Green Lantern Corps

After the failures of the Psion and Manhunter projects, the Guardians of the Universe decided to use living agents as their intermediaries, to overcome the forces of evil and injustice.

- History of the DC Universe #1

Three billion years ago, a group was formed and supplied with the energy pistols and power batteries similar to the Manhunters. This group was the immediate predecessors of the Green Lantern Corps. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #90

The Guardians then developed a device in the shape of a ring that could channel will power. There were some limitations imposed on the power rings. They would need to be recharged every 24 hours, and there was a yellow impurity. This has been argued as a neccesity to fix the energy admixture (the Guardians' power to be adapted to individual ring bearers) and/or as a safety device to prevent any of the Green Lanterns from becoming omnipotent. It is believed by some Green Lanterns that this limitation actually strenghtens them by foring themselves to take nothing for granted.

Rori Dag of Rojira was selected by the Guardians to be the first Green Lantern. His success marked the beginning of the Green Lantern Corps. Each Guardian selected one species to have a Green Lantern as a representative. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #67, Green Lantern Vol. 2 #40

The known universe was divided into 3600 individual sectors, imaginary pyramids with their points converging on Oa, making the Guardians' world the best protected planet in the universe. - Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale

The Corps was shattered by Hal Jordan when he was controlled by Parallax. The last power ring, created by Ganthet, was given to Kyle Rayner. - Green Lantern Vol. 3 #50

Years later, when Jordan was freed of the control of Parallax, the Guardians of the Universe restored and expanded the Green Lantern Corps. To better combat the growing threats the future would hold, 7200 Lanterns would patrol the stars. GREEN LANTERN CORPS: RECHARGE

Recently, the Green Lantern Corps has battled the yellow ring wielding Sinestro Corps preceding the War of Light. Utilizing the energy of the emotional spectrum, other forces have arisen; the Red Lantern Corps, Larfleeze and his Orange Lanterns, the Blue Lantern Corps, the Indigo Tribe, and the violet energy Star Sapphires. This in turn led to the rise of Nekron and his Black Lantern Corps. The Green Lanterns and the other Corps found themselves at times in unlikely alliances until Nekron was ultimately defeated.

guardians of the galaxy

In the aftermath of Annihilation: Conquest, Star-Lord[11] decides to form a team of interstellar heroes that will be proactive in protecting the galaxy, rather than reacting to crises as they happen. To this end, he recruits Adam Warlock,[12] Drax the Destroyer,[13] Gamora,[13] Phyla-Vell (the new Quasar),[14] Rocket Raccoon,[15] and Groot,[15] with Mantis as support staff.

On the recommendation of ally Nova, the group establishes a base of operations at the space station Knowhere, which possesses a teleportation system with near-universal range.[16] An intelligent, super-powered dog called Cosmo acts as Knowhere's chief of security and works closely with the new team. After an initial clash with the revitalised Universal Church of Truth,[1] the team's investigation of a mass of "Limbo ice" reveals a semi-amnesiac man who identifies himself as Vance Astro - Major Victory of the Guardians of the Galaxy.[17] Astro's declaration inspires the as-yet-unnamed team to adopt the "Guardians of the Galaxy" name for their own.[18]

The team then battles the Universal Church of Truth once again, while Astro is attacked aboard Knowhere by an incarnation of his former teammate Starhawk.[19] Matters worsen when the alien shape-shifting Skrulls apparently infiltrate Knowhere,[20] and the revelation that Star-Lord directed Mantis to telepathically coerce the heroes into joining the team.[21]

After this, the team members each went their own way due to some misunderstandings. However Rocket Raccoon decided to continue and started a search for the missing members. He asked Bug to join the team, as well Groot's return to full size and the addition of Mantis and Major Victory as field members. Meanwhile Starlord went to the Kree Empire in an attempt to help them out of a situation, but Ronan The Accuser reveals to him that they are reconstructing the Phalanx's Babel Spire in order to preserve the Kree, before throwing him into the Negative Zone, where he meets King Blastaar. Blastaar's plan is to break into 42, the prison created by the Initiative to house anti-registration forces.

Blastaar hopes to use Starlord as a way to get into 42, so he may then invade Earth. Blastaar's Negative Zone forces then launch a full scale attack against 42, which is defended by the superhumans inside - as the guards fled and locked them in the negative zone - led by Jack Flag. Starlord then goes into 42, and begins talking to Jack Flag, hoping to use him and other superhumans in 42 as a way to contact the Guardians. Using a telepath, Starlord is able to contact Mantis and get the Guardians to teleport into the Negative Zone, preparing for a big battle.

Meanwhile, Adam Warlock and Gamora invade the Universal Church of Truth's headquarters, as Adam Warlock wishes to find out more about them, and asks to be taken to their leader.

Elsewhere, Drax and Quasar begin looking for Cammi, but on their search they talk to a seer who tells them about the oncoming war. When they say they don't care and are looking for a girl, the seer remarks that he knows of this girl, and that her name is Heather, much to Drax and Quasar's surprise. Phylla was able to wake Moondragon from the dead, but lost her Quantum Bands in the process. The consequence for Phyla is that she is now the new avatar of death. They went back to Knowhere and did not follow up on the search for Cammi.
[edit] War of Kings

Adam Warlock and Gamora return to the Guardians and inform the team of the War of Kings. Starlord and Rocket Raccoon decide to split into 3 teams to keep the war from growing out of control:

* The Kree Team with Starlord, Bug, Gamora, Jack Flag and Martyr (Phylla-Vell)
* The Shi'ar Team with Rocket Raccoon, Drax the Destroyer, Adam Warlock, Major Victory and Groot
* The Coordination Team with Moondragon, Mantis and Cosmo the Spacedog

The Kree Team ask Black Bolt to stop the war, a request he denies. The Shi'ar team becomes separated from Adam Warlock, who is transported onto a Shi'ar vessel and is attacked by Vulcan, emperor of the Shi'ar. The rest of the Shi'ar Team works with the Starjammers to free Lilandra from Emperor Vulcan.

Warlock fights with Vulcan and some Imperial Guardsmen. In the end Guardsman Magique is able to put a 'witchmark' on Adam without him knowing, enabling her to track him. Meanwhile, Martyr kidnaps Crystal to force the Inhumans to stop the war. Both squads transport back to Knowhere, but are followed by the Imperial Guard (via Magique's 'witchmark' on Adam) and the Inhumans (via Lockjaw). The three-way battles rages all over Knowhere, until the Inhumans are able to retrieve Crystal and return to Hala. Magique follows Adam Warlock, who magically transfers the 'witchmark' onto her, leading Shi'ar soldiers shoot her instead of Adam Warlock. The Guard are eventually forcibly teleported off of Knowhere.

Star-Lord, Mantis, Bug, Jack Flag, and Cosmo are taken to the 31st Century by that era's Guardians, who warn them of the creation of an all-destroying energy rift called The Fault at the war's conclusion. Trapped in the future, Star-Lord's team is able to get a message to Adam Warlock in the 21st Century. Warlock is unable to stop The Fault's creation, but is able to cast a spell that contains it. The strain, however, causes him to revert to his Magus personality. Star-Lord's team, rescued by Kang the Conqueror, arrives as this happens, and the ensuing fight against Magus results in the deaths of Mantis, Cosmo, Major Victory, Martyr, and Gamora. Star-Lord uses a Cosmic Cube, provided by Kang, to neutralize Magus's powers and shoot him in the head.

This denouement turns out to have been faked by the Magus, who keeps the "dead" Guardians as his prisoners until Martyr breaks free. While the other half of the Guardians comes to rescue, Phyla-Vell is misled by Maelstrom into freeing Thanos. Thanos and Magus are both defeated by the reunited Guardians, but Martyr is apparently killed. The Guardians return to Knowhere, unaware that the future of the universe - according to the future Guardians of the Galaxy - is depending on them.

New Warriors

The Warriors were founded by wealthy young adventurer Dwayne Taylor, who devoted his life to fighting crime after the murder of his parents. Mentored by his legal guardians-retired mercenary Andrew Chord and enigmatic housekeeper Tai. Dwayne fought crime as Night Thrasher, forging a vigilante partnership with the superhuman brother-and-sister duo Midnight's Fire and Silhouette, and romancing the latter; however, their alliance ended badly when Silhouette was shot by a gangster. Blaming Thrasher for the tragedy, Fire disappeared with his fallen sister, swearing vengeance.

Current Members:
Gauntlet, Justice (Vance Astrovik), Komodo (Melati) Night Thrasher (Donyell Taylor), Rage, Scarlet Spider (Patrick), Slapstick, Tigra, Ultragirl

Former Members
Aegis (Trey Rollins), Blackwing (Barnell Bohusk), Bolt (Chris Bradley), Dagger, Darkhawk, Debrii, Decibel (Jono Starsmore), Firestar, Helix, Hindsight, Longstrike, Microbe, Namorita, Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), Nova (Richard Rider), Phaser, Powerhouse/Powerpax, Renascence, Ripcord, Scarlet Spider, Scarlet Spider (Michael), Silhouette, Skybolt, Speedball (Robert Baldwin), Speedball (Darrion Grobe), Tempest (Angel Salvadore), Timeslip, Turbo (Michiko Musashi), Turbo (Mike Jeffries), Wondra

Other Members (Honorary, Reserve, etc.)
Andrew Chord

Secret Warriors

While in hiding after the Secret War, Nick Fury uncovers evidence of the Secret Invasion. Because the active heroes he knows may be compromised, he gathers a new team of "caterpillars", young, untested superhumans, whose existence is known to Fury alone. One of these young superhumans sought after was Layla Miller, but she refused politely, stating that they would only succeed without her. When the Skrulls invade New York, Nick Fury and his team of Secret Warriors arrive and rescue the defeated Young Avengers and Initiative members before withdrawing from the battle.[8] The Warriors help the other heroes defeat the Skrulls, before teleporting to an unknown location.[9]

After the invasion, Fury infiltrates a covert Chicago base and downloads information about the previous and current command structures of S.H.I.E.L.D. A few weeks later, he confronts the new U.S. president about the deactivation of S.H.I.E.L.D., and gives him the location of two of the organization's covert bases. Fury's team tries to shut down a covert base in Texas, but HYDRA appears and attacks the team. As the team attempts to evacuate, H.A.M.M.E.R. agents surround the area (accompanied by the Sentry), but the Warriors escape. Fury confronts the team on their failures, but reveals to Daisy that HYDRA was on a recovery mission at the Texas base, and that S.H.I.E.L.D. is a branch of HYDRA, while various agencies of the United States Government, including the NSA, Department of Treasury, and FBI Science and Technology Branch, as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate and Foreign Intelligence Service are all under HYDRA control.[10]

On a solo mission soon after, Fury teams with Norman Osborn to interrogate a lower-level HAMMER agent. The conversation (and materials obtained afterwards) reveal there may be an organization much like HYDRA, installed in the upper levels of world governments, called "Leviathan." This organization appears to have been founded by the Soviet government for reasons as yet unclear.

The Secret Warriors also assist the New Avengers when the Hood's gang was assaulting them

Roster

Nick Fury
Founder and leader of the Secret Warriors
Quake
Daisy Johnson, the daughter of Mister Hyde. She possesses the power to create earthquake-like vibrations.
Phobos
Son of Ares. He possesses the power to instill fear in others as well as limited pre-cognition. Being a member of the Olympian race, but born of a mortal woman also gives him the potential for far greater "god-like" powers not unlike his uncle Hercules, but require his "mortal" body die first.
The Druid
Sebastian Druid, the son of Doctor Druid who has inherited some of his father's skill with magic. However, he is soon seen as a liability and Fury cuts him loose.[12]
Slingshot
Yo-yo Rodriguez, the daughter of the Griffin. She can run at superhuman speed and bounces back to the point where she began running. She was recently injured severely, with both of her arms severed by the Gorgon, and was temporarily unable to remain active with the team. However, both arms have now been replaced with prosthetics and she has returned to active duty.
Hellfire
J.T. James, the grandson of the Phantom Rider, is able to charge items (notably a chain) with fire and unleash a devastating attack. During New Avengers, J.T. is shown as one of the possible replacements for the title of Sorcerer Supreme, showing great magical potential. In issue 16, Hellfire is discovered to be a double agent with Hydra, directly with Baron von Strucker.
Stonewall
Jerry Sledge, who has been bailed out of jail by Daisy Johnson, where he was being held for hitting a police officer. He possesses superhuman strength and an ability to increase his size, while his skin appears to take an appearance resembling stone. In issue 9, he demonstrated the ability to change the composition of his skin, by turning it into metal after getting Ares' axe swung into his chest. Very little has so far been revealed about the character, but Bendis has revealed that his father is a "major Marvel icon". In issue 12, it is revealed upon his visit to a prison that his father is Carl "Crusher" Creel, The Absorbing Man.[13] He tries to tell Reed Richards his real name at one point, but is cut off after saying "Henry".[14]
Eden Fesi
A reality warping young man previously under the care and training of the mutant Gateway.[15] Nick Fury initially attempted to recruit him to another unknown team, but Gateway refused.

Squadron Supreme

The following history applies only to the Squadron Supreme of the mainstream Marvel Universe. The team from the Supreme Power series exists in the Marvel "Ultimate" universe.
The Original Squadron Supreme

Years ago, Marvel shamelessly unveiled their very own JLofA rip-off group: the Squadron Sinister. These four villains were foes of the Avengers. Later, they took it one step further and created the Earth-S of the Marvel Universe, where lived the good Squadron Supreme. The group grew in number over the years, appearing in various issues of Avengers and Defenders before finally getting their own groundbreaking 12-issue mini-series in the 1980s (now available in trade paperback). Eleven new members joined during the mini-series. Unlike the core Squadron, these were original characters.

Recently, the JLA's popularity sparked a "reboot" of the Squadron Supreme. The book, called Supreme Power, starred Hyperion and was published under Marvel's "Max" imprint. These new stories definitely do not take place in the main Marvel Universe, nor do they have any connection to the former Squadron Supreme. Many of the original characters have been revamped and reintroduced. The book then spun into three mini-series, Doctor Spectrum, Hyperion and Nighthawk. In this universe, these characters are often at odds with each other. Nighthawk, Power Princess and Amphibian have "bad sides" to them, and others like Arcana and Nuke have been teamed against Hyperion. No team was actually formed until Hyperion #2.

During the SS limited series, they took on eleven new recruits. Six of them were forcibly reformed criminals brainwashed into working with the SS: Ape-X, Dr. Decibel, Foxfire, Lamprey, Quagmire and Shape (Ape-X was rendered brain-dead while Decibel and Quagmire seemingly died in action; Quagmire actually survived and is active as a villain on mainstream Marvel Earth). The brainwashing was undone and Lamprey betrayed the SS, dying in battle with Dr. Spectrum. Shape and Foxfire remained loyal to the SS, and Foxfire died in action alongside them. The SS's other new recruits were novice super-heroes: Haywire, Inertia, Moonglow, Redstone and Thermite. All five joined the SS as infiltrators on behalf of the subversive Redeemers, but when the Redeemers successfully coerced the SS into abandoning their positions as world rulers, the surviving rookies remained with the SS. One of the five, Thermite, was accidentally killed during the Redeemers' battle with the SS.

So, following Squadron Supreme #12, the roster stood as follows: Hyperion, Power Princess, Doctor Spectrum, Whizzer II, Arcanna, Shape, Haywire, Inertia, Moonglow and Redstone. Skrull had long since resigned. Amphibian and Nighthawk resigned in protest of the SS's becoming world rulers to steer the Earth back to stability after its temporary conquest by the Overmind, and Nighthawk led his Redeemers group in persuading the Squadron to abdicate. Nighthawk died in that battle, as did fellow ex-SS member Black Archer, who joined the Redeemers after the SS expelled him for abusing their mind-control technology by forcing Lady Lark to love him. Lady Lark resigned in protest of his expulsion, still brainwashed into blindly adoring him, but she didn't join the Redeemers (nor did Amphibian). Nuke went mad after realizing he had given his parents cancer, and died battling Dr. Spectrum. Tom Thumb died of cancer himself while trying to find a cure for it. Ape-X was incapacitated, Doctor Decibel died while suffocating when Quagmire's power engulfed the hospital. Quagmire was lost and presumed dead, and Blue Eagle, Lamprey, Foxfire and Thermite died during the SS/Redeemers battle.

Most of those killed in SS #12 were placed in Hybernaculum chambers. These chambers were invented by Tom Thumb, and basically served the same purpose as cryogenic preservation. There were 7 chambers: Tom Thumb, Pinball, Thermite, Foxfire, Blue Eagle and Golden Archer were shown. The other one may have contained Nighthawk, since Lamprey's body was mostly unrecoverable.

The Authority

The Authority is, at its fundamental core, a treatment of the Justice League of America taken to its logical conclusion. Seven of the most powerful superhumans in the Wildstorm Universe take it upon themselves to protect Earth from all threats, internal or external. These threats are usually gargantuan in nature and the eradication of these threats equally Herculean. This is widescreen, cinema-scope super-heroic fiction at its finest. Consisting of Jenny Sparks, Swift, the Engineer, the Doctor, Jack Hawksmoor, Apollo & the Midnighter (a gay version of the World's Finest duo i.e. Superman and Batman), The Authority was a spin-off from the late Stormwatch series, which took as its premise a UN-sanctioned super group. The creators responsible for these epic wonders were Warren Ellis (writer), Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary (artists) and together they delivered 12 pulsating issues that illuminated the jaded super-hero comic book industry.

The founding members of the Authority are

* Jenny Sparks, the Spirit of the Twentieth Century, the group's founder and original leader
* Apollo, "the Sun God"
* Midnighter, "Night's Bringer of War"
* Jeroen Thorndike, the Doctor (initially thought to be the second Doctor, he was subsequently shown to be the latest in a long line)
* Angela Spica, the second Engineer
* Jack Hawksmoor, "King of Cities", leader of the Authority 2000-2005, and
* Shen Li-Min, a.k.a. Swift.

Following the "Outer Dark" story arc (see below), Jenny Sparks is replaced with

* Jenny Quantum, the Spirit of the Twenty-First Century, Authority leader 2005 to present.

After "The Eternal Return" (again, see below), new members of the Authority are

* Rose Tattoo and
* Habib ben Hassan, Thorndike's successor as Doctor.

Beginning with #18 of volume five the team roster undergoes a major change. Jack Hawksmoor, Swift and Engineer remain on the team, where they are joined by new members:

* Christine Trelane, former co-leader of Stormwatch,
* Deathblow,
* Flint, previously of Stormwatch,
* Freefall, previously of Gen 13,
* Grifter, previously of the Wildcats,
* The High, the now depowered former Authority foe and
* Rainmaker, previously of Gen 13.

The Authority's base of operations is the Carrier, a gigantic interdimensional "shiftship" existing everywhere on Earth at the same time and capable of moving through every imaginable plane of existence. Usually referred to as a female, the Carrier is in fact sentient and could be considered an additional member of the team