Checkmate (comics)
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Checkmate is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate! (vol. 1). In the wake of events depicted in the mini-series The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis, Checkmate has been re-chartered as a United Nations Security Council-affiliated agency and has its own new series, Checkmate (vol. 2).
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[edit] Publication history
The Checkmate organisation was created by Paul Kupperberg, John Byrne and Steve Erwin, first appearing in Action Comics #598 in 1988. The precursor to this fictional organisation was known as the Agency, first appearing in Vigilante #36. Harry Stein was appointed Valentina Vostok's replacement in The Agency's command position by Amanda Waller. Stein later sought out the most stable personnel available from the American and international intelligence and law enforcement communities to form Checkmate. His agency would field only the best-trained and well-equipped of agents, working under the strictest rules of secrecy. For the organizational structure of the re-organized Agency, Stein chose the game of chess as his working model.[1]
Stein brought in Gary Washington (Knight One) and Black Thorn as Checkmate operatives, both of whom were his friends, and both of whom were introduced during his run on Vigilante.
Checkmate! was at various times involved with the other government agencies in the DC Comics universe, primarily the Suicide Squad, which resulted in the crossover "The Janus Directive". Checkmate! was cancelled after 33 issues but the organisation continued to appear, mostly in titles related to either the government or titles related to Batman.
After the events of the mini-series The OMAC Project, a precursor to the Infinite Crisis limited series, the Checkmate organisation was re-organised and its title was revived with Checkmate volume 2.
[edit] Greg Rucka about Checkmate (vol. 2)
Rucka was quoted regarding the new series: "Take a big chunk of The OMAC Project, take the concept of "Who Watches the Watchmen?" and throw in some James Bond and you've got Checkmate." Rucka's stated plans in several interviews[2] include depicting the repurposing of Checkmate as a United Nations-affiliated intelligence/intervention force with a specific purpose of maintaining "balance" between Earth's human and metahuman communities in the wake of events in The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis.
[edit] Checkmate! (vol. 1)
[edit] Biography
[edit] Organisation and designation
The name Checkmate is taken from the winning move in chess, and its hierarchy is modelled after the various pieces of a chess game; one King, one Queen and several Bishops, Rooks and Pawns. The Bishops oversaw the Rooks behind the scenes while the Rooks planned missions and supervised the field agents, or Knights, and the Knight's support, Pawns.
[edit] Known employed operatives
List of operatives during first series.
[edit] History
The Agency is first set up by Amanda Waller to serve as a small branch of Task Force X under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (formerly Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform operations worldwide considered vital to the security of American interests. She relinquishes command to Harry Stein, who recreates The Agency into a new image and organisation, dubbed Checkmate, in relation to its chess-inspired organisatory scheme.
[edit] "The Janus Directive"
"The Janus Directive" is a crossover storyline that involves an inter-agency war between Checkmate, the Suicide Squad, and Project Atom, who are manipulated by Kobra in order to distract the United States intelligence community from his activities. Checkmate loses at least 38 Knight agents[3] (tallying to more than two thirds of Checkmate's Knight force[4]) and its headquarters (as well as its cover, Konig Industries) in Shelby, Virginia in the incident. In the aftermath, Sarge Steel takes Waller's place as head of Checkmate, and Checkmate relocates to a new NORAD base in Colorado.
[edit] Russian Checkmate
A Russian version of Checkmate is introduced in the last issues of the original series run. They are admittedly underfunded but wear armor similar to their US counterparts.
[edit] In between volumes
[edit] Biography
[edit] Organisation and designation
Checkmate's hierarchy is remodelled in a manner similar to that of Marvel Comics' Hellfire Club. The chess-motif remains, but there are sets of Kings and Queens, as well as Bishops, Rooks, Knights and Pawns, divided between a Black and White set. Their functions remain the same. Neither Rooks or Pawns were seen however. The structure of Checkmate with two halves, Black (ops) and White (intel), may also be inspired by the CIA's original two separate halves, the Directorate of Operations and Directorate of Intelligence.
[edit] Known employed operatives
List of operatives between series.
[edit] History
[edit] Knight Moves
A man called David Said has taken over the role of King within the organisation, and in the "Knight Moves" storyline[5] Checkmate invades the Batcave, in order to recruit the Huntress in the process. On Batman's word she agrees to temporarily assume the mantle of Queen, using this position to relay information to Batman on at least one occasion.[6]
[edit] Bruce Wayne - Murderer?
After the events of Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, his bodyguard and partner Sasha Bordeaux is framed for the murder of Vesper Fairchild. She is recruited as a Checkmate operative by Jessica Midnight, as the two fake her death and Sasha undergoes plastic surgery.
[edit] The OMAC Project
It is revealed that Maxwell Lord has assumed the position of Black King within the Checkmate organisation with the intent of manipulating the agency to kill all of the metahumans present on Earth. While DC did not explain how or when Lord came to power (or had seemingly gone from supporting metahuman involvement in the protection of the planet to this personality), it has been implied that Checkmate may have been the victim of Superboy-Prime, who warped the very fabric of reality by punching the walls of his prison outside this dimension. As a result of Superboy Prime's actions, the hierarchy of Checkmate was changed and a changed Maxwell Lord suddenly in charge of the organization.[citation needed]
In order to hide his activities, which included hijacking and reprogramming to his own purposes the super-spy satellite Brother I that Batman originally built to monitor all metahumans, Lord murdered former ally Ted Kord. He also mind-controlled Superman, sending the hero after other former allies such as Batman and Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman then proceeded to kill Lord in order to break his control on Superman's mind, which left Checkmate dismantled as an organization.
[edit] The One Year Later Gap
In 52 Week 24, Martian Manhunter reveals that he has spent months undercover to undermine Checkmate to convince the president to disband Checkmate. Within days, however, it is reconstituted as a United Nations agency. In Week 25, Alan Scott reveals to Mister Terrific that he will lead the agency as White King, and asks him to join as well.
[edit] Checkmate (vol. 2)
[edit] Biography
[edit] Organisation and designation
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1696, Checkmate is reorganized as the UN’s Chartered Metahuman Monitoring Force. The organization was restructured utilizing the “Rule of Two”. Each super-powered or otherwise enhanced member in the “Royal Family” must have an un-powered counterpart in a corresponding position of power. Pawns still remain as low-level field agents, of which none have been shown yet, but there's been no indication of the Rook position remaining.
[edit] Known employed operatives
List of operatives during the second series.
[edit] History
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The morality of Checkmate is, at the moment, ambiguous (and is a major plot element in early issues). In the first issue a team led by Black Queen Sasha Bordeaux infiltrates a Kobra base. Despite White Queen Amanda Waller's apparent orders that minimal force would be used, Bordeaux' team kills everyone on the base, some in cold-blooded fashion (including one wounded Kobra leader who Bordeaux herself shoots dead after uttering the word "Checkmate" to the doomed man). It is unclear whether Waller -- who has sanctioned similar activities in the past -- actually approved this level of force. In issue 2, Bordeaux and Khalid learn that Waller made the "minimal force" promise without Bordeaux's knowledge, which they hypothesize was done to appease Alan Scott (who is opposed to loss of life) and to discredit Bordeaux, possibly in a bid to become Black Queen. Also, Fire claims that between 30 and 50 Kobra personnel were killed in the mission, leading to further conflict between Scott and Bordeaux (who defends her actions as necessary to complete the mission), and also to a rise in tensions between Bordeaux and Fire, who apparently regrets having taken part in the mission. Bordeaux accuses Fire of exaggerating the numbers; based upon issue 1, it's clear the team kills many people, but it's impossible to gauge exactly how many.
In issue #3, both Amanda Waller and Alan Scott are attacked by would-be Kobra assassins. Scott disables his attacker, who survives. Waller, who also defeats her attacker, cold-bloodedly executes the wounded operative (after being told by Scott of his successful apprehension of his own assassin). As shown on the final page of issue #3, the Checkmate ground team, currently on an infiltration mission in China, has been discovered - and cornered by The Immortal Man in Darkness, a member of the Chinese government-sponsored superteam The Great Ten.
[edit] Collections
Trade paperbacks include:
- A King's Game (collects Checkmate #1-7, 168 pages, Titan, March 2007, ISBN 1-84576-436-6, DC, Release Date February 21, 2007, ISBN 1-4012-1220-4)[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Action Comics #598 (march 1988)
- ^ Greg Rucka on Checkmate @ Newsarama
- ^ Checkmate! #18, 27
- ^ Checkmate! #19, 27
- ^ Gotham Knights #38-40
- ^ Gotham Knights #48
- ^ DC's page giving information on the first collected volume
