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Task Force XL, also known as the Suicide Squad, is a penal U.S. government Task Force made up of heavy-hitting super-villains put together by the politician Amanda Waller. It differs from Task Force X as it is usually tasked with taking down more dangerous threats that require more muscle to bring down.

History

Its members include the energy-absorbing Parasite; the undead monster Solomon Grundy; the mallet-wielding maniac Harley Quinn; the size altering giantess Giganta; Akando, who possessed a connection to the mystical life force known as the Red; the boomerang throwing Captain Boomerang; the sword-wielding Katanna; and the team's field leader Deadshot. The team is based out of Belle Reve, a high security containment facility which housed some of the deadliest super-villains in the world.[1]

Bringing in Damage

Task Force XL was tasked with bringing in Ethan Avery, a rogue soldier with the ability to transform into a unstoppable behemoth known as Damage for one hour a day. Damage was the experiment of Amanda Waller's political rival Colonel Marie Jonas, who had wanted to use Damage to replace the Suicide Squad as America's chief covert metahuman asset. When Ethan Avery went rogue due to poor treatment, Waller saw her opportunity to bury her political opponent and increase the status of her Suicide Squads.[2]

The Squad was able to track Ethan down to his home town in Atlanta, where he had made a traceable phone call to his parents. Deadshot approached the young man and told him to come with him quietly, Ethan refused however and so Parasite latched onto him and began draining his energy. At that moment Ethan transformed into Damage, overloading Parasite with his almost limitless power. Giganta then slammed her fist into Damage and picked him up, however Damage just burst threw her hand taking Giganta out of the fight. Damage then took care of Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang and Katana who were no threat due to their lack of any powers.[1] Next up was Akando who was able to wound Damage due to his connection to the Red. The wound on his chest enraged Damage, causing him to brutally take care of Solomon Grundy and Akando, smashing them together until both of them were unconscious. Just when it seemed that Task Force XL would be eliminated by Damage, Wonder Woman arrived and gave the time necessary for the Squad to escape with their lives.[2]

Ironically the only members of the team who didn't need medical attention were the ones with no powers, who helped escort the other members back to Belle Reve.[3] Wonder Woman was unable to defeat Damage, as Ethan was able to escape from custody before his hour as Damage was finished.[2] After the conflict with Damage Akando was hospitalized with a coma due to a head trauma he suffered during the fight. Waller was furious with the results of the battle, and demanded that her scientists found away to forge Akando's connection to the Red into a weapon.[4] Ethan was able to avoid captivity for months after his battle with Task Force XL and Wonder Woman, mainly due to the help of such individuals as Unknown Soldier[5] and Poison Ivy.[6]



See Also

Links and References

Footnotes


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