| Department of Extranormal Operations | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Batman #550 (1998) |
| Created by | Dan Curtis Johnson andJ. H. Williams III |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | Federal Law Enforcement Agency |
| Leader(s) | |
| Agent(s) |
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TheDepartment of Extranormal Operations (DEO) is agovernment agency in theDC Universe appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. It was co-created byDan Curtis Johnson andJ. H. Williams III and first appeared inBatman #550 (1998).[3] The agency was the focus of theChase series. It is featured in theSupergirl television series.[4] The agency has a complicated relationship with the depiction of law and constitutional rights in the DC Universe.[5]
The role of the DEO is to monitor those with extranormalsuperpowers and to prevent any threat to the general public.[citation needed]
A rogue department of the DEO manages to convinceKyle Rayner to scan various heroes, presumably to detect abody-hopping supervillain. Instead, the data is used to create a new version ofAmazo.Chase,Mister Bones, Kyle, and other heroes shut down the division. Amazo is destroyed and Kyle deletes the relevant information.[6]
Batwoman becomes a reluctant agent of the DEO after the agency learns her identity. Mister Bones, director of the DEO, believes himself to be the illegitimate son ofJacob Kane, Batwoman's father. DEO agents discover thatBeth Kane, Batwoman's identical twin sister, is alive and capture her. Bones blackmails Batwoman into helping the DEO uncover the secret identity ofBatman in exchange for Beth.[7]
The Department of Extranormal Operations appears inGreen Lantern, with Senator Robert Hammond as a sponsor and his sonHector Hammond as a member.
The DEO appears inBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.
The Department of Extranormal Operations appears in the comics continuation ofSmallville, led by Mister Bones andSteve Trevor and consisting of Cameron Chase,Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, andDiana Prince as agents.[10]