Squadron Supreme

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This article is about the original Squadron Supreme superheroes and series. For the 2006 revamp, see Squadron Supreme (Supreme Power). For the similar team of supervillains, see Squadron Sinister.
Squadron Supreme

Cover to the Squadron Supreme Trade Paperback, collecting the original 12 issues series (1985 - 1986). Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance Avengers vol. 1, #85 - 86 (March-April 1971)
Created by Roy Thomas
In story information
Base(s) Satellite Headquarters
Squadron City
Member(s) Original Team:
Amphibian
Doctor Spectrum
Hyperion
Nighthawk
Nuke
Power Princess
Skrullian Skymaster
Whizzer

Later Additions:
Arcanna
Blue Eagle
Golden Archer
Lady Lark
Tom Thumb
Roster
See:List of Squadron Supreme members

The Squadron Supreme is a team of fictional characters and superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in Avengers vol. 1, #85-86. Several of the characters were heroic versions of a supervillain team called the Squadron Sinister, which had appeared previously in Avengers vol. 1, #69 -70. Both sets of characters were created by Roy Thomas (writer) and John Buscema (artist), and were based on characters owned by Marvel Comics' rival, DC Comics.[1]

Within the Marvel Universe, the Squadron Supreme came from a parallel Earth (designated Earth-712) to that of mainstream Marvel Comics continuity. These characters were later revised in the comic title Supreme Power, set on yet another parallel Earth (designated Earth-31916).[2]

Contents

[edit] Fictional character biography

The Squadron Supreme are first encountered by four members of the team the Avengers (being Vision; Quicksilver; Scarlet Witch and Goliath) when the latter pass through the Earth-712 universe on their way home from a previous adventure. After a brief battle, the teams join forces to defeat a common foe named Brain-Child, after which the Avengers return to their home universe (designated Earth-616).[3] The Squadron re-appeared sometime later when the Avengers crossed into Earth-712 to deal with the threat of the Serpent Crown. While the teams battle once again, it is later revealed that the Squadron Supreme have been mind-controlled by the Serpent Crown, which the Avengers drop into the ocean in the Earth-616 universe.[4]

Several years later the superhero team the Defenders encounters the Squadron Supreme in the Earth-712 universe. The Squadron Supreme and most of their world are mentally enslaved by the composite entity the Overmind, but are eventually freed and aid the Defenders in defeating the Overmind.[5] Unfortunately, the defeat of the Overmind leaves the planet in a post-apocalyptic state.

[edit] Miniseries

The Squadron Supreme then decide that they have the knowledge and power to recreate the world and create a Utopia. Nighthawk, however, resigns in protest, believing that the Squadron should serve and not rule. Over the course of a year, the Squadron implements a series of sweeping changes, including revealing their secret identities; instituting a program of behavior modification in prisons; enforcing a strict gun control policy, and developing medical technology to resurrect the dead. Despite some success in restoring stability to the United States, there are serious setbacks for the team.

The Golden Archer abuses the behavior modification technology by forcing a fellow member to love him, resulting in his removal from the team. Fellow member Amphibian resigns in protest over the misuse of the behavior modification technology while Nuke inadvertently kills his own parents (via radiation) and after a rampage dies battling Doctor Spectrum. Nighthawk attempts in vain to solicit the aid of the Avengers, and is eventually forced to confront his old teammates with a new team. A brutal battle ensues in which several members of both teams are killed, including Nighthawk. A horrified Hyperion ends the battle when he realizes that Nighthawk was in fact right.[6][7]

Soon after these events, the remnants of the Squadron Supreme reunite to battle the supervillain the Nth Man, a living space-warp who was banished from the Earth-616 universe. Although the Nth Man is eventually stopped, several members of the team are killed in the battle, with the remainder banished to the Earth-616 universe.[8]

Marvel Comics Alternate Universes
Marvel stories take place primarily in a mainstream continuity called the Marvel Universe. Some stories are set in various parallel, or alternate, realities, called the Marvel Multiverse.

The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Alternate Worlds 2005 designates the mainstream continuity as "Earth-616", and assigns another Earth-numbers to each specific alternate reality.

In this article the following characters, or teams, and realities are referred to:
Character/Team Universe
Squadron Supreme Earth-712


[edit] Exile and return

The remnants of the Squadron, (Hyperion; Doctor Spectrum; Whizzer; Power Princess; Lady Lark (now known as Skylark); Moonglow; Haywire and Shape), have several encounters with the cosmic hero Quasar[9] and eventually come to reside at the Project Pegasus base under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Kappelhoff. Kappelhoff is later revealed to be the supervillain the Corruptor, who at the request of his own employer, mastermind Imus Champion, manipulates the Squadron into battling the Avengers once more. The two super teams, however, manage to unite and defeat both the Corruptor and Imus Champion. A device found in Champion's collection of technology is also able to return the Squadron to its own universe.[10]

The Squadron returns to the Earth-712 universe to discover that their world is now dominated by corporations that are using the Squadron's own Utopia technologies.[11] The Squadron manages to reinstate democracy, but later come into conflict with a new government when the superhero team the Exiles, traveling from the Earth-616 universe, reveal that the government had rigged the election with a worldwide vote fraud. The Squadron Supreme and the Exiles depose the new government, and again attempt to allow society to progress without superhuman involvement.[12]

[edit] Earth-31916 version

Main article: Supreme Power

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Interview with Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails", The Justice League Companion (2003), pp. 72-73
  2. ^ Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe: Alternate Worlds 2005
  3. ^ Avengers vol. 1, #85-86
  4. ^ Avengers vol. 1, #141 - 144 and 147 - 149
  5. ^ Defenders vol. 1, #112 - 115
  6. ^ Squadron Supreme #1 - 12 (September 1985 - August 1986) and Captain America vol. 1, #314
  7. ^ The series was written by Mark Gruenwald, and after his sudden death in 1997, he was cremated and his ashes were blended with ink used to print the first collected edition of the series
  8. ^ Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe (1989)
  9. ^ Quasar #13-17, 28-29, 50-56
  10. ^ Avengers vol. 3, #5 - 6 and Avengers Annual 1998
  11. ^ Squadron Supreme: New World Order (1998)
  12. ^ Exiles #77 - 78

[edit] External links

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