Squadron Supreme

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For the related team of supervillains, see Squadron Sinister.
Squadron Supreme
Tom Thumb
Roster
See: List of Squadron Supreme members

The Squadron Supreme is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, of which there are several notable alternate versions. The original team was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, derived from the previously created supervillain team Squadron Sinister.

The core members of the Squadron Supreme are

Whizzer, pastiches of prominent members of rival publisher DC Comics' superhero team the Justice League.[1]
: 72  Many other characters were later added to the roster, not all of which were based on DC heroes.

Publication history

The Squadron Supreme has its roots in the Squadron Sinister, which first appeared in The Avengers #69 as a pastiche of the Justice League.[1]: 40  Roy Thomas later introduced a heroic version of the Squadron Sinister named the Squadron Supreme, which first appeared in The Avengers #85–86 (Feb.–March 1971), and which was co-created with John Buscema.[2] The team then had guest appearances on several more occasions, and in 1985 was featured in a self-titled twelve-issue limited series by Mark Gruenwald, followed in 1989 by a graphic novel sequel by Gruenwald, Ryan and inker Al Williamson, Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe, in which the Nth Man serves as the main antagonist.

In 2003, a reimagined Squadron Supreme appeared in an ongoing series entitled Supreme Power, published under the mature-audience MAX imprint. This version was created by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Gary Frank.[citation needed]

Yet another Squadron Supreme was introduced in 2015, written by James Robinson and drawn by Leonard Kirk.[citation needed] Unlike the previous teams, which had appeared in alternate realities, this team was based in Marvel's main "Earth-616" reality, although the team members were from a variety of alternate universes that had been destroyed in the aftermath of the 2015 Secret Wars event.

Another version of the Squadron Supreme, set in the Marvel Universe, was introduced by Jason Aaron in The Avengers vol. 8.[citation needed] The Squadron, created by Mephisto and led by Phil Coulson, acts as the US government's sanctioned superhero team in place of the Avengers. This version of the team is the focus of the Heroes Reborn storyline, where reality is overwritten so that the Avengers were never formed and the Squadron Supreme are Earth's premier superhero team instead.[citation needed]

Fictional history

Earth-712 version

The Squadron Supreme are first encountered by four members of the

Brain-Child, before returning to their own universe.[5] The Squadron Supreme have another series of skirmishes with the Avengers engineered by the group the Serpent Cartel, but eventually they join forces and prevent the use of the Serpent Crown.[6]

The team features briefly in the title

Hyperion attacks the Earth-712 version and then the Earth-616 Thor.[7] The Squadron appear in the title The Defenders as mind-controlled pawns of the entities the Over-Mind and Null the Living Darkness, but are freed and aid the Defenders in defeating the villains.[8] Earth-712, however, is left in a post-apocalyptic state.[volume & issue needed
]

The Squadron Supreme were next featured in a self-titled 12-issue

Scarlet Centurion), serving as the main antagonist.[volume & issue needed
]

Despite the economic and technological advances, there are setbacks: the

Tom Thumb discovers he has cancer[13] but chooses not to inform his teammates, eventually succumbing to the disease.[14]

At one point, the team is attacked by the

Institute of Evil on the behalf of Victorex Prime.[15] The Squadron ultimately defeats the Institute and uses the behavior modification technology to reform them, adding the former supervillains as members.[11] Three of them die or are incapacitated.[16]

In the meantime, Nighthawk forms a new team he calls the America Redeemers, recruiting former villains and several previously unknown superhumans.[volume & issue needed] The later infiltrate the Squadron and kidnap the surviving Institute members to reverse the behavior modification on them. Despite mixed feelings on the parts of several of the Institute members, they too join the Redeemers.[17] Former Squadron member the Golden Archer (now known as the Black Archer) also joins.[18]

Eventually, the Redeemers confront the Squadron Supreme. A brutal battle ensues in which several members of both teams are killed, including Nighthawk. A horrified Hyperion realizes that Nighthawk was right: the Squadron, despite having good intentions, had inadvertently created a totalitarian state with themselves as its dictators. The Squadron surrenders, disbands and returns control of the United States to the government.[19][full citation needed]

In a

Shape) marooned in the mainstream Marvel universe.[20]

The Squadron encounter the hero

Stranger,[21] the Squadron attempt unsuccessfully to return to their own universe[22] and members Hyperion, Doctor Spectrum and the Whizzer battle the entity the Deathurge.[23]

The entire Squadron Supreme appear in an Avengers storyline with the Avengers that finally returns them to their home universe.[24][25] The one-shot issue Squadron Supreme: New World Order reveals that Earth-712 is now dominated by corporations using the Squadron's own utopia technologies.[26]

The Squadron come into conflict with a new government when an interdimensional team called the Exiles, traveling from the Earth-616 universe, reveal that the government had rigged the election through worldwide vote fraud. The Squadron and the Exiles depose the new government and attempt to allow society to progress without superhuman involvement.[27]

Earth-31916 version

Supreme Power

The series Supreme Power features the rebooted version of the superhero team Squadron Supreme and is set on Earth-31916.[28]

Alien

US government and raised in a controlled environment. Army Corporal Joseph Ledger is given a strange crystal removed from Hyperion's spaceship by the government that bonds to him, causing him to fall into a coma
for years.

Discovering Hyperion has superhuman abilities, the government uses him as a secret weapon, and is eventually outed by the

Nighthawk solicits the aid of Hyperion and the Blur to deal with a superpowered serial killer, who Hyperion now knows is actually the product of experimentation with his DNA
.

Although successful, Hyperion is outraged by the government exploitation and leaves, warning that he has no wish to be contacted by humankind again. The government gathers the remaining superhumans into a team to capture Hyperion.

The story continues in the

alternate reality
. In this world, Hyperion and a version of the Squadron rule the world, with only Nighthawk and a small group of superhumans opposing their rule. Although the heroes locate the true Hyperion and convince him to return to their world, Burbank discovers that it was, in fact, not an alternate reality but their world two years from the present time.

Second Squadron Supreme title

The second volume of the series Squadron Supreme[30] brings together all the superhumans (except a reluctant Nighthawk), who are split into two teams – one for international/public missions and another for covert operations. The President of the United States calls the group the Squadron Supreme. The Squadron meets with mixed success: an attempt to kill an African dictator is botched, and the target is murdered by local superhumans who state the group is not welcome in Africa, and a mission to Iran has member Inertia encouraging a victim to fight back and kill.

detonate a nuclear weapon
. The outcome is not revealed, as the series concluded with issue #7.

Ultimate Power

An unrelated nine-issue series,

Nick Fury and the Ultimate villain Doctor Doom, the Squadron travel to the Ultimate Universe, thinking that the Ultimate Reed Richards
is responsible for releasing an organism that has destroyed much of the United States.

A series of misunderstandings ensues, and after a series of battles between the Squadron, the

Earth-712 Squadron Supreme (whose world was also affected by the organism), the third culprit is revealed as Burbank, who was asked by the government to develop a weapon to kill Hyperion. Nick Fury is detained in custody in the Earth-31916 universe, while Squadron member Power Princess remains in the Ultimate Universe to ensure that Doom (who escaped custody by using a Doombot
) is captured.

Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk

An unrelated four-issue limited series, Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk, written by

Darfur conflict in war-torn Sudan. Hyperion discovers Nighthawk has a prototype weapon built from stolen plans of Emil Burbank's journal that cannot actually injure him, but can convince him that he is being injured.[32]

Third Squadron Supreme title

A third volume of the title Squadron Supreme, written by

infect
many people they come into contact with, also giving them superhuman abilities.

Fury eventually leads a new version of the Squadron that features characters who are

terrorists from the Middle East
, but then, via a government device, apparently all lose their abilities. Arcanna secretly reveals to Fury that she, and likely many others, still possesses superhuman abilities. Fury later returns to the Ultimate Universe.

Later appearances

Later, the members of the Squadron Supreme are apparently killed by Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Cabal after the villains raid the Squadron's universe.[34][full citation needed] Versions resembling these characters later appear on the Battleworld created by Doctor Doom during the Secret Wars event, only to be killed again at the hands of the Squadron Sinister. Nighthawk is left as the group's only survivor.[35][full citation needed]

Earth-616 version

This team, set in Marvel's mainstream reality, features characters from numerous alternate universes, such as the Nighthawk from Supreme Power, a Hyperion from a reality that had been destroyed upon colliding with another universe, Doctor Spectrum from the world of the Great Society (which was destroyed by

Blur from the New Universe, and Warrior Woman from a Secret Wars tie-in (posing as the Earth-712 Squadron Supreme's Power Princess).[36][37][full citation needed
]

The Squadron Supreme's first action was to get revenge on Namor for what happened to the worlds of some of its members. They attacked Atlantis where Hyperion beheaded Namor and Zarda killed Attuma. The fight ended with Hyperion lifting Atlantis above the ocean and throwing it onto the ground hard enough to kill the remaining Atlanteans present.[38][full citation needed] The actions caused by the Squadron Supreme led the Avengers Unity Division to apprehend them before anyone else ends up killed by their hand.[39][full citation needed] The Squadron Supreme were saved by Thundra and later teleported to Weirdworld,[40][full citation needed] where they encounter Doctor Druid, who plans to mind-control Weirdworld's inhabitants.[41][full citation needed] The Squadron Supreme shatter the crystal that Druid was using to enhance his mind control powers and return home. Power Princess remains on Weirdworld and reveals herself as Warrior Woman. Thundra sides with the Squadron Supreme, although she is unsure if she should help the Squadron Supreme protect the world or help protect the world from the Squadron Supreme.[42][full citation needed]

Through Modred the Mystic's magical modifications to Reed Richard's time machine, Hyperion and Doctor Spectrum are accidentally transformed into ephemeral "ghosts" caught in the past; specifically during the Squadron's attack on Atlantis and just before Hyperion kills Namor. They decide to change the past by dragging this past Namor back to the present, thereby resurrecting him. Although this action is easy for Hyperion, who has had second thoughts about the cutthroat methods the Squadron Supreme has been using, it is more difficult for Doctor Spectrum, as Namor destroyed her Earth. At the end of the story arc, Hyperion leads the action to disband the Squadron, and the team goes their separate ways.[43][full citation needed]

Squadron Supreme of America

When the Avengers become a global peacekeeping force, Thunderbolt Ross meets with Phil Coulson to discuss the matter. Phil reveals that he has established the Squadron Supreme of America as the newest United States superhero team. The team consists of Hyperion, Power Princess, Nighthawk, the Blur, and Doctor Spectrum as their leader.[44][full citation needed]

With Doctor Spectrum as their leader, the Squadron Supreme of America were first used to fight Namor and his Defenders of the Deep when they attacked a Roxxon oil rig that is off the coast of Alaska.[45][full citation needed]

Then the Squadron Supreme visited another oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, where Doctor Spectrum used his powers to melt areas of the oil rig to secure it from an attack by Namor. The Squadron Supreme then made short work of Namor and the Defenders of the Deep.[46][full citation needed]

During the

Frost Giants. Their origin is fully shown where its members are revealed to be simulacrums created by Mephisto and programmed by the Power Elite so that Phil Coulson can have them be a United States-sponsored superhero team. After the Squadron Supreme caused the Frost Giants to retreat, Phil Coulson sends them to Ohio which has become a battleground.[47][full citation needed
]

The Squadron Supreme are summoned to confront Black Panther when he infiltrates the Pentagon and confronts Phil Coulson. Hyperion states that the Squadron Supreme are the United States' sanctioned superhero team in light of the Avengers becoming an anti-American team. As Nighthawk states to Blur that the Black Panther will not run as he is under arrest, the Black Panther states to them that he does not know how they got their powers and that they are not the Squadron Supreme, as he even asked if they trust Phil Coulson. Before they can grab him, the Black Panther contacts

Broo to teleport him away. As he disappears, the Black Panther states that Phil Coulson will not answer their questions and that the Avengers are not their enemies unless they force them to be.[48]

During the Heroes Reborn storyline, reality has been somehow changed so that the Squadron Supreme of America are the America's premier superhero team and that the Avengers never existed. The Squadron Supreme are seen fighting the Masters of Doom consisting of Doctor Juggernaut, Black Skull, Silver Witch and All-Gog after their escape from the Negative Zone. The Squadron Supreme manages to repel the Masters of Doom with the fight being witnessed by President Phil Coulson.[49] The Skrullian Skymaster was shown to be a member of this reality's Squadron Supreme before he was killed by Rogue to avenge Mystique's death.[50] Nighthawk and Blur had a Secret Squadron team that consisted of Tom Thumb (who is an amalgam of both versions), Amphibian, Blue Eagle, Golden Archer, and Arcanna Jones. This group fought the Siege Society in London where Amphibian was beheaded by Baron Helmut Zemo, Golden Archer was killed by Hawkeye and Fire-Ant, Tom Thumb was subdued by Hawkeye, Arcanna Jones was killed by Silver Witch, and Golden Eagle was slain offscreen by Black Widow and Hawkeye who escape with Fire Ant using his special wings. Following the fight, Nighthawk, Blur, and Tom Thumb mourn their comrades at their funeral.[51] The Squadron Supreme of America discuss their encounters with various heroes and concerns about their world being wrong. Putting aside their differences and without telling President Coulson, they gather clues and rule out suspects before eventually arriving in Wakanda, where they confront the Avengers.[52] The Avengers battle and eventually defeat the Squadron Supreme of America. After Captain America, Star Brand, and Echo use the Pandemonium Cube to restore the original reality, the Squadron Supreme of America find their memories transferred to their counterparts in the Avengers' reality and struggle to find their place in an unfamiliar world.[53]

Doctor Spectrum led Power Princess and Blur on a mission to arrest Red Widow. In a turn of events, Power Princess killed Doctor Spectrum and took his Power Prism as it is shown that Red Widow is working on brainwashing Hyperion.[54]

Membership

Main article: List of Squadron Supreme members

Other versions

Marvel Zombies Supreme

A group of clones of the Squadron Supreme appear in the 2011 Marvel Zombies Supreme miniseries, which sees the members of the team infected with a zombie virus developed by a deranged geneticist.[55]

In other media

Collected editions

Earth-712

Title Material collected Year ISBN
Squadron Supreme Squadron Supreme (vol. 1) #1–12 1997
ISBN 078510576X
Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe OGN 1989
ISBN 0871355981
Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe, Thor (vol. 1) #280, Avengers (vol. 3) #5–6, Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual '98, Squadron Supreme: New World Order 2006
ISBN 0785120912
Squadron Supreme Omnibus Squadron Supreme (vol. 1) #1–12, Captain America (vol. 1) #314, Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe 2011
ISBN 9780785149712
Squadron Supreme vs. Avengers Avengers (vol. 1) #69-70, 85-86, 141-144, 147-149; Thor (vol. 1) #280; Avengers (vol. 3) #5-6; Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual '98; Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #3 2021
ISBN 9781302930868
Squadron Supreme Classic Omnibus Avengers (vol. 1) #69–70, 85–86, 141–144, 147–149, Thor (vol. 1) #280, Defenders (vol. 1) #112–114, Squadron Supreme (vol. 1) #1–12, Captain America (vol. 1) #314, Squadron Supreme: Death Of A Universe, Quasar (vol. 1) #13–16, 51–52, Avengers (vol. 3) #5–6, Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual '98, Squadron Supreme: New World Order, Exiles (vol. 1) #77–78, Ultimate Power #7–9 2016
ISBN 9781302900656

Earth-31916

Title Material collected Year ISBN
Supreme Power: Contact Supreme Power #1-6 2004
ISBN 0785112243
Supreme Power: Powers and Principalities Supreme Power #7-12 2005
ISBN 0-7851-1456-4
Supreme Power: High Command Supreme Power #13-18 2005
ISBN 0785114742
Supreme Power Vol. 1 Supreme Power #1-12; Avengers (vol.1) #85-86 2005
ISBN 078511369X
Supreme Power Vol. 2 Supreme Power #13-18; Supreme Power: Hyperion #1–5 2006
ISBN 0785121331
Doctor Spectrum Doctor Spectrum #1–6 2005
ISBN 0-7851-1586-2
Supreme Power: Nighthawk Supreme Power: Nighthawk #1–6 2006
ISBN 0785118977
Supreme Power: Hyperion Supreme Power: Hyperion #1–5 2006
ISBN 0785118950
Squadron Supreme: Pre-War Years Squadron Supreme (vol. 2) #1-7 2006
ISBN 0785122826
Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk #1–4 2007
ISBN 0785124349
Ultimate Power Ultimate Power #1-9 2008
ISBN 9780785123675
Squadron Supreme Vol. 1: Power to the People Squadron Supreme (vol.3) #1-6 2008
ISBN 9780785132844
Squadron Supreme Vol. 2: Bright Shining Lies Squadron Supreme (vol. 3) #7-12 2008
ISBN 9780785135364
Supreme Power: Gods and Soldiers Supreme Power (vol. 2) #1–4 2011
ISBN 9780785155713

Earth-616

Title Material collected Year ISBN
Squadron Supreme Vol. 1: By Any Means Necessary! Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #1–5 and material from Avengers (vol. 5) #0 2016
ISBN 9780785199717
Squadron Supreme Vol. 2: Civil War II Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #6–9 2016
ISBN 9780785199724
Squadron Supreme Vol. 3: Finding Namor Squadron Supreme (vol. 4) #10–15 2017
ISBN 9781302902858

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9781893905481
    . Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  2. ISBN 9781465455505
    .
  3. ^ The Avengers #84 (Jan. 1971)
  4. ^ The Avengers #69–70 (Oct.–Nov. 1969)
  5. ^ The Avengers #85–86 (Feb.–March 1971)
  6. ^ The Avengers #141–144 (Nov. 1975–Feb. 1976) and 147–149 (May–July 1976)
  7. ^ Thor #280 (Feb. 1979)
  8. ^ The Defenders #112–114 (Oct.–Dec. 1982)
  9. ^ Squadron Supreme #1–12 (Sept. 1985–Aug. 1986)
  10. ^ Squadron Supreme #4. Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ a b c Squadron Supreme #6. Marvel Comics.
  12. ^ Squadron Supreme #3. Marvel Comics.
  13. ^ Squadron Supreme #1. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ Squadron Supreme #9. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Squadron Supreme #5. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Squadron Supreme #10–11. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Squadron Supreme #11–12. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Squadron Supreme #10. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Squadron Supreme #12. Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (1989). Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Quasar #13–16 (Aug.–Nov. 1990). Marvel Comics.
  22. ^ Quasar #19 (Feb. 1991). Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Quasar #25 (Aug. 1991). Marvel Comics.
  24. ^ The Avengers vol. 3 #5–6 (June–July 1998)
  25. ^ Avengers/Squadron Supreme Annual '98
  26. ^ Squadron Supreme: New World Order (1998). Marvel Comics.
  27. ^ Exiles vol. 2 #77–78 (April–May 2006). Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ Supreme Power #1–18 (Jan. 2003–Oct. 2005)
  29. ^ Supreme Power: Hyperion #1–5 (Nov. 2005–March 2006)
  30. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 2 #1–7 (May–Nov. 2006)
  31. ^ Ultimate Power #1–3 (Dec. 2006–Feb. 2007); 4–5 (June–July 2007); 6–7 (Sept.–Oct. 2007); 8 (Dec. 2007) and 9 (Feb. 2008)
  32. ^ Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk #1–4 (March–June 2007)
  33. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 3 #1–12 (Sept. 2008–July 2009)
  34. ^ New Avengers vol. 3 #24
  35. ^ Squadron Sinister #1
  36. ^ White, Brett (June 24, 2015). "Marvel Announces "Squadron Supreme" From Robinson, Kirk". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  37. ^ Avengers (vol. 6) #0. Marvel Comics.
  38. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #1. Marvel Comics.
  39. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #2. Marvel Comics.
  40. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #3. Marvel Comics.
  41. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #4
  42. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #5. Marvel Comics.
  43. ^ Squadron Supreme vol. 4 #13–15. Marvel Comics.
  44. ^ The Avengers #700. Marvel Comics.
  45. ^ Avengers vol. 8 #10. Marvel Comics.
  46. ^ Free Comic Book Day 2019 Avengers. Marvel Comics.
  47. ^ Avengers vol. 8 #18. Marvel Comics.
  48. ^ Avengers vol. 8 #21. Marvel Comics.
  49. ^ Heroes Reborn vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics.
  50. ^ Heroes Reborn: Magneto & the Mutant Force #1. Marvel Comics.
  51. ^ Heroes Reborn: Siege Society #1. Marvel Comics.
  52. ^ Heroes Reborn Vol. 2 #7. Marvel Comics.
  53. ^ Heroes Return #1. Marvel Comics.
  54. ^ Avengers Vol. 8 #50. Marvel Comics.
  55. ^ Parkin, John (October 27, 2010). "Exclusive: Marvel Zombies Supreme coming in March 2011". Comic Book Resources. Robot 666. Retrieved August 2, 2013.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Squadron_Supreme&oldid=1217044341#Supreme_Power"