Build Your Suicide Squad And We'll Tell You if You'll Save the World
- by Austin Baker
- – on
- in Movies and TV
The heroes have had their turn in the spotlight. Now it's the villains' time to shine! The movie Suicide Squad was the first mainstream comic book film to feature an entire team of villains rather than heroes. Of course, they were all brought together to save the world (a heroic act), but they did so kicking and screaming! Agent Amanda Waller created Task Force X to do the dirty jobs that the government couldn't do out in the open and that the superheroes of the world refused to.
Sometimes, it's just so, so good to be bad. Villains don't have to worry about things like compromising their beliefs or coming under fire for causing too much property damage or civilian casualties. Instead, they can get in, get out, and be the fall guys if anything goes awry. Of course, if you're a part of the suicide squad there are those bomb collars that will blow your head off if you try to escape or if you even smart off too much to your leader...
Anyways, pretend that you are Amanda Waller herself, and that the government has tasked you with bringing together the greatest villains ever to send on a mission to save the world: Build your Suicide Squad and we'll tell you if you save the world!
Choose a Femme Fatale:
If you're putting together a team of supervillains, you need to at least have one femme fatale. As the name (taken from French) suggests, this is the seductive, mysterious woman who is just as deadly as she is attractive. Who is your go-to if you needed to save the world?
Who is Your Team's Evil Genius?
You need to have somebody with smarts on your team. Now, most of the time people who decide to live a life of crime aren't exactly of sound mind. However, every now and again you'll get somebody (usually bald!) who puts their gigantic intellect towards doing bad things. Who is your evil genius?
Who is the "wild card" on your team?
Sometimes, you have a villain on your team that you know is going to end up causing more trouble than they are worth, but the sheer chaos factor they bring with them makes them unpredictable to the enemy. They're going to probably betray you and try to take over, but when they help, they REALLY help!
Choose a Cold-themed Villain
Tensions can flair when you're on a team full of villains. This means that you'll always need somebody who can make everybody just step back and chill (no apologies!). Ice-themed baddies are fairly common in the world of fiction, meaning there is no shortage of characters to choose from. Which cold-themed villain is yours?
Who is your Master Assassin?
Chances are, this covert mission is going to require you to kill a couple people. That shouldn't be a big issue considering you're all villains, but if you want to do it discretely and efficiently, you're going to need a master assassin. Who is the head of your killing operations for this operation?
Which Character is Willing to go Undercover?
Sometimes, the best way to act like a hero is to have once been a hero yourself! Fiction is full of characters who have started off good and then been revealed to have been evil all along or have fallen to the darkness over time. These people would make a good espionage agent when the time comes- Who is your undercover hero?
Choose Your Team's Muscle:
No matter what kind of a team you're putting together, you're going to need at least one guy to be the group's muscle. This is the person that will take on the physically-imposing threats that attack the team as well as go head-to-head with the strongest enemy.
Pick a Master Thief:
If you're going to be saving the world, you might as well try and steal a thing or two along the way. And if you want to keep your head in tact (literally), you're going to want a master thief. The following characters are all well-respected cat burglars in their own right- Who do you pick?
Who on Your Team isn't "Evil," Just Extreme?
Sometimes, the villain of a comic, show, or movie isn't necessarily (evil). They are just stuck in their ways or take their viewpoints to the extreme, and that comes into conflict with the heroes. Who on your Suicide Squad is that extremist?
Which Superhero is Trying to Bring You Down?
Remember- Nobody but the government knows that you guys are acting on the side of good! This means that no matter how many times you try to explain, there's going to be a superhero trying to bring you down. Who is the Captain Ahab to your team's Moby Dick?
Choose a Tech Person:
Every team needs a good person behind the scenes, controlling all the technology needs of the group and doing things like hacking into security systems. Of course, with the Suicide Squad, a good tech person could be the answer to all of your issues with the collar...
Choose a Spellcaster:
When all else fails, it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of magic on your side! How does it work? Who cares!? Whenever you're in a pickle you just have a this person do a little "bippity boppity boo!" and you'll be saved in an instant. Who is your spellcaster?
Who Thinks They Are in Charge?
When you get together a bunch of people who think they are the greatest villain to ever walk the face of the Earth, egos will fly! Generally the Suicide Squad doesn't have a clear-cut leader and is led by the orders of the government. However, there's always one person who thinks they run the show- Who is it?
Who is Your Resident Goofball?
Not all villains are "doom and gloom." Some of them are downright hilarious (even though it is sometimes in a downright messed-up way)! The best villains are the ones that can find a perfect balance between the two; they are funny when it calls for it, but still stoic when confronting the hero. Who is your goofball?
Who is the D-lister of Your Team?
Look, we can't all have Suicide Squads made up of the Jokers and Venoms of the world. Sometimes we get stuck with the bottom of the barrel villains that nobody has ever heard of (yet somehow still exist!). Who is the D-lister on your team?
Who is Most Likely to Have Their Collar Detonated?
The biggest downside to being a part of the Suicide Squad is that, if you fail or talk back or try to escape, they'll activate the collar and blow off your head. Despite this threat, there's always someone who thinks the government is bluffing and tries to escape. It doesn't end well. Who would this be on your team?
Who is Your Resident Time-Traveler?
It's more of a niche category than most on this list, but every now and again you'll find that your team has a villain that can travel through time. This also leads to a plethora of issues with continuity, timelines, and plot holes, but it's totally worth it! Who is your team's time traveler?
Who on Your Team is Annoying, But Their Talent Makes Up for It?
As if egos and differing opinions weren't enough, there's also the pure annoyance factor that comes into play when adding members to your team. However, sometimes a villain will be good enough that you can look past their irritating personality. Who on your team is like that?
Which Member of Your Squad Has the Coolest Weapon?
Sometimes, you just gotta pick somebody because they have an awesome weapon! They might not be talented enough to use it, or they might just be completely incompetent in the first place- Either way, their armor and weapon looks too intimidating to pass up!
Choose a Quirky Villain:
Quirky refers to the term in which a character is happy and bubbly all the time, so much so that they are a fan favorite. This is much different than the "annoying" character selection because, unlike those guys, these people are actually fun to be around!
Choose a Character That Actually Defeated Their Hero-
One of the things you want to look for in a new member of your team is success! We all know that nobody ever stays dead in comics, but every now and again there is a baddie that comes along that actually does what nobody else can and defeats their hero! Which of them do you want on this team?
Pick a Video Game Baddie for Your Squad:
You think we were going to assemble a villain team without diving into the baddies of the video game world? Think again! This genre is ripe with evil-doers that can double in a mission to save the world. Who is your VG villain?
Choose an Evil Minion:
What good is a villain if they don't have a bunch of henchmen running around to do their bidding? These characters can range from deadly killers to hilarious comedic relief. If you had to bring along a group of evil henchmen to your squad, who would you pick?
Who is the Most "Tame" Member of Your Squad?
We can't all be as intense as the Joker or as brilliant as Walter White. We also can't all be as deadly as Deathstroke or as talented as Voldemort. But that doesn't mean they're worthless! These villains were taken from children's movies, but could still add to the team- Who do you pick?
Who Looks Awesome, but is Actually Fairly Worthless?
We've all been there- You see somebody approaching that looks like they could take on the world. Then, out of nowhere, they get their butt handed to them and are killed off or disappear for the rest of the story. Who on your team is going to suffer from this?
Which Member of Your Team is Supernatural?
Not every villain in the world has the luxury of being transformed in a lab explosion or given cybernetic upgrades to help with their evil plans. Sometimes, they just are born with an unexplained power or encounter a magic amulet along the way! Who on your team is the "supernatural" one?
Which Villain on the Team Doesn't Play Well With Others?
It's a trope as old as time- There's always the one member of the team who, despite seeing how important the mission is, doesn't want to help out. However, near the end of the journey, they will realize what they are doing and help their newfound friends save the world. Who is the loner on your team?
Who is Always Trying to "Save" Their Friend on the Team?
If you've seen the Suicide Squad movie, you'll remember that the Joker is always trying to save Harley Quinn throughout the story. If you were to put together your own squad, chances are that you'll have a villain who normally works as part of a team, and that you'll have to deal with their partner. Who are you worried about crashing the party?
Pick an Overpowered Villain:
At the end of a big story, there always has to be a "big bad" that the heroes have to face. Normally, this is a person who is the strongest villain in their respective universes, and one who can toss around enemies like they are nothing. Whenever these guys show up, things are about to go down!
Who is Funding Your Team?
The Suicide Squad is assembled by the government. And we all know how much the government loves to use funding that's not their own! On your team they've placed one of the many rich villains of fiction and forced them to pay for all the damages and tech needs they need. Who is the person?
Choose a Star Wars Baddie:
Star Wars has become something that everybody is familiar with. Even if you've never seen the films, chances are you know about Darth Vader and lightsabers and Master Yoda. If you had to pick a villain from a galaxy far, far, away, who would you want on your team?
Who is NOT Allowed on the Team?
At some point, you have to draw a line in the sand. Even though you can have villains on your team that can be a little off the hook sometimes, it's best not to willingly invite people who are going to backstab each other. Who do you make sure is NOT on your squad?
Pick an '80s Cartoon Villain
The '80s were arguably the beginning of the modern Saturday-morning cartoon. Literally, this was the time that branding and toy sales were at an all time high. But, you can only buy so many variants of the heroes before you get bored. Who was the greatest '80s villain that belongs on your team?
Pick a Villain with a Heart of Gold:
These are a rarity, but a lot of times the "villain" of the film are just decent people who snapped and made a mistake or two that they have to pay for the rest of their lives. Who on your Suicide Squad would best fit this bill?
Who Assembled Your Team?
Last but not least, we have to ask- Who brought your team together? Villains don't just decide to team up...there had to be a reason that they Suicide Squad was formed (usually by somebody shady in the Government). Who was the defacto assembler of your team?
