Synopsis[]
"Running With The Devil"[]
Deadshot is dead. He sacrificed himself in order to kill Regulus, the leader of Basilisk. He has been given a hero's funeral; a military burial. His history as a marine was not forgotten, despite his criminal past. When it begins to rain green rain, all in attendance collapse into unconsciousness - all except Harley Quinn. To her, this can only mean one thing: The Joker is back.
Happily, she welcomes him back, only to get a fist in the face, as punishment for her hubris. Despite this, he claims to have missed her - a fact that became clearer to him when he retrieved his face, and found that it smelled like her. He realized she had tried to get it. He shoves a straight razor into her mouth, and demands to know if she prayed for him nightly; held vigils in his name. Naturally, she can't answer without cutting herself, and stays quiet - so the Joker talks for her.
He explains how he missed her so much that he kept tabs on her, following her progression with the Suicide Squad - up to the moment that she had sex with Deadshot. Angrily, he swipes the razor out of her mouth, cutting her lip. He decides that somebody has to pay for that indiscretion. He bypasses both Captain Boomerang and Amanda Waller, knowing that they mean nothing to Harley. So, that leaves only Floyd himself. Tossing aside the American flag draped over Deadshot's coffin, he announces that he will gladly disfigure the body.
Harley grabs Waller's gun, and aims it at the Joker, warning him not to do anything to Deadshot, though he knows she won't be able to pull the trigger. However, he will offer a deal. If she does something for him, he will leave both her and Deadshot's body alone.
An hour later, Waller and the others have wakened from their poison-induced unconsciousness, realizing that they were attacked by the Joker, and that they must be small fish, if he left them alive. Despite the fact that Harley has apparently escaped, Waller will not have her caught, nor will she activate her nano-bomb, as any activity on their part will alert the world to Task Force X's existence, and that cannot happen.
Waller checks in with Dr. Mia Visyak at the Samsara Project lab, where she is trying - with difficulty - to reanimate the disembodied hand of Mitch Shelley, the Resurrection Man. As much as they need the project to work, it will still take a lot more time, unfortunately.
Dr. Charles Murray, aka Iceberg, has been under observation in the infirmary for a while, since his arm was sliced off. In the meantime, he now has a replacement arm made entirely of ice - something that is beyond his understanding, which is most perplexing for a professor of science. He admits that he is not leadership material, but he is a team player.
King Shark has been in the deprogramming room for a while, having Regulus' mental controls removed from his mind. He is surprised when Yo-Yo appears from a darkened corner of the room, warning that he knows the real reason why King Shark is in the Suicide Squad.
El Diablo used to think that his powers were curse whose darkness was only alleviated by the thought that the voice he had been hearing, guiding him, was that of God, leading him to redemption. However, now that he knows that voice was Regulus', he is without faith. The powers he has come at a price that he can no longer afford paying, and as such, he is ready to accept Lucifer's hellfire.
Black Spider, meanwhile, is imprisoned in a dark room, deep in the bowels of Belle Reve. Since he betrayed the Squad to Basilisk, he is no longer trustworthy. Waller is aware that he must have known that Regulus was lying to him, and he agrees. She correctly guesses that there was more to it than the threat on his family: he actually believes in what Basilisk preaches. He explains that the metahumans are becoming too powerful, and power corrupts. Eventually, they will place humanity under their rule and their law, and those who try to fight back will be killed. He warns that Waller knows that only she can save humanity from them.
After having faced Batman, and trapped him in a chemical vat at the Ace Chemical Processing Plant, Harley calls out to Joker that their deal is complete. Joker wonders, though, is she still Harley Quinn, or is she Harleen Quinzel? She assures him that she is still good old Harley, but he doesn't believe her. Nervously, she responds that a girl always has secrets. Wrapping a chain noose around her neck, Joker hangs Harley by the neck, and demands that she tell him a few.
Appearances[]
"Running With The Devil"[]
Individuals[]
- Suicide Squad
- Deadshot (Flashback Only)
- Regulus (Flashback Only)
- Amanda Waller
- The Joker
- Elisa Visyak
- Yo-Yo
- Black Spider
Locations[]
- Masada
- Louisiana
- Belle Reve
- Samsara Project Lab
- Belle Reve
- Gotham City
Items[]
- Mitch Shelley's Hand