A
group of super-heroes published by
Marvel Comics.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then
the Squadron Supreme is a definite tip of the hat to
Marvel Comics' rival, DC Comics. The Squadron Supreme
started out on an alternate Earth which closely matches
the reality depicted in DC Comicsan the Squadron Supreme
is a thinly veiled reworking of DC's the Justice League
of America.
The Squadron was formed following World War II by the
U.S. government and had close ties to the government ever
since. The group originally met in the home of Squadron
member Nighthawk, who was millionaire Kyle Richmond. When
Richmond left the team to enter politics, the Squadron
moved their base of operation to an orbiting space station
called Rocket City. The station was brought down during
the time when the Squadron was under the influence of
the alien Overmind and the team settled in a cave headquarters
for a time.
The Squadron came into conflict on a number of occasions with
the mainstream Marvel super-hero team the Avengers. These
encounters were usually the result of a misunderstanding
or the schemes of hugely powerful entities like the
Gamesmaster.
Eventually, Kyle Richmond, the former Nighthawk, became
president of the Squadron's earth and during his term, this
earth was enslaved by the alien Overmind. The Squadron
eventually broke free of the Overmind's control and fought
back, causing this Earth to be left in ruin.
The Squadron Supreme decided after the dust settled that
because they were at least in part responsible for the
problems their world faced, that they should use their
powers to help bring the world back. The Squadron therefore
began to set about bringing their world back under their
Utopia Program. The Squadron began to implement plans
to end crime, poverty, pollution, and even disease and death.
Members of the team left in protest to some of the policies
being enforced, believing them to immoral and unjust.
One such member was former leader Nighthawk. So outraged
was he by the actions of his former teammates, that he
began to gather former villains to act as a team to
fight back against what he believed to be evil actions.
The two groups eventually clashed, with many begin killed
or injured during the fray, including Nighthawk himself.
The Squadron dismantled the Utopia Program after this
conflict seeing the overall harm that it was causing.
The members of the Squadron Supreme are:
- Hyperion
- Nighthawk
- Princess Power
- Amphibian
- Doctor Spectrum
- Whizzer
- Golden Archer
- Tom Thumb
- Blue Eagle
- Lady Lark
- Arcanna
- Nuke
Some of the villains that joined Nighthawk in fighting the
Squadron joined the Squadron for a time. They include:
- Ape X
- Dr. Decibel
- Foxfire
- Haywire
- Inertia
- Lamprey
- Moonglow
- Quagmire
- Redstone
- Shape
- Thermite
Comics writer
Mark Gruenwald was the writer of the
Squadron Supreme mini-series published by
Marvel Comics. When Gruenwald died, his
ashes were mixed with the
ink for a reprint of the series in a
trade paperback. And they say people who work in comics are weird...