Task Force X

Suicide Squad

I tossed a coin between the titles "Suicide Squad" and "Secret Six", as I really respect both titles' history of showcasing the personalities and lives of some of the DCU's villains.

In the end, I decided on this title due to its opportunities for a more rotating cast as well as fond memories of Ostrander's work in the 80s and 90s.

The premise can be assumed: Amanda Waller heads up a group of expendable villains on black ops missions, foreign and domestic, nobody is expected to survive. While giving some villains a showcase outside of getting beaten up by heroes, I'd also like to see a return of some of the political commentary that Ostrander did so well.  While there's not much of a Cold War anymore, there are new national headlines such as international terrorism as well as a very divided domestic political body that could stand some focus.

The membership of the Suicide Squad is fairly stable, but it would keep an eye on other comic titles to see if any of those comics feature the arrest of a character Waller would be interested in using for her team.  To kick off, though, I've picked some villains I recall being active around the time of Final Crisis/Blackest Night which would obviously lend their skills and abilities to a covert mission team. I don't want anything too superpowered, though, as that could diminish the feel of a government agent team.

As My52 Suicide Squad starts up, here's who's on the field:

Amanda Waller

Not an operative, but someone who needs to be mentioned first as the no-nonsense head of the Task Force.  She's already been shown to be willing to put Batman in his place, and she's just the person this team needs to call the shots. You'll be happy to know that Waller is still the shorter, fatter block of a woman she's always been, rather than the leggy supermodel version who appeared in the New 52.

Deadshot
He's probably long-since earned his pardon, but he loves being on the team so much he stays on as the team's field leader. The appeal of having an expert shot on a black ops team should be obvious.

Plastique

Another former-member of the team, Plastique was recently highlighted in the opening pages of the new Justice League of America series (at the time of My52).  She'd been teamed with the Electrocutioner in a duo called the Bomb Squad, which is so "clever" I very nearly included him in my Squad as well. Plastique has had years of experience as a "suicide bomber," and her use to the team is obvious.





Dwarfstar
Coming off his high-profile murder of the third Atom, Ryan Choi, Dwarfstar is an absolute sociopath murderer with the powers of the Atom.  His infiltration skills are apparent, and his willingness to end any life once inside makes him a valuable tool.  If anything, Waller might have to work hard to ensure he only kills the target and keeps ancillary casualties to a minimum.

Firefly

A perpetual henchman, Firefly follows orders probably better than anyone on the team. He might get a little too ambitious in his arsonist leanings, but burning things his why he's on the team.  Since I'm pretty sure Plastique can't fly (or at least fly well), Firefly also provides aerial support to the team.




Tattooed Man
I first encountered TM during Final Crisis and sort of dig the thug-theme they've remade him into.  I get the impression Tattooed Man could have been a hero if things had gone differently for him, and I see him as the guy most looking for a chance at redemption, even if he doesn't know it. Power-wise, his tats provide a wide-variety of abilities which make him one of the more adaptable members of the Squad, and it's likely he'll be the one to pull the team out of a jam when things go south.

Cyborgirl

Black ops are becoming increasingly dependent on technology and information, and Cyborgirl covers both bases perfectly.  Her ability to hack a network or provide hi-tech surveillance are just as valuable as her ability to lift a truck or blast an enemy with sonic bursts.

Of course they're still based out of Belle Reve prison, so nothing's changed there.  The only hiccup in the works, and obvious nod to my equal appreciation for Secret Six, is the as yet unidentified new Mockingbird secretly in contact with the Squad members from within the group and apparently trying to undermine Waller's control. Could this be a factor of the divided politics in America I mentioned earlier?  Who can say?