| Secret Society of Super Villains | |
|---|---|
 Lex Luthor's Secret Society of Super Villains as seen inVillains United:Infinite Crisis Special #1. Art byKarl Kerschl. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Secret Society of Super Villains #1 (May–June 1976) |
| Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) Pablo Marcos (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Gotham City |
| Member(s) | List of Secret Society of Super Villains members |
Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is anAmerican comic book published byDC Comics, created by writerGerry Conway and artistPablo Marcos, which first appeared in May–June 1976. The series' focuses on a titular group ofsupervillains, most of whom are foes of the members of theJustice League of America.[1] The series was cancelled with issue #15 in July 1978, as part of theDC Implosion, a period when DC suddenly cancelled dozens of comics.[2]
In the decades following the cancellation of the original book, the fictional group has returned in many forms.
EditorGerry Conway created the team to be "a kind of 'evil' Justice League", inspired by the "Rogues Gallery" that fellow editorJulie Schwartz created forthe Flash.[3] Since other editors were somewhat possessive towards the more popularDC Comics supervillains, Conway resorted to sifting through DC's back issues in search of members, finally selecting a lineup of relatively obscure and/or forgotten villains.[4] Conway said: "Obviously, this was lifted fromDick Tracy, but having costumed villains with a shared goal — even if it was simply the destruction of their common enemy — seems to be something that was unique to DC".[3]
The first issue ofSecret Society of Super Villains was drafted with artwork byPablo Marcos. Then, according to Conway's assistantPaul Levitz:
Custom in those years was for the editor to bring the finished inks of an issue in to [editorial director]Carmine [Infantino] for a cover conference, during which Carmine would usually sketch acover design in pen on typing paper. While I wasn't in the room, I clearly recall Gerry coming back down the hall to his office, confused, as Carmine had looked through the issue wanting to see the villains' clubhouse orheadquarters, and when that wasn't in the book, asking Gerry to redo it. In my time at DC in Carmine's years, this was the most significant change in an issue I recall his asking for at that late stage.[4]
In the original story,Darkseid (demanding to be called the Director) founds the group under the title of the Brotherhood of Crime in a bid to hold the world to ransom by stealing the world's deadliest nerve gas. The group, made up ofCaptain Cold,Gorilla Grodd,Clayface,Star Sapphire, and a clone of theManhunter, turns on their benefactor when the Manhunter raises the issue of Darkseid's history of trying to enslave humanity. Darkseid is revealed to be an android. The Manhunter suspects Darkseid controls it from afar and suggests forming the Secret Society of Super Villains to combat Darkseid while pursuing their own goals.[5][6]
In the revised first issue, the team's lineup included Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire and the Manhunter from the original conception, and addedMirror Master,Copperhead,Sinestro,Shadow Thief and theWizard.[3]
Starting from the second issue, the comic's recurring hero isCaptain Comet. Conway said that he wanted a regular 'lead hero' for the villains to interact with. The inclusion of a regular hero in the book helped to avoidComics Code Authority concerns about presenting villains in a positive light.[3]
Due to the delays caused by having to redo the first issue from scratch, Conway assignedDavid Anthony Kraft to script the next three issues ofSecret Society of Super Villains over his plots. After issue #4, both Conway and Kraft abruptly left DC, leading to a mad scramble to produce a fill-in issue.[4]
Jack C. Harris took over as editor, and Conway returned as writer only with issue #8, but artists on the series rotated nearly as often as the lineup of the titular supergroup, withRich Buckler,Mike Vosburg, andDick Ayers all contributing short stints aspencilers, whileinkers changed from issue to issue. Harris felt that the series' mediocre sales might have been partly his fault: "The cover concepts were one of my editorial duties. Rich Buckler turned my ideas into the best he could do, but I never felt as if my ideas were good enough for his art. I think there was a 'sameness' to my ideas which might have hurt the title in that casual readers might have missed buying an issue because they thought they'd already seen it".[4]
Secret Society of Super Villains was cancelled with issue #15 as part of theDC Implosion.[2] Issue #16 was already at the printer at the time of the cancellation and would have been the final issue, but writerBob Rozakis appealed to DC to pull the issue since it was the beginning of a three-part story and he did not want to leave the readers hanging.[4] Issue #17 was near completion at the time, and both it and issue #16 would see publication (of a sort) in the privately printedCancelled Comics Cavalcade #2. Issue #18, which concluded the three-part story, was scripted but never drawn. Rozakis later revealed where the story would have gone had the series not been cancelled in a weekly column forSilver Bullet Comics.[4]
This series, along with the unpublished issues #16 and 17, were collected in a two-volume hardcover edition, with the volumes published in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
First organized byDarkseid, the Secret Society of Super Villains were based in the Sinister Citadel inSan Francisco. From early on, the team was plagued with power struggles.Lex Luthor,Wizard,Gorilla Grodd, andFunky Flashman all sought to control the powerful team;Manhunter (the team's first leader) andCaptain Comet, on the other hand, sought to divert the villains' evil ways into a more positive channel.[7] After discovering the true identity of their benefactor, the team rebelled against the alien overlord. To quash their uprising, Darkseid sentMantis andKalibak. At the end of the struggle, Manhunter sacrificed himself to seemingly kill Darkseid. After this, the team splintered, with Luthor, Wizard, Gorilla Grodd, and Flashman leading the team at different times. However, Wizard proved to be the most tenacious and created the definitive incarnation of the SSoSV. They went on to fight the originalCrime Syndicate of America ofEarth-Three and theJustice Society of America. While traveling between dimensions, back onEarth-1 theSilver Ghost,Mirror Master andCopperhead formed yet another team and fought theFreedom Fighters.[8]
Wizard's group eventually returned from Earth-2 and battled against the Justice League of America aboard theirsatellite headquarters. At one point in the battle, the two teams swapped bodies, allowing the supervillains to discover the true identities of their enemies. After gaining the upper hand, the Justice League wiped the memories of the supervillains, precipitatingIdentity Crisis and the formation of the current Society years later.[9]
Also notable in this series' run is the first appearance ofCaptain Comet in over 20 years, as well as the introduction of a newStar Sapphire. Both were regular, recurring characters.
The next incarnation of the Secret Society appeared in 1981, headquartered in a new Sinister Citadel in Nepal, and was created byUltra-Humanite, who organized foes of both Earth-One'sJustice League andEarth-Two'sJustice Society. This version of the Society consisted ofUltra-Humanite,Brain Wave,Killer Frost,Cheetah,Signalman,Floronic Man,Monocle,Rag Doll,Mist, andPsycho-Pirate, and marked the first appearance of Ultra-Humanite's albino gorilla body.[10] After capturing and sending 10 heroes of the JSA and JLA to Limbo, the Society was betrayed by Ultra-Humanite, who had his own agenda.[11] In response, the betrayed villains of Earth-1 freed the 10 heroes and attacked the Ultra-Humanite. The entire Secret Society of Super-Villains was incarcerated in Limbo by the JLA and JSA.[12]
Ultra-Humanite contacted his younger self in 1942, who helped to break out the SSoSV using the power ofBrain Wave. The white gorilla Ultra-Humanite attackedInfinity, Inc. in the modern day, while the rest of the SSoSV battled against theAll-Star Squadron in 1942. The villains were defeated and returned to their proper times.[13]
After the reformation of the JLA,Martian Manhunter lures a group of villains to one spot by disguising himself as the lateBrain Wave and invitingAmos Fortune,Black Hand,Blockbuster,Bolt,Captain Boomerang, Cheetah,Cheshire,Deadshot,Doctor Alchemy,Doctor Phosphorus,Doctor Sivana,Fiddler, Floronic Man, Gorilla Grodd,Heat Wave,Hector Hammond,Killer Frost,Major Disaster, Monocle,Penguin, Per Degaton,Poison Ivy, Prankster, Psycho-Pirate,Riddler, theRoyal Flush Gang (minus King),Scarecrow, Signalman,Solomon Grundy,Star Sapphire, and Wizard to join the Secret Society of Super Villains. Brain Wave also claims that the Secret Society has members in scattered cells, withCaptain Cold,Felix Faust,Goldface,Kobra,Metallo,Mister Mind,Ra's al Ghul,Two-Face, andVandal Savage as their chairmen. All of the SSoSV are told to gather in Kansas to attack theJustice League Watchtower at midnight. Blockbuster twice questions if Brain Wave is supposed to be dead before Brain Wave asks him to hang back. When the villains leave their meeting place, they are confronted and defeated by the Justice League. The Justice League members find Blockbuster knocked out next to Martian Manhunter. As the tale was told byRainbow Raider toSonar, it is uncertain whether these events actually happened. At the very least, there may have been some embellishment.[14]
After the defeat of the last incarnation of the SSoSV, a great amount of time would pass before villains would band together in any sort of large organization. Fueled by rumors of the mindwiping ofDr. Light, a new Society emerged. This Society was founded byAlexander Luthor Jr. posing asLex Luthor, along with five other supervillains:Calculator,Doctor Psycho,Deathstroke,Talia al Ghul, andBlack Adam.
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s intent was to gather together a cadre of supervillains to retrieve several key superheroes who have ties to theMultiverse to harness their residual temporal vibrations to recreate the Multiverse. OnlyPsycho-Pirate, who remembered the Multiverse, knew of this plan, as Alexander Luthor Jr. lied to the members of his inner circle, telling them that he was building a massive mind-erasing machine to use against all of the heroes in the DC Universe.
Playing on the fear of superheroes, retaliation for refusal, and the desire for power, Alexander created a Society the size of which (over 500 members) is larger than all previous incarnations combined. Out of all the villains in the DC Universe, the only one not even offered an invitation wasJoker on the grounds that he was "too wild".
The group, referred to simply as theSociety, was featured in the miniseriesVillains United as background characters and foils for the newSecret Six (consisting of six villains recruited by thereal Lex Luthor, who refused their invitation to join the Society). The follow-up one-shot issueVillains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 focused on the Society itself as they enacted Alexander Luthor Jr.'s back-up plan to conquer Earth in the event that his main plan failed. This led to a final battle, referred to as theBattle of Metropolis, where the Society, led by Doctor Psycho andDoomsday, made their final battle against the various heroes of the DC Universe.
At the end ofInfinite Crisis, Alexander Luthor Jr. was killed by the Joker who was brought to him by Lex Luthor. Lex let Joker kill Alexander Luthor Jr. as part of his revenge for not including him in the Secret Society. Black Adam, betrayed by Alexander Luthor Jr., fought the Society in theBattle of Metropolis, tearing offAmazo's head, and returned toKhandaq to rule full-time.
One Year Later, most of the Society's inner circle is either in prison or has resigned from the group. Doctor Psycho was captured by the authorities after the Battle of Metropolis and is on trial in theManhunter series. He has also appeared inSecret Six andWonder Woman. Deathstroke the Terminator was apprehended byGreen Arrow, but escaped and started recruiting members for theTitans East.
With Talia returning to rule theLeague of Assassins, the Calculator remains the only original member of the "inner council" left running the Society.
Not long after the Society's dissolution, Checkmate instigated a crackdown on all villains in theDC Universe, who were captured and exiled to a prison planet as seen in theSalvation Run miniseries. The group included almost every villain in the DC universe, with rare exceptions. Though the villains escaped back to Earth, their desire for revenge drives the Society to depose Lex Luthor and replace him with a leader who promises them what they desire: the mysteriousLibra.
Libra, a follower of Intergang's "Religion of Crime" and secretly an agent of Darkseid, leads the Secret Society in their role as Darkseid's ground troops as part of theFinal Crisis storyline. Promising to fulfill the hearts desires of his subordinates, Libra murders the Martian Manhunter for new recruit theHuman Flame. He also arranges for Clayface to cause an explosion at theDaily Planet, killing and maiming dozens of Superman's closest friends and mortally wounding his wife Lois in the process, to try to seduce the disgruntled Luthor to his side and draw Superman to Libra.
With most of the Society, includingVandal Savage, behind him, Libra reveals his true self to Lex Luthor as the villain turns on the Human Flame by forcing a mind-control helmet onto the villain's face, exposing him to the Anti-Life Equation and turning him into a mindless slave warrior known as a Justifier. Faced with the threat of being forced to become a Justifier himself, Luthor agrees to become Libra and Darkseid's servant. With help fromDoctor Sivana and the Calculator, Lex Luthor ultimately turns against Libra and forces him to retreat. With Sivana's help, Luthor and the mind-controlled legions of Justifiers helped Superman in battle against the last remaining forces of Darkseid, the Fury Riders. Luthor and Sivana then proceed to help Superman build the Miracle Machine to save the Earth, though the two are only allowed to work on sections of the machine due to the risk of them stealing the designs for future villainous schemes.
InFinal Crisis: Revelations, thethirdSpectre kills Doctor Light and meltsEffigy before trying to take on Libra. Sister Wrack of the Religion of Crime impales Vandal Savage with theSpear of Destiny, causing Vandal Savage to be reborn as Cain. Cain then seeks out the Spectre and easily overwhelms him, followed by Cain impaling the Spectre with the Spear of Destiny. It separates the Spectre from host Crispus Allen asRenee Montoya and Radiant carry his body into the church. Cain later controls the Spectre and has it recite the Anti-Life Equation to recreate the world in Darkseid's name. Cain manages to stab Renee with the Spear of Destiny. Renee manages to grab the Spear and use its powers to restore the world and Crispus' life. Reuniting with the Spectre, Crispus uses his judgement to kill Cain's followers, but could not kill Cain. The Spectre casts Cain out into the world with no chance of peace until God decides to grant him otherwise.
InFinal Crisis: Rogues' Revenge, the Rogues withdraw from Libra's Society and plot to take revenge on a movement-restoredInertia before they retire. However, Libra uses his New Rogues to target the Rogues and forces them to join up with Libra by doing various things to those close to them. Even with theNew Rogues slain by the Rogues, Libra does not give up that easily. They still turn down Libra even afterZoom is de-powered by Inertia, who is then killed by the Rogues.
From an idea byT. O. Morrow during and afterFinal Crisis, Cheetah assigned several scientific members of a new Secret Society (such asProfessor Ivo andDoctor Poison) to collect soil samples from various regions of Earth in which acts of genocide occurred. They plan to use the soil to form a new villain namedGenocide.[15] Genocide is brought to life through a combination of science and the magic ofFelix Faust. They are successful in doing so, but soon after an enraged Wonder Woman defeats a small team of members consisting ofShrapnel,Firefly,Phobia and T. O. Morrow. After telling them to disband the team, Wonder Woman then destroys their home base skyscraper building.[16]
The Secret Society of Super Villains appears in DC's 2011The New 52 continuity reboot, consisting ofProfessor Ivo,Outsider,Scarecrow,Blockbuster,Signalman,Copperhead, andPlastique.[17]
The Society reappears in DC's 2016 reboot,DC Rebirth, consisting ofVandal Savage,Hector Hammond, theRiddler,Professor Zoom,Black Manta,Ultra-Humanite,Deadline, Raptor, andKiller Frost, withLex Luthor being established as a former member. They place Deathstroke the Terminator on trial while debating whether he is truly reformed or not; however, the Riddler proves via Hammond's telepathic abilities that Deathstroke is 'evil'.[18]
During the "Dark Crisis" storyline, Deathstroke leads an incarnation of the Secret Society of Super Villains. After mourning the apparent deaths of the Justice League, the Society attack Titans Academy before being repelled byJon Kent.[19] The Great Darkness later corrupts the Society's members into serving it.[20]
| Justice Underground | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | JLA Secret Files and Origins 2004 |
| Created by | Kurt Busiek Ron Garney |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Undisclosed location in the nation of Modora (on an alternate Earth) |
| Member(s) | Quizmaster Sir Solomon Grundy Lady Sonar General Grodd Q-Ranger Star Sapphire |
TheJustice Underground is a fictional superhero team in theDC Multiverse. The Justice Underground is an alternative version of the Secret Society of Super Villains from the Anti-Matter Universe.
The Underground experienced some temporary victories in their battles with the Syndicate, both as a team and individually. For example, the Quizmaster's underground connections allowed him to interfere with the supplies needed by theCrime Syndicate for various operations, such as the speed serum thatJohnny Quick requires to maintain his super speed.
One by one, the Justice Underground members were all defeated, captured or killed. For example,Ultraman (the antimatterSuperman) rendered Sir Solomon Grundy inert on a Saturday, and Lady Sonar sustained massive injuries from having her sonic abilities reflected back to her byPower Ring (the antimatterGreen Lantern). Lady Sonar was forced to replace much of her shattered body with bionic implants. It was in this form that she resided as the guardian of Modora, the final free nation of the Anti-Matter Earth.
Upon her home's invasion, Lady Sonar was successful in defeating Johnny Quick (the antimatterFlash) by temporarily shifting his body out of phase with reality. She was eventually destroyed by theOwlman (the antimatterBatman) and the rest of the Crime Syndicate when they finally conquered Modora. Lady Sonar was placed into cryogenic storage alongside her teammates, ready to be reanimated in a zombified state if the Syndicate decides it necessary. Their remains are located in the Crime Syndicate's Panopticon on the Moon's surface.
The Justice Underground was released by the Martian Manhunter as a team of associateJLA members reversed back into the matter universe. It is unclear how they were able to recover from their injuries, though it could be inferred that the Owlman healed their injuries while they were in stasis.
The original comic book series was scheduled to be collected into atrade paperback entitledShowcase Presents The Secret Society of Super Villains (collectsSSoSV #1–17, 520 pages,ISBN 978-1-4012-1587-3), but that project was cancelled. Instead, it was collected into two hardcover volumes. They are:
The Justice Underground appears inJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths, consisting of a heroic Lex Luthor, theJester, and the latter's monkey sidekickHarley. After the Jester sacrifices himself to kill twoCrime Syndicate members, Luthor evades the Syndicate's leaders and flees to the Justice League's Earth to seek out their help.
A team based on the Justice Underground called theBrotherhood of Justice appears inTeen Titans Go! #48, consisting of heroic, alternate reality variants ofGeneral Immortus,Psimon,Mammoth,Doctor Light, andMadame Rouge.
