DC’s Rogues Come Together

The latest trailer for DC’s Suicide Squad gives us another glimpse of its titular band of rogues. While the film contains familiar faces that casual fans of the DC universe might recognize, there are also several characters that many might not be familiar with. To help familiarize you with the Suicide Squad, as well as the film’s other characters, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about each member, including their origin in the comics.

Amanda Waller

Real Name: Amanda Waller

Played by: Viola Davis

Description: Amanda Waller is a character that has consistently appeared in every Suicide Squad trailers. In the DC universe, she’s a high-ranking government official that was once in command of a special-operations unit that met a disastrous end during a dangerous mission. This failure inspired her to create a new unit specifically composed of powerful yet expendable members known as Task Force X, otherwise called the Suicide Squad. Her role in the upcoming film appears to be identical to her comic book counterpart: team’s creator.

Rick Flag

Real Name: Rick Flag

Played by: Joel Kinnaman

Description: Rick Flag is a military officer and the de facto leader of the Suicide Squad. He lacks super powers and is one of the only members of the team that isn’t a former supervillain. In the comics, he acted as the leader of the Suicide Squad’s second incarnation.

Deadshot

Real Name: Floyd Lawton

Played by: Will Smith

Description: Deadshot is a skilled marksman and assassin-for-hire. He possesses a super-human level of precision and often boasts how he never misses a target. In the comics, he’s primarily known as an enemy of Batman and is a major player of the Suicide Squad, having been apart of two incarnations of the team. While his comic book counterpart yearns to die in a spectacular fashion, his film counterpart’s goal is far less theatrical, choosing to cooperate with the Suicide Squad for his daughter’s sake

Harley Quinn

Real Name: Harleen Quinzel

Played by: Margot Robbie

Description: Harley Quinn is the sidekick and longtime lover of the infamous Joker. She was once an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist tasked with treating the villain. But after being seduced by him, she helps him break out. She has a passionate, albeit warped, love for the Joker and primarily assists in his menacing plots against Batman and Gotham City.

Harley first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, but due to her overwhelming popularity, she was introduced into the DC comic book universe. Her film counterpart appears to retain many characteristics from her comic book/animated series counterpart, such as her psychiatrist background, trademark insanity, and devotion to Joker.

Killer Croc

Real Name: Waylon Jones

Played by: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Description: Killer Croc is a fearsome supervillain whose reptilian appearance is the result of a birth defect that gave him scaled skin, sharp teeth, and claws. In the comics, he was once a crocodile wrestler for the Gotham Circus, but he soon turned to a life of crime. As one of Batman’s most physically powerful and intimidating foes, Croc possesses superhuman strength, durability, and senses, as well as cannibalistic tendencies. Croc’s film incarnation appears more human than his comic book incarnation, who’s typically larger and more monstrous.

Slipknot

Real Name: Christopher Weiss

Played by: Adam Beach

Description: Slipknot is a low-grade supervillain in the DC universe who was once a chemical company worker. But when he developed a formula for durable ropes, he decided to use them for criminal activities. The first and only hero Slipknot went up against during his early career was Firestorm. After being defeated by Firestorm early in his criminal career, Slipknot was eventually recruited into the Suicide Squad for one of its missions. Not much is known about his film counterpart, but given his hammy comic book origin, it’s possible that this interpretation of the character could be entirely different.

Captain Boomerang

Name: George Harkness

Played by: Jai Courtney

Description: Captain Boomerang is a ruthless criminal from Australia who uses altered boomerangs to lethal effect. In the comics, his early life was stricken with poverty and an unhealthy family relationship resulting in him turning to a life of crime. He’s a villain of the Flash and is considered the most unreliable member of the Suicide Squad due to his volatile personality. This seems to have a lot in common with the character’s film counterpart, who appears to be just as vicious and temperamental.

Katana

Real Name: Tatsu Yamashiro

Played by: Karen Fukuhara

Description: Unlike other Suicide Squad members, Katana is one of the good guys. A superhero that uses a powerful sword known as the Soultaker, she has the ability to trap the souls of her victims and communicate with the dead. Katana’s comic book incarnation first became a hero after her husband’s death at the hands of the Yakuza. She later became a member of the first roster of Batman’s alternative Justice League-like team, known as the Outsiders. Katana has never been an actual member of the Suicide Squad, but she did help the team on one occasion during a mission in Japan. In the upcoming film, she acts as Rick Flag’s bodyguard.

El Diablo

Real Name: Chato Santana

Played by: Jay Hernandez

Description: The film’s version of El Diablo is based on the third incarnation of the character in the DC universe where he’s an ex-criminal and gang member given fire powers by a spirit of vengeance. In the comics, he acts as a violent anti-hero enacting harsh justice on those who have wronged others. But when his crusade results in him accidentally burning down a building filled with innocent people, El Diablo is arrested and sent to prison. He is then recruited as a member of the Suicide Squad by Amanda Waller. In contrast to his comic book incarnation, El Diablo’s film counterpart is hesitant to kill others and would rather stay out of the fight.

Enchantress

Real Name: June Moon

Played by: Cara Delevinge

Description: In the comics, June Moon was once a normal teenage girl, but when she stumbled upon a magical being that gave her the ability to transform into a powerful sorceress, her life changed. Moon’s powers manifest as an entirely different persona that she can only transform into after saying the word “Enchantress.” While she’s not a villain, Moon has bouts with the evil side of her sorceress personality. To keep this side in check, she eventually joins the Suicide Squad. Her film incarnation appears to share a similar origin, though she doesn’t seem to be a member of the Suicide Squad, yet.

The Joker

Real Name: Unknown

Played by: Jared Leto

Description: The Joker is an eccentric and psychotic supervillain that has wreaked havoc not only against Batman but other heroes as well. His origin in the comics has never been confirmed, but one story in particular painted him as an ordinary man that transformed into the Joker after accidentally falling into a chemical bath. His latest incarnation appears to take inspiration from that origin, with shots of Joker falling towards a chemical bath and him baptizing Harley Quinn in one.

Batman

Real Name: Bruce Wayne

Played by: Ben Affleck

Description: The iconic Dark Knight needs no introduction. Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, makes an appearance in the upcoming film as well. A previous trailer showed him chasing down the Joker during a flashback scene. Details of his involvement with the film’s plot are still scarce, but we hope to see another epic showdown between the Caped Crusader and the Clown Prince of Crime.

Unknown Character

Real Name: Unknown

Played by: Unknown

The trailer contains various shots of an unknown character who sports a metallic shell and can be seen tearing up a subway train. He also appears to have the ability to manipulate the metal surrounding him, creating tentacle arms that he uses to devastate those around him. Is this the film’s main antagonist?