It’s no surprise when villains team up against a common hero, especially when they keep getting taken down, but what happens when you get a group of super-villains working for the government on operations that don’t officially exist? You have to ask yourself what incentive would be enough to get them to cooperate, as well as just how would you keep them in line long enough to complete said mission.

The answer? Task Force X (better known as “The Suicide Squad”) a team of super-villians working on covert government operations in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. The catch? The missions are so dangerous they’re practically suicidal, hence the name. Plus, Amanda Waller keeps the unit on point through the use of injected nanite explosives, which are both remote controlled as well as on a timer, upping the ante on the already deadly missions, and making each mission a race against time.

Courtesy of CBR, we have photos that give us our first up-close look at Arrow’s Suicide Squad. The lineup features Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), Shrapnel (Sean Maher), Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), and Deadshot (Michael Rowe). The inclusion of Bronze Tiger and Deadshot are inspired choices from the original Suicide Squad by John Ostrander in the 1987’s “Legends” #3. Although the team’s members do change pretty frequently considering they are all expendable; some get left behind as scapegoats while other are used as bargaining chips. Either way, betrayal most definitely runs high among the group.

Bronze Tiger – real name Ben Turner – is an assassin proficient in martial arts, and argues that The Arrow should kill the criminals plaguing Starling City. Waller approaches him in “Tremors” with an employment opportunity and in exchange offers him a shorter prison sentence.

Shrapnel – real name Mark Scheffer – made his debut in “Blast Radius” as a former toy store owner. Explosives are his signature MO, and he even made an attempt on Sebastian Blood’s life. That is, until The Arrow intervened.

Amanda Waller’s introduction in season two of Arrow opens up several possibilities for the show. In the comics she is the head of A.R.G.U.S., The Justice League of America and The Suicide Squad. She also is the warden of Belle Reve Penitentiary, the largest supervillain supermax prison, and the place from which candidates for the ‘Squad’ are selected. The mental and physical conditioning she puts them through weeds 37 potential prospects to a team of 6.

Deadshot – real name Floyd Lawton – is a marksman sniper and hit man. He also murdered John’s brother Andy. A consistent member and the team leader out on the field. Waller trusts him the most out of any other member on the team. In The New 52 continuity he earns the opportunity to meet with Suchin, a young girl who we can assume is his daughter, and Waller makes sure to use that relationship to her advantage.

Also on the team…

Lyla Michaels is a high-ranking A.R.G.U.S. operative, working under the codename of Harbinger. She is also John Diggle’s ex-wife. During her captivity in Moscow, John and Deadshot break her out of jail.

John Diggle a former solider and known associate of Oliver Queen/The Arrow. Amanda Waller hires him to help stop a warlord he knew during his time in Afghanistan. She pairs him up with The Suicide Squad, made up of the criminals that he and The Arrow put away. His a personal vendetta with Deadshot makes for a tense work environment to say the least.

They surely have their work cut out for them. It’ll be interesting who else will join the squad in the future, particularly if some of the additions will be as strange as King Shark or Yo-Yo. With a lot of the villains coming from Batman’s rouges gallery I have to wonder if Harley Quinn will make an appearance on Arrow or Fox’s Gotham. Here are two opportunities for Katee Sackhoff to make her dream come true to play the would-be-girlfriend to the Clown Prince of Crime.

“Suicide Squad” is episode 16 on this season of Arrow scheduled for two weeks from now on March 19, 2014. Check out the three minute trailer to what is being dubbed The Arrow movie, and see the establishment of the squad. The future looks bright for DC Entertainment at least on T.V.

Which member (past, present, or future) of the Suicide Squad is your favorite? With a team up between the villains do you think we’ll see the JLA? After all, Cicso Ramon (a.k.a. Vibe) will be a part of The Flash CW spin-off.

The writer of this piece was:



Laurence Almalvez

Laurence has previously written over at Whatculture.com.

Laurence tweets from @IL1511