The Suicide Squad is an

antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...

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 ...

team 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 first version of the

Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...

Squad debuted in ''

The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varie ...

'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, 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 ...

, debuted in '' Legends'' #3 (January 1987). Various incarnations of the Suicide Squad have existed throughout the years as depicted in several self-titled comic book series, from its origins in the Silver Age to its modern-day Post-''

Crisis A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...

'' reimagining, to the current version that was introduced in 2016. The current incarnation of the team appears in the sixth volume of the ''Suicide Squad'' comic series, and the recurring members include Enchantress,

Katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge ...

Killer Croc Killer Croc is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery. Originally a si ...

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). ...

and

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 ...

Background and creation

The original Suicide Squad appeared in six issues of ''The Brave and the Bold''. Although this early incarnation of the team (created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist

Ross Andru Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21. In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan'' newspaper ...

) did not have the espionage trappings of later Squads, it laid much of the groundwork for squad field leader

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 ...

's personal history. The team's administrator

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 ...

was introduced in the '' Legends'' miniseries,''Legends'' #1–6 with the original Silver Age Squad's backstory fleshed out further in ''

Secret Origins ''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the Origin story, origin stories of the publisher's various characters. Publication history ''Secret Origins'' was first published as a One-shot ( ...

'' (vol. 2) #14.''

'' vol. 2 #14 The Suicide Squad was revived in the '' Legends'' miniseries with writer

at the helm. The renewed concept involved the government employing a group of supervillains to perform missions that were suicide runs, a concept popular enough for an ongoing series titled simply ''Suicide Squad''. The squad was often paired together with DC's other government agency,

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 ...

—culminating in 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 ...

The 11-part Janus Directive crossover consisted of ''Suicide Squad'' #27–30, ''Checkmate'' #15–18, ''Manhunter'' (vol. 2) #14, ''Firestorm'' vol. 2 #86, and ''Captain Atom'' #30 crossover. While the Squad is often depicted as succeeding on their missions, they did fail some as well. Ostrander remarked on how Squad stories sometimes purposefully brought in characters to be killed off. The team's very name, Suicide Squad relates to the idea that this group of characters is sent on dangerous and difficult missions called suicide missions. ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) lasted 66 issues, along with one ''Annual'' and one special (''Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special'' #1). After the series' cancellation in 1992, the Squad went on to make several guest appearances in titles such as ''

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 ...

'',''Superboy'' (vol. 3) #13–15 '' Hawk & Dove'',''Hawk & Dove'' (vol. 4) #3–5 ''

Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase C ...

'',''Chase'' (vol. 1) #2–3 and '' Adventures of Superman''.''Adventures of Superman'' (vol. 1) #593–594 ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) was published in 2001, written by

Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and '' Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo. Biograp ...

, with art by Paco Medina. Though the series' first issue featured a Squad composed entirely of Giffen's Injustice League''Justice League'' (vol. 1) Annual #1 members, the roster was promptly slaughtered, save for

Major Disaster Major Disaster is a former DC Comics supervillain and reluctant amoral superhero. Publication history Major Disaster debuted in ''Green Lantern'' (volume 2) #43 and was created by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane. Fictional character biography Paul Booke ...

and

Multi-Man Multi-Man (Duncan Pramble) is a fictional character that has been both a superhero and a supervillain in DC Comics comic books, primarily as a villain for the Challengers of the Unknown. His first appearance was in ''Challengers of the Unknown'' ...

. These developments prompt

Sgt. Rock Sgt. Franklin John Rock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sgt. Rock first appeared in ''Our Army at War'' #83 (June 1959), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The character is a ...

, who is by now written into the role of squad leader, to recruit new members—many of whom die during the missions. ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) (initially subtitled ''Raise the Flag'' in DC's solicitations) was an eight-issue miniseries published in 2007. It featured the return of writer John Ostrander with art by Javier Pina. The story focused on the return of Rick Flag Jr. and the formation of a new Squad to attack a corporation responsible for developing a deadly bio-weapon. ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) debuted as part of DC Comics' line-wide New 52 continuity reboot in 2011. The relaunched book was written by Adam Glass, with art by Federico Dallocchio and Ransom Getty. Amanda Waller once again directs the group from behind the scenes; Deadshot,

, and King Shark feature prominently in this version of the Squad. This series concluded in 2014, with issue #30. ''New Suicide Squad'' was launched in July 2014. Written by Sean Ryan with art by Jeremy Roberts, the new series continues to feature Deadshot and Harley Quinn, with

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 ...

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 ...

, and

Joker's Daughter Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used the aliases Catgirl th ...

added to the mix.

Publication history

Silver Age

Plot synopsis

=''The Brave and the Bold''

= The original Suicide Squad first appears in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25. Team members appearing in the debut issue include physicist Jess Bright; astronomer Dr. Hugh Evans; Rick Flag Jr., the team leader; and Karin Grace (Davies in #25), flight medic. The characters have follow-up appearances in issues #26, #27 and #37-#39. The team's introductory story depicts them being called in to deal with a super-heated red-hued object, called the "Red Wave", which was heading toward a seaside resort and boiling the ocean along the way. They travel in a plane equipped with a testing and analysis lab. Follow-up appearances show the team dealing with a variety of challenges: a meteor storm (the radiation from which causes them to shrink), a giant serpent in the Paris subway tunnels, a giant monster that captures Karin, and a nuclear bomb. Issues #38 and #39 show the team encountering dinosaurs and meeting the leader of the Cyclops.

=''Legends''

= In the midst of

Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World (comics), Fourth World" metaseries, and was firs ...

's attempt to turn humanity against Earth's superheroes via his minion

Glorious Godfrey Glorious Godfrey is a DC Comics supervillain who is part of The Fourth World series of comic books in the early 1970s. Publication history Glorious Godfrey first appeared in ''The Forever People'' #3 (June 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. In ...

, Amanda Waller assigns Rick Flag Jr. leadership of a reformed Task Force X.''Legends'' #1 Blockbuster,

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 ...

, and Enchantress make up Task Force X at Belle Reve. The squad's first mission is to eliminate Darkseid's rampaging fire elemental Brimstone; Blockbuster dies during the conflict and Deadshot takes down the creature with an experimental laser rifle.''Legends'' #3 Waller dismisses the group,''Legends'' #4 though they soon reconvened to rescue Captain Boomerang after Godfrey captures him.''Legends'' #5

''Secret Origins'' (vol. 2)

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, a number of Army riffraff are assembled into a unit that is highly expendable, and therefore nicknamed the Suicide Squadron (shortened to Suicide Squad). Several such teams existed, but their history in comics is only scarcely recorded before Rick Flag, Sr. becomes the leader of the team (and even then, only a few adventures of this Squad are shown). After the war ends, the team (together with the Argent group) is put under the umbrella organization of Task Force X. After his father's death, Rick Flag Jr. goes on to lead the group that is featured in ''The Brave and the Bold'' (vol. 1). A deadly encounter with a

Yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

ends with Evans and Bright dead and sends Flag back to the U.S. with a wounded Karin Grace. After a stint with the

Forgotten Heroes The Forgotten Heroes are a fictional superhero team in the DC Comics universe. The group is composed of originally unrelated superheroes introduced in DC publications in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Having faded from appearances in DC publications ...

, Flag is drafted into the Squad that Waller assembles in ''Legends''. "A Princess' Story" from ''Secret Origins'' (vol. 2) #28 sheds light on Nightshade's origin, revealing that her mother hailed from the Land of the Nightshades. An ill-fated trip to this world ends with Nightshade's mother died and her brother abducted, and Nightshade spends the following years honing her shadowy powers and building a reputation as a crimefighter. She falls in with

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 ...

at the C.B.I.; Faraday eventually introduces her to Amanda Waller, who agrees to help her rescue her brother in exchange for Nightshade's participation in the Squad.''Secret Origins'' (vol. 2) #28

Other World War II Suicide Squads

The World War II Squad of ''Secret Origins'' (vol. 2) #14 was a means of tying the Silver Age Suicide Squad to the war-era Suicide Squad (also called the Suicide Squadron) created by Robert Kanigher for his " The War that Time Forgot" tales in the pages of ''

Star Spangled War Stories ''Star Spangled War Stories'' was the title of a comics anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed characters and stories. Among the features published in this series were writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Jerry Grandenetti ...

''.''Star Spangled War Stories'' #110–111, 116–121, 125, and 127–128 This Suicide Squadron is described as a "top-secret Ranger outfit" whose members were trained to tackle missions from which ordinary volunteers were not expected to return alive. It is unclear whether this team is part of the modern Suicide Squad canon or if the Squad introduced in ''Secret Origins'' was intended as a replacement for them in DC continuity. Another classic version of the Squad (Rick Flag Jr., Karin Grace, Jess Bright, and Dr. Hugh Evans) appears in the non-canon 2004 miniseries '' DC: The New Frontier'' by Darwyn Cooke. The group is briefly shown undertaking the sorts of dangerous missions the Squad is known for, and Flag eventually drafts

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 ...

onto the team to assist in preparing a crewed space flight to

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

. The experimental rocket's test runs quickly goes south and the group (sans Jordan) dies in the explosion.''DC: The New Frontier'' #1–4 In the '' DC Comics Bombshells'' continuity, the World War II-era Suicide Squad is led by Francine Charles and consists of Killer Croc, Enchantress, Rose Wilson, and Barbara Gordon (who in this setting is a vampire). In the final issue of the comic, it is revealed that after the end of the war, this Suicide Squad became a " Dark Justice League" defending the world against magical threats.

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1)

Background

The first volume of ''Suicide Squad'', written by modern Squad creator

, launched in May 1987, shortly after the team was introduced in the " Legends" crossover storyline. It lasted for 66 monthly issues, along with one annual and one special (''Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special'' #1), both published in 1988. This series details the

covert operations A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible deniability by) the party that instigated the operation. Covert operations should not be confused with clandestine operations, which are performe ...

of the modern Post-''

'' Squad, created (in-universe) and directed by

. It is notable for bringing obscure characters such as

and

to prominence; the latter received his own tie-in miniseries in 1988, co-written by Ostrander 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 ...

.''Deadshot'' (vol. 1) #1–4. DC Comics. The Suicide Squad also presents a modern context for field team leader

's modern-day activities and his involvement in the Silver-Age Suicide Squad. Former Batgirl

Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gard ...

makes her first appearance as the information-broker

Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word ...

,''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #23. DC Comics. and serves as the Squad's remote radio support, a vocation she adopted after being shot by the Joker. She uses a wheelchair as a result of being shot.'' Batman: The Killing Joke''. DC Comics. ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) takes pains to humanize its relatively obscure ensemble cast, partly via an in-house

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligence ...

and psychiatric staff at the Squad's Belle Reve headquarters. These staff members are frequently seen interviewing various Squad operatives''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #5. DC Comics. or providing evaluations of their mental states;''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #1. DC Comics. several full issues are dedicated to examining prominent characters' personal lives and motivations.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #8, 19, and 31. DC Comics.

Plot synopsis

Throughout 66 issues, this incarnation of the Suicide Squad undertook numerous high-risk missions for the U.S. government.

="Baptism of Fire"

= The team's first mission in the ''Suicide Squad'' title set them up against their recurring enemies, the Onslaught. They infiltrate their headquarters (the fortress known as Jotunheim, situated in Qurac) and proceed to defeat and kill most of the Onslaught members. Elements from this first story arc return over the series, such as the death of Mindboggler,

's cowardly and treacherous nature,

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 ...

's attraction to

, a rivalry between Rustam and Flag, and Ravan's defeat at the hands of the

.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #1–2. DC Comics.

="Mission to Moscow"

= On orders of Derek Tolliver (the team's liaison with the UNSC), the Suicide Squad is sent to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

in order to free the captive Zoya Trigorin, a revolutionary writer. Although the mission is largely successful in its first half, the team finds that Zoya does not want to be freed at all, causing friction among the team as they must plan their escape. In the end, the mission ends with the Squad having to travel across a tundra to reach safety, but come face to face with the People's Heroes, the Russian's own group of metahumans. In the conflict, Trigorin dies, and Nemesis (Tom Tresser) is captured.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #7. DC Comics. It turns out Tolliver never even considered the possibility of Trigorin wishing to become a martyr, automatically leaping at the conclusion she would be eager to leave the Soviet Union, and thus risked Waller's wrath upon the mission's end. Nemesis eventually escapes thanks to a collaboration between the Suicide Squad and the

Justice League International Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...

, although the two teams fight one another first. This conflict is primarily the result of Batman's investigation into the Suicide Squad, his confrontation with Waller, and his being forced to drop the investigation when she reveals that she can easily figure out his secret identity if need be.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #10. DC Comics.

="Rogues" and "Final Round"

= In this story arc, building on subplots from previous issues, Rick Flag goes after Senator Cray in order to assassinate him. Previously, Senator Cray had been blackmailing Amanda Waller in order for her to ensure Cray's reelection, threatening her with the exposure of the Suicide Squad to the public. At first, there is also the threat of Waller being usurped by Derek Tolliver, the now-former liaison between the Squad and NSC, who conspires with Cray against Waller. Waller deals with the situation by engaging in counter-blackmail with help of

, but refrains from informing Flag. The Squad's existence is in danger, and he decides to deal with the problem himself. Manhunter quits the Squad upon learning of their upcoming mission against Loa in New Orleans, LA. In order to stop him, the Squad is sent after Flag, and it is eventually Deadshot who confronts Flag shortly before he can shoot Cray, but too late to prevent Tolliver's murder in ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #21. As a result of these developments, the Suicide Squad is exposed to the public, contrary to Flag's intentions. Flag flees the scene, while Deadshot is shot by the arriving police officers. Unfortunately for Deadshot, who has a death wish, he does not die from the injuries. Resulting from the exposure, Amanda Waller is replaced by an actor named Jack Kale so that she can continue to run the Squad. The team then goes on a public relations offensive, becoming, for a time, a prominent heroic team by saving a renowned nun from a repressive regime. Rick Flag travels to Jotunheim, where the Onslaught is still headquartered, and finishes the mission his father could not, blowing up Jotunheim with a prototype nuclear Nazi weapon but gives up his life to do so.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #26. DC Comics.

="The Janus Directive"

= "The Janus Directive" is a crossover storyline involving an interagency war between

, the Suicide Squad, and Project Atom, who are manipulated by Kobra in order to distract the United States intelligence community from his activities. During the crossover, the headquarters of Checkmate and the Suicide Squad are destroyed as the war between the agencies worsens, and the lives of all members of the Force of July are lost except for Major Victory. In the end, with the defeat of Kobra, the various government agencies are made autonomous, to be overseen by

Sarge Steel Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's ''Action Heroes'' line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group. H ...

="Apokolips Now"

= In this issue, the character known as Duchess regains her memory after suffering from amnesia and recalls her true identity 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. With help from Shade the Changing Man, Lashina kidnaps several members of the Squad and takes them to Apokolips to win back her place among the Furies. Along with Dr. Light, Squad support members Briscoe (helicopter pilot) and computer specialist/Waller aide Flo Crowley are killed in an attack by parademons. Prevented by Steel from going, Bronze Tiger recruits Deadshot and others and joins with the

Forever People Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February–March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby ...

to journey to Apokolips. Darkseid arrives to destroy Lashina for bringing humans to his world and allows the rest of the Squad return to Earth with their dead. Shade is returned to his home dimension as the Squad mourns Flo.

="The Coils of the LOA"

= This issue details the plan of a group called LOA to raise a zombie army with drugs spread across the world. To ensure the Squad doesn't interfere, they reveal how Waller is still in charge and the White House decide to wash their hands of her. With the Suicide Squad on the verge of being disbanded by her superiors, Waller gathers Ravan, Poison Ivy, and

in an assassination mission of the LOA. The deal for the villains is simple: the three will be set free after helping Waller kill the LOA. While the villains run after the assassination, Waller allows herself to be put into custody.

="The Phoenix Gambit"

= The storyline running through ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #40–43 reassembles a scattered Suicide Squad after a year of imprisonment for Amanda Waller. She receives a presidential pardon, courtesy of

, as well as money in the bank and her old privileges concerning the use of imprisoned villains. This is done so that Waller can reassemble her Squad and prevent a confrontation between American and Soviet forces in the war-torn country of Vlatava. As the Suicide Squad succeeds and finishes their mission, they go in a new direction, free from the government as freelance operatives per the terms negotiated by Waller. Under the leadership of Waller, who now also goes into the field as an operative, they are a mercenary squad open to the highest bidder.

="Serpent of Chaos"

= This storyline ran through ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) #45–47. Amanda Waller and the Squad covertly sneak into Jerusalem seeking to capture or kill Kobra. However, the squad's arrival is detected by the

Hayoth The Hayoth are a fictional team of super powered Israeli super commandos published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Suicide Squad'' #45 (September 1990), and were created by John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Geof Isherwood. The Hayoth's team na ...

, and their Mossad liaison Colonel Hacohen takes Waller and Vixen into custody in order to show them that the Hayoth has already captured Kobra. Amanda figures out that Kobra allowed the Hayoth to capture him but is unsure of why. Judith follows Vixen to a meeting with the Bronze Tiger and Ravan, critically wounds Vixen, and is nearly killed by the Bronze Tiger. Meanwhile, the Atom discovers Kobra's true plan all along was to corrupt Dybbuk the Hayoth's artificial intelligence team member. Kobra "corrupted" Dybbuk through a series of philosophical conversations about the nature of good and evil; he then attempts to use Dybbuk to start World War III. The day is saved by Ramban, the team's kabbalistic magician, who has a lengthy conversation with Dybbuk about the true nature of good and evil, choice, and morality. Meanwhile, Ravan and Kobra have their final battle which results in Ravan's supposed death via poisoning.

="Mystery of the Atom"

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 ...

is working to solve the murder of Ray Palmer,

The Atom The Atom is a name shared by five superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by writer Bill O'Connor and artist Ben Flinton and first appeared in All-American Pub ...

. He hears that Waller possibly knew about the explosion that killed him. Superman is told by a CBI agent that the Suicide Squad would be attempting to rescue

Qurac This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for t ...

's former President Marlo. Adam Cray confronts Deadshot about killing his father, Senator Cray. Golem, of the

enters the facility holding Marlo on Blood Island. The Hayoth mistakenly believe they would be allowed to take President Marlo into custody. This misunderstanding caused the Hayoth to become embroiled in a four-way conflict with 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 ...

(

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 ...

, and

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

), who were there searching for Ray Palmer (the Atom), as well as the Suicide Squad, and the Onslaught. After a series of skirmishes, Superman ends the free-for-all with a shockwave caused by clapping both his hands together. The League confronts Ray Palmer, and he tells them about Micro Force and their murder of Adam Cray, the man who had been impersonating him as a member of the Suicide Squad.

="Rumble in the Jungle"

= The series concludes in issues #63–66, in which the Suicide Squad travels to Diabloverde to depose a seemingly invulnerable and invincible dictator calling himself Guedhe. This despot has his own personal bodyguards, a group of villains calling themselves the Suicide Squad. Insulted by the rival team usurping the Suicide Squad name, Waller accepts the mission to liberate Diabloverde at the price of one peso, paid by an exiled resident, Maria. During that mission, they face off against and defeat the other Suicide Squad. Each Squad member travels through the mystic jungle to Guedhe's fortress and along the way, faces their personal demons, except for Deadshot. Amanda Waller tricks the despot, actually Maria's husband, into a form of suicide. The despot believes himself to be immortal, when in actuality, he was a formidable psychic whose consciousness kept animating his remains. Waller convinced him that her touch brought death and thus, he died. Afterward, Waller disbands the Suicide Squad, and the series ends.

Membership: Amanda Waller's Squad

Notable team members from ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) include: *

(George "Digger" Harkness) *

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 ...

* Joker * Doctor Light (Arthur Light) *

Duchess Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

(Lashina) * Enchantress * Jewelee *

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 ...

(Tom Tresser) *

(Barbara Gordon) * Poison Ivy *

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pu ...

* Ravan *

Shade, the Changing Man Shade, the Changing Man is a comic book character created by Steve Ditko for DC Comics in 1977. The character was later adapted by Peter Milligan and Chris Bachalo in one of the first Vertigo titles. Both versions of Shade are distinct fr ...

* Thinker II (Cliff Carmichael) *

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 ...

Interim stories (between Vol. 1–2)

Background

Though

's ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 1) series was canceled in 1992 with issue #66, the concept lived on in various DC storylines throughout the years. What follows is a breakdown of the Squad's various odd appearances over the years.

Plot synopsis

=''Superboy'' (vol. 3): "Watery Grave"

= The Squad resurfaces in a three-issue ''

'' (vol. 3) arc, with a lineup consisting of

, King Shark,

Knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving strikin ...

, Sam Makoa, and Sidearm (who meets his death in the following issue). Superboy himself joins the Squad to assist in taking out a Pacific Rim crime cartel called the Silicon Dragons. Writer Karl Kesel claims to have come very close to killing Captain Boomerang during this arc.Flashback: The Suicide Squad (''Back Issue'' #26, February 2008)

=''Hawk & Dove'' (vol. 4)

= In the '' Hawk & Dove'' (vol. 4) miniseries, superheroes Hawk and Dove (Sasha Martens and Wiley Wolverman) are targeted by the government who assemble a new Suicide Squad to subdue the pair. Squad members at the time include

, Deadshot, Flex, Quartzite, Shrapnel, and Thermal.

=''Chase'' (vol. 1): "Letdowns"

reforms the Squad once again in ''

'' (vol. 1) #2. D.E.O. agent Cameron Chase joins Bolt, Copperhead,

Killer Frost Killer Frost is a name used by several female supervillains and superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics: Crystal Frost, Louise Lincoln, and Caitlin Snow. Each different individual in the DC Universe assuming the Killer Frost ...

, and Sledge on a mission to take out a

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

n military base, only to be betrayed by the villains.

=''Superman: Our Worlds at War Secret Files & Origins'': "Resources"

= The brief story "Resources" (one of several in the issue) depicts Amanda Waller assembling the Squad that is seen in the ''Adventures of Superman'' arc.''Superman: Our Worlds at War Secret Files & Origins'' #1

=''Adventures of Superman'' (vol. 1): "The Doomsday Protocol"

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 ...

organizes another Suicide Squad during his term as

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 ...

so that they can recruit Doomsday to battle the alien Imperiex. This version of the Squad consists of Chemo, Mongul,

Plasmus Plasmus () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is depicted as an enemy of the Teen Titans. Publication history Plasmus first appeared in ''The New Teen Titans'' #14 and was created by Marv Wolfman ...

, and Shrapnel; it is led by Manchester Black, under the supervision of

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistan ...

. Doomsday seemingly kills most of the Squad upon his release, but all of the characters turn up alive in later comics.

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2)

Background

's short-lived ''Suicide Squad'' run (which began in November 2001 and lasted 12 issues) is something of a darkly humorous analog to the writer's former work on

, and follows a new version of the Squad, designated Task Force Omega, and run by Sgt. Frank Rock. Together with his right-hand man Bulldozer, Rock taps new characters Havana and Modern to round out the team's mobile HQ. President

and 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

are shown to be supplying the Squad's assignments.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #6 Rock is thought by several other characters to have been deceased since the end of

, and they are surprised to see him alive and well.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #1''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #2 Two flashback stories''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #4''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #10 provide some context for Rock's current-day activities, but the series' final issue strongly implies that Rock is an (as-yet-unidentified) impostor.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #12

Plot synopsis

The First issue details the former Injustice League's terminally botched attempt to extract a kidnapped scientist from an Icelandic facility. With all but one team member (

) presumed dead by issue's end, Sgt. Rock forms a new Suicide Squad for the missions ahead. Major Disaster,

, and

are mainstays of the field team. For his part, Rock is every bit as ruthless as Amanda Waller was (though far more affable), remorselessly sending his agents to die for the good of their country. The Squad's missions involve eliminating an out-of-control colony of bio-engineered army ants,''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #3 and investigating the mysterious island of

Kooey Kooey Kooey Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...

to discourage its telepathic inhabitants from declaring war on Earth.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #7''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #8 Havana is revealed to be Amanda Waller's daughter,''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #9 and the final story arc revolves around an all-out attack on the Squad by the members of Onslaught, led by the son of longtime Squad enemy Rustam. Onslaught kills Modem and captures Rock, Havana, and Waller.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) #11 Upon learning that the Squad has been compromised, Waller's office drafts the

Justice Society of America The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...

to counterattack Onslaught alongside the Squad, but they arrive too late to save Havana from Rustam's wrath. Deadshot discovers a discarded Sgt. Rock mask inside an empty holding cell, which prompts Bulldozer (who is monitoring the situation remotely via Deadshot's video camera) to stand from his wheelchair and announce "Oh, boy!" before leaving. Back in her office, Amanda Waller reviews Bulldozer's file, and states that he and Sgt. Rock died in 1945.

Membership: Task Force Omega

Notable team members from ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 2) include: *

* Sgt. Frank Rock (implied to be an impostor) * Big Sir * Bulldozer *

Clock King The Clock King is the name of three supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first Clock King debuted in ''World's Finest Comics'' #111 (August 1960), and was created by France Herron and Lee Elias. The Clock K ...

(William Tockman) *

Cluemaster The Cluemaster is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman as well as a recurring enemy of Tim Drake, the third Robin. Cluemaster first appeared in ''Detective Comic ...

* Havana *

(Louise Lincoln) *

* Modem *

Interim stories (between Vol. 2–3)

Background

and the Suicide Squad were heavily involved in the events and fallout of '' 52''. During much of this time, Waller ran the Squad covertly because of her station as the White Queen of

. This inter-faction tension is a recurring theme throughout many Squad stories of this era.

Plot synopsis

=''Superman'' (vol. 2): "Dead Men"

= A Squad composed of

, and Solomon Grundy goes after

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...

in order to silence her investigation into

's presidency.''Superman'' (vol. 2) #182

=''Superman Secret Files & Origins 2004'': "Suicide Watch"

= A mystery agent sends

, Double Down, Killer Frost, and Killer Shark to (unsuccessfully) assassinate an imprisoned Amanda Waller as she awaits trial.

also appears.''Superman Secret Files & Origins 2004''

=''52''

= Amanda Waller assembles a short-lived Suicide Squad, led by Atom Smasher,''52'' #24''52'' #33 to take on an out-of-control

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 ...

. Atom Smasher's team ambushes the Black Marvel Family, getting Waller the evidence that she needs to expose their threat to the world.''52'' #34 As Waller reviews future potential Squad members, Atom Smasher quits the team, threatening to inform Checkmate of Waller's unauthorized field ops unless she grants him a full pardon.''52'' #45 Later, as

World War III World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...

rages, Waller informs

that

is alive.''World War III, Book Three: Hell Is for Heroes''

=''Checkmate'' (vol. 2): "Rogue Squad"

= As part of DC's '' One Year Later'' event,

Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...

penned the two-part "Rogue Squad" arc for ''Checkmate'' (vol. 2). After

finds

alive, Amanda Waller (now the White Queen of

) taps the pair to track down a rogue Squad that is out to expose her off-the-books activities. The Squad is led by Mirror Master, and includes Icicle,

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with the ...

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 ...

Tattooed Man The Tattooed Man is the name of two of Green Lantern's enemies, as well as of one related character. A version of the Tattooed Man called Tattoo Man appeared as a recurring character in the Arrowverse television series ''Black Lightning'', portra ...

, and Jewelee.''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #6–7

=''Salvation Run''

= Beginning in the pages of ''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and ev ...

'', the Squad makes various one-off appearances where they are seen rounding up the world's villains for an unknown purpose. This culminates in the seven-issue '' Salvation Run'' miniseries (written by

Bill Willingham William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series '' Elementals'' and '' Fables''. Career William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his father's military career the f ...

), where the Squad sends the apprehended villains to a remote prison world via boom tube. Squad members seen rounding up villains include Rick Flag Jr., Bronze Tiger,

, the General,

Multiplex Multiplex may refer to: * Multiplex (automobile), a former American car make * Multiplex (comics), a DC comic book supervillain * Multiplex (company), a global contracting and development company * Multiplex (assay), a biological assay which measu ...

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 ...

, Chemo, and Deadshot (the latter three are betrayed by the Squad and sent to the prison planet with the other villains).''Countdown'' (vol. 1) #43-42, 39, 28, 25, 22''All Flash'' (vol. 1) #1''Checkmate'' (vol. 2) #18–20''Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special'' (vol. 1) #1''Outsiders'' (vol. 2) #50''Gotham Underground'' (vol. 1) #1, 3, 6''Justice League of America'' (vol. 2) #15, 17–18''Salvation Run'' (vol. 1) #1–2''Catwoman'' (vol. 3) #74–75, 78

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3)

Background

returned to the Suicide Squad for an eight-issue miniseries that began in November 2007. The series takes place between the squad's appearance in ''

'' (vol. 2) #6–7 and the events of '' Salvation Run''. It is functionally a sequel to the ''Checkmate'' arc, detailing how

survived his apparent death before returning to Waller's Suicide Squad. DC Comics' official solicitations consistently referred to the miniseries as ''Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag'', though this nomenclature is never used within any individual issue or collected edition of the miniseries.

Plot synopsis

After he is believed dead, Rick Flag Jr. resurfaces on the dinosaur-infested island of

Skartaris Skartaris is a fictional Hollow Earth fantasy setting created by Mike Grell for the sword and sorcery comic book '' The Warlord'', published by DC Comics. Skartaris debuted in ''1st Issue Special'' #8 (November 1975), where the character Travis M ...

alongside his enemy Rustam.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #1 The pair works together to survive.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #2 Unfortunately, Flag is forced to kill Rustam once they discover a way home. Afterward, he becomes a prisoner of war in

for four years. Flag rejoins the Suicide Squad after he is rescued by

. After reviewing several new recruits,''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #3''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #4 Amanda Waller briefs the Squad on the latest target: a Dubai-based global conglomerate called Haake-Bruton, whose new viral weapon is to be destroyed, and its board of directors eliminated.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #5 The Squad airdrops onto Haake-Bruton's island stronghold, where Flag encounters Rustam's revenge-seeking father. Eiling compromises the mission, conspiring with Thinker to betray the Squad to Haake-Bruton's board in exchange for asylum.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #6 The Squad suffers heavy casualties in the sudden internal conflict.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #7 Despite numerous setbacks, Deadshot carries out the assassination, while Waller confronts the General personally. Eiling demonstrates control over Flag via psychological conditioning; Flag subdues him after revealing the cooperation as a ruse, and the Squad returns to Belle Reve. Flag is unfazed by Waller's revelation that his own identity and memories are implanted, asserting to

that he is still Rick Flag Jr.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) #8

Membership: Raise the Flag

Notable team members from ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 3) include: *

* 100 (DC Comics)#1,000 Operatives, Blackguard *

* Captain Boomerang#George "Digger" Harkness, Captain Boomerang I (George "Digger" Harkness) * Captain Boomerang#Owen Mercer, Captain Boomerang II (Owen Mercer) * Chemo *

* General Wade Eiling, The General * Marauder * List of minor DC Comics characters#Multiplex, Multiplex *

* Thinker II (Cliff Carmichael) * Twister * List of Hawkman enemies#White Dragon, White Dragon (William Heller) * Windfall

Interim stories (between Vol. 3–4)

Background

The Squad made prominent appearances in a four-issue ''Manhunter (Kate Spencer), Manhunter'' (vol. 4) arc''Manhunter'' (vol. 4) #33–36 and during the ''Blackest Night'' crossover event.''Blackest Night: Suicide Squad'' #67 and ''Secret Six'' (vol. 3) #17–18 In his multiverse-spanning adventures, Booster Gold briefly cooperated with a version of the Silver Age Squad.''Booster Gold'' (vol. 2) #20 These issues mark the Squad's final appearances prior to DC Comics' New 52 continuity reboot in 2011.

Plot synopsis

=''Manhunter'' (vol. 4): "Forgotten"

= The Suicide Squad has a run-in with Manhunter (Kate Spencer), Manhunter after she unknowingly compromises their months-long undercover investigation into the Crime Doctor (comics), Crime Doctor's metahuman genetic experiments in collaboration with Vestech Industries. Manhunter backs off of the trail at the insistence of the Squad and the Birds of Prey (comics), Birds of Prey, but goes rogue in an effort to bring down the Crime Doctor, who futilely attempts to restrain the Squad after becoming aware of their deep-cover duplicity. The operation is dismantled, and Manhunter goes public with the takedown.

=''Booster Gold'' (vol. 2): "1952 Pick-up"

= On one of his adventures throughout the DC multiverse, Booster Gold winds up in an alternate 1952, where Karin Grace drafts him into a Squad led by Sgt. Rock, Frank Rock. The team infiltrates a U.S. military compound to root out a Soviet double-agent, who ultimately turns out to be the creator of the Rocket Reds' combat armor.

=''Blackest Night'': "Danse Macabre"

= In the three-issue ''Blackest Night'' tie-in arc "Danse Macabre" (written by Gail Simone and

), several deceased Suicide Squad members are reanimated as Black Lantern Corps, Black Lanterns (unofficially known as the "Homicide Squad"), led by Fiddler (comics), Fiddler. They attack the Squad and the Secret Six (comics), Secret Six, who are engaged in simultaneous conflicts at their respective headquarters, owing to

's plans to shut down the Six. The two teams join forces to wipe out the Homicide Squad; with the immediate threat resolved, the Six assert their independence, and

places a bullet mere centimeters from Waller's heart to punctuate the point. As she recovers at Belle Reve, she reveals that she is secretly Mockingbird (DC Comics), Mockingbird, the Secret Six's mysterious benefactor.

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4)

Background

A new ''Suicide Squad'' title, written by Adam Glass with art by Federico Dallocchio and Ransom Getty, launched in September 2011 as part of The New 52 (a reboot of the DC Comics universe).

once again directs a crew of black ops agents on covert government missions, with

serving as the field team's leader. The ongoing series is notable as serving as something of a showpiece for ''

'' villain

, and it has crossed over with other New 52 titles, including ''Resurrection Man (comics), Resurrection Man'',''Resurrection Man'' (vol. 2) #8–9 ''Grifter (comics), Grifter'',''Grifter'' (vol. 3) #14–15 and ''Vibe (comics), Justice League of America's Vibe''.''Justice League of America's Vibe'' (vol. 1) #4–5

Plot synopsis

After a botched government mission forces her to execute an injured teammate, Amanda Waller sets out to assemble an expendable field team, prompting the formation of a new Suicide Squad.''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #0 Waller forces dozens of Belle Reve's death row inmates into a series of rigorous tests and torture scenarios to evaluate their loyalty and value as potential Squad members. The finalists—notably including Deadshot, King Shark, and Harley Quinn—are outfitted with micro-bomb implants, and inducted into the Squad.''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #1 The Suicide Squad's missions typically involve the elimination or retrieval of high-value targets. At one point, the team must track down an Desertion, AWOL Harley Quinn;''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #6–7 in another mission, the Squad goes after Resurrection Man (comics), Resurrection Man.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #9 The Basilisk terrorist group serves as a recurring villain''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #8, 10–13''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #17–19 (echoing the Onslaught organization from

's original ''Suicide Squad'' series), and several issues delve into the twisted relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker.''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #14–15 Eventually, Waller recruits serial killer James Gordon Jr. to act as Belle Reve's in-house psychiatric adviser—but unbeknownst to her, Gordon quickly develops a twisted infatuation with her.''Suicide Squad'' vol. 4 #20 One ongoing and unresolved plot point involves the Samsara serum—a medical treatment that Belle Reve's doctors use to resurrect dead Squad members (including Deadshot and Voltaic''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #16). It is eventually discovered that the serum will permanently kill anyone to whom it is administered; Waller is implied to be one such subject.''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) #22

=Forever Evil

= During the Forever Evil crossover event, the Crime Syndicate of America emerges as the new threat which the Suicide Squad must avert. After the destruction of Belle Reve and the release of its inmates, Waller recruits Deadshot to a new Suicide Squad team. He, in turn, recruits Harley Quinn. Amanda Waller later reveals to James Gordon Jr. that the current Suicide Squad is but one version of the Task Force; she calls out Task Force Y to assist in battling the Crime Syndicate.

Membership: Suicide Squad (vol. 4)

Notable team members from ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 4) include: *

* Black Spider (Eric Needham) * Cheetah (character), Cheetah * Captain Boomerang#George "Digger" Harkness, Captain Boomerang I (George "Digger" Harkness) *

* El Diablo (comics), El Diablo (Chato Santana) * James Gordon Jr. * King Shark * Light and Lime *

* Savant (DC Comics), Savant * Unknown Soldier (DC Comics), Unknown Soldier * Voltaic * Yo-Yo (Chang Jie-Ru)

''New Suicide Squad''

Background

This 2014 relaunch, from writer Sean Ryan and artist Jeremy Roberts, sees Deadshot and Harley Quinn teaming up with new Squad members

, Joker's Daughter, the Reverse Flash and

Membership: New Suicide Squad

Notable team members from ''New Suicide Squad'' include: *

* Cheetah (character), Cheetah *

* El Diablo (comics), El Diablo *

* Parasite (comics), Parasite *

* Daniel West (character), Reverse-Flash

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 5)

Background

Using the end of the New 52 initiative as a launching point, DC Comics began a second relaunch of its entire line of titles called DC Rebirth in 2016, written by Rob Williams (comics), Rob Williams and shifting between Jim Lee, John Romita, Jr., and Tony S. Daniel for art. ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 5) #1 (August 2016) was the debut bimonthly relaunch of the team's comic book title which consisted of

, Rick Flag,

& Enchantress. The Suicide Squad was given a new look, reflecting the team's appearance in the DC Extended Universe. The title would crossover with ''Justice League#DC Rebirth, Justice League'' in ''Justice League vs. Suicide Squad'', written by The Flash (DC Rebirth), Joshua Williamson and drawn by Jason Fabok, Tony S. Daniel, and Howard Porter (artist), Howard Porter.

Plot synopsis

=The Black Vault

= The Suicide Squad are sent to a Russian prison to retrieve a secret item, which turns out to be a portal to the Phantom Zone. During the unfolding events, a Russian group of metahumans, known as the Annihilation Brigade, shows up and the situation worsens. General Zod gets free of the Vault, and Captain Boomerang is killed. The battle is brought to an abrupt halt as a new character, Hack, breaches the Russian database and learns how to pull General Zod back into the portal.

=Going Sane

= Back in Belle Reve, scientists working for Waller are examining the portal. Waller shares her intent to weaponize Zod and add him to her Suicide Squad. Flag disagrees, and conflict escalates between the two, leading to Flag firing his gun at Waller. In the next issue, Amanda's scientists continue trying to extract Zod. Meanwhile, the portal is sending out electromagnetic waves, and the characters appear to act in increasingly erratic ways. The portal waves are shown as having the opposite effect on Harley, causing her to realise she must intervene in the escalating blood lust.

=Justice League vs. Suicide Squad

= This episode follows the Squad to the fictional island of Badhinisia, where the team has been dispatched to prevent the Brimstone Brotherhood from causing an earthquake. During the events, the Squad is confronted by the Justice League, having learned of the team's existence from Batman. Waller shares her intention to blow the bombs in their necks if they are captured by, or surrender to, the League. The Suicide Squad are defeated by the Justice League until Killer Frost absorbs a portion of a weakened Superman's life force and freezes everyone. Back at Belle Reve Penitentiary, the Justice League has been captured by Amanda. Batman escapes his confinement and confronts Waller about her plans for the League. When the plot reveals the approaching threat of Maxwell Lord, Max Lord and his super villain team, the two teams must pool their efforts in order to prevent the theft of a powerful weapon from inside Belle Reve. As the story progresses, Lord succeeds in stealing the Heart of Darkness (a.k.a. the Eclipso Diamond) and uses it to control the League, and through them, gains control of the world. Batman rallies Lobo and the remaining Squad members to make a final stand against Lord, escalating to conflict with the compromised Justice League. Meanwhile, Amanda observes that Lord himself is falling under the influence of the Eclipso Diamond, and warns him of this when Lord has her brought to the White House. Lord realises too late that Waller's warning held truth. In the following chaos, Batman deems them the new Justice League. Although Lord is able to bring most of the Squad/League under his control, he is defeated when Killer Frost, acting on Batman's instructions, is able to create a prism of ice that reflects Superman's heat vision in a frequency that will disrupt Eclipso's control of the heroes, Eclipso himself being vanquished by Killer Frost as she draws on the life energy of the rest of the heroes and Squad members present, thus limiting the drain on any one of them. In the aftermath of the crisis, Killer Frost is officially released while Lord is kept in Waller's custody, Waller musing that she will use him for 'Task Force XI'.

=Burning Down the House

=Earthlings on Fire

=Kill Your Darlings

=Drain the Swamp

= Waller recruits Juan Soria, a prospective hero who was turned down by the Justice League and then arrested for robbery, into the Squad in order to combat an alien force that feeds off optimism and hope. In preparation for the mission, Waller had systematically broken Soria down to rid him of any and all hope. This allowed him to defeat the creature. After learning that he was used, Waller relocates Soria to Killer Croc's cell. Croc had previously been tempted to eat Soria and it is assumed this is what happened. The Squad confronts Damage (DC Comics), Damage, who Waller wants to recruit for her Task Force XL. Meanwhile, King Faraday, who is still being held at Belle Reve, reveals he's been accessing Waller's hidden files and asks about someone named Coretta. Waller is visually shaken by the mention. She leaves the prison and goes to her daughter Coretta in the hospital as she's just given birth to Waller's grandchild. Her son Jessie tells her that Coretta does not want to see her. Hack returns and reveals she is in Belle Reve's computers. She begins opening the cells, erasing files, and murdering guards.

''Suicide Squad Black''

Background

DC Comics created a magical version of the Suicide Squad known as Suicide Squad Black in 2019 during the DC Rebirth run. It was created by Jai Nitz and Scot Eaton. The team have a six issue comic series titled ''Suicide Squad: Black Files''. The roster consists of Gentleman Ghost, Azucar, Enchantress, Juniper, Klarion the Witch Boy, Tiamat, and Wither, and El Diablo (comics), El Diablo for a magical roster of the Squad called Suicide Squad Black.

Plot synopsis

The Revenge of Kobra Rota Fortuna War In Two Worlds My Own Worst Enemy! Fugitive From Myself Reverse Image

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 6)

The monthly Suicide Squad comic was again relaunched at the start of 2020, written by Tom Taylor (writer), Tom Taylor with art by Bruno Redondo. The initial storyline features a Task Force X run by a mysterious bureaucrat called Lok directing a team composed of

, Magpie (character), Magpie, Cavalier (character), Cavalier, the List of minor DC Comics characters#Shark, Shark and the Zebra-Man to press gang a group of anarchist superhumans called the Revolutionaries. Over the course of the first six issues several Revolutionaries are killed in action; it transpires that the Revolutionaries were deliberately setting themselves up in infiltrate Task Force X and Lok is a frontman for Black Mask (character), Black Mask, who is impersonating Ted Kord.

''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 7)

The Infinite Frontier monthly Suicide Squad comic launched in March 2021, written by Robbie Thompson with art by Eduardo Pansica.

Membership: Suicide Squad (vol. 7)

Notable team members from ''Suicide Squad'' (vol. 7) include: *

* Peacemaker (comics), Peacemaker * Nocturna (DC Comics), Nocturna * Match (DC Comics), Match * Court of Owls, Talon * Culebra * Bloodsport (character), Bloodsport * Ambush Bug * Crime Syndicate of America, Black Siren * Major Force

Collected editions

Silver Age

Post Crisis

Volume 1

Volume 1 Spin-Offs

Volume 2

Volume 3

New 52

Volume 4

New Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad Most Wanted

The Most Wanted miniseries highlight individual members of the Suicide Squad.

DC Rebirth

Volume 5

Volume 6

Volume 7

In other media

Television

Animation

* Task Force X appears in a self-titled episode of ''Justice League Unlimited'', consisting of

, and the

. They are given the mission to appropriate the Annihilator automaton from the

's Justice League Watchtower, Watchtower on behalf of Project Cadmus. The team attack the Watchtower during its weakest point, managing to defeat Atom Smasher, Greg Saunders, Vigilante, and Shining Knight (Sir Justin), Shining Knight. Despite the Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom's intervention and Plastique being critically wounded, the team succeeds. According to the series' producers, this episode resulted from the realization that Project Cadmus needed a solid victory to cement itself as a credible threat. * Task Force X appears in the ''Young Justice (TV series), Young Justice'' episode "Leverage", consisting of Rick Flag,

, Captain Boomerang, and Monsieur Mallah. In the audio play "The Prize", Brick (character), Brick and Tuppence Terror of the Terror Twins have since joined the team. * The Suicide Squad make a cameo appearance in the ''Harley Quinn (TV series), Harley Quinn'' episode "Harlivy", consisting of Captain Boomerang,

, the Enchantress, Deadshot, and Katana (DC Comics), Katana as the "a-team" and Plastique as a minor member.

Live-action

* The Suicide Squad appear in the Smallville (season 10), tenth season of ''Smallville'', consisting of Rick Flag, Deadshot, Plastique, and Warp (comics), Warp. While this version of the group originally worked for Amanda Waller and

, they later began working for Chloe Sullivan. * The Suicide Squad appears in the Arrowverse series ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow''. Introduced in a self-titled Arrow (season 2), second season episode, this version of the team works for A.R.G.U.S. (Arrowverse), A.R.G.U.S. Director Amanda Waller (Arrowverse), Amanda Waller and initially consists of Floyd Lawton (Arrowverse), Floyd Lawton / Deadshot, Mark Scheffer (Arrowverse), Mark Scheffer / Shrapnel and Ben Turner (Arrowverse), Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger. Additionally, John Diggle (Arrowverse), John Diggle and Lyla Michaels (Arrowverse), Lyla Michaels also work as part of the team, but are not implanted with explosives, and

makes a cameo appearance, but is not called for duty. Scheffer is killed by Waller as a result of him abandoning the mission while Diggle releases the remaining members from A.R.G.U.S.'s custody in the season two finale "Unthinkable" to help him stop Waller from bombing Starling City in an attempt to defeat Slade Wilson (Arrowverse), Slade Wilson's army. In the Arrow (season 3), season three episode "Draw Back Your Bow" Oliver Queen (Arrowverse), Oliver Queen takes pity on Carrie Cutter (Arrowverse), Carrie Cutter / Cupid and hands her over to Waller for use in the squad. In the episode "The Brave and the Bold", it is revealed that Digger Harkness (Arrowverse), Digger Harkness was once a member of the squad, but his last mission became a failure and Michaels ordered the mission and him to be terminated, which proved to be unsuccessful. Harkness seeks revenge in the present, but is foiled by Queen and the Barry Allen (Arrowverse), Flash. In the episode "Suicidal Tendencies", Diggle, Michaels, Lawton, and Cutter rescue Senator Joseph Cray from a hostage situation, during which Lawton sacrifices himself to save the others after discovering Cray had set up the attack to stage his own rescue and eventually mount a presidential campaign. After Shadowspire (Arrowverse), Shadowspire kills Waller, Michaels becomes A.R.G.U.S.'s new director and disbands the squad as part of her efforts to reform the organization. In the Arrow (season 7), season seven episode "My Name is Emiko Queen", Michaels reforms the squad as the "Ghost Initiative" and recruits Cutter, China White (Arrowverse), Chien Na Wei, Kane Wolfman, and Ricardo Diaz (Arrowverse), Ricardo Diaz to locate and capture a terrorist financier named Dante (Arrowverse), Dante without A.R.G.U.S.'s oversight. However, the operation fails after Diaz disables his explosive implant and warns Dante, who manages to escape. When the Joint Chiefs of Staff learn that the squad had been reactivated, Diggle resigns from A.R.G.U.S. to protect Michaels. ** At San Diego Comic-Con 2014, following the squad's debut episode, Diggle's actor David Ramsey revealed that there had been talk of a spin-off that would focus on ''Arrow''s version of the Suicide Squad. However, ''Arrow'' co-producer and comic book writer Keto Shimizu stated in January 2015 that with Suicide Squad (film), David Ayer's ''Suicide Squad'' film in development at the time, "it doesn't seem like it's a possibility." In September 2016, series producer Greg Berlanti confirmed that the team's inclusion within ''Arrow'' was used in order to test the audience's reception and interest prior to Ayer's film being put into production.

Film

Live-action

Two versions of the Suicide Squad appear in films set in the DC Extended Universe. * In ''Suicide Squad (film), Suicide Squad'' (2016), Amanda Waller (DC Extended Universe), Amanda Waller forms Task Force X to save the world from Enchantress. Waller recruits Floyd Lawton (DC Extended Universe), Deadshot, Harley Quinn (DC Extended Universe), Harley Quinn, George Harkness (DC Extended Universe), Captain Boomerang, El Diablo (character), El Diablo,

, and Slipknot (comics), Slipknot, with Rick Flag (DC Extended Universe), Rick Flag as their leader and Katana (DC Comics), Katana supporting him. * A stand-alone sequel titled ''The Suicide Squad (film), The Suicide Squad'' (2021), follows Task Force X clashing with the Thinker and Starro. Waller recruits Flag, Quinn, Boomerang, Savant (DC Comics), Savant, 100 (DC Comics), Blackguard, Arm-Fall-Off-Boy, T.D.K. (The Detachable Kid),

, Mongal, and Weasel (DC Comics), Weasel to serve as a distraction while Robert DuBois (DC Extended Universe), Bloodsport, Christopher Smith (DC Extended Universe), Peacemaker, Nanaue (DC Extended Universe), King Shark, Abner Krill (DC Extended Universe), Polka-Dot Man, and Cleo Cazo, Ratcatcher 2 complete the mission.

Animation

* While Darwyn Cooke's '' DC: The New Frontier'' comic series was adapted into the direct-to-video film ''Justice League: The New Frontier'', the Suicide Squad was cut for brevity, with only Rick Flag and

remaining. * The Suicide Squad appears in the Batman: Arkham film ''Batman: Assault on Arkham'', consisting of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, King Shark,

, Captain Boomerang, Black Spider, and KGBeast while Amanda Waller monitors their activities and controls their every move with bombs surgically implanted in their spines which she can detonate if they step out of line. Waller kills KGBeast as an example of this. The squad is assigned to kill the Riddler, whom they later discover was a former member who discovered how to defuse Waller's bombs. Throughout the course of the film, Black Spider and King Shark are killed by the bombs before they could be defused, Quinn is remanded to Arkham Asylum, Captain Boomerang is re-captured by the Gotham City Police Department, GCPD and Deadshot escapes and attempts to kill Waller while Killer Frost's fate remains unknown. * The Suicide Squad appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe: ** The group first appears in ''Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay'', consisting of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang,

, Killer Frost, and Copperhead. Additionally,

, Punch and Jewelee appeared as previous members of the group from three years before the film's events. The present team is assigned to retrieve a "Get Out of Hell Free" card. By the end of the film, Waller detonates Copperhead's bomb to kill the traitorous Killer Frost and Bronze Tiger is killed by Professor Zoom, though Deadshot gives the former the card to send him to heaven. ** The Suicide Squad appears in ''Justice League Dark: Apokolips War''. Following Waller's death, the group is now led by Harley and consists of Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Black Manta,

, and the Cheetah (character), Cheetah. After

and his forces successfully conquer Earth, the squad members take refuge on Stryker's Island. Two years later, they are recruited by

to aid her and Superman, Clark Kent in one last effort to defeat Darkseid and destroy Apokolips. The group storm LexCorp so Kent's team can reach Apokolips via

's Boom Tube before the squad stays behind with Lane and Luthor to defend the Boom Tube from Darkseid's Parademons, ParaDoomsday (DC Comics), dooms. After Cheetah, Luthor, Bane, and Manta are killed, the remaining members and Lois detonate the building to stop the Paradooms from reaching Apokolips.

Video games

''Lego Batman''

* The ''New 52'' Suicide Squad appear in "The Squad" downloadable content, DLC pack for ''Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'', consisting of

, El Diablo (comics), El Diablo, King Shark,

, and Katana (DC Comics), Katana. Waller assigns the squad to find the person who infiltrated Belle Reve. By the end of the mission, the team discovers Killer Moth attempting to expose their existence and defeat him. * The Suicide Squad appears in ''Lego DC Super-Villains''. In the game's storyline, Catwoman sends

and the Rookie to Belle Reve to see if Harley Quinn's Task Force X acquaintances know her whereabouts. With Deadshot and Captain Boomerang in tow, the newly formed group heads to the Gotham Botanical Gardens to retrieve Harley. Upon arrival, Boomerang cuts some vines, enraging Poison Ivy. A battle ensues until Catwoman intervenes and the group reveal their intentions to Harley, who is taken away by Deathstorm and Grid (comics), Grid. The group rushes to rescue her, and she escapes with Ivy, Deadshot, and the Rookie while Killer Frost and Catwoman hold off the Crime Syndicate.

''Batman: Arkham''

* In the post-credits scene of ''Batman: Arkham Origins'', Amanda Waller visits

in Blackgate Penitentiary and asks him to join the Suicide Squad in exchange for his freedom. An Easter Egg also features Harleen Quinzel holding the Squad's recruitment file in her character model, the same one Waller gives to Deathstroke, foreshadowing her future membership in the team as Harley Quinn. * In the post-credits scene of ''Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate'', Waller and

recruit

and Deadshot into the Squad. * In 2020, Rocksteady Studios, the developers of the ''Batman: Arkham'' series, announced that they were developing a new game centered around the team, titled ''Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.'' The announcement was accompanied by a teaser image of the game's logo in the style of a crosshair aimed at

. The game was fully unveiled during the online event DC FanDome on August 22, 2020 with a 2022 release date.

Other games

* A video game tie-in of the 2016 ''Suicide Squad'' film was released on iOS and Android devices in August 2016. * The Suicide Squad, though not mentioned by name, appear in ''Batman: The Enemy Within''. If the Joker becomes a vigilante, it is revealed that Amanda Waller has former Pact members Harley Quinn,

, and Catwoman working for her, using bomb collars as a means of control. The group are used against Batman and the Joker, though the former can negotiate for their release after he saves Waller from the latter.

References

{{Batman characters Suicide Squad, Comics by John Ostrander Comics characters introduced in 1959 DC Comics adapted into films Fictional military organizations Supervillains with their own comic book titles Batman characters