These Wikileaked files for the most part detail the Squad's "last" official mission, though it would prove only the last of that particular incarnation. Consequently, several of the regulars take their final bow.
Files 032-035 - File 036-039 - File 040-043 - Previous
Subject: Thinker II
Profile: Firestorm supporting character/Suicide Squad regular
Powers: Ability to take control of men's minds
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: Fair. Cliff Carmichael's days as Ronnie "Firestorm" Raymond's intellectual bully were far behind him, so that wasn't going to protect his ass now that he was Squad regular (albeit, an interesting one). Used primarily as a support staffer with powers on Oracle's leash, he had a better chance of survival than field agents.
Retirement: TRAITOR. Cliff turned on Oracle and Amanda Waller and attempted to kill the latter for the Cabal. He failed but escaped. (Suicide Squad #64)
Final report: The second Thinker evidently got better, because he returned as a villain to face Jason "Firestorm" Rusch who left him in a coma. He resurfaced during Infinite Crisis as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains and will turn up again in Raise the Flag.
Subject: Outlaw IV
Profile: Obscure Manhunter rogue
Powers: Unusual toughness and strength (switchable)
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: Low. The beneficiary of the gene bomb, John Henry Martin was featured in exactly one storyline in the less than popular Manhunter book before winding up in the Suicide Squad's War of the Gods issue. It's a miracle he survived that one to fight another day, though his heart was in the right place, and heroes ARE generally more long-lasting than villains.
Retirement: RELEASED. Outlaw was grievously injured on the mission and wound up in hospital (and might have been saved by the his writers/creators at the scripting stage). He never worked with the Squad again. (Suicide Squad #65)
Final report: In fact, he has yet to appear again.
Subject: Oracle
Profile: Batman family member
Powers: Master computer hacker
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: High. Even though Barbara Gordon wasn't Batgirl anymore, it seems this new vocation had a lot of potential. [Historical note: Oracle had been helping the Squad since #23 and her identity was revealed to readers in #39. She officially "joined" the Squad in #48. This was perhaps the most significant contribution made by the title to the DCU.] And Batgirl or no, she was still a seminal Batman Family character unlikely to be killed, especially not after already having been shot and paralyzed by the Joker. When is enough, enough?
Retirement: ASSOCIATION ENDED. Though at this point Waller's second in command, Oracle would not continue working with the team in its later incarnations. (Suicide Squad #65)
Final report: After Suicide Squad's cancellation, Oracle would be re-incorporated into the Batman books as Batman's source of information. She would soon found the Birds of Prey and go on to join the JLA. She currently serves as information source and coordinator for many superheroes' operations, in particular those of Gotham (an in particular the new Batgirl).
Subject: Poison Ivy
Profile: Major Batman villain
Powers: Generate toxins and control plants
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: High. Though it's not unforeseeable that a member of Batman's rogues gallery could be killed on a Squad mission, it is highly unlikely that the Bat's top 10 would do so. Ivy can arguably be placed in that number, as her later appearances in both in the films (albeit the very worst of them, but that's not the point) and the animated series tend to prove. It's impressive such a high profile villain was even used by the Squad for such a long time (since SS #33).
Retirement: RELEASED. This last mission for the Squad turned out to be Ivy's last before returning to a life of criminal insanity. (Suicide Squad #66)
Final report: Ivy returned to her rightful place in the DC Universe, as a villain/seductress in Batman's life. She was eventually rewarded for her hard work with a chance to co-star with other Gotham Girls, Harley Quinn and Catwoman, in Sirens of Gotham - a relationship actually developed in the Batman Animated series,
As you can see, some departures are rather unceremonious, leaving the characters in the middle of a fight we're later told they got through. Several subplots were also abandoned when the title folded, including one about Rick Flag's son. What a shame. Next time, because there WILL be a next time, Waller retires people without the benefit of a regular series.
Files 032-035 - File 036-039 - File 040-043 - Previous
Subject: Thinker II
Profile: Firestorm supporting character/Suicide Squad regularPowers: Ability to take control of men's minds
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: Fair. Cliff Carmichael's days as Ronnie "Firestorm" Raymond's intellectual bully were far behind him, so that wasn't going to protect his ass now that he was Squad regular (albeit, an interesting one). Used primarily as a support staffer with powers on Oracle's leash, he had a better chance of survival than field agents.
Retirement: TRAITOR. Cliff turned on Oracle and Amanda Waller and attempted to kill the latter for the Cabal. He failed but escaped. (Suicide Squad #64)
Final report: The second Thinker evidently got better, because he returned as a villain to face Jason "Firestorm" Rusch who left him in a coma. He resurfaced during Infinite Crisis as a member of the Secret Society of Super-Villains and will turn up again in Raise the Flag.Subject: Outlaw IV
Profile: Obscure Manhunter roguePowers: Unusual toughness and strength (switchable)
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: Low. The beneficiary of the gene bomb, John Henry Martin was featured in exactly one storyline in the less than popular Manhunter book before winding up in the Suicide Squad's War of the Gods issue. It's a miracle he survived that one to fight another day, though his heart was in the right place, and heroes ARE generally more long-lasting than villains.
Retirement: RELEASED. Outlaw was grievously injured on the mission and wound up in hospital (and might have been saved by the his writers/creators at the scripting stage). He never worked with the Squad again. (Suicide Squad #65)
Final report: In fact, he has yet to appear again.Subject: Oracle
Profile: Batman family memberPowers: Master computer hacker
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: High. Even though Barbara Gordon wasn't Batgirl anymore, it seems this new vocation had a lot of potential. [Historical note: Oracle had been helping the Squad since #23 and her identity was revealed to readers in #39. She officially "joined" the Squad in #48. This was perhaps the most significant contribution made by the title to the DCU.] And Batgirl or no, she was still a seminal Batman Family character unlikely to be killed, especially not after already having been shot and paralyzed by the Joker. When is enough, enough?
Retirement: ASSOCIATION ENDED. Though at this point Waller's second in command, Oracle would not continue working with the team in its later incarnations. (Suicide Squad #65)
Final report: After Suicide Squad's cancellation, Oracle would be re-incorporated into the Batman books as Batman's source of information. She would soon found the Birds of Prey and go on to join the JLA. She currently serves as information source and coordinator for many superheroes' operations, in particular those of Gotham (an in particular the new Batgirl).Subject: Poison Ivy
Profile: Major Batman villainPowers: Generate toxins and control plants
Mission: Free the small country Diabloverde of subjugation by despot Eduardo Guzman and his fake Suicide Squad.
Chance of survival going in: High. Though it's not unforeseeable that a member of Batman's rogues gallery could be killed on a Squad mission, it is highly unlikely that the Bat's top 10 would do so. Ivy can arguably be placed in that number, as her later appearances in both in the films (albeit the very worst of them, but that's not the point) and the animated series tend to prove. It's impressive such a high profile villain was even used by the Squad for such a long time (since SS #33).
Retirement: RELEASED. This last mission for the Squad turned out to be Ivy's last before returning to a life of criminal insanity. (Suicide Squad #66)
Final report: Ivy returned to her rightful place in the DC Universe, as a villain/seductress in Batman's life. She was eventually rewarded for her hard work with a chance to co-star with other Gotham Girls, Harley Quinn and Catwoman, in Sirens of Gotham - a relationship actually developed in the Batman Animated series,As you can see, some departures are rather unceremonious, leaving the characters in the middle of a fight we're later told they got through. Several subplots were also abandoned when the title folded, including one about Rick Flag's son. What a shame. Next time, because there WILL be a next time, Waller retires people without the benefit of a regular series.
Comments
...it's kind of telling that I find this one loose plot thread, more interesting than most of DC's current output.
Outlaw was Manhunter's biological father. Or mother. Whatever.
Back in the day, I was sure somehow was gonna die in the Diabloverde operation. But no one died. Strange.
Siskoid: will we see dossiers about the second Squad series?
Roger
The files WILL continue, yes. Second series? Sure, but first come the interim years!