| Secret Six | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Group publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | (1960s) Secret Six #1 (May1968) (1980s) Action Comics Weekly #601 (May1988) (2000s) Villains United #1 (July2005) |
| Created by | (1960s) E. Nelson Bridwell (writer) Frank Springer (artist) (1980s) Martin Pasko (writer) Dan Spiegle (artist) (2000s/2010s) Gail Simone (writer) Dale Eaglesham (artist) Brad Walker (artist) Nicola Scott (artist) 2020s Nicole Maines (writer) Stephen Segovia (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | (1980s) San Francisco (2000s) House of Secrets |
| Roster | |
| See:List of Secret Six members | |
| Secret Six | |
 | Secret Six #1 (May 1968). Unusually, the story begins on the cover; art byFrank Springer. |
| Series publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | (vol. 1) Bi-monthly (vols. 2–5) Monthly |
| Format | (vols. 1, 3, and 4) Ongoing series (vols. 2, and 5) Limited series |
| Genre | (vol. 1) Action/Adventure Mystery (vols. 2–5) Superhero |
| Publication date | (vol. 1) April/May1968 – April/May1969 (vol. 2) July2006 – January2007 (vol. 3) November2008 – October2011 (vol. 4) December2014 – May2016 (vol. 5) March – August2025 |
| Number of issues | (vol. 1) 7 (vol. 2) 6 (vol. 3) 36 (vol. 4) 14 (vol. 5) 6 |
| Creator(s) | (1960s) E. Nelson Bridwell (writer) Frank Springer (artist) (1980s) Martin Pasko (writer) Dan Spiegle (artist) (2000s/2010s) Gail Simone (writer) Dale Eaglesham (artist) Brad Walker (artist) Nicola Scott (artist) 2020s Nicole Maines (writer) Stephen Segovia (artist) |
| Collected editions | |
| Villains United | ISBN 1-4012-0838-X |
| Secret Six: Six Degrees of Devastation | ISBN 1-4012-1231-X |
| Birds of Prey: Dead of Winter | ISBN 1-4012-2327-3 |
| Secret Six: Unhinged | ISBN 1-4012-2327-3 |
| Secret Six: Depths | ISBN 1-4012-2599-3 |
| Secret Six: Danse Macabre | ISBN 1-4012-2904-2 |
| Secret Six: Cat's in the Cradle | ISBN 1-4012-3021-0 |
| Secret Six: The Reptile Brain | ISBN 1-4012-3166-7 |
| Secret Six Vol. 1: Villains United | ISBN 1-4012-5075-0 |
| Secret Six Vol. 2: Money For Murder | ISBN 1-4012-5537-X |
TheSecret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in theDC Universe, plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members. The third, anti-heroic incarnation of the Secret Six was rated byIGN as the fourthBest Comic Run of the Decade in 2012.[1]
The Secret Sixfirst appeared during theSilver Age of Comic Books in the initial team's seven-issue titleSecret Six (May 1968 – May 1969).[2]
Unusually, the premiere issue's story began on the cover, and continued on the interior's page one. This strike team of covert operatives consisted of August Durant, Lili de Neuve, Carlo di Rienzi, Mike Tempest, Crimson Dawn, and King Savage.[3]
Created by writerE. Nelson Bridwell and artistFrank Springer,[4] the ongoing series ceased publication with the identity of Mockingbird unrevealed. The first two issues were reprinted inThe Brave and the Bold #117 and #120 (March and July 1975).
WriterMartin Pasko and artistDan Spiegle introduced an updated version of the team as an eight-page feature in the anthology titleAction Comics Weekly #601 (May 24, 1988).
They revealed Mockingbird as Durant, who now reunited the team after twenty years while also assembling a new team consisting of Mitch Hoberman, Ladonna Jameal, Tony Mantegna, Luke McKendrick, Vic Sommers, and Dr. Maria Verdugo. The following issue saw the entire first team, including Durant, die. The feature ran throughAction Comics Weekly #612 (August 9, 1988), with DiRienzi succeeding Durant as Mockingbird.
Longtime comic-bookletterer Clem Robins has said that Secret Six originator Bridwell did not have Durant in mind as Mockingbird:
When I first began freelancing for DC in 1977, I was introduced to E. Nelson Bridwell, who wrote every Secret Six story [to that time] and originated the concept. I took him aside and asked him point-blank who Mockingbird actually was, since the book was cancelled before the issue could ever be resolved. Bridwell told me who Mockingbird was, and explained his logic in choosing that particular character.[5]
A second arc of this team, by writer Pasko and original Silver Age artist Springer, ran inAction Comics Weekly #619–630 (September 27 – December 13, 1988). DiRienzi died, and his son Rafael disappeared amid intimations that he may be the successor Mockingbird.
The next version of the team was introduced inVillains United #1 (July 2005). Unlike previous versions of the team, the new Secret Six consists mainly of villainous characters who undertake missions of dubious moral quality and often resulting in a high body count. The team consists of the pre-existing DC charactersCatman,Deadshot, andCheshire, and the newly createdRag Doll,Scandal Savage, and aParademon. Another member, theFiddler, is killed by Deadshot on order of Mockingbird. Later, the Parademon is killed and Cheshire betrays the group to theSecret Society of Super Villains, and was shot by the Society'sDeathstroke, who does not trust her for being a traitor (Cheshire eventually turns up alive, plotting revenge). The Mockingbird for this version of the team is eventually revealed to beLex Luthor.
In the 2006Secret Sixlimited series, (written byGail Simone with art by Brad Walker andJimmy Palmiotti),Knockout, who was revealed as a mole infiltrating the Society inVillains United, has officially joined the group to be with her lover, Scandal. At the end of issue #1, Catman asks theMad Hatter to be the sixth member of the group. While Catman meets with the Mad Hatter,Doctor Psycho orchestrates a series of attacks designed to wipe out the Six. The Hatter is literally kicked off the team by Rag Doll, who says that one eccentric fop in the group is enough. His replacement isHarley Quinn,[6] who later quits.[7]
InBirds of Prey #104–108, the Secret Six face off againstOracle's Birds of Prey in Russia for the soul of Tora (Ice). After Harley Quinn quit the team, they disbanded. Subsequently, inBirds of Prey #109, Knockout was attacked and killed by the same assassin who had been stalking theNew Gods and killing them off, one by one. Earlier in the issue, Knockout comments in passing that Catman was going soft, and Deadshot had returned to theSuicide Squad. Harley Quinn is reformed inCountdown #43. Scandal Savage, Rag Doll, and Catman were later seen inSalvation Run.
DC launched a newSecret Six series in September 2008, reunitingCatman,Deadshot, Scandal Savage, and Rag Doll, and addingBane (hinted at by Simone months earlier as "an A-listBatman villain")[8] and an original character namedJeannette, who appeared in the third issue. The Six have been hired to retrieveTarantula fromAlcatraz Island, and find a card which she stole from "Junior", a mysterious villain who supposedly runs the entire West Coast mob. This Junior has practically the entire villain community at her beck and call, all afraid of her, even those inArkham Asylum. The Six later learn that the card in question was made byNeron, and says "Get Out of Hell Free".[9] Soon, the Six are attacked by a small army of supervillains, all wanting to recover the card and collect the reward of $20 million for each of the Six, under the orders of Junior, who captures and tortures Bane, whose strong principles and moral convictions, paired with his fatherly fondness of Scandal, keep him from betraying his new team. It is later revealed that Junior is Rag Doll's sister and a daughter of the first Rag Doll. She has the ghastly appearance of an old clown, with sliced skin and eyes stitched wide open to give the appearance of a clown.[10] The Six escape and head forGotham City, with Deadshot seemingly betraying them and leaving with Tarantula.[11] The Six manage to catch up to Deadshot and are attacked by Junior, the supervillains, and the Mad Hatter, who is revealed to be the one who hired them simply so they would be killed. Tarantula sacrifices herself by pulling herself and Junior in front of the supervillains' combined attack, seemingly destroying the card along with them. It is later shown that Scandal is now in possession of it.[12]
Although the current incarnation of the Secret Six are technically supervillains, several members of the team are treated sympathetically and come across as heroic, if only on the virtue of the team encountering individuals who are even more bloodthirsty and villainous.
In a new storyline starting with issue #10 titled "Depths", the Six have been hired by a new villain named Mr. Smyth, a slave trader.[13] He is building what he hopes will be the world's biggest and only prison. He is also holding the AmazonArtemis of Bana-Mighdall prisoner.Jeannette breaks her out and was met with opposition from the rest of the team, who in the middle of battling with each other are interrupted byWonder Woman.[14] The Six one-by-one turn on Smyth and free all the slaves he possessed on his Devil's Island, ending with Deadshot killing Smyth in cold blood. Disappointed in the repetitive failed progress the team's missions have had since joining, Bane takes over as team leader with the approval of half the team. His first directive is to remove Scandal Savage as a team member and replace her withBlack Alice. After Catman flees to find the murderers of his son, he is followed by Rag Doll, Alice, Deadshot, and Scandal. Bane and Jeannette replace them withKing Shark,Dwarfstar,Lady Vic, andGiganta.
John Ostrander guest-wroteSecret Six (vol. 3) #15 (January 2010), featuring Deadshot,[15][16] and #23 (September 2010), a super-powered version take on "The Most Dangerous Game".[17]
The series has also had three crossovers with other DC titles. In 2010, Simone teamed withJohn Ostrander for "Danse Macabre", a crossover with Ostrander's acclaimed 1980s titleSuicide Squad, which had been "resurrected" and given one additional issue as part of DC's company-wideBlackest Night crossover event. The crossover involved the Six being hired by an anonymous party (in realityAmanda Waller) to break into Belle Reve prison in order to rescue an inmate, only to discover that the mission was a trap set in place so that the Suicide Squad could apprehend the team and kidnap Deadshot. The crossover began inSuicide Squad #67 and subsequently ran throughSecret Six (vol. 3) #17-18, and eventually reached a climax where both teams were forced to work together to fight off aBlack Lantern invasion. In January 2011, Simone collaborated withPaul Cornell on a two-part crossover which began inAction Comics #896 and ended inSecret Six (vol. 3) #29, which saw the Six being hired by Lex Luthor to assassinate Scandal's fatherVandal Savage. In February of the same year, Simone took part in another two-issue crossover, this time withKeith Giffen'sDoom Patrol for a storyline entitled "Suicide Roulette". The crossover, which took place inSecret Six (vol. 3) #30, andDoom Patrol (vol. 5) #19, saw the Secret Six come into conflict with the Doom Patrol after being hired to forcibly take over the team's home country of Oolong Island.
The book's final storyline featured Bane leading the Secret Six on an ill-fated mission toGotham City, where they plan to killCatwoman,Red Robin,Batgirl, andAzrael. However, upon their arrival the team is met by a veritable army of superheroes ranging fromGreen Lantern and theHuntress to theJustice League and theTeen Titans. Despite the overwhelming odds, the members of the Secret Six make one last stand before being defeated and incarcerated.[18]
In September 2011,The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity.Secret Six was relaunched in December 2014 with Gail Simone returning as the writer. The series features a completely new line-up, save Catman and Black Alice, including Strix, theVentriloquist (Shauna Belzer),Ralph Dibny under the alias of Big Shot, and a new character named Porcelain. In the third issue of the series theRiddler was revealed to be the Mockingbird, while Big Shot was revealed to be the Riddler's mole on the team. In the next issue, Scandal Savage, Rag Doll, and Jeannette appear acting as operatives of Mockingbird, tracking down the team, but later the three characters become allies to the Secret Six and turn on the Riddler.
In the 2019Batman/Superman series,The Batman Who Laughs usesJoker toxin-lacedBatarangs to create dark and twisted versions of six individuals necessary to open a portal to theDark Multiverse, those beingCommissioner Gordon,Blue Beetle,Shazam,Donna Troy,Hawkman, andSupergirl. Superman had been the intended target, but Supergirl took the blow instead. After the portal is closed due to the combined efforts of Batman and Superman, the team (minus Gordon, who was apprehended shortly afterwards) does battle with Lex Luthor in theYear of the Villain: Hell Arisen miniseries. The team is disbanded when The Batman Who Laughs is injected with a cure for his serum, causing the Six to return to normal and turn on him before they are interrupted by Luthor teleporting him to the Godhead.
Following theAbsolute Power storyline,Superman (Jon Kent),Dreamer (Nia Nal), and Gossamer (Jay Nakamura) are recruited to form a new Secret Six team alongsideBlack Alice,Catman, andDeadshot. The six-issue miniseries, written byNicole Maines with art by Stephen Segovia, debuted on March 5, 2025. Of the team lineup, Maines stated, “Getting to be part ofDC All In and to tell a new story involving Jon Kent, Jay Nakamura, and Dreamer means the world to me. They’re all at a crossroads right now, at the start of their potential villain origin stories, so having them team up with these Secret Six veterans, all former villains, feels like a mirror into their futures.”[19] Over the course of the series, the titular six are thrown together in a plot involving the attempted assassination ofAmanda Waller and the US Government's attempts to access the secrets buried inside her mind by Dreamer. In the finale sixth issue, Jon and Jay break up with the revelation that the US Government sanctioned Amanda Waller's attack on the superhuman community that led to Jay's mother's death, with Jon refusing to help Jay overthrow the government in revenge.[20]
An alternate universe iteration of the Secret Six appears inTangent Comics, consisting of theAtom, theFlash, the Joker, theSpectre,Plastic Man, andManhunter.
An alternate universe iteration of the Secret Six appear inTiny Titans, consisting ofBane,Rag Doll,Jeannette,Scandal Savage,Catman, andDeadshot. This version of the group is a soccer team coached byLobo.
A group based on the Secret Six called theSecret Seven appear in a self-titledFlashpoint tie-in miniseries, consisting ofShade,Abra Kadabra,Amethyst, theEnchantress, Mindwarp,Raven, andZatanna. Additionally,Klarion the Witch Boy andBlack Orchid appear as previous members who were killed prior to the miniseries. This version of the group are part of a secret organization of magic-users. The Enchantress manipulates Shade into dismantling the Seven on theAmazons' behalf, leading to Kadabra publicly denouncing the group and the other members' deaths.
The stories have been collected intotrade paperbacks:
In 2018,Suits's Rick Muirragui was attached to write and produce a Secret Six TV series withBill Lawrence's Doozer Productions forCBS.[35] No production updates were provided after its reveal.
Writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Frank Springer brought together six individuals who all possessed special skills and dark secrets, and were all being blackmailed into the service of the faceless Mockingbird.
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