Squadron Sinister
Encyclopedia
The Squadron Sinister is a fictional supervillain
team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers
#69 (Oct. 1969) and were created by Roy Thomas
and Sal Buscema
.
, the superhero team the Avengers
. The Grandmaster creates four villains — Doctor Spectrum; Hyperion; Nighthawk and the Whizzer — to face heroes Iron Man
; Thunder God Thor
; Captain America
and Goliath
. In interviews, Thomas and Jerry Bails
have stated that the Squadron was based on the DC Comics
superhero team the Justice League of America.
The limited series
Squadron Supreme
, written by Mark Gruenwald
, explains that the Grandmaster creates the Squadron Sinister modeled on the already-existing Squadron Supreme of the Earth-712 universe. The similarities also cause confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971) and #141 (Nov. 1975) "cover-blurbed" appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.
The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and are they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster. The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders
, reunited by the alien
Nebulon
. The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic
to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders
prevent the scheme and defeat the villains and Nebulon, with Nighthawk reforming and joining the team the following issue.
After this defeat the three remaining members of the Squadron Sinister are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The villains plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once more by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket
. During another brief encounter with several members of the Avengers, who seek a way to separate the Power Prism of Doctor Spectrum from fellow Avenger the Wasp
, the characters are revealed to have disbanded.
While Nighthawk becomes an ongoing character featuring regularly in the Marvel universe, two of the other members of the Squadron make isolated appearance. Hyperion appears in the title Thor and battles the character once again and features in Marvel Two-In-One
in an encounter with Fantastic Four
member the Thing
. Hyperion also travels to the Earth-712 universe, where after impersonating the Squadron Supreme's version of Hyperion for a time dies in battle. The title The Amazing Spider-Man
showcases the Whizzer's return, who returns to crime with a new costume and the alias Speed Demon.
The Grandmaster reappears and reforms the Squadron Sinister: an apparently resurrected Hyperion; a new Dr. Spectrum (Alice Nugent, former lab assistant of Henry Pym) and Nighthawk and Speed Demon, who have both had bad experiences with superhero team the New Thunderbolts. Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the Wellspring of Power - an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities - the Grandmaster increases the Squadron Sinister's powers and they battle the New Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo
defeats the Grandmaster, and in the ensuing chaos the Squadron Sinister scatter and escape.
The limited series The Last Defenders briefly features a warped version of Hyperion; Doctor Spectrum and the Whizzer. The trio are created by long-time Defenders foe Yandroth when confronted by Nighthawk. Together with a futuristic version of the Defenders, Nighthawk defeats the dopplegangers, who subsequently disappear.
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...
team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The Squadron Sinister first appeared in the final panel of The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
#69 (Oct. 1969) and were created by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
.
Publication history
The first version of the Squadron Sinister is formed by Elder of the Universe the Grandmaster as pawns to battle the champions of the time-traveling Kang the ConquerorKang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
, the superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
. The Grandmaster creates four villains — Doctor Spectrum; Hyperion; Nighthawk and the Whizzer — to face heroes Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
; Thunder God Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
; Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
and Goliath
Henry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
. In interviews, Thomas and Jerry Bails
Jerry Bails
Jerry Gwin Bails was an American popular culturist. Known as the "Father of Comic Book Fandom", he was one of the first to approach the comic book field as a subject worthy of academic study, and was a primary force in establishing 1960s comics fandom.- Early life :Jerry G. Bails was born June...
have stated that the Squadron was based on 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...
superhero team the Justice League of America.
The limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Squadron Supreme
Squadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first appeared in Avengers #85 - 86 The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first...
, written by Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
, explains that the Grandmaster creates the Squadron Sinister modeled on the already-existing Squadron Supreme of the Earth-712 universe. The similarities also cause confusion in Marvel's production department, as the covers of The Avengers #85 (Feb. 1971) and #141 (Nov. 1975) "cover-blurbed" appearances by the Squadron Sinister, when in fact it was the Squadron Supreme that appeared in both issues.
The Avengers eventually defeat the Squadron and are they in turn are abandoned by the Grandmaster. The Squadron reappear in the title Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
, reunited by the alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
Nebulon
Nebulon (comics)
Nebulon is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Nebulon is an Ul'lula'n, a race of six-tentacled, finned, water-breathing extraterrestrials about in length...
. The villains receive greater power in exchange for the planet Earth, and create a giant laser cannon in the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
to melt the polar ice caps, thereby covering the entirety of the Earth's surface in water. The superhero team the Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
prevent the scheme and defeat the villains and Nebulon, with Nighthawk reforming and joining the team the following issue.
After this defeat the three remaining members of the Squadron Sinister are teleported off world by Nebulon, returning with an energy-draining weapon. The villains plan to threaten the Earth again but are defeated once more by the Defenders and the Avenger Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket (comics)
-In comics:Yellowjacket may refer to:*Marvel Comics characters:**Henry Pym, the first Yellowjacket, also known as Ant-Man, Giant-Man and Goliath, who was a founding member of the Avengers....
. During another brief encounter with several members of the Avengers, who seek a way to separate the Power Prism of Doctor Spectrum from fellow Avenger the Wasp
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
, the characters are revealed to have disbanded.
While Nighthawk becomes an ongoing character featuring regularly in the Marvel universe, two of the other members of the Squadron make isolated appearance. Hyperion appears in the title Thor and battles the character once again and features in Marvel Two-In-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
in an encounter with Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
member the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
. Hyperion also travels to the Earth-712 universe, where after impersonating the Squadron Supreme's version of Hyperion for a time dies in battle. The title The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
showcases the Whizzer's return, who returns to crime with a new costume and the alias Speed Demon.
The Grandmaster reappears and reforms the Squadron Sinister: an apparently resurrected Hyperion; a new Dr. Spectrum (Alice Nugent, former lab assistant of Henry Pym) and Nighthawk and Speed Demon, who have both had bad experiences with superhero team the New Thunderbolts. Courtesy of a phenomenon known as the Wellspring of Power - an interdimensional source of superhuman abilities - the Grandmaster increases the Squadron Sinister's powers and they battle the New Thunderbolts. Thunderbolts team leader Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
defeats the Grandmaster, and in the ensuing chaos the Squadron Sinister scatter and escape.
The limited series The Last Defenders briefly features a warped version of Hyperion; Doctor Spectrum and the Whizzer. The trio are created by long-time Defenders foe Yandroth when confronted by Nighthawk. Together with a futuristic version of the Defenders, Nighthawk defeats the dopplegangers, who subsequently disappear.
External links
- Squadron Sinister at the Marvel Universe