DC Comics supervillain group
Secret Society of Super Villains
(
SSoSV
) is a
DC Comics
title that debuted in May?June 1976. The series presented a group of DC's
supervillains
, mostly foes of the
Justice League of America
.
[1]
The series was cancelled with issue #15 in July 1978, as part of the
DC 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.
Series conception
[
edit
]
Editor
Gerry Conway
created the team to be "a kind of 'evil' Justice League", inspired by the "Rogues Gallery" that fellow editor
Julie Schwartz
created for
the Flash
.
[3]
Since other editors were somewhat possessive towards the more popular
DC 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 from
Dick 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 of
Secret Society of Super Villains
was drafted with artwork by
Pablo Marcos
. Then, according to Conway's assistant
Paul 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 a
cover 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 or
headquarters
, 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 ransom by stealing the world's deadliest nerve gas. The group, made up of
Captain Cold
,
Gorilla Grodd
,
Clayface
,
Star Sapphire
, and a clone of the
Manhunter
, 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 added the
Mirror Master
, the
Copperhead
,
Sinestro
, the
Shadow Thief
and the
Wizard
.
[3]
Starting from the second issue, the comic's recurring hero is
Captain 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 avoid
Comics Code Authority
concerns about presenting villains in a positive light.
[3]
Publication history
[
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]
Due to the delays caused by having to redo the first issue from scratch, Conway assigned
David Anthony Kraft
to script the next three issues of
Secret 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, with
Rich Buckler
,
Mike Vosburg
, and
Dick Ayers
all contributing short stints as
pencilers
, while
inkers
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 the
DC Implosion
.
[2]
Issue #16 was already at the printer at the time of the cancellation and would have been the final issue, but writer
Bob 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 printed
Cancelled 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 for
Silver 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.
Fictional history
[
edit
]
Darkseid's Society
[
edit
]
First organized by
Darkseid
, the Secret Society of Super Villains were based in the Sinister Citadel in
San Francisco
. From early on, the team was plagued with power struggles.
Lex Luthor
, the
Wizard
,
Gorilla Grodd
, and
Funky Flashman
all sought to control the powerful team; the
Manhunter
(the team's first leader) and
Captain 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 sent
Mantis
and
Kalibak
. At the end of the struggle, the Manhunter sacrificed himself to seemingly kill Darkseid. After this, the team splintered, with Luthor, the Wizard, Gorilla Grodd and Flashman leading the team at different times. However, the Wizard proved to be the most tenacious and created the definitive incarnation of the SSoSV. They went on to fight the original
Crime Syndicate of America
of
Earth-Three
and the
Justice Society of America
. While traveling between dimensions, back on
Earth-1
the
Silver Ghost
, the
Mirror Master
and the
Copperhead
formed yet another team and fought the
Freedom Fighters
.
[8]
The Wizard's group eventually returned from Earth-2 and battled against the Justice League of America aboard their
satellite 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, precipitating
Identity Crisis
and the formation of the current Society years later.
[9]
Also notable in this series' run is the first appearance of
Captain Comet
in over 20 years, as well as the introduction of a new
Star Sapphire
. Both were regular, recurring characters.
The Ultra-Humanite's Society
[
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]
The next incarnation of the Secret Society appeared in 1981, headquartered in a new Sinister Citadel in Nepal, and was created by the
Ultra-Humanite
, who organized foes of both Earth-One's
Justice League
and
Earth-Two
's
Justice Society
. This version of the Society consisted of the Ultra-Humanite, Brainwave I,
Killer Frost
I, the Cheetah II, the Signalman, the
Floronic Man
, the Monocle, the Rag Doll I, the Mist I, and the Psycho-Pirate II, and marked the first appearance of the now-classic albino ape body of the Ultra-Humanite.
[10]
After capturing and sending 10 heroes of the JSA and JLA to Limbo, the Society was betrayed by the 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]
The Ultra-Humanite contacted his younger self in 1942, who helped to break out the SSoSV using the power of
Brain Wave
. The ape Ultra-Humanite attacked
Infinity, Inc.
in the modern day, while the rest of the SSoSV battled against the
All-Star Squadron
in 1942. The villains were defeated and returned to their proper times.
[13]
Underground
[
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]
The SSoSV in time grew into a large underground group with dozens of villains holding membership in various scattered cells. After the reformation of the JLA, the seven superheroes decided to infiltrate and shut down this new Society. Disguising himself as the deceased Brain Wave,
Martian Manhunter
lured the villains to one spot where they were defeated by the JLA. As the tale was told by the
Rainbow Raider
to
Sonar
III, it is uncertain whether this tale actually happened. At the very least, there may have been some embellishment.
[14]
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Society
[
edit
]
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 of
Dr. Light
, a new Society emerged. This Society was founded by
Alexander Luthor Jr.
posing as
Lex Luthor
, along with five other supervillains: the
Calculator
,
Doctor Psycho
,
Deathstroke the Terminator
,
Talia al Ghul
, and
Black Adam
.
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s intent was to gather together a cadre of supervillains to retrieve several key superheroes who have ties to the
Multiverse
, in order to harness their residual temporal vibrations to recreate the Multiverse through a giant "tuning fork" tower similar to the ones seen in
Crisis on Infinite Earths
. Only the
Psycho-Pirate
II, 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 was the
Joker
on the grounds that he was "too wild".
The group, referred to simply as the
Society
, was featured in the miniseries
Villains United
as background characters and foils for the new
Secret Six
(consisting of six villains recruited by the
real
Lex Luthor, who refused their invitation to join the Society). The follow-up one-shot issue
Villains 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 the
Battle of Metropolis
, where the Society, led by Doctor Psycho and
Doomsday
, made their final battle against the various heroes of the DC Universe.
At the end of
Infinite Crisis
, Alexander Luthor Jr. was killed by the Joker (as his revenge on Alexander Luthor Jr. for not including him in the Society), who was brought to him by Lex Luthor. Black Adam, betrayed by Alexander Luthor Jr., fought the Society in the
Battle of Metropolis
, tearing off
Amazo
's head, and returned to
Khandaq
to rule full-time.
One Year Later
[
edit
]
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 the
Manhunter
series; he has also appeared in
Secret Six
and
Wonder Woman
. Deathstroke the Terminator was apprehended by the
Green Arrow
, but escaped and started recruiting members for the
Titans East
.
With Talia returning to rule the
League of Assassins
, the Calculator remains the only original member of the "inner council" left running the Society.
Final Crisis
[
edit
]
Not long after the Society's dissolution, Checkmate instigated a crackdown on all villains in the
DC Universe
, who were captured and exiled to a prison planet as seen in the
Salvation 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 mysterious
Libra
.
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 the
Final Crisis
storyline. Promising to fulfill the hearts desires of his subordinates, Libra murders the Martian Manhunter for new recruit the
Human Flame
. He also arranges for Clayface to cause an explosion at the
Daily 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, including
Vandal 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 from
Doctor 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.
In
Final Crisis: Revelations
, the
third
Spectre
kills Doctor Light and melts the Effigy before trying to take on Libra. Sister Wrack of the Religion of Crime impales Vandal Savage with the
Spear 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 as
Renee 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.
In
Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
, the Rogues withdraw from Libra's Society and plot to take revenge on a movement-restored
Inertia
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 the
New Rogues
slain by the Rogues, Libra does not give up that easily. They still turn down Libra even after
Zoom
is de-powered by Inertia, who is then killed by the Rogues.
From an idea by
T. O. Morrow
during and after
Final Crisis
, the
Cheetah
III assigned several scientific members of a new Secret Society (such as
Professor Ivo
and
Doctor 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 named
Genocide
.
[15]
Genocide is brought to life through a combination of science and the magic of
Felix Faust
. They are successful in doing so, but soon after an enraged Wonder Woman defeats a small team of members consisting of
Shrapnel
, the
Firefly
,
Phobia
and T. O. Morrow. After telling them to disband the team, Wonder Woman then destroys their home base skyscraper building.
[16]
The New 52
[
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]
In September 2011,
The New 52
rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the Secret Society's origins are traced to two shadowy figures (one of whom is later revealed to be
Professor Ivo
) who meet to discuss the growing superhero community. The Secret Society is officially uncovered five years later by the
Green Arrow
, who is injured while trying to infiltrate the organization under the name the Dark Hunter on behalf of the Justice League of America (at that time, a state-sponsored group, separate from the Justice League led by Superman). The mysterious leader of the Secret Society, originally only known as "the
Outsider
", spreads out photographs of the different supervillains in front of him and says "It's recruitment time starting with
Scarecrow
".
[17]
The mysterious leader successfully convinces the Scarecrow to join the Secret Society.
[18]
The Justice League of America sends the Catwoman to infiltrate the Secret Society by sending her to
Arkham Asylum
and then letting her escape. When she does, she runs into the
Blockbuster
I and the
Signalman
on the rooftops, where she ends up knocked out and wakes up strapped to a chair in an empty room.
[19]
While waiting for a meeting with the leader of the Secret Society, the Catwoman frees herself from the chair that she was strapped to. When the Catwoman meets with Professor Ivo, who plans to bring her to the banquet hall to meet the leader of the Secret Society, she knocks out Professor Ivo, only for her to be strangled into unconsciousness by the
Copperhead
moments later. The Catwoman wakes up strapped to the chair again, with a pale man clad in purple standing in front of her. He demands to know what she and her friends are doing there. He is aware of the Justice League of America's encounter with the
Shaggy Man
(this version being created by Professor Ivo) and
Dr. Light
's attempts to access their communication systems. He warns that Arthur Light is about to receive an unpleasant call. As Arthur Light begins hearing a voice from the object, the pale man puts a gun to the Catwoman's head and orders her to start talking. Instead, she warns that if he kills her, the Batman will stop at nothing to find them. This, however, is
exactly
what the Secret Society wants. Dr. Light is suddenly knocked back by a burst of light, just as the pale man pulls the trigger, leaving the Catwoman apparently dead on the floor of the concrete room.
[20]
The Secret Society's leader has the Signalman and the Copperhead drop off the Catwoman's body at the Batman's doorstep. The Catwoman soon comes back to life and it is discovered that the Catwoman present is actually the Martian Manhunter in disguise. The Martian Manhunter and the Catwoman then fight the Outsider and the Blockbuster. When the Manhunter and the Catwoman finish with the Blockbuster, they hunt down the Outsider, who seems to know all about their real identities, but
his
identity is still a mystery to them. The Martian Manhunter attempts to use his telepathy to discover it, but he senses he is blocked from doing so. Despite that, the Outsider allows the Martian Manhunter the opportunity to see into his mind. The Martian Manhunter is surprised to learn this man watched his world die as he did. While pursuing Professor Ivo, the Green Arrow finds him in a room with the captive A.R.G.U.S. agent
Chronos
trapped in a chair with electric energy. When the engine he is stuck in is activated (and it has just been) Chronos causes a temporal neutral field to envelope the manor, causing it to freeze in place throughout time, while Earth turns...which means Earth moves, not the manor. Thanks to the coins the Society have been given, they are able to stay within the manor without issue, but the Justice League of America will face a very painful death if they do not leave the house soon. After the Justice League of America escape from the manor, the Outsider comments to the Martian Manhunter that it was nice to see him "again".
[21]
At the start of the "
Trinity War
" storyline, the Outsider has sent
Plastique
to prevent
Madame Xanadu
from warning the Justice League of her vision. The Outsider states that
Pandora
will soon be in the clutches of the Secret Society of Super Villains.
[22]
The Outsider calls his fellow members telling them "it's time".
[23]
Madame Xanadu is revealed to have been captured by the Outsider, who tells her that the Justice Leagues and the Trinity of Sin are all pieces in his game, with Superman and the Question (referred to as the pawns), the Batman, the
Phantom Stranger
, and Wonder Woman (referred to as the knights), all moving away from Pandora (referred to as the queen), leaving her unprotected. Madame Xanadu retorts that she does not need to see the future to know that the Justice League will defeat him. The Outsider replies that he has already won, since he has a mole in the Justice League.
[24]
The Outsider orders Plastique to infiltrate A.R.G.U.S. to plant a bomb on Doctor Light's body.
[25]
It is revealed at the end of the storyline that the Outsider is actually the
Alfred Pennyworth
of
Earth-3
and he uses Pandora's Box to open a gateway to allow the
Crime Syndicate of America
to arrive on Prime Earth. The formation of the Secret Society was to have members ready for the Crime Syndicate once they arrived.
[26]
During the "
Forever Evil
" storyline, the Crime Syndicate furthers their goals by springing inmates from
Arkham Asylum
, Belle Reve Penitentiary, and
Iron Heights Penitentiary
in order to expand the Secret Society of Super Villains and establish their rule over this reality.
[27]
DC Rebirth
[
edit
]
The Society reappears in
DC Rebirth
, where its members consist of
Vandal Savage
,
Hector Hammond
, the
Riddler
,
Professor Zoom the Reverse-Flash
,
Black Manta
, the
Ultra-Humanite
,
Deadline
, the Raptor, and
Killer Frost
, with
Lex 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'.
[28]
During the "
Dark Crisis
" storyline, Deathstroke led an incarnation of the Secret Society of Super Villains. After mourning the apparent deaths of the Justice League, the Secret Society of Super Villains proceeded to attack Titans Academy before they are repelled by
Jon Kent
. Then the Secret Society of Super Villains started attacking different superheroes.
[29]
The Great Darkness later corrupted the Secret Society of Super Villains into serving it.
[30]
Members
[
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]
Other versions
[
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]
Justice Underground
[
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]
Justice Underground
|
---|
|
|
Publisher
| DC Comics
|
---|
First appearance
| JLA Secret Files and Origins 2004
|
---|
Created by
| Kurt Busiek
Ron Garney
|
---|
|
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
|
---|
The
Justice Underground
is a fictional superhero team in the
DC Multiverse
. The Justice Underground is an alternative version of the Secret Society of Super Villains from the Anti-Matter Universe.
Fictional history
[
edit
]
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 the
Crime Syndicate
for various operations, such as the speed serum that
Johnny Quick
requires to maintain his super speed.
One by one, the Justice Underground members were all defeated, captured or killed. For example,
Ultraman
(the antimatter
Superman
) rendered Sir Solomon Grundy inert on a Saturday, and Lady Sonar sustained massive injuries from having her sonic abilities reflected back to her by
Power Ring
(the antimatter
Green 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 antimatter
Flash
) by temporarily shifting his body out of phase with reality. She was eventually destroyed by the
Owlman
(the antimatter
Batman
) 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 associate
JLA
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.
Members
[
edit
]
- Quizmaster
(the antimatter
Riddler
) ? Arthur Brown was a master quiz show host until he lost and turned to crime. The Quizmaster is the leader and the smartest man alive. He does not have any superpowers. His incredibly high IQ and knowledge of almost all disciplines enabled him to be as effective a fighter as any of his compatriots with superpowers. Quizmaster later adopted the alias of
Enigma
.
- Sir Solomon Grundy
(the antimatter
Solomon Grundy
) ? Cyrus Gold was a Gotham city merchant, until he was killed in a swamp and became a Hulk like zombie Sir Solomon Grundy is a distinguished, poised mountain of a man. During an aerial bombardment of Dover, he was blasted to life out of the white rock. Sir Solomon appears to be identical in physical appearance to Solomon Grundy, with the exception of a trimmed mustache and a small goatee. In keeping with his educated personality, Sir Solomon dresses himself as a 19th-century Englishman would and speaks accordingly. His super strength and invulnerability made him a formidable hero.
- General Grodd
(the antimatter
Gorilla Grodd
) ? General Grodd is a renegade freedom fighter from a militaristic ape nation. Grodd is an extremely strong gorilla who has telekinesis, and smarts to match his strength.
- Star Sapphire
(the antimatter
Star Sapphire
) ? this version of Star Sapphire is a knight-errant from the other side of the galaxy. Star Sapphire is a Violet Lantern ( Powered by love) and will do anything for it.
- Lady Sonar
(the antimatter
Sonar
) ? Lady Sonar is a female version of Sonar.
- Q Ranger
(the antimatter
Major Force
) ? the "quantum-powered dynamo".
Collected editions
[
edit
]
The original comic book series was scheduled to be collected into a
trade paperback
entitled
Showcase Presents
The Secret Society of Super Villains
(collects
SSoSV
#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 Secret Society of Super Villains Volume 1
(collects
SSoSV
#1?10), August 2011,
ISBN
1-4012-3109-8
.
- The Secret Society of Super Villains Volume 2
(collects
SSoSV
#11?15,
DC Special
#27,
DC Special Series
#6,
Super-Team Family
#13?14,
Justice League of America
#166?168 and the unpublished
SSoSV
#16?17 from
Cancelled Comics Cavalcade
#2), March 2012,
ISBN
978-1401231101
In other media
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
- Three incarnations of the Secret Society appear in series set in the
DC Animated Universe
(DCAU):
- The first version appears in a self-titled two-part episode of
Justice League
, consisting of
Gorilla Grodd
,
Giganta
,
Killer Frost
,
Sinestro
, the
Parasite
,
Shade
, and
Clayface
. With Grodd taking measures to encourage the group to work more cohesively to avoid the infighting of
Lex Luthor
's
Injustice Gang
, the Society defeat the
Justice League
in their first encounter. However, they are defeated in the subsequent rematch.
- In the third season of
Justice League Unlimited
, Grodd rebuilds and expands the Secret Society to combat the expanded Justice League by recruiting Luthor, most of his original Society save for Clayface,
Angle Man
,
Atomic Skull
,
Bizarro
,
Blockbuster
,
Bloodsport
, the
Cheetah
,
Copperhead
, the
Cadre
,
Devil Ray
,
Doctor Cyber
,
Doctor Destiny
,
Doctor Polaris
,
Doctor Spectro
,
Dummy
,
Electrocutioner
,
Evil Star
, the
Gentleman Ghost
,
Goldface
,
Heat Wave
,
Hellgrammite
,
Javelin
, the
Key
,
KGBeast
, Lady Lunar,
Livewire
,
Major Disaster
,
Merlyn
,
Metallo
,
Mirror Master
,
Monocle
,
Neutron
,
Psycho-Pirate
,
Puzzler
, the
Puppeteer
,
Queen Bee
,
Rampage
,
Shark
,
Silver Banshee
,
Sonar
,
Sportsmaster
,
Star Sapphire
,
Tala
,
Tattooed Man
, the
Thinker
, the
Top
,
Toyman
,
Tsukuri
,
Volcana
, and
Weather Wizard
. With this incarnation of the Society, Grodd created a massive co-operative wherein he manages its members and they provide backup for each other in exchange for Grodd receiving a portion of all profits made. To keep the Society secret, all members have their brains shielded from telepathy and wired to short out if they are interrogated. After discovering Grodd was using the Society to turn humanity into apes, Luthor ousts him and assumes leadership. In the two-part series finale "Alive!" and "Destroyer", Luthor has the Society convert their headquarters into a spaceship in an attempt to resurrect
Brainiac
. While en route however, Grodd joins forces with Tala to lead a coup and retake control, leading to a civil war until Luthor jettisons Grodd into space and Killer Frost freezes Grodd's loyalists just as they reach the site of Brainiac's defeat. There, Luthor forces Tala to restore him, but she resurrects
Darkseid
instead. He subsequently destroys the Society's base, killing most of its members, though Sinestro and Star Sapphire rescue Luthor, Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Cheetah, Evil Star, Giganta, Heat Wave, Killer Frost, Toyman, and Volcana. They rob
Lightray
of his
Mother Box
and return to Earth to warn the Justice League of Darkseid's return before joining forces with them to stop him.
- Additionally, the episode "Epilogue" includes a futuristic incarnation of the Secret Society known as the
Iniquity Collective
, consisting of
Inque
,
Shriek
,
Stalker
, and a monstrous future incarnation of the Parasite.
- The Justice Underground appears in the
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
episode "Deep Cover for Batman!", led by the
Red Hood
and consisting of unnamed heroic versions of
Black Manta
, the
Clock King
, Doctor Polaris, the Gentleman Ghost, Gorilla Grodd, Sinestro, the
Brain
, and
Kite Man
. After a battle with the
Injustice Syndicate
, most of the group was captured, but the Red Hood contacts
Batman
's world to look for new allies. Batman soon arrives and helps free the heroes before helping them capture the Injustice Syndicate.
- A group based on the Secret Society called "
The Light
" appears in
Young Justice
. The group was founded by
Vandal Savage
to counteract the Justice League's preserving of society's "calcified status quo", believing they directly inhibit mankind by protecting them from disaster, crime and tragedy ? factors he believes are needed for humanity to evolve. To counteract this, the Light works to create or co-opt networks of recruited operatives, place various key individuals into key positions, and explore the boundaries of any and all new technologies across the globe to expose mankind to the aforementioned factors and accelerate their evolution with as little resistance as possible from the League. In the first season, the Light is led by Savage,
Ra's al Ghul
, Lex Luthor, Queen Bee,
Ocean Master
, the Brain, and
Klarion the Witch Boy
, with Sportsmaster serving as their primary enforcer. In the second season, Black Manta and
Deathstroke
replace Ocean Master and Sportsmaster respectively while the
Reach
and Darkseid become their silent partners, though the Light allow the former to be defeated by the
Team
by the end of the season while Darkseid and Savage agree to accumulate power until they are evenly matched and eventually face each other for control of the Milky Way Galaxy. In the third season, Deathstroke, the
Ultra-Humanite
, and
Granny Goodness
have replaced Ra's al Ghul, the Brain, and Black Manta respectively while
Lady Shiva
takes Deathstroke's place. Ocean Master tries to rejoin the Light, only to be killed by Lady Shiva for insubordination. Near the end of the season however, Granny helps Darkseid act against the Light to fulfill his ultimate goal of acquiring the
Anti-Life Equation
and spreading his influence across the universe. After
Victor Stone
and the
Outsiders
foil Granny's plan, the Light and Darkseid seemingly agree to reconcile their partnership, though Savage secretly confirms Darkseid as a potential threat, while
Markovian
ambassador
Zviad Baazovi
replaces Granny, using his psionic powers to assist the Light in future endeavors. In the fourth season, Savage attempts to form an alliance with the Lords of Chaos and Order to "keep the cosmic balance" and give himself an advantage over Darkseid as well as works with the Ultra-Humanite to resurrect Ocean Master and place his mind in a clone of Atlantis' first king,
Arion
. However, the Lords of Order kill Ocean Master once more. Nonetheless, Baazovi influences King
Brion Markov
to convert Markovia into a metahuman nation and capture
General Zod
's army for use in their future endeavors.
Film
[
edit
]
The Justice Underground appears in
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
, consisting of a heroic Lex Luthor, the
Jester
, and the latter's monkey sidekick
Harley
. After the Jester sacrifices himself to kill two
Crime Syndicate
members, Luthor evades the Syndicate's leaders and flees to the Justice League's Earth to seek out their help.
Video games
[
edit
]
- The Secret Society appears in
DC Universe Online
, led by
Lex Luthor
,
Circe
, and the
Joker
. This version of the group is affiliated with various villains.
- An alternate reality version of the "Society" appears in
Injustice 2
, led by Gorilla Grodd and consisting of
Bane
,
Poison Ivy
, the
Scarecrow
,
Deadshot
, the
Cheetah
,
Captain Cold
, and the
Reverse-Flash
. Additionally,
Catwoman
works as a double agent within their ranks on behalf of Batman's Insurgency. The Society intend to fill the power vacuum left by the Justice League and Insurgency defeating High Councilor
Superman
and his Regime, though Grodd secretly works with
Brainiac
to help him destroy the Earth. Once the other members discover this however, they disband the group.
[31]
- The Secret Society appears as a team bonus in
DC Heroes and Villains
, consisting of
Vandal Savage
,
Cheshire
,
Livewire
,
Copperhead
, and
Ultra-Humanite
.
Miscellaneous
[
edit
]
A team based on the Justice Underground called the
Brotherhood of Justice
appears in
Teen Titans Go!
#48, consisting of heroic, alternate reality versions of
General Immortus
,
Psimon
,
Mammoth
,
Doctor Light
, and
Madame Rouge
, with Rouge serving as a double agent within the
Teen Tyrants
, posing as
Blackfire
. After the Teen Titans are defeated by their evil counterparts, Rouge reveals herself and brings in the rest of the Brotherhood to defeat the Teen Tyrants.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).
The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe
. DK Publishing. pp. 264?265.
ISBN
978-1-4654-5357-0
.
- ^
a
b
Markstein, Don.
"Secret Society of Super Villains"
.
Don Markstein's Toonopedia
. Retrieved
2 April
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014).
American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s
. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 191?192.
ISBN
978-1605490564
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
Greenberger, Robert
(August 2009). "The Secret Society of Super-Villains".
Back Issue!
(#35).
TwoMorrows Publishing
: 25?31.
- ^
Conway, Gerry
(2011).
Secret Society of Super-Villains Vol. 1
. DC Comics.
ISBN
978-1-4012-3109-5
.
- ^
Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).
DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle
. DK Publishing. p. 162.
ISBN
978-1-4654-8578-6
.
- ^
Rovin, Jeff (1987).
The Encyclopedia of Supervillains
. New York: Facts on File. pp. 400?401.
ISBN
0-8160-1356-X
.
- ^
Secret Society of Super Villains
#1-15. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
#166?168. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
#195. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
#196. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
#197. DC Comics.
- ^
All-Star Squadron
#26. DC Comics.
- ^
JLA 80-Page Giant
#1. DC Comics.
- ^
DC Universe
#0. DC Comics.
- ^
Wonder Woman
(vol. 3) #26. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League
(vol. 2) #17. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #2
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #3. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #4. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #5. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League
(vol. 2) #22. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #6. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League Dark
#22. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League of America
(vol. 3) #7. DC Comics.
- ^
Justice League
(vol. 2) #23. DC Comics.
- ^
Forever Evil
#1. DC Comics.
- ^
Deathstroke
(vol. 4) #25. DC Comics.
- ^
Dark Crisis
#1-4. DC Comics.
- ^
Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths
#5-7. DC Comics.
- ^
Injustice 2
: Gorilla Grodd
External links
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