Amanda Waller is the director of the Agency, a government organization and federal intelligence service, who was one of the toughest people known in the United States, due to her ruthlessness and will to take control through any means necessary. She became the reluctant ally of Bruce Wayne/Batman and a rival to Commissioner James Gordon. Depending on choices with made throughout the series, Waller will stay allied with the vigilante or become one of his greatest threats.
Biography[]
Amanda Waller was a former congressional aide and earned a PhD in political sciences. Her career within the Agency is not well specified, but she was responsible for the disbandment of SANCTUS and its various operations. Despite this, she salvaged its research to help the Agency's operations, even keeping human test subjects for further monitoring. While she covered her tracks on these more unethical and illegal projects, Waller developed a notorious reputation as a hardened and stern leader of dubious nature.
By the time Waller became director of the Agency, accusations of the organization's unethical methods, such as human rights violations and unauthorized black sites, seemingly disappeared. Around this time, she began looking into the prospect of using criminals with unique skills for the Agency's use, developing a project codenamed "The Devil You Own". The project oversaw the creation of specialized shock collars to control participant, though it also researched others methods to be used as leverage. Waller met James Gordon at some point, developing a somewhat antagonistic relationship. She also became aware of the vigilante Batman and eventually learned his true identity, Bruce Wayne, from one of her agents. This gave Waller leverage over the vigilante, allowing her to blackmail his cooperation.
After a mass breakout at Peña Duro Penitentiary, Waller learned that the culprit was a former SANCTUS employee known only as "the Riddler". She soon learned he was putting together a criminal cabal to get revenge on her, the Agency and SANCTUS, with one of his recruits being the infamous Bane. Waller ordered a search for him, hoping to use this "Pact" for her special taskforce. She also planned to use Riddler to locate SANCTUS, which had been revived due to her negligence, and use one of their former projects, a restorative agent codenamed "LOTUS", to control the group. This led to a chase across the world, including areas like Sudan and, eventually, Gotham City.
Batman: The Enemy Within[]
The Enigma[]
After learning Riddler was attacking arms dealer Rumi Mori at his casino, Waller and her agents arrived to capture the criminal. However, they arrived just after he escaped, though they were able to help apprehend several of his men. Whilst helping clear up, Waller was formally introduced to Batman and tried to convince him to work with the Agency to capture Riddler. As a show of cooperation, she let Special Agents Iman Avesta and Vernon Blake give him a psychiatric report on the criminal.
During the week, Waller and her agents moved into the GCPD Headquarters, using it as a base of operations and disrupting police operations. She also ordered the brutal interrogation of Eli Knable, Riddler's second in command, to get him to tell them where he was hiding. Waller also arranged for monitoring of Mori, hoping that he would have information about Riddler or the Pact's hideouts. After deducing the location of Riddler's Lair, Batman and Gordon can inform her. If they do so, she will be unable to back them up, due to her being in a meeting at the time, but "appreciates" the information.
After they beat Riddler's death trap, Gordon informed Waller about his plans to target her agents and the death of a missing agent, Mario Fernandez. Waller was also set back when four of her agents, including Avesta and Blake, went missing without contact. After Batman deduced Riddler's plans, he can contact Waller to access Knable, hoping to interrogate him about Riddler's hideout. However, he also has the choice of confronting Mori behind her back. Depending on the decision made, the following possibilities will take place:
- If Batman chooses to interrogate Knable, Waller makes arrangements for his interrogation at GCPD. Whilst escorting him to the suspect, she encourages the vigilante to brutalize him if necessary and observes the interrogation from another room. Depending on Batman's decision to use violence or bluff him with one of Riddler's missiles, she will either stand by as he beats him or panics at his misdirection. After he finishes, she rallies her agents to Riddler's ship, the Lady of Dublin. If he used violence, Waller attempts to justify it to Renee Montoya.
Regardless of whether Batman interrogated Mori or Knable, she was alongside her forces as they stormed the ship, where they learned that Riddler had been murdered. Regardless of his choice, Waller blames Riddler's death and the harm to her agents on Gordon, taking control of law enforcement of Gotham. If Batman chose to interrogate Mori, she will reveal her knowledge of this and demote Gordon as a result. Dismissing Gordon to talk to the vigilante, Waller revealed to him that she and the Agency were tracking the Pact. She also revealed the identity of one member, Arkham psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel. With Riddler dead and no other ways to get close to the group, Waller decided to ask Batman to infiltrate the Pact and revealed her knowledge of his true identity.
The Pact[]
Following this, Waller, regardless of whether he cooperated or not, promised not to reveal Batman's identity, but threatened to do so if he did not cooperate. She also tried to convince him to consider aligning with the Pact as Bruce Wayne, citing his father's recently uncovered ties to organized crime being the perfect cover for him. Seconds later, a series of explosions went off throughout the city, leading Waller to mobilize her agents and investigate GothCorp, orchestrated by Mr. Freeze. After Batman was defeated by Bane, he can call either Waller and the Agency or Gordon and the GCPD to help him. Depending on who is chosen, the following will occur:
- If Batman chooses to call Gordon, Waller will be informed about this, apparently furious at his decision. She will her agents to check up on him and later passes on information about the GothCorp attack. If Batman had interrogated Knable, she will demote Gordon to Deputy Ops, hoping to doing so will convince him to work with her.
- The next evening, Waller interrupts a meeting between Batman and Gordon on the rooftop of GCPD, asking to speak the vigilante privately. After Gordon leaves, Waller proposes a plan to the vigilante to to round out the Pact. Asking him to call her agents when they are meeting outdoors, she gives him a Venom counter-agent that her agents had been able to create. Promising to help and provide backup, she tells him to get his hands dirty if the Covenant members want to trust him. Waller then leaves to attend to other business.
- The next evening, Waller asks Gordon to activate Bat-Signal to call Batman, though regards using it implausible. When the vigilante arrives, she dismisses Gordon and proposes a plan to round up the Pact. Asking him to call her agents when they are gathered in the open, she gives him a Venom counter-agent that her operatives had been able to create. Promising to help him and give backup, she tells him to get his hands dirty if the Pact members are to trust him. Waller then leaves to attend to another matter.
To lure the Pact out, Waller ordered her agents to transport Riddler's corpse to an unknown location. Though this was under the pretences of a trap, she instead intended for them to steal the body. The plan worked and the Pact attacked the convoy, though her agents fought back in an attempt to defend it. Rather than listen to Bruce and spring the trap, Waller stood by and let the criminals escape. By the time reinforcements arrive, only either Bane or Harley Quinn were left, but they also managed to escape.
Fractured Mask[]
After the fight, Waller called Bruce and excused her actions as ensuring that more of her agents survived than worry about Riddler. Apologizing for leaving him to battle, she suggested that he stayed undercover until they discovered their target. When Bruce learnt about SANCTUS, Project LOTUS and the Agency's involvement with the experiments, Bruce contacted Waller and arranged to meet up that morning.
Upon arriving with Avesta at Wayne Enterprises, they found that Gordon and his officers were in the process of arresting him. Having previously warned him about putting Wayne under Agency's protection, she demanded Gordon to release him and fired him, having had her authority challenged by the Commissioner/Deputy-Ops. Noticing the person who had called Gordon, Tiffany Fox, she and Avesta gave Bruce some time to talk with her.
After they finished, Waller revealed the Agency's involvement with SANCTUS and that she had actually come to Gotham to not only disassemble the Pact, but also it and the black site it operated out of. Having formulated a plan to send Harley and the Pact into SANCTUS's black site, she told him their plan to have both parties fight and send in agents to capture the surviving members. Though the plan would certainly be risky, it would also save lives and allow the Agency to neutralize the two parties without much resistance. Regardless of Bruce's stance on the matter, Waller also advised him to scout out the black site, the Bohdi Spa, and promised to help if needed.
Some time afterwards, Bruce contacted Waller during a reconnaissance mission of the black site, giving her information about the Spa and the security defenses he found there. After seeing a scientist disappear into a secret lab, he informed Waller about this discovery. Thanking Bruce for his cooperation, Waller signed out to mobilize the Agency.
What Ails You[]
When Bruce/Batman entered the SANCTUS facility, he informed her of his location and asked her to send the Agency to help capture the Pact. If he revealed his cover to save Catwoman, Waller will criticize him for doing so. As she and the Agency arrived to capture the members of the Pact, Waller deployed a taskforce to steal samples of Riddler's blood and destroy the body, to make sure she had the only samples and that they would be willing to cooperate with him. She and the agents arrived shortly after Harley escaped and would successfully capture Bane and Mr. Freeze.
During the cleanup, Waller had her agents take Bane into custody and monitor Freeze's condition, who had been infected with LOTUS. Bruce/Batman to focus on capturing Harley Quinn and "John Doe". When Avesta suggested asking Mr. Freeze about the whereabouts of Harley, Waller suggested against it, leading to them becoming suspicious of her motives.
After Wayne and Avesta discovered Waller's plans to use LOTUS to blackmail the Pact, the latter would locate and destroy the samples of Riddler's blood to prevent her from developing a usable version of it. This would leave Waller desperate when Harley Quinn attack the Gotham Bridge and threatened to blow it up if they gave her the samples. During this, she rallied the GCPD and Agency to confront and capture her. Depending on whether Bruce is able to get "John" to help capture Harley, the following will happen.
- If Bruce was able to get John to assist, the two turn up to help bring in Harley. Despite Waller's reservations, she allows them to attempt and stays on the sidelines as they do so. If Bruce lets John negotiate, Waller watches them closely and becomes suspicious when John seems to get close with Harley. Believing them to be in cahoots, she prepares to order her agents to go in and arrest them. Depending on whether Bruce is able to trust John, the following will happen.
- If Bruce is able to trust John and prevents Waller from sending in the Agency, they watch as him subdues Harley and hands her over to the Agency. After taking her into custody, Waller asks for him to hand over the LOTUS virus sample stolen, only for him to refuse. Drawing her gun to shoot him, she is stopped by Bruce. Feeling betrayed by her, John attacks the Agency and releases a smoke grenade. During the confusion, Waller tells her agents to capture Wayne and is attacked by John, who stabs her during the attack. When he makes his escape, she watches as he promises to bring down the Agency with Batman.
- If Bruce decides not to trust John or lets Waller send the Agency to arrest them, John falls back into Harley's arms and curses Bruce for listening to her. When he detonates the bombs, it is currently unknown whether Waller survived or was injured.
Same Stitch[]
After the encounter on the bridge, Waller would put out an order to capture John, now calling himself "the Joker", due to his possession of the LOTUS virus, the attack on the Agency and her suspicions that he was responsible for Riddler's murder. Waller would also induct the members of the Pact into a new Agency division, including Bane and Catwoman, forcing them to help her by using electroshock collars, fitted with explosives, and giving them new tech to help them.
Depending on whether the Joker is a vigilante or criminal, the following will happen to Waller.
- If Joker has become a vigilante, Waller orders the arrest of Batman for his assistance during the escape. Several weeks later, after the two confront her Agents and Bane, she contacts Batman and give him an ultimatum: give her Joker and the LOTUS virus or have his identity revealed to the public. Allowing him two hours to decide, she then orders the Agency to prepare their new team.
- After catching Avesta giving information to Batman, Waller makes her presence known and chastises Iman for helping Batman. Blaming the vigilante for Joker's actions, Waller learns that he has destroyed the virus. Ordering the members of the Pact to help her catch him, Waller tells Batman to surrender himself, only to receive a file of her illegal activities from him. Knowing that this would ruin her career, she agrees to a stalemate. However, when the vigilante demands that she either releases Catwoman, sends Bane and Harley Quinn to trial or allow Iman to leave the Agency without legal action, Waller tries to negotiate that he hands over Joker in return.
- Regardless of whether Batman agrees to, Joker makes his presence known to her and, believing Batman isn't doing enough to bring her to justice, attacks her. After being injured by a "Jokerang" or saved by Batman, Waller orders the criminals to kill him, though prevents Catwoman from getting involved. She also joins the battle, using the shock collar controls to keep Bane under control and personally fighting Joker. When her agents arrive, Waller is able to corner Batman and Joker, though the latter throws bombs at her agents and his former comrades, which Batman tries to stop. During the chaos created, Joker captures Waller and escapes, bringing her to Ace Chemicals.
- During the time she is held hostage by Joker and his gang, Waller is forced to confess to her involvement in various illegal activities and covering up of Agency atrocities. When Batman finally appears, Waller tries to get the vigilante to help justify her actions to Joker, knowing he will try to save her life. However, when Joker confronts her on Riddler's death, Waller denies it, though realizes he was actually not responsible. After a thwarted attempt to kill her, he takes her up to the higher levels of the chemical plant.
- Threatening to kill her, Joker tries to force the confession out of Waller, even using her as leverage to keep Batman away. However, when Tiffany Fox appears and confesses to the crime, Waller is let go whilst he attacks her. Whilst Joker is distracted, Waller throws him over the edge of the walkway, though he's saved by Batman before he falls over the edge. Whilst Batman confronts Joker, Waller helps an injured Tiffany escape and are later recovered by either the GCPD or Agency.
- Whilst Batman was unconscious, Waller briefly shares a cigarette break with Gordon, whom she seemingly has made peace with. When he regains consciousness, she asks the former Commissioner to give her some time with the vigilante. If Batman asks for his favor, Waller agrees to fulfil it, seeing how he has saved her life. Revealing their agreement was in effect, Waller tells him that she and the Agency are leaving Gotham and that she would not be taking any actions against Tiffany for her murder. Depending on dialogue chosen, Waller either leaves content to work with him again or furious, believing he is just as crazy as the members of the Pact. Regardless, she later leaves Gotham with the Agency, hoping never to return to the city.
- After receiving these, Waller contacts Batman to talk about them and ask how they should deal with the situation. When the vigilante tells the location of one of the bombs, she sends Avesta and a clean up crew to help find and dispose of it, despite being stretched thin by the chaos created. Wishing him luck, she hangs up, continuing to manage the Agency. When James Gordon contacts her about the location on Joker, Waller agrees to give him contact to Batman. When he returns with a map of the bomb locations, she sends both the Agency and GCPD to locate them. They are able to find and disarm them all, foiling Harley's plans.
- After Joker and Harley are captured, following a confrontation between Bruce and his allies, Waller meets with him whilst he's recovering from the fight. Impressed with his handling of the duo and their men, she tells him that the Agency will be leaving Gotham and that she is keeping his activities as Batman secret. Waller also fills him on the status of his allies, including Gordon, Catwoman and Avesta, arranging special care for them if he asks her to. If he asks the status of Iman, she also reveals that she knows it was her that tampered with Riddler's blood, though can agree not to take action if he asks her to.
- After concluding their discussion, Waller leaves him, though comments that she would be happy if she never has to return to Gotham. After being informed on Tiffany Fox's location, she asks him about whether he wishes to confront her on Riddler's murder or have the Agency arrest her. Regardless of what Bruce choses to do, Waller bids him farewell and leaves Gotham with the rest of the Agency.
Personality[]
Waller was cold, selfish and vindictive, holding onto authority and taking it by force when she need to. Whenever she could see use of an asset, she would use whatever means were available to use and control it. She was also willing to use violence and torture to retrieving information, something that put her at odds with James Gordon. Waller would often also shift the blame onto others whenever an operation were unsuccessful, as she did when they failed to capture the Riddler. It's possible she may have used blackmail, assassinations and other illegal and unethical operations during her time as Director, but hidden the truth through many other means.
Waller also shows a complexion of superiority when the situation goes accord with her agenda and her influence. However, she only stands down when facing unknown situations or something that can destroy her career, such as stopping a manhunt for Batman after he threatened to make her operations public. She is also arrogant to the point that she uses excuses for "The Greater Good", without realizing that most of her decisions caused severe consequences and even saying that she is not even ashamed of it, showing very little to no care of others in order to get what she wants.
Quotes[]
- "You should have called us, Gordon. After all, we're here to help."
- "Meet your new interrogator, Eli. I bet you two have met before."
- "Thunderbolt?! I'm the whole goddamn hurricane!! I'm about to blow both your asses off the side of this ship...this is a goddamn mess!!"
- "Yes, you and I will work very closely... Bruce Wayne."
- "You're on my team now -- and I take good care of my people."
- "Uncuff Mr. Wayne right now, or you'll spend the rest of your life as a meter maid."
- "There's nothing on me I can't handle. Whatever you think you've got on me will bounce off me like rain off an armored truck. You know why they call me "the Wall", Batman? Because you can't break through me."
- "You sided with that maniac! What was I supposed to do, give you a medal?! You act SO high and mighty-at the end of the day, you're just a rich guy with all the toys, beating up on lunatics!!!"
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The comic book iteration of Waller is the Director of Advanced Research Group Uniting Support/Super-Humans (or A.R.G.U.S. for short), an organization dedicated to international law enforcement and the agency in charge of the Suicide Squad.
- Waller also serves as the Director of Project Cadmus in the television series Justice League Unlimited, which is set within the "DC Animated Universe".
- Should the "Vigilante Joker" be created, Waller serves as the secondary antagonist of the episode Same Stitch.
- It's suspected that Waller was the person who freed Floyd Lawton from Arkham Asylum at the end of Batman: Sins of the Father, presumably to become member of the "Special Taskforce".
- It is unknown where Waller was during the Children of Arkham incident, as the Agency is trained for situations like them.