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Squadron Supreme (Supreme Power)
Encyclopedia
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero
team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX
imprint by Marvel Comics
. The team first appears in Supreme Power #1 (Jan. 2003) and was created by writer J. Michael Straczynski
and artist Gary Frank
.
team Squadron Supreme
and is set in Earth-31916.
Alien
Hyperion arrives on Earth as an infant, and is taken into custody by the US government and raised in a controlled environment. Army corporal
Joseph Ledger is given a strange crystal removed from Hyperion's spaceship by the government that bonds to him causing him to fall into a coma
for years.
Discovering Hyperion has superhuman abilities, the government uses him as a secret weapon, and is eventually outed by the media
. The government then announces and introduces Hyperion as state-sponsored hero, which encourages other beings to appear, such as Blur who can move at superspeed. Ledger awakens, and harnessing the energy powers of the crystal becomes Doctor Spectrum. Hyperion and Spectrum are initially hostile to one another and fight, with Hyperion accessing lost memories when coming in contact with Spectrum's crystal. Amphibian is seen on dry land for the first time and Princess Zarda heals Hyperion after his battle. Nighthawk solicits the aid of Hyperion and the Blur to deal with a superpowered serial killer
, who Hyperion now knows is actually the product of experimentation with his DNA
.
Although successful, Hyperion is outraged by the government exploitation and leaves, warning that he has no wish to be contacted by humankind again. The government gathers the remaining superhumans into a team to capture Hyperion.
The story continues in the limited series
Supreme Power: Hyperion with new Squadron members Emil Burbank
; Arcanna
; Shape
and Nuke
tracking Hyperion to what they believe is an alternate reality
. In this world Hyperion and a version of the Squadron rule the world, with only Nighthawk and a small group of superhumans opposing their rule. Although the heroes locate the true Hyperion and convince him to return to their world, Burbank discovers that that it was in fact not an alternate reality but their world two years from the present time.
The second volume of the series Squadron Supreme brings together all the superhumans (with exception of reluctant outsider Nighthawk), who are split into two teams: one for international/public missions and another for covert operations. The President of the United States
calls the group the Squadron Supreme. The Squadron meets with mixed success: an attempt to kill an African dictator
is botched and the target is murdered by local superhumans who state the group are not welcome in Africa, and a mission to Iran
has member Inertia
encouraging a victim to fight back and kill.
China
recruits Redstone
, the superpowered serial killer created from Hyperion's DNA, in a bid to protect itself. The final issue is a battle to the death against Redstone (with the Blur recruiting Nighthawk to assist) who threatens to detonate a nuclear weapon
. The outcome is not revealed, as the series concluded with issue #7.
An unrelated nine issue series titled Ultimate Power
, written by J. Michael Straczynski; Brian Michael Bendis
and Jeph Loeb
with art by Greg Land
, features the Squadron in a crossover
into the Ultimate Universe
. Courtesy of a deception engineered by Nick Fury
and the Ultimate villain Doctor Doom
, the Squadron travel to the Ultimate universe, thinking that the Ultimate Reed Richards is responsible for releasing an organism that has destroyed much of the United States.
A series of misunderstandings ensue, and after a series of battles between the Squadron; Ultimate Fantastic Four
; Ultimates
and the Earth-712 Squadron Supreme
(whose world was also effected by the organism), the third culprit is revealed as being Burbank, who was asked by the government to develop a weapon to kill Hyperion. Nick Fury is detained in custody in the Earth-31916 universe, while Squadron member Power Princess remains in the Ultimate universe to ensure that Doom (who escaped custody by using a Doombot) is captured.
An unrelated four issue limited series titled Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk, written by Marc Guggenheim
and with art by Paul Gulacy
, relates how Hyperion and Nighthawk, after an initial skirmish, join forces to try and alleviate the Darfur conflict
in war-torn Sudan
. Hyperion discovers Nighthawk has a prototype
weapon built from stolen plans of Emil Burbank's journal that cannot actually injure him, but can convince him that he is being injured.
A third volume of the title Squadron Supreme, written by Howard Chaykin
and with art by Greg Land
(and other artists), is published, with the 12 issue series being set five years after the battle with Redstone. Most of the Squadron have disappared, with Ultimate Nick Fury; Burbank and Arcanna, are now a team of intelligence officers working for the government and investigate a group of returning astronauts (apparently this universe's version of the Fantastic Four
) that exhibit strange abilities. The astronauts infect many people they come into contact with, also giving them superhuman abilities.
Fury eventually leads a new version of the Squadron that features characters that are pastiches of long-time Marvel characters such as Spider-Man
(or the Black Widow), Captain America
and Iron Man
. The group eventually come into conflict with many of the original members of the Squadron who have been gathered by Hyperion. The heroes unite to stop a group of superhuman terrorists from the Middle East
but then, via a government device, apparently all lose their abilities. Arcanna secretly reveals to Fury that she, and likely many others, still possesses superhuman abilities.
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team that appears in publications under the mature-audience MAX
MAX (comics)
MAX is an imprint of Marvel Comics aimed at a niche 'adults only' audience, launched in 2001 after Marvel broke with the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system...
imprint 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 team first appears in Supreme Power #1 (Jan. 2003) and was created by writer J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
and artist Gary Frank
Gary Frank
Gary Frank is a British comic book artist, notable for pencilling on Midnight Nation and Supreme Power, both written by J. Michael Straczynski...
.
Publication history
The series Supreme Power features the rebooted version of the superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team 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...
and is set in Earth-31916.
Alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
Hyperion arrives on Earth as an infant, and is taken into custody by the US government and raised in a controlled environment. Army corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
Joseph Ledger is given a strange crystal removed from Hyperion's spaceship by the government that bonds to him causing him to fall into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for years.
Discovering Hyperion has superhuman abilities, the government uses him as a secret weapon, and is eventually outed by the media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
. The government then announces and introduces Hyperion as state-sponsored hero, which encourages other beings to appear, such as Blur who can move at superspeed. Ledger awakens, and harnessing the energy powers of the crystal becomes Doctor Spectrum. Hyperion and Spectrum are initially hostile to one another and fight, with Hyperion accessing lost memories when coming in contact with Spectrum's crystal. Amphibian is seen on dry land for the first time and Princess Zarda heals Hyperion after his battle. Nighthawk solicits the aid of Hyperion and the Blur to deal with a superpowered serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, who Hyperion now knows is actually the product of experimentation with his 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...
.
Although successful, Hyperion is outraged by the government exploitation and leaves, warning that he has no wish to be contacted by humankind again. The government gathers the remaining superhumans into a team to capture Hyperion.
The story continues in 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....
Supreme Power: Hyperion with new Squadron members Emil Burbank
Master Menace
Dr. Emil Burbank, also known as Master Menace, is a fictional Marvel Comics character. Two different versions of the character appear in two separate continuities, Squadron Supreme and Supreme Power.-Squadron Supreme:...
; Arcanna
Arcanna
Arcanna is the name of two different fictional comic book characters in the Marvel Comics multiverse.The first debuted as a member of the team of superheroes called the Squadron Supreme in The Defenders #112 . The other first appeared in Supreme Power #18 , later joining a team of super heroes also...
; Shape
Shape (comics)
-Squadron Supreme:-Fictional character biography:The Shape was born in Simak, Lowengard, in the U.S.A. of the alternate Earth of the Squadron Supreme, Earth-712...
and Nuke
Nuke (Squadron Supreme)
Nuke is a superhero from Earth-712 in the fictional Marvel Universe, a member of the Squadron Supreme and later its rebooted equivalent, Supreme Power.-Fictional character biography:...
tracking Hyperion to what they believe is an alternate reality
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. In this world Hyperion and a version of the Squadron rule the world, with only Nighthawk and a small group of superhumans opposing their rule. Although the heroes locate the true Hyperion and convince him to return to their world, Burbank discovers that that it was in fact not an alternate reality but their world two years from the present time.
The second volume of the series Squadron Supreme brings together all the superhumans (with exception of reluctant outsider Nighthawk), who are split into two teams: one for international/public missions and another for covert operations. The 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....
calls the group the Squadron Supreme. The Squadron meets with mixed success: an attempt to kill an African dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
is botched and the target is murdered by local superhumans who state the group are not welcome in Africa, and a mission to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
has member Inertia
Inertia (comics)
Inertia, in comics, may refer to:*Inertia , a paramour of Haywire*Inertia , a supervillainous clone...
encouraging a victim to fight back and kill.
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
recruits Redstone
Redstone (comics)
Redstone is the name of two characters from Marvel Comics.-Various incarnations of Redstone:The first Redstone is a superhero who is a native to the alternate universe of the original Squadron Supreme...
, the superpowered serial killer created from Hyperion's DNA, in a bid to protect itself. The final issue is a battle to the death against Redstone (with the Blur recruiting Nighthawk to assist) who threatens to detonate a nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
. The outcome is not revealed, as the series concluded with issue #7.
An unrelated nine issue series titled Ultimate Power
Ultimate Power
Ultimate Power is a nine-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics.The series is a crossover that ties the Supreme Power universe into the Ultimate Marvel universe and is written by Brian Michael Bendis, J...
, written by J. Michael Straczynski; Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian Michael Bendis is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim for his self-published, Image Comics and Marvel Comics work, and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics, with his books selling consistently highly for over a...
and Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
with art by Greg Land
Greg Land
Greg Land is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on characters such as X-Men, Birds of Prey, and Fantastic Four.-Career:Greg Land first got a job with an independent publisher as the artist for StormQuest after advertising himself at a Mid-Ohio Con comic convention...
, features the Squadron in a crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
into the Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
. Courtesy of a deception engineered by Nick Fury
Ultimate Nick Fury
General Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. A reinterpretation of the character Nick Fury, one of the most notable differences between the two is that the mainstream Nick Fury is an Italian American colonel with graying brown hair, while this Nick Fury...
and the Ultimate villain Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
, the Squadron travel to the Ultimate universe, thinking that the Ultimate Reed Richards is responsible for releasing an organism that has destroyed much of the United States.
A series of misunderstandings ensue, and after a series of battles between the Squadron; Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate Fantastic Four is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Fantastic Four comic book franchise as part of its Ultimate Marvel imprint...
; Ultimates
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
and the Earth-712 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...
(whose world was also effected by the organism), the third culprit is revealed as being Burbank, who was asked by the government to develop a weapon to kill Hyperion. Nick Fury is detained in custody in the Earth-31916 universe, while Squadron member Power Princess remains in the Ultimate universe to ensure that Doom (who escaped custody by using a Doombot) is captured.
An unrelated four issue limited series titled Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk, written by Marc Guggenheim
Marc Guggenheim
Marc Guggenheim is an American television writer-producer and a writer for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. His brother is screenwriter Eric Guggenheim.-Television:...
and with art by Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy
Paul Gulacy is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, with writer Don McGregor.-Early life and career:Paul Gulacy began...
, relates how Hyperion and Nighthawk, after an initial skirmish, join forces to try and alleviate the Darfur conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
in war-torn Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Hyperion discovers Nighthawk has a prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
weapon built from stolen plans of Emil Burbank's journal that cannot actually injure him, but can convince him that he is being injured.
A third volume of the title Squadron Supreme, written by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
and with art by Greg Land
Greg Land
Greg Land is an American comic book artist, best known for his work on characters such as X-Men, Birds of Prey, and Fantastic Four.-Career:Greg Land first got a job with an independent publisher as the artist for StormQuest after advertising himself at a Mid-Ohio Con comic convention...
(and other artists), is published, with the 12 issue series being set five years after the battle with Redstone. Most of the Squadron have disappared, with Ultimate Nick Fury; Burbank and Arcanna, are now a team of intelligence officers working for the government and investigate a group of returning astronauts (apparently this universe's version of the 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...
) that exhibit strange abilities. The astronauts infect many people they come into contact with, also giving them superhuman abilities.
Fury eventually leads a new version of the Squadron that features characters that are pastiches of long-time Marvel characters such as Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
(or the Black Widow), 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 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,...
. The group eventually come into conflict with many of the original members of the Squadron who have been gathered by Hyperion. The heroes unite to stop a group of superhuman terrorists from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
but then, via a government device, apparently all lose their abilities. Arcanna secretly reveals to Fury that she, and likely many others, still possesses superhuman abilities.
Publications
- Supreme Power vol. 1 (MAX imprint) #1–18 (August 2003 – August 2005) collected as:
- Contact (tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collects #1–6, 144 pages, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1224-3) - Powers and Principalities (tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collects #7–12, 144 pages, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1456-4) - High Command (tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
collects #13–18, 144 pages, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1474-2) - Supreme Power vol. 1 (hardcover, collects #1–12 and Avengers #85–86, 352 pages, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1369-X)
- Supreme Power vol. 2 (hardcover, collects #13–18 and Supreme Power: Hyperion #1–5, 264 pages, 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2133-1 )
- Contact (tpb
- Doctor Spectrum (MAX imprint) #1–6 (August 2004 – March 2005). tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 144 pages, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1586-2) - Supreme Power: Nighthawk (MAX imprint) #1–6 (September 2005 – February 2006). tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 144 pages, July 2006, ISBN 0-7851-1897-7) - Supreme Power: Hyperion (MAX imprint) #1–5 (September 2005 – January 2006). tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 120 pages, July 2006, ISBN 0-7851-1895-0) - Squadron Supreme (vol. 2) #1–7 (March–November 2006) collected as:
- Pre-war Years Volume 1 (collects #1–5 & Saga of the Squadron Supreme, 168 pages, November 2006, ISBN 0-7851-2282-6)
- Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk #1–4 (February–April 2007). tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 100 pages?, July 2007, ISBN 0-7851-2434-9) - Ultimate PowerUltimate PowerUltimate Power is a nine-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics.The series is a crossover that ties the Supreme Power universe into the Ultimate Marvel universe and is written by Brian Michael Bendis, J...
#1–9 (December 2006 – December 2007). tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 232 pages?, September 2008, ISBN-13 978-0-7851-2367-5) - Squadron Supreme (vol. 3) #1–12 (September 2008 – June 2009)
- Supreme Power vol. 2 (MAX imprint) #1-4 (June 2011 – scheduled September 2011)