Comic Book 101 – The Suicide Squad

If you’ve had your ear to the ground lately for comic book movie news, then you’ve most likely also been run over by a stagecoach filled with upcoming movies from the Marvel and DC stable. Films such as Black Panther, Aquaman, more Guardians Of The Galaxy and the first-ever big screen appearance of the Justice League in live-action form. One other property on that list that gets me excited however, is a Suicide Squad movie. Don’t know who they are? Well here’s everything you need to know about the black ops group.

Task Force X

A covert black ops military team, Task Force X or the Suicide Squad as the inmates refer to it, run secret missions for the US government that have high mortality rates in exchange for pardons for their various crimes. Unofficially recognised by the US of A, the Suicide Squad’s actions are chalked up as supervillain attacks. Operating out of Belle Reve prison, the group is kept under a tight leash (Which happens to be an implanted bomb on their spinal column) by Amanda Waller and a team leader such as Rick Flag or the Bronze Tiger.

Members

The Suicide Squad roster constantly changes, due to inmates escaping, being rarely pardoned or having their heads blown off. But frequent and past operatives have included:

Bronze Tiger

One of the ten greatest martial artists in the DC Universe and one of a select few fighters on the planet who has been able to best the Batman in hand to hand combat, the Bronze Tiger is a supremely skilled and savage expert in various forms of self defense.

Captain Boomerang

A frequent foe of the Flash, Digger Harkness wields various trick boomerangs to devastating effect. His identity and gimmick was later adopted by his own son, after his death during a botched attempt to murder to the father of the third Robin.

Deadshot

The world’s greatest marksman and your greatest asset depending on whether or not you can afford his services, Floyd “Deadshot” Lawton will commit any murder for the right price. Especially if it brings him one step closer to the grand death that he has been seeking his entire life.

Killer Frost

Beneath that icy demeanour there beats an even colder heart of ice, as Killer Frost has no qualms about killing in order to achieve her goals.

Mirror Master

The master of reflections and misdirection, the Mirror Master has been a constant thorn in the side of the Flash and another rogue who found himself drafted into Task Force X.

Harley Quinn

She may be crazy, but she’s our kind of crazy. The on-again, off-again main squeeze of the Joker, Harley Quinn is an unpredictable agent of chaos with an immunity to most poisons thanks to her lover and Poison Ivy, as well as a superb gymnast and shrink.

Essential Reading

Suicide Squad 1987-1992

Primarily written by John Ostrander, this incarnation of the sueprvillain team was filled with memorable characters, storylines and development that made the villains more than just two-note felons that relied on gimmicks to commit a crime.

Suicide Squad Vol. 3

A new age, a new world and a whole bunch of new recruits who had no idea what they were in for. John Ostrander returned to his flagship series, weaving a brand new tale of black ops and villains trying to redeem themselves. Or die trying.

Batman: Assault On Arkham

With a dirty bomb set loose in Gotham by the Joker, the Suicide Squad must infiltrate the notorious Arkham Asylum and get some answers out of the Riddler in order to prevent a massive meltdown. The only problem however, is that the Batman stands in their way in this animated flick.

Last Updated: November 11, 2014