Forcing villains to do bad things for the good guys is the provocative concept behind “Suicide Squad,” also known as Task Force X, which first appeared in 1959, with the current concept created by John Ostrander in 1987.
The comic book has been a cult favorite and critically acclaimed until it broke into the mainstream with this movie. The DC Extended Universe film diverges a bit when it comes to the individual characters as traditionally seen in comics, but the premise is the same: Do what the authorities want to fight the metahuman threat, and you’ll gain clemency (or they’ll blow your head off).
Some of the cast’s villains have a longtime presence in DC Comics with their own back stories. Here are the cinematic Suicide Squad members and connected characters as seen in the comic pages.
