Task Force X Retirement Files 001-003

Through the Freedom of Information Act, Siskoid's Blog of Geekery has gotten its hands on formerly top secret info on the project code-named Suicide Squad that offered full pardons to so-called "supervillains" in exchange for participation in dangerous black ops missions for the U.S. government. While Task Force X had some more permanent members made up of "heroes" to keep the villains in line and villains with personal reasons for staying, it made ample use of whoever was jailed at the time, retiring them at mission's end one way or another. These are those retirement files.

Subject: Blockbuster IProfile: Lame Batman villain
Powers: Super-strength balanced by low intellect
Mission: To stop Brimstone, a giant flaming envoy from Apokolips.
Chance of survival going in: Fair. Enchantress seemed the most obscure member of the team at the time (a member of the Forgotten Villains) and was pegged to bite it. Because this was the first appearance of this iteration of the Squad, it was hard to gauge who would.
Retirement: DECEASED. Brimstone squeezes him hard. (Legends #5)
Final report: Blockbuster has since been replaced by his brother. After Neron's interference, Blockbuster II also gained near genius intellect forcing him to compete for the "monster voiced by Frasier" niche currently dominated by the Ultra-Humanite.

Subject: Plastique
Profile: Hot Firestorm villain
Powers: Pyrotechnics
Mission: Infiltrate the Jihad's base, code-name Jotunheim, and eliminate all members of the superhuman terrorist team. Specifically, destroy the lab where new Jihad members are created.
Chances of survival going in: High. Though Firestorm villains assigned to Task Force X had a tendency to die (see next Subject), Plastique was always one of the more appealing members of the Nuclear Man's rogues gallery.
Retirement: JAILED. Plastique betrayed the Squad - perhaps unavoidable that a FLQ member would try to join an international pan-ideological terrorist group - but was apprehended by Nemesis. (Suicide Squad #2)
Final report: Dr. Moon altered Plastique's memory so she would forget about the Suicide Squad and after escaping prison would go on to become an important part of Captain Atom's rogues. She would eventually land back in jail and be used by the Squad again.

Subject: Mindboggler
Profile: Lame Firestorm villain
Powers: Illusion-casting
Mission: Infiltrate the Jihad's base, code-name Jotunheim, and eliminate all members of the superhuman terrorist team. Specifically, keep terrorist troops occupied once the fighting starts.
Chances of survival going in: Low. John Ostrander was writing both Suicide Squad and Firestorm, so seemed to have carte blanche when it came to offing that character's rogues gallery. Given her costume's design and generic powers, she was dead the minute she showed her punk hairdo in the briefing room.
Retirement: DECEASED. Shot in the back by Jihad leader Rustam as petty team member Captain Boomerang just watched and smirked. (Suicide Squad #2)
Final report: Mindboggler returned as Ifrit, the Jihad's replacement for Djinn and was captured by Task Force X in an attempt to use her as an asset.

Still collating files (so many boxes!), but there'll be more. In the meantime, you can always get more Suicide Squad from the Task Force X blog.

Comments

Robert said…
I love the way Darkseid gloated over Blockbuster's death as if anybody would even notice he was gone.
De said…
I think I'm going to get my Suicide Squad collection bound. Easily one of the most re-readable runs of any book.
Jeff R. said…
"An important part of Captain Atom's Rogues..."

Wives are rogues now?

[I'm still somewhat bitter about Plastique getting divorced and unreformed offscreen, in what certainly appeared at the time as less retcon and more authorial and editorial incompetence...]
Siskoid said…
I blame one Crisis or another.

Marriage in Crisis.
this is David H. and i approve of this posting. which is saying a lot coming from the guy who started the world's first 100% Suicide Squad/Task Force X devoted blog. Plastique has developed into such a great character over the years. i'm also glad that Mindboggler's story ended on a happy note with her marrying a nice Jewish "boy", mazel tov!
Anonymous said…
Robert: that wasn't Darkseid, but one of his minions.

I wonder if Wikileaks will dare to exist in a world with the Wall and Deadshot!

I enjoyed Plastique apparition in the last Squad miniseries: she was ambiguous enough, and retained some of her ideals.

Roger
in that case Roger you might want to have a look at this posting about Plastique: http://suicidesquadtaskforcex.blogspot.com/2010/10/plastique-is-bomb-just-dont-call-her.html

there is also a current posting on this at that blog site about Erica Durance making a possible good live action Plastique.
Max said…
The death of Mindboggler is one of those moments where I knew I was hooked on a series for the long haul right away.

Previous to the Squad series, I kinda liked Cap Boomerang as a silly, campy Flash villain. After this moment, I wanted nothing more in comics at the time than to see what Digger would get up to next.
Siskoid said…
Definitely! It was all about him and Deadshot (and Amanda Waller).
Aliera said…
Definitely. For me it was a lot about Amanda Waller trying to control everything, and Boomerang trying to find a hole everywhere to sneak out.