The Ultimate Guide To Suicide Squad

The key to a successful universe is balance – something proven to be the case in both fact and fiction - on the page, and on the screen. Everything has its opposite, and you cannot have one without the other. There can be no good without evil, no light without darkness, and no heroes without villains. Thus, we have Suicide Squad – DC’s antidote to its morally conscientious Justice League, and the largely criminal yin to that overwhelmingly valiant yang. The first version of Suicide Squad appeared in the comic The Brave And The Bold #25 in 1959, and at one point became known as Task Force X. The concept was rebooted by John Ostrander in Legends #3 in 1987, however, and while the first incarnation was created to replace the outgoing Justice League Of America, the rebooted version was based on the idea that an anti-hero team made up mostly of supervillains incarcerated in Belle Reve Penitentiary are recruited to carry out high risk black ops, in exchange for commuted sentences. That organization is overseen by the character of Amanda Waller. The Squad and its missions are top-secret, so they often find themselves targeted by caped crusaders, such as Batman, who remain unaware of the supervillain’s real motivations. In fact, in Suicide Squad Vol 1 #10, the Dark Knight was infamously forced to abandon his dogged pursuit of Suicide Squad members after being threatened with exposure by the formidable Amanda Waller. In addition to regularly crossing the paths of superheroes, the Suicide Squad comic book stories often focus on occasions when the characters are interviewed by prison psychiatric staff. These tales in particular provide fascinating insight into the psychology of these dangerous fictional personalities, who are often implanted with explosive devices that can be detonated by supervising authorities at any time. The combination of personalities involved in the Suicide Squad in its source material has continually changed over the years, with over fifty characters variously included in its history. Everybody from Poison Ivy to Chemo, from Black Manta to Reverse-Flash, and from Count Vertigo to The Unknown Soldier has featured at one time or another. The team has also appeared in animation, on the TV shows Smallville and Arrow, and is a mainstay of the video game arena. But, as a particularly shadowy organization, it just does not seem to have the cultural prevalence of, say, Marvel’s Hydra, for example. So, now that director David Ayer is bringing Suicide Squad to the big screen for the first time, it is time to brush up on a little of what to expect. Who are the Squad members we will meet on August 5th, 2016, and what kind of damage are they likely to inflict? Read on to find out. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) Making her debut in Legends #1 in 1986, as the creation of John Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne, Amanda Blake Waller is synonymous with the Suicide Squad. She is of questionable character – sometimes appearing as an ally of superheroes, sometimes as an antagonist. She is, however, always ambitious and has the confidence of her convictions. Waller’s initial origin story solidifies that of the Suicide Squad, by having her established as a widow whose husband, son and daughter were murdered while living in a notorious housing project. Caring for her remaining children, she also achieved a doctorate in political science, and began her career in Washington as a congressional aide and government agent. In doing so, she learned about the previous versions of Suicide Squad, and convinced the country’s leadership to approve the formation of a third, under her supervision. Later, she was appointed Secretary of Metahuman Affairs, but was then reassigned to run Checkmate – an organization tasked with protecting American interests overseas - until forced to resign. Waller was, at one time, imprisoned herself, though she was later pardoned, released and returned to reorganize the Squad. The “New 52” re-launch of DC comics in 2011 found Waller in command of the Suicide Squad, having requested the position as the head of a disposable, but skilled team. In adaptations, several different versions of Amanda Waller have appeared onscreen in both live-action and animation. In addition to the traditional depiction as head of Suicide Squad, she has also been seen as the Warden of Belle Reve, a government agent, the Director of A.R.G.U.S (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans), and a scientist working for the Department of Extra-normal Operations; and she has been portrayed at various times by C.C.H Pounder, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Pam Grier, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Angela Bassett, Debra Cole, and Penny Johnson Jerald. Preview footage released so far seems to indicate that, in line with the rest of the burgeoning DC cinematic universe, the New 52 Waller is the version we will see in Suicide Squad. Slipknot (Adam Beach) First appearing in Fury Of Firestorm #28, in 1984, Slipknot is a trained assassin with a mastery of ropes – later revealed to be a man named Christopher Weiss. He began his criminal career with the 2000 Committee – an organization planning world domination by the year 2000. His association and activities with that group led to his incarceration – which put him on Waller’s radar. Recruited into the Suicide Squad, he became involved in a mission during which Captain Boomerang tested both Slipknot’s resolve and the claim that the bombs the group were forced to wear to keep them under control were fake. The result was Slipknot’s arm being blown off – later seen to have been replaced with a bionic limb. Eventually, in the source material, Slipknot was beheaded by The Tattooed Man in 2009. In Suicide Squad, Slipknot appears to be a part of the core team – featuring in publicity stills already released. It is not yet clear whether he will still have all of his limbs still attached, though, nor indeed, whether he will survive until the end of the film. He has never before been depicted in live-action though, making this his debut screen appearance. El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) There have been three incarnations of El Diablo in the DC comic book universe. The first was known as Lazarus Lane, and was essentially a vigilante in the Old American West - arriving in All Star Western #2 in 1970. It transpired that Lane was cursed by a shaman named “Wise Owl” to be the host for a vengeful demon named El Diablo. This version has been portrayed in animation, voiced by Nestor Carbonell. In 1989, El Diablo returned as Rafael Sandoval – a city council member in Dos Rios, who created the persona using a costume and local legends in order to generate some social justice. Currently, El Diablo is Chato Santana – a former criminal who encounters a comatose Lazarus in hospital. Santana falls into the more conventionally heroic end of the Suicide Squad spectrum, as an Olympic-standard boxer and athlete – albeit with a tendency to be possessed by questionable spirits and demons. His association with the Squad began with the New 52 re-launch of DC comic books, and his appearance in the Suicide Squad film will feature Santana’s iconic face markings. King Shark (Raymond Olubawale) With no real origin story agreed upon, King Shark is a humanoid shark who was born in Hawaii with the name Nanaue. His physical status has no official explanation in the source material, although he has sometimes been referred to in terms of a mutation. He first appeared in Superboy in 1994 as a serial killer, but subsequent appearances in Aquaman stories seem to suggest that his humanoid shark nature is derived from his mystical position as the son of the Shark God. He has superhuman strength, endurance, regeneration powers and the ability to live underwater. He also has powerful teeth and claws, and has undertaken several missions with the Suicide Squad, under duress. The character has previously been voiced by John DiMaggio in animation, but this will mark his live-action debut. King Shark features in the cast list for the Suicide Squad movie, but has not appeared in publicity shots or footage released, so we can probably assume his part will be brief. Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) In Strange Adventures #187, in 1966, freelance artist June Moone was invited to a grand fancy-dress party at a castle. During the celebrations, she happened upon a hidden chamber that housed a magical entity. This entity promptly bestowed upon her the power to battle an evil presence in the building. Upon uttering the words “The Enchantress,” Moone transformed into a costumed, powerful being. Eventually, however, she began to be corrupted by her power and became increasingly villainous. Joining Task Force X shortly before it became Suicide Squad, The Enchantress continued to succumb to her darker side, to the extent that Deadshot was authorized to eliminate her if necessary. Madame Xanadu – a mystic – helped The Enchantress gain control of her powers, with the young woman eventually coming to understand that The Enchantress was actually an entity separate from June Moone, and it was removed from her for over a decade – resulting in her lengthy absence from Suicide Squad. It transpired that Moone was residing in a psychiatric facility, but was drawn out by a demon invasion. In the New 52 re-launch, several members of Justice League Dark joined forces to battle The Enchantress, after Madame Xanadu caused her to become separated from June Moone. It appears that The Enchantress is set to play an important role in Suicide Squad, as she features quite prominently in the preview footage released. This footage also suggests that a significant portion of her origin story will also be seen. Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaji) First appearing, briefly, in Batman #357 (1983), Killer Croc was seen to be an ambitious supervillain, consumed by a burning desire to become the criminal kingpin of Gotham, and working in the shadows to eliminate his competition – something that quickly puts him at odds with The Joker. He is eventually revealed to be massive in size and reptilian in appearance. In later stories, we learn that Killer Croc is, in fact, Waylon Jones, and was born with a biological atavism – a congenital issue which sees the living being in question display an evolutionary throwback, resulting in the development of physical attributes that have long since evolved into something else. In the case of Jones, these attributes include scaly skin, reptilian teeth, claws, and regenerative abilities, as well as superhuman strength and senses. Having suffered extensive childhood abuse due to his appearance, Jones became a murderer, drawing the attention of Batman and Robin. Over the course of his comic book appearances, it is suggested that Croc’s condition deteriorates, as his reptilian attributes began to overtake his human aspects. As his villainous exploits continued, he returned repeatedly to Arkham Asylum. Killer Croc is a very instinctive individual, possessing little in the way of strategic ability – something that shapes his adversarial relationship with Batman quite significantly. In animation, Killer Croc has been voiced by Aron Kincaid, Brooks Gardner, Ron Perlman, Stephen Root, Wade Williams, Fred Tatasciore, John DiMaggio, Steven Blum and Khary Payton - although Suicide Squad will be his first live-action appearance in cinema. Katana (Karen Fukuhara) In the source material, the character of Katana is most closely associated with the superhero team The Outsiders – which was founded by Batman when he began to struggle with the membership of the more conventional Justice League. As such, she first appeared in The Brave And The Bold #200 in 1983. Her origin story is a particularly brutal one. As Tatsu Yamashiro, she was a talented Japanese martial artist who was courted by two brothers – Maseo and Takeo Yamashiro. Marrying Maseo, Tatsu endured the deaths of both of her parents, while her brother-in-law joined the Yakuza. Tatsu and Maseo welcomed twins, while Takeo – armed with mystical swords – arrived to ‘claim’ Tatsu for himself. The ensuing battle resulted in the murder of Maseo and the twins, and the soul of Maseo being temporarily confined to the mystical sword – the ‘Soultaker’ – with which Tatsu escaped. She went on to train under a samurai and pledged to fight for justice. Her involvement with Amanda Waller - according to The New 52 re-launch - came from her desire to source information about her husband's murderers, having waged war on the Yakuza for a lengthy period. Waller enlisted Katana for missions, in exchange for details of the bad guys she seeks to settle a score with. The character of Katana has appeared in animation, and in live-action - most notably on the TV show Arrow. That version is played by Rila Fukushima, while in animation she has been voiced by Vyvan Pham, Kim Mai Guest and Sumalee Montano. Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) George “Digger” Harkness hails from Australia - as the name of his alter-ego may suggest – specifically the small town of Kurrumburra. Here, he became skilled in the making of boomerangs, before progressing to weaponizing them. Attempting a career as a boomerang performer, Harkness found himself regularly ridiculed by audiences and ultimately turned to a life of crime as a result, assuming the name Captain Boomerang. Recruited to the Suicide Squad, Harkness was loathed by his team-mates for his abrasive manner, incessant racism and general lack of reliability. In later comic stories, Deadshot caused his death – but Boomerang was soon resurrected, with cybernetic hands. Just as every supervillain is the archenemy of somebody, Captain Boomerang is the nemesis of the Flash, having first appeared in Flash #117 in 1960. The original incarnation of his character was killed in 2004, and his son, Owen, assumed his role until Harkness was resurrected. The resurrection briefly afforded Harkness the ability to create weaponised boomerangs entirely from energy, but this gift was shortlived. The New 52 re-launch saw Captain Boomerang face traps, double-crosses and mistrust from his Suicide Squad colleagues, while he was revealed to have been undercover within the unit. Captain Boomerang has appeared in animation, voiced by Donal Gibson, John DiMaggio, James Patrick Stuart, Greg Ellis, and Nolan North, while the character has featured on the TV show Arrow, played by Nick Tarabay. Suicide Squad will be his first appearance in cinema. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) Three generations of character have borne the name Rick Flag – the first of which appeared in the original Suicide Squad comic stories in 1959. The second generation (his son, Rick Flag Jr.) headed up 2 variations of the Suicide Squad. The third (his grandson, Rick Flag III) is a young boy that has appeared as a plot device in later stories. The original Rick Flag led the Suicide Squadron in World War II and was ultimately the only survivor. President Truman subsequently asked him to head up Task Force X, which was designed to replace the Justice Society of America in 1951. Rick Flag Jr. replaced his father in that squad, and was eventually approached by government agents to lead Amanda Waller’s newly formed Suicide Squad – though he struggled with working alongside the criminals on the team, which generated particular tension between Flag Jr and Deadshot. Flag Jr.’s mental and emotional stability were frequently challenged and damaged by the missions undertaken by the Squad – including the death of girlfriend – and Squad medic – Karin Grace. Eventually, in the source material, Flag Jr, is killed in action and later resurrected, somewhat controversially. Suicide Squad: Raise The Flag #2 reveals that Flag Jr. is actually Anthony Miller – a soldier brainwashed by General Wade Eiling into thinking he was the son of Flag, and so providing opportunity for Eiling to seize control of the Squad. Due to the history of the character, the name of Rick Flag is synonymous with the Suicide Squad, and his skillset is a significant part of that. He is highly experienced in military strategy and has Special Forces training, as well as capabilities in guerrilla tactics, demolitions, stealth, surveillance and infiltration. His central position in the history of the Squad dictates that he will almost certainly have a large role to play in the Suicide Squad film. Deadshot (Will Smith) First appearing in Batman #59 in 1950, Deadshot originally arrived in Gotham as a vigilante and tried to replace Batman. However, the Dark Knight and Commissioner Gordon apprehended him during his attempt to become leader of the criminal elements of the city. Between incarcerations, Deadshot operates as an assassin for hire, and is the world’s deadliest marksman. His origin story in his early comic book days acknowledge the psychological trauma that was caused by having accidentally killed his brother with a gun, while trying to stop his abusive father from attacking him. This childhood event is used to explain, to a certain extent, why Deadshot – whose real name is Floyd Lawton – is not truly suicidal, but has a desire to be killed at the hands of another, in some way. His murderous nature is driven entirely by money – if he is not being paid, he does not kill – and his conscience often threatened to return after he discovered the existence of his child. His son, Eddie was ultimately murdered, but he also finds that he has a daughter. His origin story was drastically altered in DC’s New 52 reboot – along with the majority of other characters – and these changes essentially erased his son from existence, while his daughter remained. His rebooted story had him jailed after Batman foiled a plan to assassinate a U.S Senator. It was during this imprisonment that he was recruited for Suicide Squad. His membership of the team often pitted him against Captain Boomerang, and he has also been known to be in conflict with The Joker. However, his marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat skills, his range of weaponry and his tactical skills make him a formidable foe. Deadshot will be familiar to fans of Smallville and Arrow, having been portrayed by Bradley Stryker in the former, and Michael Roe in the latter. He has also been voiced in animation by Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Kenny, Jim Meskimen, Neal McDonough and Chris Cox. Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel burst into the life of Batman in animation form in 1992 as an accomplice of The Joker, and later, Poison Ivy, in Batman: The Animated Series. As she became more of a comic book fixture, she was revealed to have been a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, where she fell instantly in love with The Joker while analyzing him. She repeatedly helped him to escape, but was finally driven insane when The Joker was returned to the Asylum, badly injured by Batman. While Quinn is notoriously violent, she does exhibit compassion on occasion. Her relationship with The Joker can be characterized as abusive, with him often exploiting the psychological and emotional power he holds over her, and repeatedly plotting her demise. For her part, Harley Quinn often does The Joker significant damage in self-defence, but remains attached. Harley Quinn was recruited, forcibly, into Suicide Squad as part of the New 52 relaunch of DC properties - during which time she was re-designed as a more scantily-clad supervillain, who was disfigured with bleached skin by The Joker when he pushed her into a vat of chemicals. The rumoured death of The Joker further unhinged her mind, but storylines evolved to cast her as more of an anti-hero than a supervillain, with the influence of The Joker gone. Suicide Squad represents the most high profile appearance for this very popular character, having previously appeared in live-action on the TV show Birds Of Prey, portrayed by Mia Sara. In animation, she has been voiced by Hynden Walch, Meghan Strange, Tara Strong, Arleen Sorkin, and Laura Bailey. The Joker (Jared Leto) The Joker pre-dates the Suicide Squad, having first appeared in Batman #1 in 1940. He is arguably the most iconic of The Dark Knight’s arch-enemies and is portrayed as a sadistic criminal mastermind with a deeply warped sense of humour. He was originally set as a serial killer, without conscience, whose weapon of choice was a toxin that caused his victims to die with a terrifying smile on their faces. The Joker’s first origin story was depicted in Detective Comics #168 in 1951 and revealed him to have previously been a criminal named Red Hood, who was disfigured and driven insane by falling into a vat of chemicals. Later revisions to his tale incorporated the idea that he became the Red Hood because he was a failed comedian whose wife had died. Though he is most closely associated with Batman, he has also been seen to do battle with both Superman and Wonder Woman, too, while his greatest rival in the world of the supervillain remains Lex Luthor. In the source material, The Joker has not been a significant feature of the Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, became a notable member – and she is The Joker's girlfriend (and ‘sidekick’) courtesy of Batman: The Animated Series. Leto's Joker is the latest in a long line of performances bringing this well-known supervillain to life. He has previously been played - in voice and in body - by Cesar Romero, Larry Storch, Lennie Weinrib, Frank Welker, Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Kevin Michael Richardson, Heath Ledger, Jeff Bennett, Brent Spiner, John DiMaggio, Michael Emerson and Christopher Corey Smith.