The Freedom of Information Act keeps on giving, and I give right along with it...
Files 001-003 - Files 004-007 - Files 008-011 - File 012-015
Subject: Speedy
Profile: Prominent sidekick
Powers: Unbelievably good archer and drug expert.
Mission: Eliminate Colombian drug kingpin Xavier Cujo and destroy his coca fields and transformation plants.
Chance of survival going in: High. Though Speedy is a character that's not unused to shockers, it was highly unlikely that the story's "special guest star" was going to be killed in the pages of a non-Titan or non-Green Arrow book.
Retirement: ASSOCIATION ENDED. Contracted for a single mission through a collaboration with drug enforcement, Speedy was never going to stick around. (Suicide Squad #12)
Final report: Roy Harper went on to reject his bow and arrow to become Arsenal, then picked them up again as Justice League member Red Arrow. More recently, a controversial story line had him lose an arm and his daughter, and be driven back to his addiction. He comes out of it once again as Arsenal. At times like these, I'd like to think he wished he'd died on that suicide mission.
Subject: Javelin
Profile: Lame Green Lantern villain
Powers: Gimmick javelins.
Mission: Break Nemesis out of a Soviet jail.
Chance of survival going in: Low. An under-developed 80s Green Lantern villain, Javelin not only has a lame gimmick, but it's very close to Squad regular Captain Boomerang's lame gimmick. The only thing that could save him was if Justice League International were the Squad's main opponents rather than, say, the Rocket Red Brigade or the People's Heroes.
Retirement: RELEASED. Javelin is so lame that he's never shown again after the following panel. Not in any group shots. Not anywhere. He apparently survived Booster Gold's cutting remarks. (Suicide Squad #13)
Final report: To be continued! Javelin was apparently jailed again because he works with the Squad later. OPEN FILE
Subject: Enchantress
Profile: Suicide Squad regular
Powers: Spellcasting.
Mission: Break Nightshade's brother out of Hell.
Chance of survival going in: Low. Things seemed to be building towards the death of the Enchantress, her host June Moon, or both. It seemed that the character was growing more dangerous with every appearance, and June had been getting a lot of panel time, building a relationship with mission instigator Nightshade. The Enchantress also seemed an ill fit for the gritty stories Suicide Squad was trying to tell.
Retirement: NEUTRALIZED. Enchantress is pulled out of June Moon by Nightshade's possessed brother. June would slum around Belle Reve for a little while before leaving for good. (Suicide Squad #15)
Final report: After 11 years (our time), June Moon returned to the DC Universe, apparently having been institutionalized at the Ostrander Mental Institute (hardy har). She was reintegrated with the Enchantress entity and would eventually return to monthly comics as a member of Shadowpact.
Subject: Captain Cold
Profile: Flash Rogue
Powers: Cold gun.
Mission: Eliminate or capture the Jihad during the terrorists' very public attack on Manhattan.
Chance of survival going in: Good. Perhaps the fact that Barry Allen wasn't among the living might have given DC leave to kill some of his most prominent Rogues, it became less and less likely as the comic went on and Cold was revealed to be a real badass.
Retirement: RELEASED. After two missions rather than the agreed one, Cold had more than enough credits for a get out of jail card. (Suicide Squad #18)
Final report: With Barry Allen's return, the Rogues' Gallery have been propelled to top tier villain status again. Captain Cold is their leader.
Next time: You can expect some deaths.
Files 001-003 - Files 004-007 - Files 008-011 - File 012-015
Subject: Speedy
Profile: Prominent sidekickPowers: Unbelievably good archer and drug expert.
Mission: Eliminate Colombian drug kingpin Xavier Cujo and destroy his coca fields and transformation plants.
Chance of survival going in: High. Though Speedy is a character that's not unused to shockers, it was highly unlikely that the story's "special guest star" was going to be killed in the pages of a non-Titan or non-Green Arrow book.
Retirement: ASSOCIATION ENDED. Contracted for a single mission through a collaboration with drug enforcement, Speedy was never going to stick around. (Suicide Squad #12)
Final report: Roy Harper went on to reject his bow and arrow to become Arsenal, then picked them up again as Justice League member Red Arrow. More recently, a controversial story line had him lose an arm and his daughter, and be driven back to his addiction. He comes out of it once again as Arsenal. At times like these, I'd like to think he wished he'd died on that suicide mission.Subject: Javelin
Profile: Lame Green Lantern villainPowers: Gimmick javelins.
Mission: Break Nemesis out of a Soviet jail.
Chance of survival going in: Low. An under-developed 80s Green Lantern villain, Javelin not only has a lame gimmick, but it's very close to Squad regular Captain Boomerang's lame gimmick. The only thing that could save him was if Justice League International were the Squad's main opponents rather than, say, the Rocket Red Brigade or the People's Heroes.
Retirement: RELEASED. Javelin is so lame that he's never shown again after the following panel. Not in any group shots. Not anywhere. He apparently survived Booster Gold's cutting remarks. (Suicide Squad #13)
Final report: To be continued! Javelin was apparently jailed again because he works with the Squad later. OPEN FILESubject: Enchantress
Profile: Suicide Squad regularPowers: Spellcasting.
Mission: Break Nightshade's brother out of Hell.
Chance of survival going in: Low. Things seemed to be building towards the death of the Enchantress, her host June Moon, or both. It seemed that the character was growing more dangerous with every appearance, and June had been getting a lot of panel time, building a relationship with mission instigator Nightshade. The Enchantress also seemed an ill fit for the gritty stories Suicide Squad was trying to tell.
Retirement: NEUTRALIZED. Enchantress is pulled out of June Moon by Nightshade's possessed brother. June would slum around Belle Reve for a little while before leaving for good. (Suicide Squad #15)
Final report: After 11 years (our time), June Moon returned to the DC Universe, apparently having been institutionalized at the Ostrander Mental Institute (hardy har). She was reintegrated with the Enchantress entity and would eventually return to monthly comics as a member of Shadowpact.Subject: Captain Cold
Profile: Flash RoguePowers: Cold gun.
Mission: Eliminate or capture the Jihad during the terrorists' very public attack on Manhattan.
Chance of survival going in: Good. Perhaps the fact that Barry Allen wasn't among the living might have given DC leave to kill some of his most prominent Rogues, it became less and less likely as the comic went on and Cold was revealed to be a real badass.
Retirement: RELEASED. After two missions rather than the agreed one, Cold had more than enough credits for a get out of jail card. (Suicide Squad #18)
Final report: With Barry Allen's return, the Rogues' Gallery have been propelled to top tier villain status again. Captain Cold is their leader.Next time: You can expect some deaths.
Comments
Minor villains, they die many deaths ;)
Roger
i really like this Task Force X retirement series you have Siskoid. having those links at the top of the posting allowing people to easily get to the older postings was a good idea too.
He's just not very good at it.
Thanks for the link on yer Squad blog David.
Maybe DC should use him that way from now on; he just runs into what would normally be a super-cool picture and lames it up!
I really wish that DC had just let Roy Harper remain as "Arsenal" (the first iteration, natch). He had just really seemed to come into his own during that period.