Squadron Sinister #1: Is it Supreme?

It all began simple enough.

An intergalactic game of war between two super powered factions which met first on the final splash page of Avengers #69. Kang the Conqueror picked the Avengers, of course. His rival, an Elder of the Universe that went by the self explaining name of THE GRAND MASTER created a pack of four villains apparently out of thin air. He called them the Squadron Sinister and they were Hyperionv (the muscle), Night Hawk (the brains), Wizzer (the speed), and Dr. Spectrum (the energy). They were defeated, obviously. But they would return down the road.

Recently, they have scored their own comic in the new Secret Wars super event to end all super events. And, by the looks of this comic, Marvel has dropped all pretenses about exactly who these characters were alluding to. But, before I jump into the latest appearance, let me explain a little something.

Later, it would be explained that this ‘Squadron’ the Grand Master had put together were copies of another set of heroes from another pocket dimension. Calling themselves the Squadron Supreme, they landed in Avengers #85 mistakenly labeled 'Sinister' twice in their first appearances. But the Squadron Supreme would hang around for quite a few appearances in the Avengers, Thor, the Defenders and even quite a few of their own self-titled miniseries.

Created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema, the original roster along with most after were blatant references to Marvel's rival, DC, and their flagship hero group, the Justice League! Thomas and Buscema admitted this in interviews. And, if it wasn't already obvious, Marvel came out with both barrels in Squadron Sinister #1 of the Secret Wars and obliterated all pretenses.

Hyperion is called the MAN OF TOMORROW; a name used on covers and references all over as a moniker of Superman. Knighthawk is called the 'DARK KNIGHT' obviously steeling that one from Batman himself. The Wizzer is THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE which any CW Flash watching fan would know is one of the very first things Barry Allen says every week. Warrior Woman actually gets called a SUPER-AMAZONIAN for the first time. And we all know the most popular Amazon ever was Wonder Woman. The only one that seems a bit obscure is Doctor Spectrum who is the POWER PRISM WIELDER. But it doesn't take much of a stretch to see the resemblance to Green Lantern.

In comics to come, there would be Amphibian (Aquaman), the Golden Archer (Green Arrow), Lady Lark (Black Canary), Blue Eagle (Hawkman) and Tom Thumb (would be changed to resemble the Atom) who would join their ranks and clash many times with Avengers, as well as stand by their side. They are both, after all, heroes. The first issue of Squadron Sinister not only had the taglines, but several pics that made references to the JLA. One of the main bits of evidence was the Squadron's council room with the trophies. We see things like an exagerated version of the Green Lantern's Lantern, a golden lasso and metal bracelets (much like Wonder Womans) , a yellow utility belt ala Batman, a trident much like Aquaman's, a green bow and quiver full of arrows among others. The pretenses are down and Marc Guggenheim and Carlos Pacheco did a great job of throwing those Easter Eggs in there.

But, if it were just that, this comic wouldn't stand out like it does. It is SO worth a read. From the very beginning, the sinister form of the Squadron was about the business of 'annexing' a bordering realm. But it wasn't just any ole realm. It was the province of their 'dopplegangers'; the Squadron Supreme! We arrive just as this evil lot is wiping the field with their 'goody good' versions. This comic did a great job showing the brutality of this group. It also showed treachery and betrayal at its best. None of them can trust the other.

One thing that caught my attention (and you can let me know what you think) was the fact that this group is given Doom's blessing to cross borders and break stuff and take over. I got the idea that Doom forbade that kind of thing and forcibly patrolled it. I don't know. Maybe I missed something.

But, despite that, I really liked their inclusion of other realms like the Squadron Supreme's Supremia and Doctor Zero's Shadow Province. There is no doubt about the length of evil this group will inflict upon their enemies and their conquered citizens. Including Iron Thor was cool also. The comic was well rounded and a real surprise as it was my favorite for the week. And that's saying a lot, since I loved Old Man Logan and Wierdworld.

Can't wait to see where the creatives go with this story and what other Providences they end up invading next!