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 and the second and modern version, created by John Ostrander, debuted in Legends #3.
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 re-imagining, to the New 52 version and the current version that was introduced during DC Rebirth in 2016. Though the roster has changed considerably over the years, some of its best-known members include Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, King Shark and Harley Quinn.
Background and creation
The original Suicide Squad appeared in six issues of The Brave and the Bold. Co-creator/writer Robert Kanigher took the name from another comic series of the same name, by an unknown writer, from the Australian comic publishing company Frew Publications. Although this early incarnation of the team did not have the antics of later iterations, it explained much of squad's field leader Rick Flag's personal history. The team's administrator Amanda Waller was introduced in the Legends miniseries, with the original Silver Age Squad's backstory elaborated in Secret Origins #14.The Suicide Squad was later re-established in the Legends miniseries with writer John Ostrander at the helm. The renewed concept involved the government employing a group of supervillains to perform extremely dangerous missions as deniable and expendable assets, a concept popular enough for an ongoing self-titled series. The squad was often paired with DC's other government agency, Checkmate, culminating in the Janus Directive crossover.
While the Squad is often depicted as succeeding on their missions, failure was an occurrence. Ostrander remarked on how 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 suicide missions.
Suicide Squad lasted 66 issues, along with one Annual and one special. After the series' cancellation in 1992, the team members made several appearances in titles such as Superboy, Hawk & Dove, Chase, and The Adventures of Superman.
Suicide Squad was published in 2001, written by Keith Giffen, with art by Paco Medina. Though the series' first issue featured a Squad composed entirely of Giffen's Injustice League members, the roster was promptly slaughtered, save for Major Disaster and Multi-Man. These developments prompt Sgt. Rock, who was written into the role of squad leader, to recruit new members of whom many die during missions.
Suicide Squad 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 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 directs the group from behind the scenes; Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and King Shark feature prominently in this version of the Squad. The volume 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, Black Manta, and the Joker's Daughter also featuring.
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, 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, 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.''Star Spangled War Stories''
The Suicide Squad then continued in The War that Time Forgot, published in Star Spangled War Stories #110-111, #116-121, #125, and #127-128, that introduced the characters Morgan and Mace.''Legends''
In the midst of Darkseid's attempt to turn humanity against Earth's superheroes via his minion Glorious Godfrey, Amanda Waller assigns Rick Flag Jr. leadership of a reformed Task Force X. Blockbuster, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, 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. Waller dismisses the group, though they soon reconvened to rescue Captain Boomerang after Godfrey captures him.''Secret Origins'' (vol. 2)
During World War II, a number of Army riffraff are assembled into a unit that is highly expendable, and therefore nicknamed the Suicide Squadron. Several such teams existed, but their history in comics is only scarcely recorded before Rick Flag, Sr. becomes the leader of the team. After the war ends, the team 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. A deadly encounter with a Yeti during a mission in Cambodia 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, Flag is drafted into the Squad that Waller assembles in Legends."A Princess' Story" from Secret Origins #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 dead 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 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.
Other World War II Suicide Squads
The World War II Squad of Secret Origins #14 was a means of tying the Silver Age Suicide Squad to the war-era Suicide Squad created by Robert Kanigher for his "The War that Time Forgot" tales in the pages of Star Spangled War Stories. 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.Another classic version of the Squad appears in DC: The New Frontier. The group is briefly shown undertaking the sorts of dangerous missions the Squad is known for, and Flag eventually drafts Hal Jordan onto the team to assist in preparing a space flight to Mars. The experimental rocket's test runs quickly goes south and the group dies in the explosion.
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. 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 John Ostrander, 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, both published in 1988.This series details the covert operations of the modern post-Crisis Squad, created and directed by Amanda Waller. It is notable for bringing obscure characters such as Captain Boomerang and Deadshot to prominence; the latter received his own tie-in miniseries in 1988, co-written by Ostrander and Kim Yale. The Suicide Squad also presents a modern context for field team leader Rick Flag Jr.'s modern-day activities and his involvement in the Silver-Age Suicide Squad. Former Batgirl Barbara Gordon makes her first appearance as the information-broker Oracle, 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.
Suicide Squad takes pains to humanize its relatively obscure ensemble cast, partly via an in-house chaplain and psychiatric staff at the Squad's Belle Reve headquarters. These staff members are frequently seen interviewing various Squad operatives or providing evaluations of their mental states; several full issues are dedicated to examining prominent characters' personal lives and motivations.