Suicide Squad Retirement Files 060-063

The second volume of Suicide Squad ends after only 12 issues, leaving a lot of plot threads dangling. Some, like the true identities of General Rock and Bulldozer, are pretty maddening, and a few continuities later, don't stand a chance of being ever resolved. But then, this version of the Squad is a failed experiment DC has pretty much ignored. A Squad working under President Luthor should probably have been darker than the Bwa-ha-ha tone Giffen has given it, and both the stories and the art have suffered from lack of clarity. Some probably didn't respond well to Sgt. Rock becoming involved with superhumans. He is far from the only victim of mischaracterization (or bad redesigns) in these pages, let me tell you. (Killer Frost saying she's never been in love when her whole shtick was Fatal Attraction, is but one example.)

Havana

Profile: Suicide Squad support personnel.
Powers: Crazy admin skills.
Mission: None, officially. Havana was kidnapped by Onslaught, the terrorist organization formerly known as the Jihad, in retaliation for the death of past members, thus sparking a rescue mission.
Chance of survival going in: High. Not only is an admin position safer than being a field agent, but she's Amanda Waller's DAUGHTER!
Retirement: DECEASED. Killed by Rustam Jr. while in his custody. He planned to kill Waller herself and let the small fry go, but she scratched at his face and that was that. (Suicide Squad vol.2 #12)

Final report: Havana (real name unknown) is possibly the inspiration for the Peacemaker show's Adebayo, played by Danielle Brooks. Giving the Wall a daughter who hates her guts working for the Squad was one of the series' good ideas and it's a shame Giffen burned this particular bridge behind him.

General Rock

Profile: Allegedly, former war comics hero, now Suicide Squad support personnel.
Powers: Cold-hearted bastard.
Mission: None, officially. General Rock was kidnapped by Onslaught, the terrorist organization formerly known as the Jihad, in retaliation for the death of past members, thus sparking a rescue mission.
Chance of survival going in: High. You can't kill Sgt. Rock! Or you can, but only if you're the last bullet of World War II.
Retirement: AWOL. The Rock escapes from Onslaught's cell, leaving a rubber mask behind, suggesting he was never General Rock at all. Former Squad operative Nemesis is usually, and quite correctly, touted as this Rock's true identity. (Suicide Squad vol.2 #12)

Final report: Waller says Sgt. Rock died in 1945, but we are never actually told that this was Nemesis, nor why we have gotten flashbacks to his joining a Squad precursor in the 1950s, apparently from his point of view. My theory is that the mask reveal was done at the end of the series to pacify fans who thought this was a wrong-headed use of the character, but doesn't make sense in the context of issues 4 and 10 in which his post-War history is explored.

Bulldozer

Profile: Allegedly, former war comics hero, now Suicide Squad support personnel.
Powers: Allegedly aging in reverse. Weaponized wheelchair.
Mission: Rescue of General Rock and Havana from an Onslaught compound.
Chance of survival going in: Fair. While Sgt./Gen. Rock is a big deal, killing an 80-year-old member of Easy Company provides an easier shock. But he is also protected by being support personnel, never too close to a mission.
Retirement: DETAINED. When Frank Rock is revealed to be an impostor, Bulldozer gets up from his wheelchair in a daze. We later learn that he is being detained, presumably for knowing too much. (Suicide Squad vol.2 #12)

Final report: Bulldozer's identity was also put in question at the end of the series, with Waller stating he was also killed in 1945. However, he does not seem to be in on the Rock being an impostor, and his memories and history with a "time rip" don't make sense unless he's the real thing. As previously stated, the truth was never revealed and the character never appeared again in this time frame/continuity.

Killer Frost

Profile: Major Firestorm villain.
Powers: Deep freeze.
Mission: Rescue of General Rock and Havana from an Onslaught compound.
Chance of survival going in: High. A lot of Firestorm villains have died while on the Squad (on account of John Ostrander forging both books' destinies at the time), but Killer Frost is one of flamehead's better foes and somewhat evergreen as a result.
Retirement: UNREVEALED. At her request, Frost becomes a Squad regular, with three life sentences to pay off and enjoying the work besides. No escape or dismissal has been recorded. (Suicide Squad vol.2 #12)

Final report: Killer Frost must have gotten out somehow, because she can he hired by Dr. Light to attack Green Arrow, and joins Lex Luthor's Injustice League (potentially recruited because of her work in the Squad while he was president) in the One Year Later event.

If you're wondering where Deadshot is in these files, I am waiting for him to actually quit (he was also not featured in volume 1's). For him to quit, or as actually happens, for continuity to collapse. In this volume, he is referred to as a "loaner", but on loan from what is never explained. The inference is that he is not currently in prison and is being paid to lend his services to the team. We'll finally open his file when we look at John Ostrander's return, i.e. volume 3, one day.