Some supers work for the greater good, others work for money. And then there are those who work for the shadowy cabals in the smoke-filled rooms of governance. Welcome to Ten Things: Ten Supers Secretly Working For The Government!
Whooshman-Bicarbonate Films, in conjunction with An Amateur Comics Historian and at least one incarnation of X-Factor, Presents:
TEN THINGS: TEN SUPERS SECRETLY WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT!
10) SPY SMASHER
Domineering, driven and utterly ruthless, Katarina Armstrong is perhaps the most accomplished spy and anti-terror expert in the DC Universe. Sadly, this also puts her on the wrong side of the Birds of Prey, led by her childhood friend Barbara “Oracle” Gordon. Using underhanded tactics and flat-out blackmail, Katarina took control of Oracle’s operations for a time, only to face a beatdown from Barbara and an organized force of every single agent ever to work with the Birds of Prey, which destroyed her reputation among the intelligence community.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer woman…
9) BLACK ORCHID
The result of a government experiment codenamed “Project Ascension”, Alba Garcia was mystically linked to The Green (a unifying force that enfolds all living plant creatures) and The Red (the same thing, only animals.) Sent out in her costumed identity, Alba infiltrated Justice League Dark, a mystically-oriented JLA offshoot, to keep tabs on it for A.R.G.U.S. and Colonel Steve Trevor. Of course, she might have underestimated John Constantine, who knew everything about her origins, motives and secrets. It is, after all, kind of his deal.
8) KING FARADAY
Explicitly named by his father as a joke, King Faraday is his legal birthname, so you can understand why he wants alternate aliases and identity. As a spy, Faraday has had a hand in the CBI, Task Force X, Checkmate and most all other undercover agencies. He even teamed up with The Batman to tackle the menace of Ra’s Al Ghul, all the while keeping his real allegiances to himself. Faraday is a perfect example of how the perception of spies has changed, going from two-fisted protector of all that is good to shadowy, manipulative New 52 jerk. And so it goes…
7) SHAMROCK
Initially one of several nationalist heroes introduced during the Contest of Champions, Molly Fitzgerald actually defeated Captain America (thanks to her mystical luck powers, but still!) Molly gave up her costumed career to become the most sought-after hairdresser in the world, occasionally returning to action when her luck held up, but was eventually revealed to have secretly been an agent of SHIELD all along! It was a shocking moment, made even more so when a woman wearing her old costume was murdered by The Void, only for her shocked fans (all nine of us) to gratefully be told that the dead Shamrock wasn’t Molly at all, proving her luck still holds.
6) THE VETERAN
Former NSC chief whose name is classified, he resigned his commission after being implicated in a military coup. Forming his own secret spy agency which is probably undermined by the superhero costume and monogrammed belt buckle, The Veteran uses his contact and Eddie Munster’s haircut to quell insurrection and fight for freedom wherever there’s trouble, all the while hiding the fact that he’s NOT working for the government, making him an inversion.
But it still counts! My list, my rules… I make ‘em up!
5) STARR FLAGG, UNDERCOVER GIRL
Making her debut in 1947, Starr used her feminine wiles and a mean right cross to stop the spread of communism around the world. Working for the CIA, military intelligence and at least unnamed super-secret agency, she was a master of disguise, skilled in multiple martial arts and perfectly willing to let sexism do some of her work for her. Take that, Mister Bond!
4) AGENT ALEX DANVERS
Dr. Alexandra Danvers is a gifted bio-engineer who grew up in the shadow of her adoptive sister who could fly and lift buses with no effort at all. Defying her parents wishes, Alex gave up her studies, became a heavy drinker and party girl, eventually getting her life together to become an agent of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations. Secretly a spy for several years, she finally came clean when her sister was forced to publicly reveal her powers and take on the identity of Supergirl, with Alex as her DEO handler, eventually becoming the Director of the entire shebang.
3) GO-GO FIASCO
Inverting the sexist expectation of old-school spycraft, Arrigo Fiasco is the eye candy sidekick of superspy Angela St. Grace. Hiding his expertise behind a Boy Toy party animal façade (or at least letting those two skillsets coexist), Go-Go is second only to Angela herself in the fighting, sneaking and spying game. He’s also openly gay and completely unapologetic about it, which was relatively rare in comics circa 2001.
2) MADEMOISELLE MARIE
With her entire family deceased by the age of 21, Josephine Tautin dedicated her life to her work as a field operative of France’s official spy agency. In this she excelled, to the point where she was chosen to carry the ceremonial codename of Mademoiselle Marie, an agent whose singular goal is to protect France, a legacy dating back centuries. Josephine was eventually loaned out to international spy agency Checkmate as Black Queen’s Knight. As Mlle. Marie, she is utterly ruthless and incredibly capable, no matter the situation or false identity.
1) LEIKO WU
A decorated agent of MI:6, Leiko Wu’s main weakness seems to be falling in love with her colleagues. She was already the ex of Clive Reston (who is totally not James Bond, you guys) when she met Shang-Chi and became his partner in the “Games of Deceit and Death.” An excellent marksman, fighter and spy, Leiko was key to many important missions, keeping the moon in orbit, stopping literal World War III and bringing down Shang’s corrupt father, Fu Manchu. She is such a good spy that she accidentally became a loyal Triad member and was killed (then mystically resurrected) in their ranks, which… Oops?
Thanks to Faithful Spoilerite Jessica (@redsfreaky) for this week’s topic, Ten Supers Secretly Working For The Government! Feel free to follow along @MightyKingCobra for more Ten Things madness on Twitter or check out the full Twitter archive here! As with any set of like items, these aren’t meant to be hard and fast or absolutely complete, if only because secrets, betrayal and lies are baked into modern storytelling. Either way, the comments section is Below for just such an emergency, but, as always: Please, no wagering!