The Outsiders

Biography

Markovia and Baron Bedlam

The Outsiders form in the fictional Eastern European country of Markovia, which was at that time ravaged by war. Batman and Black Lightning have traveled there in order to free the captive Lucius Fox from Baron Bedlam, who has killed the country's king, King Viktor. Geo-Force himself is the prince of the country who gains powers from Markovia's top scientist, Dr. Helga Jace, in order to stop Bedlam. Metamorpho is searching for Dr. Jace in order for the doctor to help him with his powers. Katana arrives in Markovia in order to kill General Karnz, Bedlam's military commander, as vengeance for her family. During the adventure, Batman finds a young amnesiac girl exhibiting light-based powers in the woods, who he dubs Halo. The team bands together, defeats Baron Bedlam and decides to stay together afterwards. They fight such villains as Agent Orange, the Fearsome Five and the Cryonic Man.[2]

Masters of Disaster and the Force of July

Recurring foes are the Masters of Disaster (New Wave, Shakedown, Windfall, Heatstroke and Coldsnap), who at one point are almost able to kill Black Lightning. Windfall becomes disenchanted with her team and joins the Outsiders. Similar recurring opponents are the Force of July, a group of patriotic metahumans who also regularly came into contact with the Suicide Squad. During this time, Geo-Force's sister Terra dies as a traitor to the Teen Titans. Batman reveals his real identity as Bruce Wayne to the team, although they have already learned it. Eventually, the origin of Halo is revealed, and Emily Briggs (who during a later adventure becomes the superheroine Looker and joins the team) is introduced. Denise Howard, the love interest of Geo-Force also appears for the second time.

Without Batman

Baron Bedlam later returns to life. With the assistance of the Bad Samaritan, Masters of Disaster and Soviet forces, he again tries to retake control of Markovia. Batman withholds this information, angering the rest of the team. This eventually leads to Batman disbanding the team and returning to the Justice League. The team nonetheless travels to Markovia, discovering many Markovian military casualties. They are defeated by the Masters and learn that Bedlam has cloned Adolf Hitler. The younger clone commits suicide in horror of the actions his original self perpetrated. The Outsiders become unofficial agents of Markovia, so that they receive Markovian funding. The team moves to Los Angeles, as Geo-Force leaves behind his girlfriend Denise and Looker separates from her husband.

Outsiders (vol. 1, 1985-1988)

This series featured again the original group and lasted 28 issues, plus an Annual and a Special. This title originally ran alongside the Adventures of the Outsiders title, chronicling events a year after that series. In the end, the first couple of issues of the title were reprinted in Adventures of the Outsiders before that title was canceled.

Biography

The team have moved into a new headquarters in Los Angeles, and once again become involved in an adventure with the Force of July, ending in Moscow. Villains such as the Duke of Oil, and the Soviet superteam the People's Heroes are introduced during this time. The team's adventures take them all over the globe, most notably when the Outsiders' plane is shot down and the team is marooned on a deserted island for three weeks. Tensions rise as Geo-Force tries to resign his leadership and he and Looker give in to temptation. Eventually, they are found and are able to leave.

Even more troubles arise when a detective is hired to look into Looker's private life (now working as a model under the alias of Lia Briggs), who learns of her actual identity of Emily. The detective tries to blackmail her, but she hypnotizes him, and he leaves. However, he is shortly killed afterwards and Looker is arrested. The Outsiders however are able to clear her name.

Reuniting with Batman

The Outsiders are reunited with Batman when they band together to fight Eclipso. After the adventure Batman gives them access to a Batcave situated in Los Angeles, and the team is also infiltrated by the clone of Windfall. Meanwhile, Looker and Geo-Force feel guilt over their affair and eventually call it off, and Metamorpho faces his own personal problems with his lover Sapphire Stagg. The clone of Windfall is ultimately killed and the Masters of Disaster are defeated as the real Windfall joins the team. The team also come in contact with the other Los Angeles based team, Infinity, Inc.

Millennium
Main article: Millennium (comics)

The team is next involved with the company wide crossover event Millennium, wherein it is revealed that Dr. Jace is an operative of the villainous Manhunters[3] and kidnaps the team.[4] The team, now also joined by the Atomic Knight, are able to free themselves, but Dr. Jace blows up both herself and Metamorpho.[5] Looker is called to return to Abyssia, the origin of her powers, where she must also face the Manhunters. During the course of the adventure, she is drained of much of her power and returns to her normal form.[6] Halo is hit in crossfire, saving Katana's life, and slips into a coma, as Katana vows to look after her.[7] The team is disbanded by Geo-Force as Looker returns to her husband, and Batman has since rejoined the Justice League

This series featured again the original group and lasted 28 issues, plus an Annual and a Special. This title originally ran alongside the Adventures of the Outsiders title, chronicling events a year after that series. In the end, the first couple of issues of the title were reprinted in Adventures of the Outsiders before that title was canceled.

Biography

The team have moved into a new headquarters in Los Angeles, and once again become involved in an adventure with the Force of July, ending in Moscow. Villains such as the Duke of Oil, and the Soviet superteam the People's Heroes are introduced during this time. The team's adventures take them all over the globe, most notably when the Outsiders' plane is shot down and the team is marooned on a deserted island for three weeks. Tensions rise as Geo-Force tries to resign his leadership and he and Looker give in to temptation. Eventually, they are found and are able to leave.

Even more troubles arise when a detective is hired to look into Looker's private life (now working as a model under the alias of Lia Briggs), who learns of her actual identity of Emily. The detective tries to blackmail her, but she hypnotizes him, and he leaves. However, he is shortly killed afterwards and Looker is arrested. The Outsiders however are able to clear her name.

Reuniting with Batman

The Outsiders are reunited with Batman when they band together to fight Eclipso. After the adventure Batman gives them access to a Batcave situated in Los Angeles, and the team is also infiltrated by the clone of Windfall. Meanwhile, Looker and Geo-Force feel guilt over their affair and eventually call it off, and Metamorpho faces his own personal problems with his lover Sapphire Stagg. The clone of Windfall is ultimately killed and the Masters of Disaster are defeated as the real Windfall joins the team. The team also come in contact with the other Los Angeles based team, Infinity, Inc.

Split in two

After the defeat of the vampires, two teams, (one composed of Geo-Force, Katana and Techonocrat and another composed of the Eradicator, Looker, Wylde, Halo and Faust), claim the name the Outsiders, even though both teams are still considered fugitives for some time, thanks to some questionable tactics by their new members. During this time, the teams learn that Halo's original body has been brought back to life by the Kobra terrorist organization. In control of the body is Violet Harper, the evil woman whose body Halo originally inhabited. She now has abilities similar to Halo's and ends up calling herself Spectra, and joining Strike Force Kobra alongside Dervish and Windfall. Both Kobra and Violet Harper are defeated.

The two teams unite to confront Felix Faust, father to the Outsider Faust. During the confrontation, the bear-like Wylde betrays the team when Felix promises to restore his humanity. The team is able to defeat Felix Faust and Wylde eventually becomes an actual bear, without the ability to speak, and locked up in a zoo.

The title ends with the clearing of the Outsiders' names and the wedding of Geo-Force and Denise Howard.

Katana

Becoming Katana

Tatsu Yamashiro was an average Japanese girl, save for her proficiency in the martial arts, a trait encouraged by her parents.[2] Two brothers - Maseo and Takeo Yamashiro - both proclaimed their love for her. While she liked both, she chose Maseo. Takeo, "did not take this well," and refused to attend the couple's wedding.[2] Unmissed - indeed, Maseo (his only family) disowned his brother, who had joined the Yakuza, taking their mark of a large dragon tattoo across his chest - Tatsu and Maseo, mourning the deaths of Tatsu's parents, (cause unknown) started a family of their own. Tatsu gave birth to twins, Yuki and Reiko, while Takeo rose in rank of the Yakuza, indulging his "exotic tastes" for ancient weapons.[2] He was presented with a pair of matched swords by General Karnz (later henchman to Baron Bedlam), one of which Takeo favored for its mystical properties.

Takeo spent days preparing himself, before taking both swords to the Yamashiro residence, demanding his brother duel for the "prize" of Tatsu.[2] During the course of the struggle, a fire was started, and - when Maseo was distracted by his children - Takeo killed his brother with the sword which would become known as Soultaker. Tatsu arose just in time to see her husband die, and engaged Takeo, gaining the upper hand and disarming him. Attempting to save her children, she heard her husband's voice coming from the sword telling her they were already lost. Escaping with her life, Tatsu began training as a samurai under a master called Tadashi. After much time she graduated from his tutorship and left for America where she intended to use her talents to fight for justice. She took the codename Katana after the sword that she wielded, possessed for some time by the soul of her husband.[2][3]

Becoming an Outsider

Eventually Tatsu journeyed to Markovia, a small Baltic state, where she had tracked down Karnz, and she was successful in killing him, inadvertently implicating Black Lightning (coincidentally there with Batman) in her crime.[4] Attempting to rectify the misunderstanding by freeing Black Lightning, she encountered a young girl who was named Halo.[5] The two joined up to rescue Black Lightning, Batman (himself captured due to a blunder by Halo), and Bruce Wayne's employee Lucius Fox from their captor, Baron Bedlam.[5]

Batman was himself in Markovia to rescue Lucius Fox, and having sought - and failed to gain - the help of the Justice League of America, had resigned his membership in the Justice League. Inspired by the teamwork he encountered between Black Lightning, Katana, Halo and Geo-Force (Prince Brion of Markovia) and Metamorpho (also coincidentally present), Batman decided to form the Outsiders.[6] The team managed to end the Baron's tyranny in Markovia and moved to Gotham City, where they set up their headquarters (a former penthouse of Bruce Wayne, secretly the Batman). Tatsu became Halo's guardian and the two moved into the penthouse.

At the same time, Takeo was still at large and had followed Tatsu to Gotham City. Secretly he switched swords with her and left for Tokyo with the Outsiders on his tail. Takeo took the sword to his master, the godfather of the Yakuza, known only as the Oyabun. Performing a specific ritual, the Oyabun and Takeo managed to recall the souls that inhabited the sword, who proceeded to take corporeal form.[7] Among them were legendary mercenaries and assassins, but also Maseo, who was now a slave to the Oyabun. Katana - and the Outsiders - had to fight them all, but was ultimately able to reclaim the Soultaker from Maseo. Forced to kill her husband, she was also able to kill Takeo, finally putting some of her ghosts to rest. By undoing the ritual however, her husband returned into the sword as well.

At one point the Outsiders split from Batman's leadership and took up residence in Markovia where they were funded by the Markovian crown (Geo-Force is a prince of the royal family). They became the official agents of Markovia and moved to the city of Los Angeles where they made their headquarters in the Markovian embassy, while retaining another secret HQ just off the shore. Although Tatsu had left her past behind, the Oyabun returned in her life and sent a tengu after, with which he captured her. Her teammates in the Outsiders, namely Halo and Looker were able to save her using other tengu and the tengu leader, who aided them in battle.[8]

Family debt

After a while, the team disbanded after various tragic events surrounding Geo-Force's parents and Markovia. Nonetheless the Outsiders were forced to defend Markovia against the Manhunters, but during the fight Halo was knocked into a coma, saving Katana's life. Bounded by giri-ninjo (a debt of honor even unto death), Tatsu left the team so she could tend to Halo's wounds. During that time however, she was approached by a family member of her husband, who wished her to accompany the Suicide Squad on a mission to destroy a large horde of weapons that was about to be sold to the Yakuza. She declined on the basis of her giri-ninjo, although she was willing to help if the need was truly desperate. That family member was later killed, and she went after the killer, the Daichi-Doku's Oyabun (of which her relative was a member), who did not wish to see the weapons destroyed and tried to stop the Suicide Squad. During that adventure, she saved the life of Bronze Tiger and Manhunter (Mark Shaw), making them honor-bound to her by giri-ninjo. Mark Shaw then assisted her in taking down the Daichi-Doku's Oyabun. The Oyabun committed ritual suicide and Katana stood by as his 'second', ready to help with a blade strike so he could keep his honor.

Returning to the Outsiders

Eventually though the Outsiders re-form and return to Markovia. Instead of a peaceful reunion however, the team become trapped in a web of public relations that brands them outlaws. Although the charges would be dropped eventually the team was fractured. Halo dies from an assassin's blast but was reborn in a new body, which put an immense strain on Tatsu's relationship with Halo. Katana joins a team with Geo-Force and Technocrat, taking the lead. During a lone mission, Tadashi, her old mentor sends Lady Shiva to claim Katana's Soultaker sword. Shiva confronts Katana, who had been battling a gang of drug dealers. Katana had slain many, but refuses to kill the youngest member, something Shiva insults her for. Shiva, being world-renowned as the world's greatest assassin and fighter, was able to kill Katana with her own sword. Katana returnes to life after a trial by combat within her sword, which includes confronting many of the souls of the people she had killed. Afterwards, she manages to find her old mentor and take his life. The two splinter teams would eventually reunite, to take on more supernatural threats focused around the new team member Faust. Katana and her friends suffer through the mental and physical tortures that Faust's father, Felix, puts them through. Halo eventually frees them by destroying several of Felix's items of power. Soon after, the group breaks apart. After disbanding, Tatsu has kept her association with her old allies among the Outsiders (such as Black Lightning, Geo-Force and Halo), and although they did not operate as an official team, were always seen alongside each other during major crises. Her close ties to Batman also saw her fighting by his side, several times, notably during the Imperiex crisis and the Day of Judgement incident when hell invades Earth. The main battle against the villain, the rogue angel Asmodel, with the power of the Spectre, takes place in New York. Katana personally protects Madame Xanadu who is guarding the rest of Asmodel's power with a mystical shield. Katana's protection of Xanadu is assisted by Doctor Occult, Phantom Stranger and Alan Scott. Later, Katana assists Batman when he and Superman were declared outlaws. Katana was also called upon by Black Canary, together with other female mercenaries, in order to rescue Oracle from Senator Pullman. After Oracle was saved, Katana received a card, together with the promise of a favor if required. Katana later returns to assist Oracle in issue #108 alongside dozens of other agents.

New Outsiders

Most recently, she has joined a new team of Outsiders after assisting them in defeating an a more powerful Sabbac. It consists of all new members, with the exception of Metamorpho who rejoined the team after Shift's demise. In Outsiders #42, Katana dons a new costume, as she felt it innapropriate to wear a costume based on Japan's flag. The country had revoked her citizenship due to her membership with the controversial team. Later, Katana summons Sabbac to destroy Dr. Sivana's base with his Hellfire. Katana remains an active member of the Outsiders following the One Year Later continuity jump. Initially, the team is led by Nightwing, but later leadership transfers to Batman. Batman decides to 'test' Katana and the rest of the initial team, in order to design a better team. Katana is Batman's first official recruit.

S.H.I.E.L.D

S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division) is an extra-government intelligence and security organization dedicated to protecting the nations and peoples of Earth from all threats, terrestrial or extraterrestrial. S.H.I.E.L.D. was organized in the early 1960s to meet the threat of the highly technological subversive organization called Hydra. The identities of the organization’s founders, its Executive Board, have never been revealed. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s first known Executive Director was Colonel Nicholas Fury, an ex-World War II commando and C.I.A. operative. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Supreme Headquarters is the huge mobile Helicarrier, but there are also regional offices in all the major cities of the free world and several secret bases in Communist countries. Although most of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s operations are covert, the organization’s existence is known to general public. S.H.I.E.L.D. even maintains public offices in several cities.

Only a few of the several thousand S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives active throughout the world are known.

In the wake of Colonel Nicholas Fury's "Secret War" the position of director was passed to Maria Hill.
Recently she has passed the role to Tony Stark (Iron Man) after the "Civil War".

Universe
Marvel Universe

Base of Operations
The Helicarrier; S.H.I.E.L.D. Central, New York

Current Members:
Anthony Stark (Iron Man, Director) Maria Hill (Executive Director), George Washington Bridge, Sharon Carter, Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman), Contessa Valentina Allegra di Fontaine, Thaddeus "Dum-Dum" Dugan, Kenneth Hale (Gorilla Man), Daisy Johnson, Gabriel "Gabe" Jones, Ali Morales, Clay Quartermain, Natasha Romanova (Black Widow), Gail Runciter, Jasper Sitwell, the Suit, Alexei Vashin, Jimmy Woo, Howling Commandos

Former Members:
Val Adair, Agent L, Agent M, Agent 9, Agent 60, Agent 74, John Allen, Paul Allen, Dexter Bancroft, Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Blue Streak, Boothroyd, John Bronson, Laura Brown, Barth Bukowski, Stanley Carter (Sin-Eater), Jeff Cochren, Constrictor, Alec Dalton, Dean Haddad, Carl Delanden, Alex DePaul, Dimensional Man, Dragoom, Marvin Flumm (Mentallo), Nick Fury, John Garrett, Paul Garwood, Glob, Golem, Goom, Grogg, Groot, Jonathan Hart (Jack of Hearts), Joseph Hauser, Hellstorm, Jordan Holiday, James Howlett (Wolverine), Jerry Hunt, Roger Juniper, The Kid, Kraa, Lilith, Daughter Of Dracula, Living Mummy, M-80, Dr. Myron MacLain, Adam Manna, Manphibian, Rick Mason (the Agent), Chastity McBryde, Monster Ape, Danielle Moonstar, Barbara Morse-Barton (Mockingbird), Nails, Overrider, Arthur Perry, Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), David Purcell, Radek, Cliff Randall, Steve Rogers (Captain America), Jack Rollins, Chcuk Rose, Satana, Frank Schlicting (Constrictor), Silicon, Skul, Suicide Squadron, Texas Twister, Marvel Man, Rabble Rouser, Red, Scorpio, Kenjiro Tanaka, Kimberly Taylor, Nate Thurman, Jack Truman, Vamp (Animus/Vamp), Wendell Vaughn (Quasar), Vries, Kali, Kate Waynesboro, Warwolf, Wesley Williams, Sam Wilson (Falcon), Wolfen, Agent Castigan, Agent Goldman, Agent Kyle, Agent Kragg, Agent M, Agent Ratchvek, Agent Simon, Agent Taki,

Other Members (Honorary, Reserve, etc.):
A.U.T.O.F.A.C., Android X-4, Boothroyd, Chuck, Impact 739, Wild Bill

First Appearance
Strange Tales #135 (1965)