Angle Man, Bizarro, Blockbuster, Brain Wave, Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, Captain Stingaree, Cheetah, Chronos, Copper Head, Felix Faust, Floronic Man, Funky Flashman, Grodd, Hi-Jack, Killer Frost, Killer Moth, Lex Luthor, Manhunter, Matter Master, Mirror Master, Mist, Monocle, Poison Ivy, Psycho-Pirate, Quakemaster, Rag Doll, Reverse-Flash, Shadow Thief, Sinestro, Silver Ghost, Signalman, Star Sapphire, Trickster, Ultra-Humanite, and Wizard
An organization that has gone through a number of incarnations, the overall roster of the Secret Society of Super-Villains reads like a Who's Who of the super-criminal world.
Originally formed by Darkseid (see Darkseid) to pave his way for a takeover of Earth, a clone of Manhunter (see Manhunter) gathered Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, Sinestro, Copperhead [Come on, editors! Is there a space in his name or not?], Shadow-Thief [Come on, editors! Is there a dash in his name or not?], Captain Boomerang, the Wizard (see individual listings) and Hi-Jack [See The Royal Flush Gang, presumably.] to become a team that would rid Earth of its super-heroes. The group eventually rebelled against Darkseid and his minions, preferring to rule the Earth themselves [Because at that point, it would be a simple trifle to figure out which villain would lead the rulers, right?] if and when they accomplished their purpose.
Upon the seeming demise of Darkseid and the end of his scheme, the group was taken over by Funky Flashman (see Funky Flashman), who sold them on the idea that with the right publicity, the could go about their business without interference. ["Don't worry about us robbing the bank, love. Don't you recognize us from our commercials and billboards? We're the Recently Gone Public Society of Super-Villains! At your service!"] He recruited a number of super-villains, including Captain Stingaree, Mirror Master, Felix Faust, and The Trickster (see individual listings) to carry out various plans [Too various to describe here. But, man, were they various!]. He also withstood an attempt by Lex Luthor (see Luthor II) to take over the organization [I assume he also withstood attempts to take over by Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, Captain Stingaree, Copper Head, Felix Faust, Hi-Jack, Manhunter, Matter Master, Mirror Master, Shadow Thief, Sinestro, and Trickster as well!].
Gorilla Grodd was the next one to gain control of the Society, albeit briefly. He recruited Angle Man, Bizarro, Sinestro, Star Sapphire, and Poison Ivy (see individual listings) in an attempt to destroy the Justice League (see JLA)....that failed [Too many dots in that particular ellipsis, sirs!].
When Funky Flashman attempted to reorganize the group, he found himself deposed by the Wizard, who had acquired new powers [Like Fireball and Lightning Bolt? How fucked up was it in Dungeons and Dragons that the two best area of effect spells were in the same fucking level? Dicks.]. The Wizard formed a core group of the Floronic Man, Blockbuster, Reverse-Flash, and Star Sapphire (see individual listings) and took them to Earth-2 to battle the Justice Society (see JSA). In the process, he involved them in a battle with the Crime Syndicate of America of Earth-3 (see Crime Syndicate of America). Meanwhile, on Earth-1, Mirror Master called together another team of villains at the request of Silver Ghost (see Silver Ghost) with the purpose of killing the members of the Freedom Fighters (see Freedom Fighters). This team included Copperhead, Sizematic, Quakemaster, Chronos, and Killer Moth (see individual listings [I'm fairly certain there is no listing for "Sizematic"!]).
During this early part of the group's activity [This was ALL early?], it was first infiltrated and then constantly battled by Captain Comet (see Captain Comet), and it is he who must be credited for more than one defeat of the Society [Really? Must he? Fine.].
One last incarnation of the Society was seen, formed by the Ultra-Humanite (see Ultra-Humanite), in an attempt to rid Earth-2 of all super-heroes. He recruited Killer Frost, Signal Man, Floronic Man, Cheetah, Psycho-Pirate, the Monocle, the Mist, Rag Doll, and Brainwave [Come on, editors! Is there a space in his name or not?] (see individual listings) to battle ten specific heroes on Earths 1 and 2 and banish them to limbo. The Earth-1 villains, realizing they had been duped, decided to get even with the Ultra-Humanite, involving other members of the Justice League in the case. The combined forces of the Justice League and the Justice Society defeated this latest cabal of villains and banished them all to limbo.
At some unrecorded time, the villains, with the sole exception of Brainwave, escaped from limbo and many of them became involved in the so-called crisis on infinite earths [What the fuck? Was it or was it not the crisis on infinite earths? Fucking editors.].
First Appearance: SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #1
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