The Suicide Squad, officially known as Task Force X, was a Black Ops government team founded and led by Amanda Waller. The team consisted of highly skilled humans and metahumans, most of which were known criminals imprisoned at Belle Reve Penitentiary. The Squad were often sent on dangerous missions where deniability was plausible and they were likely to die. To ensure their cooperation, most members were fitted with nano-explosives in the base of their skulls.
History
Origin
After the death of Superman, A.R.G.U.S. director Amanda Waller proposed Task Force X to undertake missions too risky for the government to become involved in. Planning to utilize criminals to avoid accountability, she planned to use criminals in the organization's custody to be members of the team. The participants would be, in exchange for their help, be offered decreased sentences and improvements to their confinements. However, to ensure they did not attempt to escape or attack their fellow teammates, the Task Force members would be injected with nano-explosives in the base of their skulls, which could be remotely detonated by both her or their field leaders.
Selecting Rick Flag to serve as the field leader, Waller planned to appoint inmate at Belle Reve Penitentiary. Among her choices were arrested assassin Deadshot, clown-based criminal Harley Quinn, boomerang-themed thief Captain Boomerang, pyrokinetic hood El Diablo, reptlian mob-enforcer Killer Croc, and rope-based thief-turned-assassin Slipknot. Flag's partner, possessed archeologist June Moon, was also planned to serve as a member of the Task Force, with them using the Enchantress's mummified heart to keep her in line. To demonstrate the team's potential, Waller sent the Enchantress to Iran and steal highly-sought after documents from its government. This impressed her superiors enough to authorize their use.
The First Mission

The original Suicide Squad team
Shortly after the demonstration, Enchantress was able to take over Dune's body and use her influence to revive her brother Incubus. The soon organized an attack on Midway City and turning citizens into their "Eyes of the Adversary", planning to build "a weapon" to enslave the world. The Squad were quickly deployed to help deal with the crisis and evacuate Waller, who was held up in one of A.R.G.U.S.'s buildings. During the mission, the assassin Katana was deployed as a bodyguard and final line of defense for Flagg and the SEALs accompanying them.
Upon arrival, the Squad crashed in one of Midway's streets through Incubus' attacks, forcing them to make it on foot. During the trek, Boomerang and Slipknot attempted an escape, with the former quickly incapacitated and the latter executed to prove the nano-explosives were not a buff. The Squad soon encountered the siblings' Eyes, resulting in a battle between them provoked by Deadshot. After winning the battle, the Squad moved to office building and fought their way to Waller, clearing out the eyes. Waller then joined them, executing her staff without clearance to their existence.
As they attempted to evacuate Waller, Harley's boyfriend, the Joker, attacked them with help of his men, having come to release Harley. With her nano-explosive deactivated through his men and Deadshot defying a direct order to execute her, Waller ordered their helicopter to be shot down before they escaped. As she attempted to leave the area in her next attempt, the Squad moved to the streets after it was attacked and crashed by Enchantress. Harley quickly rejoined the group after being found on the streets.
From files obtained, Deadshot learned of Flag's relationship with Enchantress and A.R.G.U.S.'s responsibility in her attack. After a heated confrontation between the two, the Squad chose abandon their objectives and leave him, with Katana joining them. Over drinks, they learned of each others' situations and problems. Flagg soon joined them and "dismissed" the group, with only Boomerang taking his offer. After Flagg convinced Deadshot to return, the Squad agreed to complete the mission. Boomerang soon rejoined them, possibly having overheard the conversation before leaving.
Splitting into two groups, Flag's surviving seals would place explosives with the assistance of Croc, whilst the rest of the team would battle Enchantress. When the witch discovered their presence, she attempted to tempt them to her side using visions of their "perfect lives". However, Ed Diablo quickly saw through it and attacked her and Incubus, using his powers to distract them. He guided Incubus to the area where the SEALs were placing the explosives, sacrificing himself to ensure his defeat.
The remnants of the Squad soon confronted Enchantress, who quickly overwhelmed and disarmed them. She soon reoffered them to join as her servants, offering anything they wanted. Harley feigned belief to get close to her, using the opportunity to cut open Enchantress' chest with Soultaker and seize her heart. Flag and Croc then threw the last explosive into the superweapon, with Deadshot detonating them with a gunshot. Flag then seized Enchantress' heart and stabbed it, killing the witch and releasing Moone from her curse.
As the Squad attempted to leave, Waller, who'd been held captive for government information, appeared and threatened to detonate the explosives. Rather than kill her, the team agreed to stay with ten years cut off their sentences and perks at Belle Reve. Sometime afterwards, Quinn was freed by the surviving Joker, prompting her to leave. Some time later, Waller's activities were discovered by Bruce Wayne, who agreed to help cover up her involvement in the midway incident in return for a few files on other potential recruits.
The Corto Moltese Mission
Five years after the incident, the Squad were now used for more covert missions. By then, Deadshot and Croc had been released, whilst Katana had left. Following a change of government on Corto Maltese to an anti-American regime, Waller decided to deploy the Squad to cover up their involvement with "Project Starfish" and destroy its holding cell, Jotunheim. The Squad was separated into two teams: Team One consisting of Flag, Savant, Boomerang, Blackguard, the Detatchable Kid, Weasel, Mongal, Javelin and a recently-recaptured Quinn, whilst Team Two comprised of Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2 and Polka-Dot Man.
Members
- Active
- Former
- Rick Flag
- Deadshot
- Peacemaker
- Captain Boomerang
- Killer Croc
- Katana
- Polka-Dot Man
- El Diablo
- Savant
- Blackguard
- The Detatchable Kid/"T.D.K."
- Weasel
- Javelin
- Mongal
- Slipknot