15 Strongest Suicide Squad Members (Comic Books and Movies)
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The Suicide Squad is a very diverse group of characters and is one of DC Comics’ most famous superhero teams. It first appeared in 1959 and the roster has since changed so many times, with characters dying or simply leaving the group, that it would take us a while to introduce all of the members that were, at one point in their lives, members of Waller’s squad. That is why we decided not to do it.
Still, this article wouldn’t be here had we not decided to do at least something. Our plan, today, is to give you a list of the 15 most powerful Suicide Squad members since the group’s debut. The list is not going to be based solely on physical power, but on the overall influence and importance of the characters for the squad. We are going to give you a diverse list of characters, so enjoy!
15 strongest Suicide Squad characters
15. Bloodsport
Alias: Robert DuBois
Debut: Superman (vol. 2) #4 (April 1987)
Created By: John Byrne, Karl Kesel
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 7) #5 (September 2021)
Status: Current member / Alive
Receiving the call letter for the Vietnam War, African American Robert “Bobby” DuBois fled to Canada to avoid recruitment, not because he was against the war but because he was terrified of dying. His brother Michael pretended to be him and went to war, losing all limbs: destroyed by feelings of guilt, Robert became obsessed with the Vietnam War and was imprisoned several times in several Canadian psychiatric hospitals.
Determined to assassinate his enemy Superman, Lex Luthor sent some emissaries to recruit DuBois, gifting him with upgraded weapons, including a pistol capable of firing Kryptonite shells and a weapon teleporter, and plagiarizing him into believing he was actually in Vietnam with Michael.
Under the alias of Bloodsport, the insane villain killed various citizens of Metropolis accusing them of having wasted their freedom, seriously injuring Superman when he tried to stop him.
Disgusted by the massacres committed by the criminal, Luthor himself tried to stop him, but it was a Superman cured of his Kryptonite wounds who defeated him by destroying his weapons.
Bloodsport then tried to detonate himself using the energy of his teleportation, but Jimmy Olsen tracked Michael down and took him to the scene, causing Robert to psychologically collapse.
Becoming a recurring enemy of Superman, he also had a skirmish against the famous hitman Deadshot. In the Avengers/JLA crossover he set a trap for Vision and Aquaman along with other supervillains: he later tried to kill Iron Man, but was stopped by Hal Jordan and taken to prison.
While DuBois went to prison, a new criminal took the mantle of Bloodsport: ironically it was a white supremacist, Alexander Trent, with whom Perry White had previously dealt.
Captured by Superman and taken to prison, Trent develops a heated rivalry with DuBois, locked up in the same prison: to ease the tension, the director instituted a boxing match between the two inmates, with Superman in the role of referee.
At the climax of the encounter, Trent used teleportation to obtain some weapons, sparking a riot in which the fates of the two criminals reached tragic conclusions: DuBois stole one of the weapons and attempted to escape being killed by the guards, while Trent was recaptured and subsequently burned in his cell by the Aryan Brotherhood, disappointed by the weakness shown towards his rival.
A third Bloodsport, whose true identity is unknown, attacked Superman along with Silver Banshee and other criminals: here he attempted to kill Olsen but was quickly neutralized by the Man of Steel.
We start off our list with a character that would probably not have made the cut were it not for James Gunn’s movie. And while Bloodsport is a formidable marksman, he has remained in the shadow of Deathstroke until Gunn gave him the spotlight in his movie. He has proven his worth there and that was enough for us to give him a place on this list.
14. Captain Boomerang
Alias: George “Digger” Harkness
Debut: The Flash #117 (December 1960)
Created By: John Broome, Carmine Infantino
Suicide Squad Debut: Legends #3 (January 1987)
Status: Former member / Alive
George “Digger” Harkness is the illegitimate son of an American soldier, W. W. Wiggins, and a married Australian, Betty Harkness. George was raised in poverty in Korumburra, a small Australian town in the state of Victoria, with his mother and her husband, Ian. He quickly discovered skills in handling boomerangs, which he then used as weapons.
As an adult, George is recruited by the toy company Wiggins to be its new mascot and promote the all-new Wiggins boomerang. Mr. Wiggins then provides him with his costume. George was unaware that Wiggins is his biological father. Under the name Captain Boomerang, George performs at public exhibitions where he demonstrates his talent for boomerangs.
However, he secretly programmed his boomerangs to commit thefts before the public gaze. He is however unmasked by Flash who realizes that many thefts take place in each city where George has passed. He was then captured and handed over to the authorities.
To “erase” his criminal past, Amanda Waller offers him to join the Suicide Squad and participate in a very difficult mission: to face a creature sent by Darkseid. During the operation, an explosive charge was attached to his wrist in case he betrayed the squadron. At this time, George took over the costume and equipment of the first Mirror Master.
Once the contract is fulfilled, he runs away and resumes his criminal “career”. But his former criminal colleagues look down on him because of his involvement in the Suicide Squad. His only consolation, when all he does is petty theft, is to learn that he has a son, Owen. However, George does not have the courage to approach him.
It will ultimately be his son who finds out who he is and comes into contact with him. George then trains his son and is very proud of him because he shows the same dispositions as him with the boomerangs. In Identity Crisis, The Calculator then hires George to eliminate Jack, Tim Drake’s father.
He doesn’t know he’s being handled by Jean Loring (Ray Palmer’s wife, the 2nd Atom), who has a pistol delivered to the Drakes. George and Jack Drake kill each other. Owen, opposed to the way his father is being treated, decides to take over from Captain Boomerang.
Abandoned by his father’s ex-comrades, he redeems himself by joining the Outsiders. In Blackest Night, George is temporarily resurrected and integrated into the Black Lantern Corps
Although David Ayer’s movie portrayed him as more of a comical relief, Captain Boomerang is a skilled fighter and an even more skilled thief. His deadly use of the boomerang has made him globally infamous, and the fact that he can take on the Flash is more than enough for us to put him on this list.
13. Bronze Tiger
Alias: Ben Turner
Debut: Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1 (May 1975)
Created By: Dennis O’Neil, Jim Berry, Leopoldo Duranona
Suicide Squad Debut: Legends #2 (December 1986)
Status: Former member / Alive
Bronze Tiger is the alter ego of one Benjamin “Ben” Turner, a fictional supervillain/antihero appearing in stories published by DC Comics. As a child, he saved his parents by killing a burglar with a kitchen knife.
He was full of rage ever since he was an infant, so he took up martial arts to control his anger. He would eventually turn to the life of a small criminal in Central City. After a while, he went to the Far East to confront his demons, studying with the O-Sensei.
One night, Turner stopped a burglar, Richard Dragon, in an attempted robbery of his master’s dojo; the O-Sensei saw potential in Richard Dragon and took him in as his pupil alongside Turner.
The two of them worked together for a while, but then Turner was brainwashed by the League of Assassins. Soon after, he created the identity of the Bronze Tiger, a masked assassin working for the League.
Known for his tiger mask, Bronze Tiger rarely took his new attire off. For a while, he was recruited by Amanda Waller into the Suicide Squad, but the newer comics portrayed him as a member of the League of Assassins once again.
Bronze Tiger is a brilliant hand-to-hand fighter, despite the fact that he has no inherent superpowers. He is feared by heroes as well as villains, and he is certainly not someone you’d want to fight. He is strong, he is skilled, and he is deservedly on our list.
12. Cheetah
Alias: Barbara Ann Minerva
Debut: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #7 (August 1987)
Created By: Len Wein, George Pérez
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #20 (July 2013)
Status: Former member / Alive
The third Cheetah is British anthropologist Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva. She visited a tribe in Africa that gave selected women the power of a Cheetah to serve as guardians of the tribe. When the newest guard died, Barbara decided to take her place.
The priest Chuma gave her the Cheetah powers through the plant god Urtzkartaga. From now on she could transform into a human/cheetah hybrid. Unfortunately for Minerva, the cheetah power could only transfer well to a virgin, and she wasn’t one.
Therefore, her transformation into Cheetah became a curse, causing great pain and bloodlust. When Barbara discovered that Wonder Woman possessed the “Lasso of Truth”, an item Barbara desperately wanted in her archaeological collection, she sought out the heroine.
She nearly managed to take the Lasso from Wonder Woman, but due to the Lasso’s magical power, she accidentally confessed her plan. Afterwards, she tried several times to steal the Lasso by force. Later, her interest in the Lasso waned, and she just wanted to win against Wonder Woman in a fight.
For a while, Minerva lost her powers to the businessman Sebastian Ballesteros.
Cheetah isn’t among the best-known members of the Squad, although she has a very important comic book legacy of her own. As Wonder Woman’s nemesis, she is one of the most powerful villainesses in the lore, but since she never played a major part in the Squad’s actions, we decided to give her a lower spot on the list.
11. Katana
Alias: Tatsu Yamashiro
Debut: The Brave and the Bold #200 (July 1983)
Created By: Mark W. Barr, Jim Aparo
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 5) #1 (October 2016)
Status: Former member / Alive
Although sometimes portrayed as an anti-hero, Katana is one of DC Comics’ best female superheroes. She debuted in 1983 and was created by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo.
Throughout her appearances, she was best known as a member of the Suicide Squad and, later, the Birds of Prey, although she was also a member of the Justice League and the Outsiders.
Katana is a samurai warrior whose skill with a sword allows her to fight for justice as a superheroine. Her tragic backstory includes the death of her husband, Maseo, whose soul becomes trapped in her blade, the Soultaker.
Katana has been featured in various DC Comics superhero teams, including the Justice League and the Birds of Prey, but is most commonly associated with the team known as the Outsiders, a team of heroes hand-picked by Batman to act as his personal black ops team, handling riskier missions.
Katana is technically not a supervillain and she has been a member of the Suicide Squad in a similar manner as Rick Flag – as a form of control. Waller used Katana to keep an eye on the villains and while she wasn’t a villain, she was a powerful and important member of the Squad, which ultimately earned her a place on this list.
10. Killer Croc
Alias: Killer Croc
Debut: Detective Comics #524 (March 1983)
Created By: Gerry Conway, Don Newton, Gene Colan
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 5) #1 (October 2016)
Status: Former member / Alive
Killer Croc, Waylon Jones’ alter ego, is a fictional character from stories published DC Comics, an opponent of Batman who debuted in Detective Comics #523 (1983) and was created by Gerry Conway (writer) and Gene Colan (artist).
Waylon Jones was born with a medical condition that caused him to possess crocodile-like skin. This disease has slowly robbed him of identifiable human traits. In his most recent appearances, he has an elongated snout and tail.
He has been in the drug and gun trade, until Nightwing and Robin arrested him. Despite being a recurring enemy of Batman, Killer Croc has a marked rivalry with another enemy of Batman, Bane. During an encounter with Batman and Robin at a mall, Bane appears and assaults Croc, breaking both of his arms. Soon, Croc sought revenge from Bane in the sewers of Gotham City, when Bane had kidnapped Robin.
There was no winner since the ledge that supported the three broke and the water pushed each one from their own side. Later, Killer Croc is lured to the swamps of Louisiana by Swamp Thing, who offers Croc a place in the swamp where he can finally yield to the animal side of him and live free from human persecution.
However, Croc tried to cure his rapidly growing disease thanks to a virus acquired during the Hush event to no avail. Batman discovered and captured Croc feeding on the remains of the villain known as the Orca. Croc ended up in Arkham Asylum. From there he managed to escape to travel to the city of Barcelona, convinced that he was the reincarnation of the Dragon who had to take revenge on Saint George (according to him, reincarnated in Batman).
Similar to the next character on our list, Killer Croc is a very dangerous member. Not only is he capable of ripping up and eating his foes, but he is also exceptionally powerful, durable and despite his size, he is very stealthy. Killer Croc absolutely deserved a place on this list.
9. King Shark
Alias: Nanaue
Debut: Superboy #0 (October 1994)
Created By: Karl Kesel
Suicide Squad Debut: Superboy (vol. 4) #13 (March 1995)
Status: Former member / Alive
King Shark, or Nanaue, is a fictional supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, as well as being one of the villains of the superhero Aquaman. The character was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett. King Shark first appeared in Superboy #0 (1994) as a cameo before making his first full appearance in Superboy #9 (1994).
Born in Hawaii, Nanaue is a humanoid shark whose father was the “King of all Sharks”, also known as the Shark God. Originally, there were doubts regarding his origin, as other characters, such as Special Agent Sam Makoa, discarded the superstitious origins and referred to Nanaue as a “wild mutation”; he was thought to be one of the many “Wild Men”, animals that surpassed their usual level of evolution, but the conclusive Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis story put an end to the controversy by firmly establishing him as the son of the Shark God.
King Shark was responsible for a large number of missing persons many years before Superboy arrived in Hawaii. Sam Makoa was responsible for bringinghim in and still bore the wounds that showed it. Shark King was freed by the Silicon Dragons who wished to hire him, but Nanaue was not interested and killed his liberators before heading to his mother’s house.
His mother let him bite her arm to feed him, and Superboy decided to take him down with his heat vision. When Makoa and Superboy were assigned to the Suicide Squad to destroy the Silicon Dragons, King Shark was forced to help them. An explosive belt was tied around his waist, ready to detonate if anything happened to Makoa. Other Squad members included Knockout and veterans like Deadshot and Captain Boomerang.
Nanaue was a crazy fighting machine, shredding legions of Dragons (and killing Sidearm too, when he betrayed the team). Although the belt detonated, King Shark survived the explosion and destruction of the venue. After a search party was sent to the scene to investigate the missing remains of the lair, Shark King was initially suspected, but it was revealed that it was Black Manta.
Shark King battled Superboy, but was defeated and sent back to sea. King Shark subsequently returned to the Wild Lands and fought against Superboy and his allies, and, after a violent battle, it was assumed that he was killed, although no body was ever found. He joined the Manchester Black Legion of Criminals, after which he jumped out in Metropolis and attacked Jimmy Olsen.
Superman beat him easily, knocking out most of his teeth (although he grew them back). In all previous appearances he rarely spoke, but during this story, he was very talkative (although it could be due to Black’s mental influence). He was also smaller and a long way from the water. King Shark also appeared during a Joker revolt alongside Orca. King Shark was recruited into Lex Luthor’s Secret Society of Super Villains and was one of many sent to attack Sub Diego, and during this battle he killed Neptune Perkins.
James Gunn’s movie has popularized King Shark among the fans, but he is nevertheless a very interesting and powerful character. He can withstand a lot of blows, he is exceptionally dangerous and he is a man-eating machine. All of this is certainly enough for us to put him on this list.
8. Captain Cold
Alias: Leonard Snart
Debut: Showcase #8 (June 1957)
Created By: John Broome, Carmine Infantino
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad #16 (September 1988)
Status: Former member / Alive
Leonard Snart was raised by an abusive father, a former cop-turned-alcoholic, and took refuge with his grandfather, who worked with a refrigerated truck. When his grandfather dies, Snart is tired of his father’s abuse and embarks on a criminal career.
He joins a group of petty thieves and helps plan a heist, for which he is given a gun and a visor to protect his eyes. This visor will later be adapted and integrated into his villain costume. He will later add a radio receiver to capture the exchanges of the police forces and monitor their comings and goings.
Snart and the other small strikes are captured by The Flash (then Barry Allen) and imprisoned. Snart decides to go solo, but knows he must find a way to stop the local hero, Flash. He reads an article that theorizes that the energy emissions of a cyclotron could interfere with the speed of the Flash. He draws blueprints for a weapon based on this system and breaks into a laboratory working in this field to finalize his experimental weapon.
As he finishes his experiment, a security guard surprises him. Thinking to frighten the guard with his gun, he inadvertently pulls the trigger and discovers that his gun has been tampered with in a way he hadn’t imagined. The moisture in the air around the guard freezes. Intrigued by the result, Snart then dresses in a parka, wears a visor and calls himself Captain Cold – the man who masters absolute zero.
Snart then embarks on a series of non-fatal crimes and becomes one of Flash’s most famous and constant enemies. But after Barry Allen’s death during Crisis on Infinite Earths, Captain Cold becomes a bounty hunter with his sister Lisa, the Golden Glider.
Cold thus attempts to give up his criminal life but soon reverted to his bad habits, this time becoming one of the villains opposing Wally West. The Rogues are first assembled when another enemy of The Flash, Gorilla Grodd breaks them out of prison to distract The Flash.
Golden Glider who had abandoned her career as a bounty hunter, creates her own costume and teams up with a gang of thugs. Already shaken by the death of her lover Top, it seems that the supposed death of her brother has pushed her to the limit. She ends up being killed by the villainous Chillblaine.
His murder causes Captain Cold to hunt him down, torture him and kill him by pushing him from the top of a building after freezing him. Soon after, Snart is charged with a series of murders he did not commit. The new Mister Element assassinates several police officers while simulating the effects of Captain Cold’s weapon.
Snart and Flash eventually find out who’s responsible. Following the death of his sister, and after having killed Chillblaine and Mr. Element for revenge, Cold becomes again a criminal without remorse.
As far as ice-themed villains go, Captain Cold is certainly among the more popular characters in DC’s lore. A sworn enemy of the Flash, he has proven himself to be a valuable and powerful member of the Suicide Squad, which is why we have placed him on this list.
7. Deadshot
Alias: Floyd Lawton
Debut: Batman #59 (June 1950)
Created By: David Vern Reed, Lew Sayre Schwartz, Bob Kane
Suicide Squad Debut: Legends #2 (December 1986)
Status: Former member / Deceased
Deadshot, whose real name is Floyd Lawton, is a DC Comics character created in 1950 by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed, and Lew Schwartz; he was inspired by the historic WWII sniper Vasily Zaitsev. In fact, Deadshot is an infallible sniper and a ruthless mercenary assassin. He is one of Batman’s worst enemies.
In his first appearance, Deadshot was a crime fighter, only to discover that in reality, his aims are to replace Batman in this task. Jailed, he later changes his costume and begins his career as a mercenary killer.
The reasons for the search for a spectacular death are probably due to his childhood when his mother convinced her two children to kill their father, a horrible man; Floyd tried to prevent his brother, whom he adored, from committing the crime, but inadvertently killed him.
Years later Floyd had a son, whom he named Eddie after his dead brother, whom his mother, still full of hatred towards her ex-husband, kidnapped to force him to finish the job that he did not finish years ago; but when the child was accidentally killed by the kidnapper, Deadshot made a massacre, until he arrived in front of his mother and, in front of the amazed eyes of the psychiatrist who was taking care of her, he shot her making her paraplegic.
Floyd is a character who has no qualms about betraying his companions in order to achieve his goal, he has no feelings for anyone, except for his little daughter Zoe. Floyd always, after each mission, secretly goes to Star City to greet his daughter who lives with her mother.
Deadshot was trained, among others, by David Cain. In Bruce Wayne: Fugitive he is hired to kill his ex-instructor. Floyd was recruited by Amanda Waller to be the leader of the Suicide Squad. Later after several missions, Amanda Waller will also recruit Aquaman’s dangerous enemy, Black Manta.
For leadership reasons, Black Manta will face Deadshot in hand-to-hand combat, but Manta’s skill is such that Deadshot risked being killed. Retiring from the Suicide Squad, he joined the new team of mercenaries known as the Secret Six, alongside criminals like Bane, Catman (Thomas Reese Blake), Cheshire (Jade Nguyen), Scandal (Vandal Savage’s daughter), and the strong Sportsmaster ( Lawrence “Crusher” Crock).
Despite an apparent harmony with each member, Floyd does not hesitate to endanger the life of his companions to save his own or if they had to risk a job and therefore the possibility of compensation. Currently, after Black Manta left the Suicide Squad for good to join the Injustice League founded by Lex Luthor and the Joker, Deadshot has returned to lead the squad.
As DC’s arguably best marksman, Deadshot has always been a notable addition to the Suicide Squad. But, he is much more than just a great mercenary, he is a character that actually has depth, which is great in terms of character development. As one of Batman’s most dangerous foes, Deadshot certainly deserves a place on this list.
6. Killer Frost
Alias: Caitlin Snow
Debut: Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19 (June 2013)
Created By: Dan Jurgens
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 5) #8 (February 2017)
Status: Former member / Alive
Killer Frost was reintroduced in September 2013, as part of Forever Evil’s “Villains Month”, in which she is revealed to be the Dr. Caitlin Snow, a scientist sent to the STAR Outpost laboratories located in the Arctic to work on a thermodynamic engine whose original creator had committed suicide. Snow discovered that the place had been infiltrated by H.I.V.E.
When they tried to kill her inside the engine, Caitlin frantically started the cooling system, and this caused her body to blend with the ice. By transforming into a metahuman who must feed on heat, she killed the H.I.V.E. out of revenge. She then she went out into the cold until she came across a Norwegian camp. After hijacking a helicopter, she returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh. She even created a suit that helped her retain heat for longer.
She later encountered the superhero Firestorm and discovered that her powers could temporarily heal her mutation. She tried to recreate the Firestorm Nuclear Array multiple times, only to fail with each attempt. When Firestorm and the Justice League were declared dead by the Crime Syndicate, she lost hope of a cure for her condition.
Later, Killer Frost has a scientist named Byte who tracks Martin Stein, the original creator of the Firestorm Matrix, to his isolated cabin while in hiding during the Crime Syndicate’s takeover of Earth. She encountered Steve Trevor, who was sent there on a mission to try to find the Justice League who were imprisoned within Firestorm. Upon learning that he was alive, Snow teamed up with the two men to find them.
They were soon attacked by Black Bison, Hyena, Tempest, and Plastique for betraying the Syndicate. While fighting them, Stein, Trevor, and Frost teleported to another ARGUS base, where they learned that in order to free the Justice League, they needed Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. They discover that Cheetah was keeping it as a trophy, they found her and her family of animals, but were subdued.
Doctor Light (Arthur Light) suddenly appeared and knocked everyone except Frost and Trevor unconscious. After defeating him, they managed to deliver the Lasso of Truth to Cyborg, who used it successfully to free teammates from him.
Killer Frost is a very interesting character. Among the other ice-themed villains, she stands out because of her story and her uniqueness, which is why we included her on this list. She is a very powerful character and the Suicide Squad was always a lot more powerful when she was part of the group.
5. Deathstroke
Alias: Slade Wilson
Debut: The New Teen Titans #2 (December 1980)
Created By: Marv Wolfman, George Pérez
Suicide Squad Debut: New Suicide Squad #1 (September 2014)
Status: Former member / Deceased
Slade Wilson was sixteen when he joined the US military, lying about his age. After serving a period in Korea, he was promoted to the rank of major, and, in those years, around the year 1960, he meets his future wife, the then-captain Adeline Kane, who was entrusted with the task of training young soldiers in new techniques of combat in anticipation of the missions they were to carry out in Vietnam.
Adeline was immediately amazed by the abilities already possessed by Slade and how quickly he adapted to modern guerrilla tactics. She realized that he was arguably the most skilled fighter she had ever met and fell in love with him. Slade is promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, thanks to the exceptional speed with which he mastered all forms of combat, and six months after the promotion, he and Adeline are married.
Soon after, Slade is sent to Vietnam and Adeline gives birth to Grant. Slade will then be selected for a medical experiment designed to stimulate the adrenal gland in hopes of increasing a soldier’s ability to withstand the truth serum. Slade, after the experiment, discovers that he possesses qualities that are nothing short of out of the ordinary; his athletic abilities have increased to the limit of human possibilities, but it is his psychic abilities that have had a truly amazing change, as his logical and sensory faculties have grown to a level comparable to that of a computer.
It happened, however, that Slade is forced to disobey the orders given to him, which he had never done before; a certain General Sampson who, holding a grudge against his subordinate (and longtime friend of Slade) named William Wintergreen, had sent the latter on a suicide mission. Slade disobeyed the order not to carry out a rescue mission to prevent other soldiers from falling into enemy hands, running to the aid of his friend, managing to save him, but being forced to say goodbye to his future in the army; all in fact they see in his gesture of rebellion is a symptom of mental imbalance, probably due to the experiment he was subjected to.
Slade is therefore considered as no longer suitable for military life and therefore useless. A period of depression begins for him as he can no longer return to serve his country. During this time, Adeline becomes pregnant with their second child, Joseph.
Faced with the fact that he has come to the end of his military career, Slade decides to become a safari hunter. However, he is unable to stay away from danger, so he immediately abandons his job and slowly begins to become famous as a mercenary under the name and mask of “Deathstroke the Terminator”, managing to earn great wealth over time.
Even the family is not aware of Slade’s double identity, although there is no shortage of small suspects. A few years later, a group of mercenaries raid the Wilson’s villa, kidnapping little Joseph, despite Adeline’s intervention. Once he discovers what has happened, Slade realizes that he cannot hide the truth from his wife and therefore reveals his true occupation during the previous years.
He promises Adeline to rescue their son and together they discover that the latter has been kidnapped by order of a mercenary known as the Jackal. The latter is interested in secret information in Slade’s possession and is willing to kill Joseph for it. Slade has enormous confidence in his abilities and therefore decides not to accept the conditions imposed on him and to neutralize all of the Jackal’s men before they can harm Joseph.
During the fight against the Jackal’s men, however, things do not go as hoped: one of the criminals, in fact, almost manages to cut the throat of the little hostage, which Slade manages to prevent, but unfortunately, the criminal still manages to sever Joseph’s vocal cords. After taking him to the hospital, Adeline, furious at how Slade has endangered the lives of their entire family, attempts to kill him by shooting him in the head, but she only manages to destroy his right eye.
Slade is then forced to leave his family behind and decides to fully embrace his career as a mercenary and supervillain. The separation from Adeline will be terrible for Slade, who will never stop loving her. This will not stop him from having an affair with a woman named Lilian, who will give him a daughter, Rose.
Deathstroke is known as one of the best fighters in the DC Universe. He is a flawless mercenary and is known for taking on and even defeating some of the best fighters out there. Slade Wilson’s reputation and his popularity among the fans is something that is enough for us to put him so high up on our list.
4. Bane
Alias: Unknown
Debut: Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 (January 1993)
Created By: Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, Graham Nolan
Suicide Squad Debut: Outsiders (vol. 3) #50 (October 2007)
Status: Former member / Alive
Son of the revolutionary Edmund Dorrance, better known later as the Serpent King, he was sentenced from birth to serve the sentence of his father on the island of Santa Prisca in a maximum-security prison, Peña Duro, where he has been incarcerated since childhood and exposed to countless tortures that have turned him into a murdering psychopath.
In spite of his appearance, Bane not only uses tremendous physical strength for his plans, but also has a highly developed intellect and is even versed in the humanities, thanks to the teachings of a former Jesuit companion he met in prison. This element makes his story somewhat similar to that of Edmond Dantès, the protagonist of The Count of Monte Cristo, who was also educated in prison by the abbot Faria. This detail shows Dixon’s initial intention to make him almost an “anti-Batman”.
The prison doctors used him as a guinea pig for a powerful steroid, the “Venom”, which tremendously increased his physical abilities; thanks to the newly obtained vigor, Bane escaped from prison and reached Gotham City. He finally arrived in Gotham City with the intent of conquering it, and this inevitably led him to clash with Batman, whose secret identity Bane was able to discover.
Having studied the biographies of the best strategists in history for years, Bane devised a cunning plan to finally defeat the Dark Knight: he organized a large escape from Gotham prison, so violent that it caused hordes of criminals to flee the streets of the city, including the most dangerous ones such as the Joker or the Scarecrow. Batman managed to stop them all, not without sustaining injuries and, when practically exhausted he returned to the Batcave, found Bane and Alfred unconscious.
Bane smashed Batman’s back and threw him out of a window, taking control of the criminal community. Together with his accomplices Trogg, Zombie, and Bird, he had absolute power in the city. Meanwhile, Batman’s role went from Bruce Wayne to Jean-Paul Valley; the new Batman, despite the recommendations of his predecessor, faced the mighty criminal, being at first beaten, but later, using an armored combat suit and more lethal equipment, he faced Bane again, managing to defeat him, as Jean-Paul managed to deprive him of the “Venom”, on which Bane seemed to be addicted.
After the events narrated in Batman: Knightfall, Bane, once he was able to rebuild his powerful physique lose his addiction to Venom, goes to Santa Prisca where he interrogates the Jesuit priest, who had raised and educated him in Peña Dura, on the true identity of his father. The priest explains that his father could be one of four men: a revolutionary, an American doctor, an English mercenary or a Swiss banker.
Bane, after killing the Jesuit, leaves for Rome in search of the latter and here he meets Ra’s al Ghul, who, considering him a new potential companion for his daughter Talia, names him his heir, a role he had in the past chosen for Batman, before the latter betrayed him. Back in Gotham, Bane confronts Nightwing (Dick Grayson) in a hand-to-hand fight, being defeated but managing to escape; he then confronts Bruce Wayne again, who has returned, in the meantime, to the role of the Dark Knight.
Batman gets his rematch with Bane and finally manages to defeat him in a one-on-one fight. Later, Bane battles Azrael in the story Angel and the Bane. He then has a supporting role in the No Man’s Land arc in which he puts himself in the service of Lex Luthor, intent on conquering Gotham, but is convinced by Batman to leave the evil philanthropist from Metropolis. After the defeat of Ra’s al Ghul, Bane embarks on a campaign to destroy the Lazarus Pit and, at the same time, makes the acquaintance of Black Canary.
It is quite understandable why Bane is so high up on this list. Although he is not one of the most famous and prominent Suicide Squad members, Bane has proven his worth in other stories, especially when he managed to break Batman, thus cementing his position as one of DC’s most powerful supervillains.
3. Amanda Waller
Alias: None
Debut: Legends #1 (November 1986)
Created By: John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne
Suicide Squad Debut: Legends #2 (December 1986)
Status: Leader / Alive
Amanda Blake Waller’s past is fairly secret. It appears that she is originally from Chicago, Illinois. She survived an accident, which claimed the lives of her husband and one of her daughters. Amanda has a doctorate in political science.
Amanda then founded The Agency, a federal organization semi-independent of the Task Force X. Harry Stein, formerly of the New York City Police Department, is then put at the head of the agency, and renames it Checkmate. Amanda Waller leads the Suicide Squad successfully, although she regularly opposes her superiors in Washington D.C.
She offers leadership of the team to Bronze Tiger. Her relations with members of the Suicide Squad are often conflicting because not everyone appreciates her methods, especially Captain Boomerang. Besides the friction with her superiors and team members, Amanda faces skepticism from some people who don’t believe in the Suicide Squad, like Batman.
Amanda then creates the Shadow Fighters to take on Eclipso. Later, after several successful missions, she joined the Department of Extranormal Operations, then was promoted to Secretary of “Metahuman” Affairs in the administration of the President of the United States, Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor’s brief tenure puts Amanda Waller in jail.
Luthor’s successor, Jonathan Vincent Horne, then asks Amanda to take the helm of Checkmate. The organization is badly damaged following the OMAC Project debacle. In 52, Amanda asks Atom Smasher to organize a new Suicide Squad to fight Black Adam and his allies. In the One Year Later story arc, Amanda is tasked by the United Nations to play the role of the White Queen of Checkmate.
But Amanda is quite confused because she has no direct control over the missions. At the same time, she continues to use the Suicide Squad in secret to serve the interests of the country. During Superman/Batman, it is revealed that Amanda acquired kryptonite to create an anti-Superman group called Last Line, including a Doomsday-like creature nicknamed “All-American Boy”.
It might seem strange that we put a completely normal government official so high up this list, but Amanda Waller is so powerful that we just had to put her here. The woman has so much political power that she is practically more powerful than a country, and the fact that she is – in most cases – able to fully control the Suicide Squad only proves that she deserved such a high spot.
2. Black Manta
Alias: David Hyde
Debut: Aquaman #35 (September 1967)
Created By: Bob Haney, Nick Cardy
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #30 (July 2014)
Status: Former member / Alive
In the first version of his origin story, the boy who would become Black Manta grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and loved to play in the Chesapeake Bay. In his youth, he was kidnapped. At one point, he apparently saw Aquaman with his friendly dolphins and tried to ask for help, but was not seen. Finally, he was forced to defend himself, killing one of his executioners on board the ship with a knife.
Hating the impassive sea (and Aquaman, whom he saw as his representative), the boy was determined to become its master.
A second origin was given much later; here, the boy who would become Black Manta was an orphan with autism placed in the Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. He felt comfortable in the freezing water, while cotton sheets were excruciatingly painful.
Because Arkham’s doctors didn’t know how to treat her case, they ended up tying him to his bed. The boy was fascinated when he saw Aquaman on television. The boy ends up being subjected to experimental treatments. He killed the scientist who administered the treatment and escaped Arkham.
Taking the name Black Manta, he and his army became a force to be reckoned with, engaging in at least one unlisted clash with Aquaman before his first appearance as a rival to the Ocean Master. The dreaded Black Manta and Aquaman struggled several times over the following years.
During one of these clashes, it was revealed that Black Manta was in fact an African American, whose stated goal at one point was to give black people dominance over the ocean. This objective turned out to be a ruse, which serves to deceive Cal Durham.
During most of his appearances, Black Manta’s primary goals have been to defeat Aquaman and gain power through the conquest of Atlantis. Finally, Manta kills Arthur Curry, Jr., the son of Aquaman, who left Aquaman obsessed with revenge.
Black Manta was later transformed into a manta / human hybrid. After a while, he came back wearing his original outfit.
At one point he smuggled drugs from his new base in Star City until Green Arrow and Aquaman fought him off. Later, Aquaman, sporting the Lady of the Lake Healing Hand’s, heals Black Manta, and rewires his afflicted brain, making him a normal man for the first time in his life.
Sadly, Manta remained a violent criminal, cradling Aquaman in a false sense of confidence while still being ready to kill him. In subsequent events, Black Manta was used as a test subject for genetic manipulation. This succeeds and Aquaman and Black Manta clashed once again.
Black Manta is not only Aquaman’s most dangerous foe, he has proven himself to be a true grand-scale supervillain, capable of keeping up with DC’s other major villains. He is extremely powerful, but even more malicious, and his endeavors have proven just how big of a threat he is. Plus, he has an advantage underwater. This is why Black Manta is the second on our list.
1. Harley Quinn
Alias: Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel
Debut: Batman: The Animated Series, “Joker’s Favor” (September 11, 1992)
Created By: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm
Suicide Squad Debut: Suicide Squad (vol. 4) #1 (November 2011)
Status: Former member / Alive
A young graduate in psychiatry, Harleen Quinzel works at Arkham Asylum. A model student, in addition to getting good grades in college, she was also a dedicated gymnast, earning a scholarship from Gotham City University. While researching the madmen in Arkham, she becomes fascinated by a particular inmate. Willing to analyze him, she pleads for three months with the doctors of Arkham before being able to cure him.
After winning her sympathy during their sessions, he seduces her, making her fall madly in love with him. After helping him escape from the asylum more than once, Harleen is placed under suspicion by the authorities, who revoke her permit and place her in her own cell. Her passion for crazy people pushes her to take care of the Joker. Her license to practice was withdrawn and, ironically, she was interned in the psychiatric hospital where she practiced.
Much of it is destroyed by an earthquake that shakes Gotham City; Harleen Quinzel takes the opportunity to escape by donning a harlequin costume (hence the pun that her name constitutes) and she leaves to help her new mentor in fulfilling her destiny. From her real name, Harleen Quinzel derives her alias, Harley Quinn.
Her romantic relationship with the Joker is marked by excess. Psychologically and physically mistreated by the one she calls her “Puddin’”, she nevertheless always comes back to him. This relationship is marked by periods of separation because of internments in the walls of Arkham or conflicts that shake the couple regularly. The relationship becomes one of the most complex and twisted love stories in comics, the Joker being abusive and manipulative towards Harley.
She is the only person who has managed to become intimate over such a long period of time with the Joker, who in turn displays occasional moments of confusion and embarrassment that result in attempts to kill her. One day, when the Joker realizes that he has very deeply hidden feelings of love, he sends Harley on a rocket. She crashes in Robinson Park, in central Gotham, and is found by Poison Ivy.
When Harley regains consciousness, Ivy initially plans to kill her. The prospect of her own death totally fails to move Harley, and Ivy is curious as to why. She convinces Harley to tell her story and soon feels a friendly bond with her. Ivy offers Harley to take revenge on Batman and the Joker. She takes her to a toxic dump and looks after her; in particular, she injects her with a self-developed serum that allows Harley to be immune to various toxins and Ivy’s poisonous touch, while greatly improving her strength and speed. Ivy intends to give her new friend an edge over Batman and the Joker.
Quinn and Ivy team up and successfully become a criminal duo. The hot-blooded Harley, however, is angrier with the Joker than with Batman, and even initially works with the Dark Knight to help take down the Clown Prince of Crime. Harley sometimes teams up with Poison Ivy. When Catwoman joins, the duo becomes a trio dubbed the Gotham City Sirens.
The three then agree to form a team, on one condition: Harley and Ivy demand that Catwoman reveal to them the true identity of the original Batman. However, a new villain named Boneblaster, who tries to take down Selina Kyle, suddenly breaks into the apartment and the three of them must leave the premises after defeating him. Later, after a chance encounter with who she thought was Bruce Wayne (but who was actually Hush in disguise), the Joker attempts to kill Harley, apparently out of jealousy.
Quinn is saved by Ivy and Selina, and it is later learned that her attacker was not the real Joker, but one of his former henchmen posing as him. During her stay in a top-secret prison protected by the US government, she meets Deadshot, a rather clever hitman. During a mission (as a member of the Suicide Squad), these two villains get closer and the Joker takes umbrage at their relationship.
Our decision to put Harley Quinn on the top of this list is based on the fact that she is probably the most incredible and versatile member the Squad has ever had. She is an absolute maniac and a very unpredictable foe that has proven that she is more than capable of surviving even the most dangerous of situations.
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