * ''Hush'' (2005 film), starring ...
and start killing off Batman's old rogues' gallery, including retired villains such as
Signalman A signalman is a person who historically made signals using flags and light. In modern times, the role of signalmen has evolved and now usually uses electronic communication equipment. Signalmen usually work in rail transport networks, armed for ...
and
Calendar Man Calendar Man (Julian Gregory Day) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, as an enemy of the superhero Batman, belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Calendar Man is k ...
. Even after the clone's attempt to destroy Gotham is only narrowly averted by Terry McGinnis, the real
Dick Grayson Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
, and the new Catwoman, Waller is shown to still be working on further clones of the original Batman and his allies.


''Arrow''

In ''
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 ...
'' tie-in comic, ''Arrow: Season 2.5'', Waller sends Suicide Squad to deal with situation in
Kahndaq 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 Roy Harper (comics), Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located ...
where a terrorist members and its leader Khem-Adam begin executing a lot of people due to Khem-Adam's desire to save a country from foreign influence. Her squad is successful in killing members of the group, except for Adam who is taken away by
Nyssa al Ghul Nyssa Raatko ( ar, نيسا رعتكو), also known as Nyssa al Ghul, is a supervillainess in DC Comics. Nyssa Raatko was created by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson for the Batman series of comic books. She is an enemy of Batman. She is the daughter ...
and
Sara Lance Sara Lance, also known by her alter-ego White Canary, is a fictional character in The CW's Arrowverse franchise, first introduced in the 2012 pilot episode of the television series ''Arrow'', and later starring in '' Legends of Tomorrow''. The ...
in
Nanda Parbat Nanda Parbat ( hi, नन्दा पर्बत, nandā parbat, the mountain of delight) is a fictional city in the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in ''Strange Adventures'' #216 (February 1969), created by Neal Adams. History Nanda Pa ...
where he is executed by a member of the
League of Assassins The League of Assassins (sometimes renamed the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows in adapted works) is a group of supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The group is depicted as a collective of assassins who ...
.


''The Flash''

In ''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
'' tie-in comic, ''Season Zero'', Waller sends Suicide Squad (consisting of
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
,
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) ...
and Floyd Lawton) to survey
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) ...
destroying an aquarium, then sends them to extract him. Waller takes Lamden to A.R.G.U.S. detention center to be chained up. She takes a woman to see him, before cutting him open to carefully dissect him. After dissection, Waller sends him across the other side of the country to begin as part of the Suicide Squad. Soon, Barry Allen comes to rescue him, but Waller sent some drones after him, created by General Wade Eiling. They eventually find where King Shark had been, but Barry is quickly captured and is told of what happened to Lamden.


''DC Comics Bombshells''

In ''
DC Comics Bombshells DC Comics Bombshells refers to a line of figurines released by DC Collectibles depicting DC Comics superheroines in a retro 1940s look based on designs by Ant Lucia.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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. In ''DC Comics Bombshells Annual 1'', she is shown to also be
Superintendent of the United States Military Academy The Superintendent of the United States Military Academy is the academy's commanding officer. This position is roughly equivalent to the chancellor or president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is, by tradition, a grad ...
.


''Injustice 2''

In the prequel to '' Injustice 2'', Waller breaks into the Quiver (Green Arrow's hideout) to arrest Harley Quinn, believing Harley should still be punished for her crimes despite Harley's role in taking down Superman. After Deadshot aids her in capturing Harley, she forces Harley into the Suicide Squad. However immediately afterwards, she is killed by
Jason Todd Jason Peter Todd is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, Todd was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (chara ...
, who was going around as an impostor Batman.


''DC Comics Secret Hero Society''

In the world of ''DC Comics Secret Hero Society'', Amanda Waller is the guidance counselor, truancy officer, and head of detention at Justice Preparatory Academy.


In other media


Television

* Amanda Waller appears in ''
Justice League Unlimited ''Justice League Unlimited'' (''JLU'') is a 2004–2006 American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics univers ...
'', voiced by C. C. H. Pounder. This version of the character leads the secret
Project Cadmus 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 ...
at the United States government's behest to create a counter-force to the
Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
should they go rogue like their alternate reality counterparts. Under her watch, Cadmus created the Ultimen, Galatea, and Doomsday. Originally distrustful of the League, Waller frequently deals with
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 the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
(which forms most of the interaction between Cadmus and the League). In "Ultimatum", she reveals that she knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman. In "The Doomsday Sanction", Batman discovers her identity to which Amanda presents the threat the League would pose if they went rogue. Waller is a central character during the Cadmus four-part finale arc when the
Question A question is an utterance which serves as a request for information. Questions are sometimes distinguished from interrogatives, which are the grammatical forms typically used to express them. Rhetorical questions, for instance, are interroga ...
discovers Cadmus files and then is captured by Luthor, Waller orders Dr. Moon to interrogate. Shortly after Question is rescued by Superman and the Huntress, Luthor momentarily hijacked the Justice League's binary fusion cannon to obliterate Waller's Cadmus and implicate the League. In response, Waller sends an army of mass-produced Ultimen clones under Galatea's control against the expended Justice League and has Galatea overload their enemy's reactor with the team inside. While watching the satellite, Batman presents Waller with evidence of Luthor's deception. Upon realizing that Luthor betrayed her, she calls off the attack on the Watchtower and has the Justice League accompany her to attempt to stop Luthor's plan. In the episode "Epilogue", an older
Terry McGinnis Batman (Terrence "Terry" McGinnis Wayne) is a fictional superhero appearing in media published by DC Entertainment. The character was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and first appeared in the pilot episode of the animated television series '' ...
seeks out an aged Waller to find out about his true past. Waller reveals that she was responsible for the Batman Beyond Project to have Batman's future replacement as she had come to respect and admire the hero, and was aware of the possibility that he would eventually retire as he aged. She reveals that she genetically altered the DNA of Terry's father to that of Bruce's, which would lead to his brith, and planned to recreate Bruce's tragic backstory by having his parents murdered. But she gave up on her original plan, after the Phantasm, Bruce's ex-fiancée refused to kill Terry's parents, knowing that doing so would disrespect the Batman legacy. A fact that Waller would come to agree on. Waller encourages Terry to continue being Batman and to learn from Bruce's mistakes, one of which was to take better care of his own loved ones. * Amanda Waller appears 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/G ...
'', portrayed by
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...
. Introduced in the ninth season two-hour episode "
Absolute Justice "Absolute Justice" is the eleventh episode of the ninth season of the CW series ''Smallville'', and the 185th episode of the overall series. The episode originally aired on February 5, 2010 in the United States, and was initially slated to be tw ...
", this version is a ranking agent of both
Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...
and the Suicide Squad. It's noted by several characters that Waller would end up causing conflict in her paranoia to be ready for a fight. In the episode "Checkmate", Waller captures
Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...
in the agency's headquarters after failing to kidnap and recruit
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His real name is Oliver Jonas Quee ...
for the government. In the episode "Sacrifice", Waller is working with Stuart Campbell (aka the White Knight) to track down
Tess Mercer '' Smallville'' is an American television series developed by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which was the second broadcaster f ...
to lead Checkmate to the Kandorians, leading to a confrontation with Major Zod and presumably killed. Waller is presumed dead in the tenth season, as Flag is seen acting on his own to "protest" the Vigilante Registration Act. It is hinted that she may have known about the threat of Darkseid. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Young Justice'', voiced by
Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...
. This version was the warden of Belle Reve. In the episode "Terrors", after she failed to stop a breakout, she was replaced by
Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains and is also one of the first Batman villains to discover t ...
. She returns in the episode "Leverage", where she has formed the Suicide Squad from Rick Flag, Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, and
Monsieur Mallah Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent anthropomorphic gorilla supervillain in the . He is the loyal servant of and, in time, the partner to Gorilla Grodd, and the Brain while serving as an enemy of the Doom Patrol and the ...
. Waller sent them on a mission to Russia to eliminate the
Rocket Red Brigade The Rocket Red Brigade (russian: Ракетная Красная Бригада, Raketnaya Krasnaya Brigada) is a DC Comics superhero team. They first appeared in ''Green Lantern Corps'' #208 (January 1987), and were created by Steve Englehart and ...
before they can be formed. However, they're foiled in their mission by the Team. When the Suicide Squad is returned to Belle Reve, Waller reveals them as her special ops team and voices her knowledge of the Team's formation. She threatens Aquaman II with exposing his "little play-group" (referring to "the Team") if he exposes the Suicide Squad. * Amanda Waller appears in ''
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 ...
'', portrayed by
Cynthia Addai-Robinson Cynthia Addai-Robinson (born January 12, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Naevia in the Starz television series ''Spartacus'', DC Comics character Amanda Waller in The CW TV series ''Arrow'', and Nadine Memphis on the US ...
. This version is the Director of A.R.G.U.S., making her first appearance in the second season episode "Keep Your Enemies Closer". She had John Diggle abducted as she needs him and the Arrow's help in retrieving Lyla Michaels from Russia (who was searching for Floyd Lawton to retrieve him as well), and is aware that
Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
is Arrow. She later appears briefly in the episode "Tremors" talking to
Bronze Tiger Bronze Tiger is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dennis O'Neil, Leopoldo Dirampma, and Jim Berry, he first appeared in ''Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter'' #1 (May 1975). The character's rea ...
after the latter returns to prison. She offers him a position on her unit, heavily hinted to be the Suicide Squad, to reduce his sentence and because she needs someone of his talents for her squad. In the episode "Suicide Squad", Waller assembles the team (consisting of Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Michaels,
Shrapnel Shrapnel may refer to: Military * Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use * Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material Popular culture * ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics) * ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...
and Diggle) to destroy a biological weapon in Markovia. It is implied that Waller first met Oliver (as they're on a first-name basis) during the latter's time as a castaway along with
Slade Wilson Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles & ...
. She is seen again in the episode "City of Blood" where Diggle and Felicity ask for her to help them find Oliver having gone missing after his mother's death, and traces Oliver down for them. In the following episode "Streets of Fire", Waller is shown to be preparing to bomb Starling City to contain Slade's Mirukuru army. After Oliver reveals to her that he has the cure for the Mirukuru, she gives Oliver until dawn to stop Slade and his army. In the episode "Unthinkable", Waller calls off the drone from bombing the city after Slade's defeat. In the final scene in a flashback, she rescues and recruits Oliver in Hong Kong. Throughout the beginning of the third season, flashbacks explore how Waller attempts to get Oliver to cooperate and train to become a valuable asset of A.R.G.U.S. and has to use blackmail and other tactics to ensure his loyalty and commitment to training. She sends Oliver and Maseo Yamashiro to get the Alpha-Omega virus from China White and her Triad to prevent bids for buyers. After they succeed, a military general Matthew Shrieve goes rogue and begins to kill anyone in Hong Kong with a bioweapon, including killing Amanda as well, but is saved from Oliver and Maseo. In the present-day episode, "Suicidal Tendencies", Waller sends the Suicide Squad (including John and Lyla) to Kaznia to extract US senator Joseph Cray from terrorists who are holding him hostage, but this was revealed as a ruse by Cray. When Lyla persuaded Waller to admit the truth of this mission to the world, she refused it, which leaves Lyla and John bitter about her leadership and her mannerisms. She is shot in the head and killed in the fourth season episode "A.W.O.L." when A.R.G.U.S. is infiltrated by the criminal paramilitary organization
Shadowspire Shadowspire is a fictional criminal organization which appears in DC Comics. Their first recorded appearance is in ''Deathstroke'' #53. The group was created by Tom Joyner and Mike Collins. Fictional team history The symbol of Shadowspire was a b ...
after Waller confirms that she cannot be forced to give Shadowspire access to any information from A.R.G.U.S. records, including its Rubicon protocol. Waller also appears briefly in flashbacks when she sends Oliver on Lian Yu to investigate a drug harvesting operation by Shadowspire (under the leadership of Baron Reiter), but is revealed to be a finding a mystical object who would later appear in the present day. Lyla Michaels later becomes Waller's successor, and works to reform A.R.G.U.S. through such acts as disbanding Task Force X, although she keeps criminals such as
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) ...
locked up for security purposes. * Amanda Waller appears in season 3 of
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
's adult animated series ''
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a 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 in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in i ...
'', voiced by
Tisha Campbell Tisha Michelle Campbell (born October 13, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1986 rock musical comedy film ''Little Shop of Horrors'', and later starred on the short-lived NBC musical comedy dram ...
. Debuting in "Harlivy", Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy bump into her after springing
Clayface Clayface is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Most incarnations of the character possess clay-like bodies and shapeshifting abilities, and all of them have been depicted as List of Bat ...
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) ...
from Arkham Asylum where she claims that Poison Ivy hasn't done anything evil in years. To prove her wrong, Harley and Ivy abduct her and take her to the valley of prehistoric plants. Suicide Squad member
Plastique Plastic explosive is a soft and hand-moldable solid form of explosive material. Within the field of explosives engineering, plastic explosives are also known as putty explosives or blastics. Plastic explosives are especially suited for explo ...
rescues Amanda Waller and blows herself up in order to give time for Waller to get away.


Film

* Amanda Waller appears in '' Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'', voiced again by C. C. H. Pounder. This version is depicted as more sympathetic, betraying President Lex Luthor's offer of a prominent position in the President's "new world order" to provide Superman and Batman with information they can use to destroy a Kryptonite Asteroid heading for Earth. * Amanda Waller appears in ''
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'', portrayed by
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She had her breakthrough with her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in the biopic '' What's Love Got to Do with It'' (1993), which garnered her a nomination for the Academy Award ...
. This version is a scientist who works for the DEO under the command of Senator Robert Hammond. After the xenobiologist
Hector Hammond Hector Hammond is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics who is primarily an enemy of Green Lantern. Peter Sarsgaard played the role of Hammond in the 2011 film ''Green Lantern''. Publication history Hector Hamm ...
acquires the power to read minds from exposure to
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to foreshortening, nearby object ...
's DNA (a fragment of which remained in
Abin Sur Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. Aft ...
's body until Hammond was called on to perform the autopsy), contact with Waller reveals that her family was killed by a gunman when she was younger. Hammond attempts to kill her using his telekinetic powers in a later confrontation, but
Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
caught her in a ring-formed 'pool' of water that subsequently carried her out of harm's way. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Batman: Assault on Arkham'', with C. C. H. Pounder reprising her role. Set in the universe of the '' Batman: Arkham'' video games, she is shown in a rather negative light, sending the Suicide Squad in a smoke screen mission whose only real purpose is killing
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 ...
, as the villain knows how to defuse the Suicide Squad's implanted bombs. At the end of the movie, she is warned by Batman to avoid activating the Suicide Squad in the future and dismisses his warning, challenging him to try and denounce her. She finds a laser dot from
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). ...
's gun on her in the final scene, but, as revealed in '' Batman: Arkham Underworld'', Batman prevented Deadshot from ultimately carrying out the assassination. * An alternate version of Amanda Waller appears in '' Justice League: Gods and Monsters'', voiced by
Penny Johnson Jerald Penny Johnson Jerald (born March 14, 1961) is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series ''The Larry Sanders Show'', Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', Sherry Palme ...
. This version is 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 Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
in the alternate reality that this series takes place in. Unlike her many past incarnations, Waller is shown to be a more sympathetic person, not willing to take lives, even if necessary. * Amanda Waller appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High'', voiced by
Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and host. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 version of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS and as Dina Rose on the AB ...
. * Amanda Waller appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown. * Amanda Waller appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'', voiced by
Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...
. Again, she monitors the Task Force X Squad while threatening to kill them with the bombs implanted on their necks if they rebel. After discovering that she has a terminal disease, Waller sends her Squad to find Steel Maxum and acquire a mystical card he (formerly) possessed. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown. * Amanda Waller appears in '' DC Super Hero Girls: Legends of Atlantis'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Batman: Hush'', with Vanessa Williams reprising her role. She shows up to transfer Bane out of
Blackgate Penitentiary 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 fo ...
before the fiend breaks free. With Batman's help, she's able to tranquilize Bane in order to capture and use him for her Suicide Squad. Since she has not died between films, it means Waller either found a way to prolong her life or her disease is in remission. * Amanda Waller is mentioned in '' Justice League Dark: Apokolips War''. Harley Quinn reveals that she died of cancer (which was revealed to be in ''Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay''). Following her death, Harley took over leading the Squad, using
Stryker's Island 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 fo ...
as a base.


DC Extended Universe

*
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 ...
appears in ''
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 ...
'', portrayed by
Viola Davis Viola Davis (; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Tony Awards, she is the only African-American to achieve the Triple Crow ...
. A senior civil servant and director of A.R.G.U.S., this version of Waller established the Suicide Squad and finds herself an occasional ally-of-convenience of
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 the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
, whose secret identity she is aware of. After the death of
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 pu ...
, she spoke with several others speaking her concern that the next Superman may not share his world views. To fill the gap of power, Waller wanted to assemble Task Force X, a team of expendable metahumans who would be used to execute covert operations against dangerous threats. One of Waller's greatest assets was June Moone, the host of the witch Enchantress, and was partially controlled by Moone's boyfriend and Waller's key ally Rick Flag. * Amanda Waller appears in '' The Suicide Squad'', with Davis reprising her role. Waller deploys two Task Force X groups in
Corto Maltese ''Corto Maltese'' is a series of adventure and fantasy comics named after the character Corto Maltese, an adventurous sailor. It was created by the Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967. The comics are highly praised as some of the most ...
following a coup to disrupt the country’s " Project Starfish", revealed to be a mission to conceal America’s role in the project. * Waller makes uncredited cameo appearances in the ''
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 ...
'' season 1 episodes "A Whole New Whirled" and "It's Cow or Never", with Davis reprising her role. In the first episode, Waller has a conversation with her daughter, Leota Adebayo, regarding her secret mission while working on Project Butterfly. In the season finale, she is seen watching a broadcast of Adebayo exposing Task Force X and Project Butterfly to the public, as well as Waller's involvement in both programs. Throughout the first season, Waller is revealed to have used Adebayo in an attempt to wrongfully frame
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 ...
and put him in prison. * Waller appeared in ''
Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...
'' (2022), with Davis reprising her role.


Video games

* Amanda Waller appears in ''
DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game ...
'', voiced by Debra Cole. In the Bludhaven Alert, Major Force mentioned to the players that Waller has sent him to Bludhaven to gather samples of Chemo and to test out the Chemoids. If the setting is turned on when queuing for an instance, she may recruit hero players into Task Force X and order them to complete the instance as villains, or recruit villain players into Suicide Squad who must complete it as heroes, and provide intro messages in both cases. * Amanda Waller is mentioned in some pre-game dialogues between
Vixen Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
,
Captain Cold Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Rogues, a loose criminal association, as well as the older brother of Golden Glider. An adversary of the various su ...
,
Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...
,
Cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
and Deadshot in '' Injustice 2''. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Batman: The Enemy Within'', voiced by
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 fir ...
. She is the director of the Agency and arrives in Gotham to track down the Pact, a group of criminals led by a former employee known as Riddler. Seizing control of the GCPD, Waller works with Batman to capture the group. After learning the vigilante's identity from one of her agents following the death of Riddler, she threatens to reveal it if he doesn't cooperate with her. It is eventually revealed that Waller has also been planning to obtain the LOTUS virus from SANCTUS, synthesize a usable version, and blackmail the members of the Pact into working for the Agency using it as an incentive. However, these are quickly put in disarray when one of her agents contaminates Riddler's blood, preventing the Agency from doing so. During the final episode depending on which path Joker takes, Waller either works with Batman to capture the Joker or tries to threaten him into handing over both the new vigilante and the LOTUS virus. Regardless, she leaves Gotham with the Agency in gratitude for his actions and promises not to reveal his identity while also reaching an understanding with James Gordon.


Arkham series

* Amanda Waller appears in '' Batman: Arkham Origins'', voiced again by C. C. H. Pounder. In the
post-credits scene A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
, she approaches
Deathstroke Deathstroke (Slade Joseph Wilson) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the character debuted in ''The New Teen Titans'' #2 in December 1980 as Deathstroke th ...
at a prison cell and offers a spot in her Suicide Squad in exchange for a commuted prison sentence to which Deathstroke is left considering. * Amanda Waller appears in '' Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate'', voiced again by C. C. H. Pounder. She is heavily implied to be the true mastermind behind the prison uprising, having orchestrated the events and manipulated both the criminals and the agents in order to find the best candidates for the Suicide Squad. She purposely hired
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 ...
to break
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 Gua ...
out of Blackgate, though the mission was a failure due to Batman's involvement. However, Waller picked out Deadshot and Bronze Tiger as two new candidates for the Suicide Squad. * Amanda Waller will appear in '' Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League'' with Debra Wilson reprising the role from ''Batman The Enemy Within'', in both voice and facial capture.


Lego series

* Amanda Waller appears as a playable character in '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', voiced by Cynthia Addai-Robinson. She is part of the DLC "The Squad". Waller also narrates "The Squad" level. * Amanda Waller appears as a NPC in ''
Lego DC Super-Villains ''Lego DC Super-Villains'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The fourth installment in the '' Lego Batman'' series of games, it is a spin-off that focuses entirely on villains of the DC Univers ...
'', voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown.


Web series

* An alternate version appears in '' Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles'' (which is a companion to ''Justice League: Gods and Monsters''), voiced by
Penny Johnson Jerald Penny Johnson Jerald (born March 14, 1961) is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series ''The Larry Sanders Show'', Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', Sherry Palme ...
. She's the President of the United States. * An alternate version appears in ''
DC Super Hero Girls ''DC Super Hero Girls'' or ''DC Superhero Girls'' (in various countries) is an American superhero web series and franchise Produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network based on characters from DC Entertainment that launched in the th ...
'', voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown. She is the principal of Super Hero High. * Amanda Waller appears in ''
Lego DC Super Hero Girls Lego ''DC Super Hero Girls'' was a Lego theme based on the ''DC Super Hero Girls'' franchise. It is licensed from DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. The theme was first introduced in November 2016. The toy line was accompanied by several shor ...
'', voiced again by Yvette Nicole Brown.


Miscellaneous

* As an
alternate reality game An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions. The form is defined by inten ...
to promote the ''Green Lantern'' film, Amanda Waller's official
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...
—written by Waller's creator John Ostrander—was posted online. "Waller" invited readers to participate in the Zooniverse project; participants were rewarded with audio clips of the film's characters.Green Lantern: "This is my angry swan. There are many like it, but this one is mine."
at HideAndSeek.net; by Tom Armitage; published August 30, 2011; retrieved June 9, 2013


Further reading

* ''The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History'' by Hope Nicholson, Quirk Books (2017)


References


External links


Amanda Waller's "official blog"
(via archive.org)
DCU Guide: Amanda WallerComic Book Awards Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waller, Amanda Batman characters Characters created by John Byrne (comics) Characters created by John Ostrander Characters created by Len Wein Comics characters introduced in 1986 DC Comics female supervillains DC Comics film characters Fictional African-American people Fictional American physicians Fictional characters from Chicago Fictional marksmen and snipers Fictional mass murderers Fictional spymasters Fictional United States Army personnel Fictional United States cabinet members Suicide Squad members