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Secret Society of Super Villains
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Secret Society of Super Villains (SSoSV) is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe. The SSoSV, first introduced in their own comic magazine with issue #1 (May, 1976), could be considered an enemy of the Justice League of America, in whose magazine they made several appearances during the late 1970s.
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First organized by Darkseid, the Secret Society of Super Villains were based out of the Sinister Citadel in San Francisco. From early on, the team was plagued with power struggles. Lex Luthor, the Wizard, and Funky Flashman all sought to control the powerful team; Manhunter and Captain Comet, on the other hand, sought to divert the villains' evil ways into a more positive channel. After confusion over the purpose of the team, the SSoSV dedicated themselves to villainry and found a nemesis in Captain Comet. 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, Manhunter sacrificed himself to stop Darkseid. After this, the team splintered, with Luthor and Flashman leading competing teams. However, the Wizard proved to be the most tenacious, by usurping power from Flashman and creating the definitive incarnation of the SSoSV.
This incarnation battled against the Justice League of America aboard their satellite headquarters. At one point in the battle, the two teams swapped bodies, allowing the super villains to discover the true identities of their nemeses. After gaining the upper hand, the Justice League wiped the memories of the super villains, precipitating Identity Crisis and the formation of the current Society years later.
Pre-Crisis, the history of the first incarnation of the SSoSV is different. After the Wizard gained leadership of his own branch of the SSoSV, he sought to travel to Earth-Two, where the superheroes would be ill equipped to battle against the villains of Earth-One. However, the SSoSV and Captain Comet found themselves on Earth-Three instead. After freeing the Crime Syndicate, the SSoSV made it to Earth-Two, where they were handily defeated by the Justice Society of America. After escaping to Earth-1, the Wizard's team attacked the JLA and from that point history is the same as the post-Crisis version.
Also, pre-Crisis, there was a third splinter group of the SSoSV, formed by the Silver Ghost on Earth-One. This group battled against the Freedom Fighters. Post-Crisis, the post-war history of the Freedom Fighters is much different. Having never had to travel to Earth-X, the Freedom Fighters apparently broke up shortly after World War II, as Uncle Sam's American Talisman was shattered in 1946.
The next incarnation of the Secret Society was organized by the Ultra-Humanite, who organized foes of both the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America. This marked the first appearance of the now-classic albino ape body of the Ultra-Humanite.
This incarnation of the SSoSV was betrayed by the Ultra-Humanite, who had his own agenda. However, he was defeated, and the entire group was incarcerated (pre-Crisis, the SSoSV was placed in Limbo, the area between parallel earths. Where the heroes incarcerated the SSoSV hasn't been explored post-Crisis, but an area of the Phantom Zone seems most likely). 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.
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 2, it's uncertain whether this tale actually happened. At the very least, there may have been some embellishment.
After the defeat of the last incarnation of the SSoSV, 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: Calculator, Dr. Psycho, Deathstroke, Talia al Ghul, and Black Adam.
Alexander Luthor'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 vibration to recreate the multiverse, through a giant "tuning fork" tower similar to the ones seen in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Only Psycho-Pirate, who remembered the multiverse, knew of this plan, as Alexander Luthor 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, retalition 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 is the Joker, on the grounds that he was 'too wild'.
The group, referred to simply as The Society, was featured in the mini-series 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 Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special focused on the Society itself as they enacted Alexander Luthor's back-up plan to conquer Earth in the event his main plan failed. This led to a final battle, referred to as the Battle of Metropolis, where the Society, led by Dr. Psycho and Doomsday, made their final battle against the various heroes of the DC Universe. Many heroes and villains died that day.
Alexander Luthor, Jr. was killed by the Joker and Lex Luthor at the end of Infinite Crisis, the Joker angry that he was never invited into the Society. Black Adam, betrayed by Alexander Luthor, fought the Society in the Battle of Metropolis, tearing off Amazo's head, and returned to rule Khandaq full-time.
One year after the Crisis, most of the Society's inner circle is either in prison or has resigned from the group. Dr. 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 was apprehended by Green Arrow but escaped and started recruiting members for 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.
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The Justice Underground is a fictional superhero team of heroes in the DC Universe. The Justice Underground is an alternative version of the Secret Society of Supervillains 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, 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 rendered Sir Grundy inert on a Saturday, and Lady Sonar sustained massive injuries from having her sonic abilities reflected back to her by Power Ring. 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 Antimatter Earth.
Upon her home's invasion, Lady Sonar was successful in defeating Johnny Quick (AntiMatter Flash) by temporarily shifting his body out of phase with reality. She was eventually destroyed by Owlman and the rest of the Crime Syndicate when they finally conquered Modora. She 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 J'onn J'onzz 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 Owlman healed their injuries while they were in stasis.
The Quizmaster (the anti-matter Riddler) 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 super powers.
Sir Solomon Grundy (the anti-matter 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 our own 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) is the one altruistic escapee from a militaristic ape nation.
Star Sapphire (the antimatter Star Sapphire)
Lady Sonar (the antimatter Sonar)
Q Ranger (the antimatter Major Force)
Mark Millar's Wanted series (currently in production as a film of the same name) originated as a proposal for a new Secret Society of Supervillains series. DC passed on the proposal and Millar went on to develop his ideas using his own new characters, eventually publishing the series through Top Cow and Image Comics in 2003.
- Secret Society of Super-Villains # 1-15
- Amazing World of DC Comics #11 (Contains alternate version of SSoSV # 1)
- DC Special Series # 6 (SSoSV Special)
- Super-Team Family # 14
- DC Special # 27 =)
- Cancelled Comic Cavalcade # 2 (Contains 'unpublished' black and white version of SSoSV # 16-17)
- Justice League of America # 166-168, 195-197
- All-Star Squadron # 25-26, Annual # 2
- JLA # 115-119
- Villains United # 1-6
- Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special
In Justice League, Gorilla Grodd and Giganta formed the Secret Society with Shade, Sinestro, Killer Frost, and Parasite. In its formation, Grodd took pains to encourage a more cohesive organization in order to avoid the infighting of Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang. His first plan was to rescue Clayface from Morgan Edge's mansion where Killer Frost froze Morgan. Grodd tells Clayface that he'll help him find a way to return Clayface to his true identity of Matt Hagen after they defeat the Justice League. The Secret Society defeated the League the first time, but the Secret Society was defeated in the second battle.
Where as the team led by Lex and Aresia were motivated by money, Grodd's team had more personal reasons:
- Giganta - Fiercely loyal to Grodd.
- Parasite - Revenge against Superman.
- Sinestro - Sworn blood oath against all Green Lanterns.
- Killer Frost - Simply to kill.
- The Shade - Offered the chance by Grodd to be a master criminal.
- Clayface - Is shortly freed by Grodd and company in the episode. He wants to be cured of his condition, but Grodd offers him the best of both worlds.
Subsequently, Grodd renewed his attempts to create a society and succeeded with the creation of a massive co-operative operation. Although based on the Legion of Doom from the Super Friends animated series, it is never referred to by this name in the series, and is treated and addressed simply as an expanded Secret Society.