List of government agencies in DC Comics
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of fiction
al government agencies
, comic book
organizations that have been published by DC Comics
and their imprints. This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion. You can help by expanding it with sourced additions.
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X. It performed global operations which were vital to the security of American interests. Valentina Vostok
brought former NYPD
Lieutenant Harry Stein into the Agency as an operative. Adrian Chase the Vigilante
and Christopher Smith Peacemaker
were contract operatives for the Agency.
, and Ishito Maad are their most well known operatives. Their main headquarters is inside Mount Rushmore.
. Argent was led by Control and consisted mainly of former O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services
) agents. Argent was a powerful agency during most of the Cold War. After confronting and killing a government official responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy, Control ordered all records of Argent destroyed and pulled the organisation undercover. For years, the Argent continued their work in secret, but shrunk considerably in size. Eventually, Control died, but his granddaughter, Anne-Marie Vere, maintained the pretense that he was still alive to keep the group operating. In recent times, a confrontation with the Suicide Squad exposed the deception and Argent disbanded. Known agents of the Argent included Control, Falcon, Fleur, Iron Munro
, Phantom Lady
, and Anne-Marie Vere.
. The chairman of the A.S.A. was B. Eric Blairman. Blairman was later replaced as head of the A.S.A. by the even more corrupt Abraham Lincoln Carlyle, who made an attempt to use the Psycho Pirate's
Medusa Mask to get himself elected president. During an internecine war within the US Government called the Janus Directive
, Carlyle and most of the Force of July were killed in battle. The American Security Agency was defunct shortly afterwards.
and Detective Chimp
.
and also included King Faraday
, Richard Dragon
, and Ben Turner
in its stable of agents. Steel was eventually depicted as a Federal Cabinet Secretary of Metahuman Affairs (giving him control of agencies such as the Suicide Squad
), until the election of Lex Luthor
as President. Luthor then appointed Amanda Waller
as his replacement until he was exposed as a criminal in the events of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
, seen in the pages of Stormwatch: Team Achilles
.
n version of Checkmate was introduced in the last issues of the original series run. They were admittedly underfunded but wore armor similar to their US counterparts (see below).
s agency within the DC Comics
universe
. Created from the ashes of its predecessor group, The Agency, it was originally set up by Amanda Waller
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X
under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. In the wake of events depicted in the miniseries The OMAC Project
and Infinite Crisis
, Checkmate has been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council
-affiliated agency.
Checkmate's original hierarchy was modelled after the pieces of a chess game- one King, one Queen, and several Bishops. The Bishops oversaw the Rooks behind the scenes while the Rooks planned missions and supervised the field agents, or Knights, and the Knights' support, Pawns.
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1696, Checkmate was reorganized as the UN’s Chartered Metahuman
Monitoring Force. The organization was restructured utilizing the “Rule of Two”. Each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the “Royal Family” must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. In addition, there are an indeterminate number of “pawns”. In the original incarnation of Checkmate, they were low-level field agents that provided intelligence-gathering, logistical and operational support; it appears that pawns in the current incarnation serve similar roles.
and Knightwatch. Other divisions include an agency for training 'gifted' youngsters whose powers manifest at a difficult age, and numerous surveillance and data-collection operations. The current Regional Director for the Eastern Seaboard
is a former costumed villain named Mister Bones
. One of its highest-profile agents is Cameron Chase.
covert ops organization in the DC Comics universe. Known operatives are Andre Chevard (Boy Commandos
) founder and leader, Fleur-de-Lis (Global Guardians
), Belphegor (Global Guardians), Tin, the Captain, the Professor, and Halfwolf.
. Its director is Antonio Giovanni. When International Operations was dissolved, Department PSI absorbed most of its assets, equipment, and personnel.
, Tom Tresser (Nemesis
), and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman
).
the chief of staff, and Tommy Dane one of the Young Scienceers.
universe. They are described to normally function as a sort of "clean up crew" for the superheroes ("taking supervillains into custody, guarding damaged property, etc.") but during the Confession storyline they are seen hunting down, and capturing, various superheroes. After the storyline it is implied that they returned to their normal duties.
. The FDAA (Federal Disaster Assistance Administration), handles a US government superhero team called the Civil Defense Corps. The FDAA is responsible for using gene therapy to create many of America's heroes as well as "villains" who they have fight the heroes in publicly staged battles. The FDAA periodically unleashes Hellbent, a homicidal and sociopathic supervillain, to assassinate enemies of the United States.
depicted in the dystopian Britain of V for Vendetta
.
#228, during that title's attempt to mainstream the Blackhawks as superheroes. G.E.O.R.G.E. opposed the International Crime Combine, a supraorganization
made up of operatives from various other criminal organizations some based in the DC Comics Universe, like CYCLOPS and O.G.R.E., and other fictional organizations such as THRUSH
and SPECTRE
. Known G.E.O.R.G.E. operatives were their leader The Long L, Mister Delta, and The Champ, a trenchcoat wearing robot.
#7.
and Richard Dragon
.
. Their first contact with the West came when Amanda Waller (see Suicide Squad) was contracted to capture Kobra
. Waller was informed of the Hayoth's existence by an Egyptian operative named Nazair.
universe, the Human Defense Corps is a branch of the military established by then President of the United States
Lex Luthor
to reduce government dependency on superhumans when a major alien crisis breaks out, act as back-up to Earth's superheroes, and specifically counter any alien threat to Earth. Membership of the Corps is open to 'Decorated veterans of alien campaigns only'.
al American intelligence agency
in WildStorm
comics
. It was originally called International Operations. I.O. International Operations was founded in 1964 as a branch of the Central Intelligence Agency
with the mission to safeguard the United States' interests and safety abroad. It quickly became an independent agency under the leadership of Director Miles Craven. Following the Divine Right incident, the agency was severely weakened. It was shut down by the US government within a year. However, in 2004, it was reestablished under the leadership of John Lynch. IO first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. vol.1 #1 (August, 1992) and was created by Brandon Choi
and Jim Lee
.
and lead scientist Dr. Heinrich Megala, with the aim of creating a superhero answerable only to the military. The project used a combination of nuclear physics and a unique alloy called Dilustel with quantum properties that was cut from the skin of a captured alien known as the Silver Shield using X-Ionizer technology. The project only had two recorded successes, Captain Atom
and Major Force
. The origin of the woman calling herself Bombshell
is still unknown. Heinrich Megala was also responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting Captain Atom's
skin and the skin of most invulnerable metahuman
s.
, and Connor Kent
the second Superboy
as well as a number of other heroes and villains.
black-ops facility commanded by General Sam Lane. Its existence was uncovered by investigative reporter James Olsen
's investigations. Like the Human Defense Corps, and Squad K, this project was created to defend humanity against extraterrestrial threats, including Kryptonian
s. (The number of the project itself may be a play on a "word" that can be created on most calculators by simply typing in the number 7734 -turned upside down, it reads as "hell.")
and specialized in experimental biotechnology and necromancy. Known creations of the Project include the Creature Commandos, Miss America
, and the G.I. Robot
. The Project's main scientist is one Professor Mazursky. He was aided by Robotman
. As told in Young All-Stars
#12, they operated from a secret underground complex on mythical Ferris Island in New York
.
, Mace Gardner (brother of Guy Gardner), Loria a New Blood
, the metahuman known as Sledge, and an army of armored men known as Sweepers. The Quorum sponsored and funded the Blood Pack, a superhero team made up of "New Bloods", in a failed attempt to create a superhuman army based on their DNA
.
. Organization originally consisted of ex-members of the People's Heroes and Blue Trinity. Later on other original Russian characters were introduced such as Stalnoivolk, Russia's World War II Superman. The Red Shadows were all organized under Amanda Waller
's opposite number, a man known only as Major Zastrow. Other Red Shadow operatives were: Pozhar (Mikhail Arkadin), Bolshoi (martial artist), Molotov (explosives expert), Mrs. Gradenko (a were-bear), Yerosha (Could alter a person's senses), Lamia (Pheromone manipulation), Blue Trinity (speedsters), and Schreck, a metahuman vampire.
and his S.H.A.D.E. agency exercise martial law over the devastated city of Blüdhaven
. Father Time used this posting to carry out S.H.A.D.E.'s other mandate, the harvesting and creation of new metahuman talent. S.H.A.D.E. uses its specially trained metahuman talent to carry out black ops assassinations of threats to the United States and its policies. Several S.H.A.D.E. operatives defect from the organization to form a new version of the Freedom Fighters
under the guidance of Uncle Sam
, resulting in Sam and his team being declared enemies of S.H.A.D.E. and Father Time and his ally Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
ordering their deaths at the hands of First Strike
. (see Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters). After Father Time turned on the psychotic Gonzo, he and his troops vanished into the timestream; Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters were made the leaders of S.H.A.D.E.
if he should ever turn rogue, and with the apprehension of other Kryptonian
criminals. Perseus Hazard, the grandson of Ulysses Hazard
, was the group's first commander; after his death he is replaced by a Native American
named Sergeant Cloud possibly a descendant of Johnny Cloud from the Losers.
and a precursor to Stormwatch
. From the pages of Planetary
.
, his girlfriend
Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright.
The second and better-known Suicide Squad was a covert black ops government strike team. The team was partially made up of imprisoned supervillain
s who had agreed to perform extremely dangerous missions, which were officially denied by the US Government using the prisoners' participation as rationale to claim that the incidents are merely attacks by criminals, in return for a full pardon for their actions. In addition, there were other non-prisoner members such as Nemesis
and Nightshade
who participated in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operated out of Belle Reve
prison in Louisiana.
in October 1945, President Harry S. Truman
replaced it with the Central Intelligence Agency
in 1946. In 1951, seeking to fill the void left by the retired JSA
, Truman created Task Force X and its domestic branch, Argent. The international branch, the Suicide Squad, was put under the command of General Jeb Stuart. Jeb Stuart was later succeeded by Rick Flag.
agents during World War II
. Today it is a NATO sponsored covert intelligence training academy situated on the French Riviera
, with an embassy office in Washington D.C.. Its last known headmistress was Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady
. The school's most notable graduates are the Crimson Fox
twins and Dee Tyler, the second Phantom Lady.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al government agencies
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
organizations that have been published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and their imprints. This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion. You can help by expanding it with sourced additions.
The Agency
The Agency was formed by Amanda WallerAmanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X. It performed global operations which were vital to the security of American interests. Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok
Valentina Vostok is a fictional character by DC Comics. She first appeared in Showcase #94, , and was created by Paul Kupperberg and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
brought former NYPD
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Lieutenant Harry Stein into the Agency as an operative. Adrian Chase the Vigilante
Vigilante (comics)
Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The original character was one of the first DC Comics characters adapted for live-action film, beating Superman by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
and Christopher Smith Peacemaker
Peacemaker (comics)
The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. The original Peacemaker first appeared in Fightin' 5 #40 The Peacemaker is the name of a series of superheroes originally owned by Charlton Comics and later acquired by DC...
were contract operatives for the Agency.
A.P.E.S.
A.P.E.S. (All-Purpose Enforcement Squad) is a semi-independent US governmental division within the DEO. Donald Fite, father of EmpressEmpress (comics)
Empress is a fictional character, a superheroine in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Young Justice #16 .-Fictional character biography:...
, and Ishito Maad are their most well known operatives. Their main headquarters is inside Mount Rushmore.
Argent
Argent was the domestic branch of Task Force X; it was a sister organization to the Suicide SquadSuicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
. Argent was led by Control and consisted mainly of former O.S.S. (Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
) agents. Argent was a powerful agency during most of the Cold War. After confronting and killing a government official responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy, Control ordered all records of Argent destroyed and pulled the organisation undercover. For years, the Argent continued their work in secret, but shrunk considerably in size. Eventually, Control died, but his granddaughter, Anne-Marie Vere, maintained the pretense that he was still alive to keep the group operating. In recent times, a confrontation with the Suicide Squad exposed the deception and Argent disbanded. Known agents of the Argent included Control, Falcon, Fleur, Iron Munro
Iron Munro
Iron Munro is a fictional superhero, who first appeared in Shadow Comics #1 , published by Street & Smith. He is loosely based on Aarn Munro, the hero of a series of short stories written by John W. Campbell in the 1930s...
, Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
, and Anne-Marie Vere.
A.S.A.
The American Security Agency was a U.S. Government organization that supervised the creation of the national team of super-agents called the Force of JulyForce of July
The Force of July is a fictional DC Comics antagonistic superhero team introduced in 1984's Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1. They were created by Mike Barr and Jim Aparo.-Fictional history:...
. The chairman of the A.S.A. was B. Eric Blairman. Blairman was later replaced as head of the A.S.A. by the even more corrupt Abraham Lincoln Carlyle, who made an attempt to use the Psycho Pirate's
Psycho-Pirate
The Psycho-Pirate is the name of two DC Comics supervillains, dating back to the Golden Age of Comics.-Charles Halstead:Charles Halstead is a minor character who first appears in All-Star Comics #23, created by Gardner Fox and Joe Gallagher...
Medusa Mask to get himself elected president. During an internecine war within the US Government called the Janus Directive
Janus Directive
"The Janus Directive" was an eleven-part comic book crossover first published by DC Comics between May and June of 1989. Among the creators who contributed to the storyline were writers John Ostrander, Kim Yale, Paul Kupperberg, Cary Bates and Greg Weisman and artists John K...
, Carlyle and most of the Force of July were killed in battle. The American Security Agency was defunct shortly afterwards.
B.A.A.
The Bureau of Amplified Animals is a US Government agency that monitors and deploys superhuman animal operatives. Currently known operatives of the Bureau are Rex the Wonder DogRex the Wonder Dog
Rex the Wonder Dog is a fictional dog in the DC Comics universe. Created in 1952 by Robert Kanigher of Wonder Woman fame and artist Alex Toth, Rex has sometimes been compared to Superman's dog Krypto, who was created three years later. However, though the two canine crime fighters do share some...
and Detective Chimp
Detective Chimp
In the fictional DC Universe, Detective Chimp is a deerstalker-wearing chimpanzee with human-level intelligence who solves crimes, often with the help of the Bureau of Amplified Animals, a group of intelligent animals that also includes Rex the Wonder Dog...
.
C.B.I.
The CBI (Central Bureau of Intelligence), was formerly led by Sarge SteelSarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's Action Heroes line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group...
and also included King Faraday
King Faraday
King Faraday is a fictional secret agent featured in DC Comics. Faraday first appeared in Danger Trail #1 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino.-Fictional character biography:...
, Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon is a fictional character created by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry in the novel Dragon's Fists under the pseudonym "Jim Dennis." O'Neil later adapted the character for DC Comics in the comic book Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter....
, and Ben Turner
Bronze Tiger
Bronze Tiger is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a martial artist who first appeared in Dragon's Fists, a novel by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry, starring Richard Dragon. His first DC Comics appearance was in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.-Early years:Ben Turner comes...
in its stable of agents. Steel was eventually depicted as a Federal Cabinet Secretary of Metahuman Affairs (giving him control of agencies such as the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
), until the election of Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
as President. Luthor then appointed Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
as his replacement until he was exposed as a criminal in the events of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Civil Defense Administration
American intelligence agency created as a replacement for International Operations and led by Ivana BaiulIvana Baiul
Ivana Baiul is a comic book character from DC Comics/Wildstorm. She has starred in Gen¹³ and DV8.-History:Ivana Baiul was the head of Sci-Tech, the scientific division of I.O. There she worked on creating a group of genetically enhanced soldiers for the government, a task previously done 12 times...
, seen in the pages of Stormwatch: Team Achilles
Stormwatch: Team Achilles
Stormwatch: Team Achilles is an American super-hero series, the third incarnation/revision of the Image comics Stormwatch.This version was penned by Micah Ian Wright and drawn variously by Whilce Portacio, C. P. Smith, Mark Texeira, Tomm Coker, Carlos D'Anda, and Clement Sauve. The longest run for...
.
Checkmate! (Russia)
The RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n version of Checkmate was introduced in the last issues of the original series run. They were admittedly underfunded but wore armor similar to their US counterparts (see below).
Checkmate (UN)
Checkmate is a covert operationCovert operation
A covert operation is a military, intelligence or law enforcement operation that is carried clandestinely and, often, outside of official channels. Covert operations aim to fulfill their mission objectives without any parties knowing who sponsored or carried out the operation...
s agency within the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. Created from the ashes of its predecessor group, The Agency, it was originally set up by Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
to serve as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. In the wake of events depicted in the miniseries The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project is a six issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005.-Overview:...
and Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
, Checkmate has been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
-affiliated agency.
Checkmate's original hierarchy was modelled after the pieces of a chess game- one King, one Queen, and several Bishops. The Bishops oversaw the Rooks behind the scenes while the Rooks planned missions and supervised the field agents, or Knights, and the Knights' support, Pawns.
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1696, Checkmate was reorganized as the UN’s Chartered Metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
Monitoring Force. The organization was restructured utilizing the “Rule of Two”. Each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the “Royal Family” must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. In addition, there are an indeterminate number of “pawns”. In the original incarnation of Checkmate, they were low-level field agents that provided intelligence-gathering, logistical and operational support; it appears that pawns in the current incarnation serve similar roles.
D.E.O.
The Department of Extranormal Operations is a branch of the United States government, concerned with the magical, the alien, and the superhuman and having connections with such organisations as the Suicide SquadSuicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
and Knightwatch. Other divisions include an agency for training 'gifted' youngsters whose powers manifest at a difficult age, and numerous surveillance and data-collection operations. The current Regional Director for the Eastern Seaboard
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
is a former costumed villain named Mister Bones
Mister Bones
Mister Bones is a fictional character in the , created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Todd McFarlane, in Infinity, Inc. #16 . A former low-level supervillain, he reformed and joined the Infinity Inc...
. One of its highest-profile agents is Cameron Chase.
Département Gamma
Département Gamma is the main FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
covert ops organization in the DC Comics universe. Known operatives are Andre Chevard (Boy Commandos
Boy Commandos
Boy Commandos was a 1940s comic book series created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for DC Comics. A combination of "kid gang" comics and war comics, the title starred an international cast of little tough guys fighting the Nazis — or in their own parlance, "the Ratzies".-Creation:Simon & Kirby, hired...
) founder and leader, Fleur-de-Lis (Global Guardians
Global Guardians
The Global Guardians is a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes whose members hail from countries around the world. The concept originated in the Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon, in which several heroes were added to the Justice League to give it more ethnic diversity.-History:The...
), Belphegor (Global Guardians), Tin, the Captain, the Professor, and Halfwolf.
Department PSI
Department for Paranormal Science Investigations, a rival to International Operations and employer of the superhero team WildcoreWildcore
Wildcore was an American comic book series created and co-written by writer Sean Ruffner and artist Brett Booth that debuted in 1997. Focusing on a team of superheroes of the same name, it was published by Wildstorm comics, then still a part of Image Comics, as a continuation of the series Backlash...
. Its director is Antonio Giovanni. When International Operations was dissolved, Department PSI absorbed most of its assets, equipment, and personnel.
D.M.A.
The Department of Metahuman Affairs is a division within the DEO. Known operatives are Sarge SteelSarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's Action Heroes line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group...
, Tom Tresser (Nemesis
Nemesis (DC Comics)
Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. Thomas Andrew Tresser first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #166, , and was created by Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle. Soseh Myrkos first appeared in JSA Annual #1, , and was created by David S...
), and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
).
D.S.I.
The Department of Scientific Investigation is a government organization dedicated to the investigation of strange phenomena. Known operatives were Darwin JonesDarwin Jones
Darwin Jones is a fictional scientist, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #1 , and was created by David V Reed and Paul Norris.-Publication history:...
the chief of staff, and Tommy Dane one of the Young Scienceers.
E.A.G.L.E.
The Extranormal Activities Garrison for Law Enforcement is a government agency within the Astro CityAstro City
Kurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
universe. They are described to normally function as a sort of "clean up crew" for the superheroes ("taking supervillains into custody, guarding damaged property, etc.") but during the Confession storyline they are seen hunting down, and capturing, various superheroes. After the storyline it is implied that they returned to their normal duties.
FDAA
Introduced in issue #1 of The American WayThe American Way
The American Way is an eight-issue American comic book limited series produced under DC Comics' Wildstorm Signature imprint. The series debuted in April 2006, and was created by John Ridley and Georges Jeanty.-Publication history:...
. The FDAA (Federal Disaster Assistance Administration), handles a US government superhero team called the Civil Defense Corps. The FDAA is responsible for using gene therapy to create many of America's heroes as well as "villains" who they have fight the heroes in publicly staged battles. The FDAA periodically unleashes Hellbent, a homicidal and sociopathic supervillain, to assassinate enemies of the United States.
Finger, Eye, & Ear
The Finger (secret police), the Eye (CCTV monitoring), and the Ear (phone surveillance). These were the three branches of overt government surveillanceSurveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
depicted in the dystopian Britain of V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is a ten-issue comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated mostly by David Lloyd, set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s to about the 1990s. A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government,...
.
G.E.O.R.G.E.
G.E.O.R.G.E. the Group for Extermination of Organizations of Revenge, Greed, and Evil, debuted in BlackhawkBlackhawk (comics)
Blackhawk, a long-running comic book series, was also a film serial, a radio series and a novel. The comic book was published first by Quality Comics and later by DC Comics. The series was created by Will Eisner, Chuck Cuidera, and Bob Powell, but the artist most associated with the feature is Reed...
#228, during that title's attempt to mainstream the Blackhawks as superheroes. G.E.O.R.G.E. opposed the International Crime Combine, a supraorganization
Supraorganization
A supraorganization is an organization whose members are organizations rather than individuals....
made up of operatives from various other criminal organizations some based in the DC Comics Universe, like CYCLOPS and O.G.R.E., and other fictional organizations such as THRUSH
Thrush
-Birds:* Thrush , any of the many birds in the Turdidae family* Antthrush, any of a group of birds within the Formicariidae family* Dohrn's Thrush-babbler , a species of bird in the Timalidae family...
and SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
. Known G.E.O.R.G.E. operatives were their leader The Long L, Mister Delta, and The Champ, a trenchcoat wearing robot.
Global Peace Agency
An organization that first appeared outside the DC Universe in the original OMAC series, but which became part of the DCU proper in Final CrisisFinal Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
#7.
G.O.O.D.
The Global Organization of Organized Defense, or G.O.O.D. The only known operatives of this international organization are Barney Ling the organization's director, and field operatives Ben TurnerBronze Tiger
Bronze Tiger is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Universe. He is a martial artist who first appeared in Dragon's Fists, a novel by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry, starring Richard Dragon. His first DC Comics appearance was in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.-Early years:Ben Turner comes...
and Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon
Richard Dragon is a fictional character created by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry in the novel Dragon's Fists under the pseudonym "Jim Dennis." O'Neil later adapted the character for DC Comics in the comic book Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter....
.
Hayoth
The Hayoth are a team of four super-powered covert operatives who act as a special division of the MossadMossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
. Their first contact with the West came when Amanda Waller (see Suicide Squad) was contracted to capture Kobra
Kobra (comics)
Kobra is the name used by two fictional supervillains published by DC Comics. The Jeffrey Burr Kobra first appeared in Kobra #1 , and was created by Martin Pasko, Steve Sherman, Jack Kirby, and Pablo Marcos...
. Waller was informed of the Hayoth's existence by an Egyptian operative named Nazair.
Human Defense Corps
In the DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe, the Human Defense Corps is a branch of the military established by then President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
to reduce government dependency on superhumans when a major alien crisis breaks out, act as back-up to Earth's superheroes, and specifically counter any alien threat to Earth. Membership of the Corps is open to 'Decorated veterans of alien campaigns only'.
International Operations
Internal Operations (I.O., IO or I/O) is a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al American intelligence agency
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
in WildStorm
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
comics
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
. It was originally called International Operations. I.O. International Operations was founded in 1964 as a branch of the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
with the mission to safeguard the United States' interests and safety abroad. It quickly became an independent agency under the leadership of Director Miles Craven. Following the Divine Right incident, the agency was severely weakened. It was shut down by the US government within a year. However, in 2004, it was reestablished under the leadership of John Lynch. IO first appeared in WildC.A.T.S. vol.1 #1 (August, 1992) and was created by Brandon Choi
Brandon Choi
Brandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known as one of the co-creators of the series Gen¹³ which enjoyed high popularity in the middle and late 1990s. He also wrote several other titles for Wildstorm Comics.-Biography:...
and Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
.
Knightwatch
The military arm of the D.E.O., Knightwatch operatives wore armor that resembled the suits worn by Checkmate agents.Project Atom
A United States government initiative masterminded by General Wade EilingGeneral Wade Eiling
General Wade Eiling, sometimes known as The General, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Captain Atom #1 , and was created by Cary Bates and Pat Broderick.-Captain Atom:...
and lead scientist Dr. Heinrich Megala, with the aim of creating a superhero answerable only to the military. The project used a combination of nuclear physics and a unique alloy called Dilustel with quantum properties that was cut from the skin of a captured alien known as the Silver Shield using X-Ionizer technology. The project only had two recorded successes, Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
and Major Force
Major Force
Major Force is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a supervillain that first appeared in Captain Atom vol. 3, #12 .-Early life:...
. The origin of the woman calling herself Bombshell
Bombshell (DC Comics)
Bombshell is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Teen Titans vol. 3, #38, and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel.-Fictional character biography:...
is still unknown. Heinrich Megala was also responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting Captain Atom's
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
skin and the skin of most invulnerable metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
s.
Project Cadmus
A high tech genetic research facility, responsible for the successful cloning of Jim Harper the GuardianGuardian (DC Comics)
Guardian is a comic book fictional character, a DC Comics superhero, created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. He first appeared in Star Spangled Comics #7...
, and Connor Kent
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
the second Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
as well as a number of other heroes and villains.
Project 7734
Project 7734 is a secret United States MilitaryUnited States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
black-ops facility commanded by General Sam Lane. Its existence was uncovered by investigative reporter James Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
's investigations. Like the Human Defense Corps, and Squad K, this project was created to defend humanity against extraterrestrial threats, including Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
s. (The number of the project itself may be a play on a "word" that can be created on most calculators by simply typing in the number 7734 -turned upside down, it reads as "hell.")
Project M
Project M was a secret government organization which operated during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and specialized in experimental biotechnology and necromancy. Known creations of the Project include the Creature Commandos, Miss America
Miss America (DC Comics)
Miss America is a fictional comic book superheroine from the . She was first created by Quality Comics in Military Comics #1 , and was carried over to DC Comics when they purchased Quality in the 1950s...
, and the G.I. Robot
G.I. Robot
G.I. Robot is the name of a series of fictional robots that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. The very first G.I. Robot, nicknamed Joe, first appeared in Star Spangled War Stories #101 , created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, with a second one named Mac in Star Spangled War...
. The Project's main scientist is one Professor Mazursky. He was aided by Robotman
Robotman (Robert Crane)
Robotman is a Golden Age DC Comics superhero. He first appeared in Star-Spangled Comics #7 and was created by Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman. Despite his name, Robotman is actually not a robot; he is a cyborg.-History:...
. As told in Young All-Stars
Young All-Stars
The Young All-Stars are a team of fictional DC Comics superheroes. They were created by Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas, and Michael Bair, and introduced in Young All-Stars #1, dated June 1987.-Publication history:...
#12, they operated from a secret underground complex on mythical Ferris Island in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Project Peacemaker
The US government division that was tasked with handling Peacemaker's interaction with other government agencies. After the so-called "Janus Directive", the Project became part of Checkmate, and placed under the supervision of the CBI and Sarge Steel.Quorum
The Quorum is the clandestine and apparently corrupt department of an unnamed government agency in the DC Comics universe. Former operatives are Major ForceMajor Force
Major Force is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a supervillain that first appeared in Captain Atom vol. 3, #12 .-Early life:...
, Mace Gardner (brother of Guy Gardner), Loria a New Blood
Bloodlines (comics)
"Bloodlines" was a 1993 comic book story arc published by DC Comics. It was an intracompany crossover that ran through DC's superhero annuals and concluded with a two-issue 'Bloodbath' miniseries written by Dan Raspler. The antagonists were a race of monstrous xenomorph-like aliens, incorrectly...
, the metahuman known as Sledge, and an army of armored men known as Sweepers. The Quorum sponsored and funded the Blood Pack, a superhero team made up of "New Bloods", in a failed attempt to create a superhuman army based on their DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
.
Red Shadows
The Russian version of Task Force X; just as they copied Checkmate, they also mirrored the Suicide Squad under the old Soviet GovernmentGovernment of the Soviet Union
The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was the de jure government comprising the highest executive and administrative body of the Soviet Union from 1946 until 1991....
. Organization originally consisted of ex-members of the People's Heroes and Blue Trinity. Later on other original Russian characters were introduced such as Stalnoivolk, Russia's World War II Superman. The Red Shadows were all organized under Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
's opposite number, a man known only as Major Zastrow. Other Red Shadow operatives were: Pozhar (Mikhail Arkadin), Bolshoi (martial artist), Molotov (explosives expert), Mrs. Gradenko (a were-bear), Yerosha (Could alter a person's senses), Lamia (Pheromone manipulation), Blue Trinity (speedsters), and Schreck, a metahuman vampire.
RONOL
A pre-WWII agency, Research on the Nature of Light theorized that the light that originated millennia ago where Earth now orbits would eventually circumnavigate the universe and return as a dangerous, conscious entity. The project leader, Dr. Dayzl, tricked a reporter, Langford "Happy" Terrill, into a ballooning accident, where a "genetic light bomb" gave Terrill superpowers, abilities he would use to become the Ray. Eventually, Dayzl's unorthodox actions and beliefs came to light and the government terminated the RONOL program.S.H.A.D.E.
The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, is a United States military organization that investigates, assesses, and contains paranormal and superhuman activity. Father TimeFather Time (DC Comics)
Father Time is a fictional character, a supervillain in publications from DC Comics. The character first appeared in Seven Soldiers: Frankenstein #3 , and was created by Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke.-Fictional character biography:...
and his S.H.A.D.E. agency exercise martial law over the devastated city of Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
. Father Time used this posting to carry out S.H.A.D.E.'s other mandate, the harvesting and creation of new metahuman talent. S.H.A.D.E. uses its specially trained metahuman talent to carry out black ops assassinations of threats to the United States and its policies. Several S.H.A.D.E. operatives defect from the organization to form a new version of the Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters (comics)
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC...
under the guidance of Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam (comics)
Uncle Sam is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero based on national personification of the United States, Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 and was created by Will Eisner.-Quality Comics:...
, resulting in Sam and his team being declared enemies of S.H.A.D.E. and Father Time and his ally Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard
Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard is a fictional character, a robot supervillain in the DC Universe. The character first appears in The Battle For Blüdhaven #1 , and becomes the main villain of the Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters limited series . It was created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, and...
ordering their deaths at the hands of First Strike
First Strike (comics)
First Strike is a fictional government funded team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3 , and were created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Daniel Acuña...
. (see Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters). After Father Time turned on the psychotic Gonzo, he and his troops vanished into the timestream; Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters were made the leaders of S.H.A.D.E.
Squad K
Squad K is a special response team tasked with apprehending SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
if he should ever turn rogue, and with the apprehension of other Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
criminals. Perseus Hazard, the grandson of Ulysses Hazard
Gravedigger (comics)
Gravedigger is a codename used by two fictional soldiers published by DC Comics. Captain Ulysses Hazard the first Gravedigger debuted in Men of War #1 , and was created by David Michelinie and Ed Davis. Tyson Sykes the second Gravedigger debuted in Checkmate vol...
, was the group's first commander; after his death he is replaced by a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
named Sergeant Cloud possibly a descendant of Johnny Cloud from the Losers.
S.T.O.R.M.
The agency employing John Stone. It is a tribute to S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
and a precursor to Stormwatch
Stormwatch (comics)
Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that originated in the Wildstorm Universe and has since been revived as part of the DC Universe. The original version of Stormwatch first appeared in Stormwatch Stormwatch is a fictional United Nations-sponsored superhero team that...
. From the pages of Planetary
Planetary (comics)
Planetary is an American comic book limited series created by writer Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics...
.
Stormwatch
A United Nations Crisis Intervention Team, founded by United Nations during the late 70s as part of an effort to police the growing population of post-humans created in the wake of the Comet Effect. The agency has generated significant controversy over the years. It was shut down in 1998 do to budgetary and political concerns. The agency was re-established sometime after Authority's takeover of the United States under a severely limited budget.Suicide Squad
The original Task Force X consisted of two branches: the domestic and the international. The domestic branch was called Argent, and the international branch called the Suicide Squad, was originally put under the command of General Jeb Stuart. The first Suicide Squad was a minor backup series about a quartet of adventurers. That Squad consisted of Rick FlagRick Flag
Rick Flag is the name of three fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are father, son, and grandson.The father, Richard Flag was in the original Suicide Squad, a World War II unit. After the war he was a member of Task Force X. The son, Rick Flag Jr...
, his girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
Karin Grace, Dr. Hugh Evans, and Jess Bright.
The second and better-known Suicide Squad was a covert black ops government strike team. The team was partially made up of imprisoned supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s who had agreed to perform extremely dangerous missions, which were officially denied by the US Government using the prisoners' participation as rationale to claim that the incidents are merely attacks by criminals, in return for a full pardon for their actions. In addition, there were other non-prisoner members such as Nemesis
Nemesis (DC Comics)
Nemesis is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. Thomas Andrew Tresser first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #166, , and was created by Cary Burkett and Dan Spiegle. Soseh Myrkos first appeared in JSA Annual #1, , and was created by David S...
and Nightshade
Nightshade (comics)
Nightshade is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. Created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in Captain Atom v2 #82 originally published by Charlton Comics.-Charlton Comics:...
who participated in the team as part of individual arrangements. The Suicide Squad operated out of Belle Reve
Belle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
prison in Louisiana.
Task Force Delta
A blanket organization that helps to oversee smaller United States government covert agencies such as Knightwatch.Task Force X
Following the dissolution of the O.S.S.Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
in October 1945, President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
replaced it with the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in 1946. In 1951, seeking to fill the void left by the retired JSA
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
, Truman created Task Force X and its domestic branch, Argent. The international branch, the Suicide Squad, was put under the command of General Jeb Stuart. Jeb Stuart was later succeeded by Rick Flag.
T.H.U.N.D.E.R.
The Higher United Nations Defense Enforcement Reserves serves as a secretive counter-terrorism force. With a non-powered but highly-trained special forces teams and a select number of agents fitted with powerful (but long-term dangerous to their health) performance-enhancing equipment, THUNDER has fought against organizations like SPIDER for decades, largely under the radar of the superhero community of the world.Université Notre Dame des Ombres
Université Notre Dame des Ombres (Our Lady of the Shadows University) was originally created to train O.S.S.Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
agents during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Today it is a NATO sponsored covert intelligence training academy situated on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
, with an embassy office in Washington D.C.. Its last known headmistress was Sandra Knight, the original Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
. The school's most notable graduates are the Crimson Fox
Crimson Fox
Crimson Fox is a fictional character, a French comic book superhero from the DC Comics universe. Identical twins Vivian and Constance D'Aramis shared the role of Crimson Fox to allow each something of a normal life, although Vivian was much more enthusiastic about their superheroic life...
twins and Dee Tyler, the second Phantom Lady.
See also
- List of government agencies in comics
- List of criminal organizations in DC Comics
- List of teams and organizations in DC Comics