You've seen all the posters and you've watched all the trailers, but do you know who the heck Slipknot is? Don't worry I didn't either. I remember being completely puzzled when I found out that the follow up to "Batman Vs. Superman," a movie featuring the two most famous comic book heroes of all time, would be "Suicide Squad," a movie based on a comic series originally meant to shine a spotlight on B and C-List supervillains. And if you had told me that Suicide Squad would be the lighter movie... I digress. The main thing to take from all of this is that the general public has absolutely no idea who most of these characters are. Everyone knows the basics of Batman and Superman, but most of the villains that make up the Squad have never been in the public's sights before. Before they make their grand debut this weekend, let's take a look at what makes them tick.
Be warned that this article contains possible spoilers for the upcoming movie.
1. What is the Suicide Squad?
In the comics, the main incarnation of Task Force X was originally conceived by Amanda Waller (more on her in a bit) as a tool for the United States to use in a world increasingly dominated by meta-humans. Think of it as a twisted work release program where incarcerated supervillains take on black ops missions that have a practically zero percent chance of survival, hence the nickname. In exchange, they get time off of their prison sentences. Best of all, these operations had absolute deniability. If something went wrong and the public found out about a mission, the government could just call it a regular supervillain rampage. It was also a handy way for DC to explain how supervillains got out of prison in seemingly no time at all.
2. Amanda "The Wall" Waller (Viola Davis)
Think of Amanda Waller as the Nick Fury of the DC Universe, a major liaison between the metahuman community and the United States government along with being one of the most feared espionage operatives in the world. Unlike her Marvel counterpart however, she is almost completely distrusting of Earth's heroes, seeing them as a threat to the delicate balance of power that keeps humanity from destroying itself. In her mind, metahumans are tools to be used by the great powers of the world, an idea encapsulated by the Suicide Squad. She walks a fine line between villain and antihero, fully capable of marshaling a defense against an alien invasion one day and attempting to discover the Justice League's secret identities the next. She is completely and utterly ruthless in pursuing her goal of protecting her country, which is perhaps best shown in how she keeps the Squad in line while they're on a mission. If any of the villains attempts to slip away, a bomb planted in their neck explodes. However, what makes her a metahuman's worst nightmare is that she refuses to be intimidated even by the most powerful people on the planet, seeing them as equals, if not inferiors. Want proof? Take a look at this.
3. Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman)
Rick Flag serves as the field commander of the Suicide Squad, leading them into battle and making sure they keep the collateral damage/rampaging to a minimum. His attitude towards the supervillains has varied over the years, from viewing them as nothing more than dangerous criminals to believing that the Squad can serve as a tool of redemption instead of coercion. Flag's patriotism is what led to his recruitment by Waller, believing that he is just like her in that he would do anything to protect his country. She's only partly right. Often times, Flag is portrayed as Waller's conscience, convincing her to hold up her end of the deal with the Squad or reminding her that metahumans are still people.
4. Floyd Lawton AKA Deadshot (Will Smith)
Deadshot is practically synonymous with the Suicide Squad, having appeared in nearly every major incarnation of the team. Deadshot's greatest feat is that he has cultivated a reputation of being one of the most dangerous assassins alive in a world full of flying demigods. Though he has no powers, Deadshot is the undisputed greatest marksman in the DC universe, proficient with practically any firearm, especially his trademark .45 caliber wrist cannons. He has one secret in his life, his daughter. Much of the money from his assassination contracts goes towards his daughter's care and upon his arrest, the Suicide Squad is his one chance to see her again.
5. Dr. Harleen Quinzel AKA Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)
Dr. Harleen Quinzel came to Arkham Asylum intent on treating its famous supervillain residents. She got her wish when she took on the greatest case the Asylum had to offer, the Joker. Instead of curing him of his madness, Quinzel was driven insane by the Joker, who convinced her that she had fallen in love with him. She broke him out of the Asylum and took on the persona of Harley Quinn. First appearing on "Batman: The Animated Series," Harley quickly became a fan favorite, making the transition onto the comic page and has only grown more popular since, prompting her inclusion in the 2011 Suicide Squad comic series. Her character also garnered critical acclaim for providing one of the most honest looks at an abusive relationship to ever appear on children's TV. No matter how badly the Joker mistreats her or how often he abandons her to save his own skin, she is still convinced that he reciprocates her love for him. In a way, that makes her the Joker's most tragic victim and the most dangerous.
6. The Joker (Jared Leto)
Perhaps the most famous comic book villain of all time, the Joker needs no introduction. His true origin remains a mystery to this day despite several possibilities. In his own words, the Joker prefers that if he has to have a past, he would prefer it to be "multiple choice." Jared Leto's portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime seems to be the most psychotic we've seen yet, a serial killer inspired by Instagram drug lords who takes almost sexual pleasure in torturing his victims. To top it all off, we still have no idea how he fits into this movie. Will he be relegated to Harley Quinn's flashbacks or will he have a role to play in the main plot? I'd bet on the latter.
7. Digger Harkness AKA Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney)
Captain Boomerang throws boomerangs. Yeah. Boomerang is violent, cowardly, hilariously hateable and basically an all around jerk. He's a real piece of work, even by the Squad's very loose standards. That being said, those who underestimate him might just do so at their own peril. Though hesitant to ever enter a straight up fight, he's a crack shot with his razor sharp weapons and let's just say there's a reason an entire culture has developed around these things. Boomerang is also completely amoral and a master manipulator, absolutely self-centered and uncaring. Whenever the Squad inevitably comes together as a team or even as a family, Boomerang remains on the outside, ready to betray them at the first opportunity.
8. Tatsu Yamashiro AKA Katana (Karen Fukuhara )
Now what the heck is Katana doing in "Suicide Squad?" Katana is a master swordswoman with an intense desire to bring justice to evildoers and protect the innocent. Oh, and the soul of her murdered husband is trapped inside the katana she wields. Welcome to comic books everybody. Like I said, I have no idea why Katana is running with the Suicide Squad since she's not a supervillain and she's had only had a few interactions with them throughout her history. Is this some new villainous version of Katana? Or is there some other reason she comes along for the ride?
9. Waylon Jones AKA Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)
No, Waylon Jones was not bitten by a radioactive crocodile at a science demonstration. Instead, he was born with a rare genetic condition that gave him his scaly appearance along with his super strength, immense lung power and other crocodile-esque abilities. Over the years, Croc has gone through several appearance changes, from the "regular man with scales" look he has in the movie to an 8-foot tall monstrosity complete with a slavering crocodile maw. He's also been written in a variety of different portrayals including a cunning mob boss, a cannibalistic psychopath, and an emotionally stunted tragic figure that just wants to be left alone. Interestingly enough, he was never a member of the Suicide Squad in the comics. Instead, his role of "animal themed bruiser" was taken by King Shark (three guesses as to what he is). Hopefully, Croc will bring the blunt, unashamed, vicious and almost bored attitude that King Shark brought to the team dynamic.
10. Christopher Weiss AKA Slipknot (Adam Beach)
Wow. Slipknot huh? Okay. I'll be real, I didn't even know who this guy was at first. He's about as minor of a villain as you can get. You know what his gimmick is? He's good with ropes. He carries around a bunch of extra durable ropes and he's a master of grapple hooks, escape artistry, knots, and nooses. I think I just ran out of ways to say that he's skilled with using ropes. To be fair, fighting with a rope is way cooler in real life than it sounds on paper, but come on. Slipknot has had one major tour with the Suicide Squad but even talking about that is a probable spoiler. He's also hardly been in the trailers so I can't even talk about what he'll do in the movie. So I guess we're done here. Go Slipknot.
11. Chato Santana AKA El Diablo (Jay Hernandez)
There have been multiple versions of El Diablo and each one has been possessed by a demon, or an Aztec god, or some other entity. Suicide Squad's El Diablo has a body temperature that clocks in at 666 degrees Fahrenheit (I would have figured the Devil for a Celsius kind of guy) so that narrows it down. El Diablo's demonic powers manifest themselves in hellfire that he can project from his hands, but the demon's power is limited by his body and what's left of his will. The more control he allows it, the more powerful he becomes. But if he gives it too much leeway...
12. June Moon/Enchantress (Cara Delevigne)
Yes, I meant to put a slash instead of an "AKA", I know what I'm doing. Enchantress isn't Moon's alter ego, she's an entirely separate person. Enchantress is the spirit of an ancient witch that was trapped in a magic prison for centuries. Then June Moon accidentally woke her up. They now share the same body, often times fighting for control. In the comics, Moon attempts to use the Enchantress' power for good, but has difficulty keeping her in check. The Suicide Squad provides the perfect means for Moon to use her powers as an anti-hero while giving in to the Enchantress' urge to... you know... maim and murder. Curiously enough, Enchantress doesn't look like a member of the Squad in the movie. She hasn't appeared alongside the other squad members in the trailers and the appearance of the goons the Squad is fighting in those same trailers makes me think that she might even be the villain that they set out to stop. I guess we'll find out this weekend.
