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Suicide Squad was a fine movie with no serious flaws. Contrary to claims by other critics, the pacing was without hiccup, the characters were interesting, and the plot, though sometimes formulaic, fulfilled what was necessary. The characters match their comic book personalities, and the acting was good.

However, Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller stood out among the start studded cast. She was strong, ruthless, and what America needed most.

Warning, this article contains possible spoilers for Suicide Squad, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and related works.

Amanda Waller first appeared in 1986 as a bureaucrat that advocates for Task Force X, a government entity known as the Suicide Squad that would rely on villains to fight against powered threats.

She is the Suicide Squad: the United States’s governments willingness to do whatever it takes to protect the American people from the gravest threats. Although various depictions waiver on her looks, from very heavyset to downright gorgeous, she has always embodied an all-powerful force of will. She is known as “The Wall” with good reason.

It there was one reason why Suicide Squad is a must see film, it is Davis’s depiction of one of the greatest comic book characters. Here is why Waller is so important:

The Superman

Oft-misunderstood philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche came up with the idea of the “ubermensch” (literally: superman). To become such an individual, one with great power must shrug off the shackles of morality and social consideration. They need to purify their reason and focus only on the utilitarian.

Although Clark Kent/Superman is a literal ubermensch, he is bound by a confused system of morality that causes him to lose precious opportunities to act. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he is torn between an ethic system of human passivity and Kryptonian dominance, willing to sacrifice himself simply to save others from any possible harm he may cause. He is a pillar of virtue while being simultaneously self-loathing and self-destructive.

His film counterpart, Bruce Wayne/Batman represents the other half of the problem. Also filled with self-loathing and self-destructive, his moral code interferes when it is most necessary, yet blinds him to the real problems. Throughout the movie, both Batman and Superman are more concerned with each other than with true threats to humanity. Only Wonder Woman, with her experience and god-like understanding of moral consequences, is able to see the true threat and move beyond petty squabbles.

Suicide Squad follows Batman v Superman, and it alludes to the death of Superman from the beginning. The fear sweeping the country is the possible appearance of a villain with Superman’s power without his righteousness.

The ubermensch is one who cares not for the binary of morality but for greatness. The goal is to lead the people to power, but villains care only about their own petty goals. Lex Luthor did not want to free humanity but to become Satan rebelling against God.

Only from witnessing the disaster caused by the constant fighting between moral extremes can one understand the need to overcome the chaos. In the DC Comics and Extended Universe, Amanda Waller has the vision necessary to act as the ubermensch.

Beyond Morality into Patriotism

In Nietzschean theory, a nation and its people must be allowed to achieve their potential. Morality cannot be forced, and education and law can only go so far. Both good and evil must work together for a common greatness, with both sides ultimately benefiting from the result.

Film-Waller, as with her counterparts, recognizes that villains can be bargained with or cajoled into serving the American will. The Suicide Squad was set up to use powered individuals against powered threats, and the history of the villains allows the American government to distance itself from any fallout. Villains are given their outlet to destroy while greater harm to society is prevented.

But Waller is not a puppet-master, merely throwing forces against an enemy without care for life. Instead, she is an utterly rational individual who does whatever is necessary to get a job done, even if it involves her own hand. She has gone toe to toe with some of the greatest heroes and villains of the DC Comic universe, including staring down Batman and forcing him to walk away.

The film reveals her utter dedication when she immediately guns down a room of government agents. Their crime? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Midway through the film, the Suicide Squad rescues Waller from a secret facility adjacent to a world-endangering event. The squad, members of Task Force X, are of a clearance level that any exposure would threaten the United States Government. To allow the agents to survive would be impossible; there was no chance for them to be imprisoned or properly debriefed. Any attempt would be time consuming and make it near impossible to safely withdraw from the situation.

There is no second guessing or moral dilemma. She acts and moves on. Though she kills more people in that moment than the Joker does in the entire movie (disregarding ambiguous kills during mass fire situations), the film does not pause long enough to allow for any condemnation to take hold. She walks out of the room, threatens the wavering members of the Suicide Squad with further violence, and barges through them without care for her life.

She is the embodiment of willpower, putting the Green Lantern Corps to shame. With each action, there is a direct result. No energy or time is wasted, and not even a Superman can stand between her and her goals.

The Moral Dilemma

As we explained before, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice embodies the Christian moral system. The characters come to terms with their own place within a greater moral code and attempt to do what is “right.” They want to be heroes, and the movie is a pseudo-coming-of-age story.

Suicide Squad is the foil to Batman v. Superman, emphasizing the darker sides of the universe to allow the light to shine more clearly. It is a look into how the sausage is made in all of its disgusting glory. While Superman and Batman spend an hour trying to figure out their situation, Waller is capable of immediate action. Her discussions are to the point, and the threat of force backs each word. She is similar to Wonder Woman: strong women in a world run by boys.

The film does not impose its fundamental world view upon the audience. Instead, neither side of the spectrum is “right.” For a country to succeed and prosper, both sides must be true or, at least, be allowed to thrive. There must be a moral conscience to ensure that the people are protected, but ruthless is also necessary to ensure timely action.

While Captain America: Civil War was a great film in terms of an action movie, it abandoned the greater moral discussion of the comics. Critics and audiences love a popcorn film over something heavy, but philosophically provocative art is still vital to a proper society.

We need to confront these issues. Film, as with all art, must challenge the individual either by showing them something new or providing a different perspective to something old. So far, the DC Extended Universe has upheld this responsibility.