58-662: The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints. Originally based in Metropolis , the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal underworld for years, indulging in crimes such as drug trafficking and racketeering. Their first appearance was in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #105. A recent retcon in Superman #665 (September 2007) shows that during Superman's early years in Metropolis,
116-760: A 1990 series of short stories about the Vietnam War . Fictional works that explicitly involve supernatural, magical, or scientifically impossible elements are often classified under the genre of fantasy , including Lewis Carroll 's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings , and J. K. Rowling 's Harry Potter series. Creators of fantasy sometimes introduce imaginary creatures and beings such as dragons and fairies. Types of written fiction in prose are distinguished by relative length and include: Fiction writing
174-404: A certain point of view. The distinction between the two may be best defined from the viewpoint of the audience, according to whom a work is non-fiction if its people, settings, and plot are perceived entirely as historically or factually real, while a work is regarded as fiction if it deviates from reality in any of those areas. The distinction is further obscured by a philosophical understanding, on
232-447: A completely imaginary way or been followed by major new events that are completely imaginary (the genre of alternative history ). Or, it depicts impossible technology or technology that defies current scientific understandings or capabilities (the genre of science fiction ). Contrarily, realistic fiction involves a story whose basic setting (time and location in the world) is, in fact, real and whose events could believably happen in
290-475: A figure from history, Bonnie Prince Charlie , and takes part in the Battle of Prestonpans . Some works of fiction are slightly or greatly re-imagined based on some originally true story, or a reconstructed biography. Often, even when the fictional story is based on fact, there may be additions and subtractions from the true story to make it more interesting. An example is Tim O'Brien 's The Things They Carried ,
348-700: A major impact on the creation and distribution of fiction, calling into question the feasibility of copyright as a means to ensure royalties are paid to copyright holders. Also, digital libraries such as Project Gutenberg make public domain texts more readily available. The combination of inexpensive home computers, the Internet, and the creativity of its users has also led to new forms of fiction, such as interactive computer games or computer-generated comics. Countless forums for fan fiction can be found online, where loyal followers of specific fictional realms create and distribute derivative stories. The Internet
406-570: A subset (written fiction that aligns to a particular genre ), or its opposite: an evaluative label for written fiction that comprises popular culture , as artistically or intellectually inferior to high culture . Regardless, fiction is commonly broken down into a variety of genres: categories of fiction, each differentiated by a particular unifying tone or style ; set of narrative techniques , archetypes , or other tropes; media content ; or other popularly defined criterion. Science fiction predicts or supposes technologies that are not realities at
464-501: A university or a similar institution, and with the continuation of such positions determined not by book sales but by critical acclaim by other established literary authors and critics. On the other hand, he suggests, genre fiction writers tend to support themselves by book sales. However, in an interview, John Updike lamented that "the category of 'literary fiction' has sprung up recently to torment people like me who just set out to write books, and if anybody wanted to read them, terrific,
522-434: A written work of fiction that: Literary fiction is often used as a synonym for literature , in the narrow sense of writings specifically considered to be an art form. While literary fiction is sometimes regarded as superior to genre fiction, the two are not mutually exclusive, and major literary figures have employed the genres of science fiction, crime fiction , romance , etc., to create works of literature. Furthermore,
580-700: Is a low rent "school for criminals" based in Hollywood , California . First appearing in Detective Comics #515 (June 1982), it is an institute run by a thug called Headmaster who educates his students in the art of various crimes. Mirage is a known graduate of the Academy of Crime. It was shut down by Batman when some of its students ended up in Gotham City. The Acolytes of Zoom were Speed Force -empowered individuals assembled by Zoom to fight
638-508: Is a part of media studies. Examples of prominent fictionalization in the creative arts include those in the general context of World War II in popular culture and specifically Nazi German leaders such as Adolf Hitler in popular culture and Reinhard Heydrich in popular culture . For instance, American actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin portrayed the eccentric despot Adenoid Hynkel in the 1940 satirical film The Great Dictator . The unhinged, unintelligent figure fictionalized real events from
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#1732773020958696-446: Is also used for the development of blog fiction , where a story is delivered through a blog either as flash fiction or serial blog, and collaborative fiction , where a story is written sequentially by different authors, or the entire text can be revised by anyone using a wiki . The definition of literary fiction is controversial. It may refer to any work of fiction in a written form. However, various other definitions exist, including
754-683: Is an organization of metahuman assassins led by the mysterious Breathtaker, the Bureau was hired by the 2000 Committee to kill Firestorm. Known operatives are Stratos (aerokinetic), the Mindboggler (telepathy), and Incognito (shape shifter). First appears in Fury of Firestorm #29 (November 1984). A group of the Atom's foes, the Atom Rogues included Bug-Eyed Bandit, Thinker, Panther, Wizardo
812-439: Is characterized by a lesser degree of adherence to realistic or plausible individuals, events, or places, while the umbrella genre of realistic fiction is characterized by a greater degree. For instance, speculative fiction may depict an entirely imaginary universe or one in which the laws of nature do not strictly apply (often, the sub-genre of fantasy ). Or, it depicts true historical moments, except that they have concluded in
870-496: Is known as fictionalization . The opposite circumstance, in which the physical world or a real turn of events seem influenced by past fiction, is commonly described by the phrase " life imitating art ". The latter phrase is popularity associated with the Anglo-Irish fiction writer Oscar Wilde . The alteration of actual happenings into a fictional format, with this involving a dramatic representation of real events or people,
928-446: Is known as both fictionalization , or, more narrowly for visual performance works like in theatre and film, dramatization . According to the academic publication Oxford Reference , a work set up this way will have a "narrative based partly or wholly on fact but written as if it were fiction" such that "[f]ilms and broadcast dramas of this kind often bear the label 'based on a true story'." In intellectual research, evaluating this process
986-492: Is most long-established in the realm of literature (written narrative fiction), the broad study of the nature, function, and meaning of fiction is called literary theory , and the narrower interpretation of specific fictional texts is called literary criticism (with subsets like film criticism and theatre criticism also now long-established). Aside from real-world connections, some fictional works may depict characters and events within their own context, entirely separate from
1044-427: Is often described as "elegantly written, lyrical, and ... layered". The tone of literary fiction can be darker than genre fiction, while the pacing of literary fiction may be slower than popular fiction. As Terrence Rafferty notes, "literary fiction, by its nature, allows itself to dawdle, to linger on stray beauties even at the risk of losing its way". Based on how literary fiction is defined, genre fiction may be
1102-407: Is the process by which an author or creator produces a fictional work. Some elements of the writing process may be planned in advance, while others may come about spontaneously. Fiction writers use different writing styles and have distinct writers' voices when writing fictional stories. The use of real events or real individuals as direct inspiration for imaginary events or imaginary individuals
1160-751: The Ani-Men . Rogan became Maximus Rex, his assistant Reena into a cat-woman, and they were joined by others like Rowl and Gargantus. An army of artificial beings created by the Weaponers of Qward , the Anti-Green Lantern Corps were equipped with black antimatter power rings which shortened their lifespan with its use. The Anti-Justice League is a short-lived villain group assembled by Queen Bee . It consists of Brainiac , Chronos , Clayface II, Gorilla Grodd , Harpy , Merlyn , Ocean Master , and Sinestro . Formed by Manchester Black,
1218-668: The Anti-Kryptonian Brigade was composed of Master Jailer, Bizarro, Mongul, and Silver Banshee. Originally founded by "Ace" Manton, the Anti-Superman Gang is a series of groups generally of human beings who sought to eliminate Superman. An offshoot of the Oans, Nergal and his servants Ereskigal, Tiamat, Pazuzu, Humbaba, Enkimdu, and Kulullu enslaved early humans in Mesopotamia before being imprisoned in
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#17327730209581276-492: The Flash and his allies as well as Carver's presumed dead wife Eva McCulloch . By the end of the season, Eva destroys their information storehouse, sways the assassins to her side, and kills Carver. As of season seven , Rosalind Dillon and Sam Scudder had joined Black Hole until Eva kills the latter and sways the former to her side while hunting down the organization's remnants. The pirate crew of Black Manta that serve aboard
1334-636: The Flash . They included the Human Block, Folded Man , Magali, the Top and William Selkirk. Aerial unit of Apokolips not to be confused with the Parademons. The Agenda is an opposing organization in genetics to Project Cadmus that absorbed Darkseid 's Evil Factory and is responsible for creating Match . The group appears to have ended with the death of their leader, Lex Luthor 's ex-wife Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza. Their first appearance
1392-422: The human condition . In general, it focuses on "introspective, in-depth character studies" of "interesting, complex and developed" characters. This contrasts with genre fiction where plot is the central concern. Usually in literary fiction the focus is on the "inner story" of the characters who drive the plot, with detailed motivations to elicit "emotional involvement" in the reader. The style of literary fiction
1450-619: The 100 was a smaller organization called the 10 with ties to Intergang . The former Director of the 1,000 was a US senator named Henry Ballard who shepherded the organization's new direction and goals. Under Director Ballard, the 100 changed its name to the 1,000, attempting to expand their reach to even the Oval Office with Director Ballard as the presidential candidate. The 1,000 first appear in Booster Gold #2 (March 1986). A vast criminal organization that planned to take over
1508-521: The 18th and 19th centuries. They were often associated with Enlightenment ideas such as empiricism and agnosticism . Realism developed as a literary style at this time. New forms of mass media developed in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, including popular-fiction magazines and early film. Interactive fiction was developed in the late-20th century through video games. Certain basic elements define all works of narrative , including all works of narrative fiction. Namely, all narratives include
1566-530: The Atom. The Battalion of Doom kidnapped a variety of influential journalists and businessmen and demanded "the complete surrender of all political, financial, and police power in Gotham". If the demands were not met, the Battalion was prepared to detonate a nuclear device within the city. After infiltrating the terrorists as a West Coast enforcer, Superman joined Batman in rescuing the hostages and locating
1624-531: The Black Dragon Society as villains in the 1940s: National Comics (DC Comics), Fawcett Comics , and Quality Comics . DC Comics came to own the other two companies, so all the different incarnations of the Black Dragon Society now belong to them. All-Star Comics #12 had "The Black Dragon Menace" in which a Japanese spy ring called the Black Dragon Society of Japan steals eight American inventions and kidnaps their inventors. The modern versions of
1682-501: The Black Dragon Society show up in the pages of Power Company #1. This version appears to be made up of fanatical East Asian eco-terrorists. The Black Glove organization is a group that was active following the deaths of Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne . It is led by Simon Hurt and consists of various rich men and women of villainous natures. The Black Glove appears in the Batwoman episode "Antifreeze". While their history in
1740-917: The Great, Plant Master, and the Man in the Ion Mask who aligned to battle the inheritor of the Atom mantle. Hailing from a reality where there are no adults, the Authoriteens are that universe's version of the Authority who sought to eliminate Gen. Its membership includes Kid Apollo, Daybreaker, Jack Hatfield, Contractor, Intern, and Nestling. The Awesome Threesome are a trio of robots that have antagonized Aquaman. They consist of Claw, Magneto, and Torpedo Man. The Awesome Threesome appear in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure . Torpedo Man
1798-875: The Manta-Sub. Calvin Durham was once one of his crew members. Fiction Fiction is any creative work , chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals , events, or places that are imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history , fact , or plausibility. In a traditional narrow sense, "fiction" refers to written narratives in prose – often referring specifically to novels , novellas , and short stories . More broadly, however, fiction encompasses imaginary narratives expressed in any medium , including not just writings but also live theatrical performances , films , television programs , radio dramas , comics , role-playing games , and video games . Typically,
List of criminal organizations in DC Comics - Misplaced Pages Continue
1856-559: The Outsiders led by Bizarro Batman. Trio of the Penguin, Great White Shark, and Black Mask. An intergalactic criminal organization that was headed up by Amon Sur and counted Kerina, Farak Fekk, and Commander Levvak among their number. The Black Dragon Society is based on a real World War II organization of the same name; this society was not nearly as sinister as its comic book counterparts. Three different comics companies used
1914-604: The audience's willing suspension of disbelief . The effects of experiencing fiction, and the way the audience is changed by the new information they discover, has been studied for centuries. Also, infinite fictional possibilities themselves signal the impossibility of fully knowing reality, provocatively demonstrating philosophical notions, such as there potentially being no criterion to measure constructs of reality. In contrast to fiction, creators of non-fiction assume responsibility for presenting information (and sometimes opinion) based only in historical and factual reality. Despite
1972-415: The audience, including elements such as romance , piracy , and religious ceremonies . Heroic romance was developed in medieval Europe , incorporating elements associated with fantasy , including supernatural elements and chivalry . The structure of the modern novel was developed by Miguel de Cervantes with Don Quixote in the early-17th century. The novel became a primary medium of fiction in
2030-656: The bomb. The members of the Battalion wore military browns with magenta hoods over their heads. First and only appearance is in The Brave and the Bold #150. A troupe of evil circus performers, the Bikini Family consists of mesmerist Nicki, strong man Joe, clown Tiny, acrobats Peter, Paul, and Manny, and a triplet of high wire walkers. Bizarro version of the Super-Sons with Boyzarro and Robzarro. Bizarro version of
2088-428: The comics is intact, they are in collaboration with Jada Jett and her company Jet Industries in perfecting the freeze formula used by Mr. Freeze where its operative Virgil Getty (portrayed by Josh Blacker) tested it on anyone that tried to expose them. The episode "We're All Mad Here" reveals that other known members of Black Glove are Barbara Kean , Burton Crowne, Jeremiah Arkham , and Mario Falcone and their founder
2146-624: The committee were the Enforcers (Leroy Merkyn and Mica) and Multiplex . When White Martian A'monn A'mokk sought to eliminate the Son of Vulcan , he combined his DNA with that he secured from members of the Secret Society of Super Villains . The result was Sapling, Buster, Silhouette, Quaker, and Blur. The Academy of Arch-Villains was a gathering of Wonder Woman villains Angle Man , Human Fireworks, and Mouse Man. The Academy of Crime
2204-581: The context of the real world. One realistic fiction sub-genre is historical fiction , centered around true major events and time periods in the past. The attempt to make stories feel faithful to reality or to more objectively describe details, and the 19th-century artistic movement that began to vigorously promote this approach, is called literary realism , which incorporates some works of both fiction and non-fiction. Storytelling has existed in all human cultures, and each culture incorporates different elements of truth and fiction into storytelling. Early fiction
2262-762: The dimension Kurnugi. A trio of Alfred Pennyworths from across the Dark Multiverse in service of the Dark Knights . Founded by General Scarr, the Army of Crime sought to take over crime in Gotham City . Its members included Colonel Sulphur, Major Disaster , and Captain Cutlass. The Aryan Brigade is a group associated with the Aryan Nation that serve as their purifiers. The first incarnation of
2320-607: The dozen or so members have been named. Those are the Commander, Tank-Man, Storm-God, Titan, and Hornet (though, one hulking member was nicknamed Creature by Swift of The Authority ). Under the guise of Mister Memory, Amos Fortune organized Angle Man, Pied Piper, Hector Hammond, Sea-Thief, Dr. Davis, and a brainwashed Batman to battle the Justice League. When Repli-Tech Industries was going under, CEO Rex Rogan had his top scientist Doctor Lovecraft transform its board into
2378-442: The elements of character , conflict , narrative mode , plot , setting , and theme . Characters are individuals inside a work of story, conflicts are the tension or problem that drives characters' thoughts and actions, narrative modes are the ways in which a story is communicated, plots are the sequence of events in a story, settings are the story's locations in time and space, and themes are deeper messages or interpretations about
List of criminal organizations in DC Comics - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-474: The fictionality of a work is publicly expressed, so the audience expects the work to deviate to a greater or lesser degree from the real world rather than presenting, for instance, only factually accurate portrayals or characters who are actual people. Because fiction is generally understood as not adhering to the real world, the themes and context of a work, such as if and how it relates to real-world issues or events, are open to interpretation . Since fiction
2494-554: The group consists of Backlash, Blind Faith, Golden Eagle, Heatmonger, and Iron Cross. The second incarnation of the group consists of Backlash, Bonehead, Luftwaffe, and Rebel. The Neo-Nazi terrorist organization known as the ASP (short for American Supremacist Party) first appeared in Checkmate #1. The group was responsible for a series of fatal bombings and attempted to release a weaponized biological agent. The Assassination Bureau
2552-574: The imperial period. Plasmatic narrative, following entirely invented characters and events, was developed through ancient drama and New Comedy . One common structure among early fiction is a series of strange and fantastic adventures as early writers test the limits of fiction writing. Milesian tales were an early example of fiction writing in Ancient Greece and Italy. As fiction writing developed in Ancient Greece, relatable characters and plausible scenarios were emphasized to better connect with
2610-441: The known physical universe: an independent fictional universe . The creative art of constructing such an imaginary world is known as worldbuilding . Literary critic James Wood argues that "fiction is both artifice and verisimilitude ", meaning that it requires both creative inventions as well as some acceptable degree of believability among its audience, a notion often encapsulated in the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's idea of
2668-508: The more the merrier. ... I'm a genre writer of a sort. I write literary fiction, which is like spy fiction or chick lit". Likewise, on The Charlie Rose Show , he argued that this term, when applied to his work, greatly limited him and his expectations of what might come of his writing, so he does not really like it. He suggested that all his works are literary, simply because "they are written in words". Literary fiction often involves social commentary , political criticism , or reflection on
2726-493: The one hand, that the truth can be presented through imaginary channels and constructions, while, on the other hand, works of the imagination can just as well bring about significant new perspectives on, or conclusions about, truth and reality. All types of fiction invite their audience to explore real ideas, issues, or possibilities using an otherwise imaginary setting or using something similar to reality, though still distinct from it. The umbrella genre of speculative fiction
2784-698: The powers of the Speed Force so that they can use it for their own nefarious purposes. While Gorilla Grodd was a former leader, other known members include Dr. Holt, Dr. Huskk, Joseph Carver, Multiplex , and Raijin with a brainwashed Meena Dhawan operating as Negative Flash. Black Hole appears in The CW live-action television series, The Flash . This version was created and led by McCulloch Technologies' CEO Joseph Carver, who also employed light-themed assassins Ultraviolet , Doctor Light , and Sunshine. Introduced in season six , their operations are threatened by
2842-541: The story that its audience is left to discuss and reflect upon. Traditionally, fiction includes novels, short stories, fables , legends , myths , fairy tales , epic and narrative poetry , plays (including operas , musicals , dramas, puppet plays , and various kinds of theatrical dances ). However, fiction may also encompass comic books , and many animated cartoons , stop motions , anime , manga , films , video games , radio programs , television programs ( comedies and dramas ), etc. The Internet has had
2900-448: The study of genre fiction has developed within academia in recent decades. The term is sometimes used such as to equate literary fiction to literature. The accuracy of this is debated. Neal Stephenson has suggested that, while any definition will be simplistic, there is today a general cultural difference between literary and genre fiction. On the one hand literary authors nowadays are frequently supported by patronage, with employment at
2958-509: The time of the work's creation: Jules Verne 's novel From the Earth to the Moon was published in 1865, but only in 1969 did astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first humans to land on the Moon. Historical fiction places imaginary characters into real historical events. In the 1814 historical novel Waverley , Sir Walter Scott 's fictional character Edward Waverley meets
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#17327730209583016-535: The traditional view that fiction and non-fiction are opposites, some works (particularly in the modern era) blur this boundary, particularly works that fall under certain experimental storytelling genres—including some postmodern fiction , autofiction , or creative nonfiction like non-fiction novels and docudramas —as well as the deliberate literary fraud of falsely marketing fiction as nonfiction. Furthermore, even most works of fiction usually have elements of, or grounding in, truth of some kind, or truth from
3074-693: The world by the year 2000. The 2000 Committee gave a criminal named the Breathtaker the task of killing Firestorm (Ron Raymond), and he passed the task on to a villainess named the Mindboggler. Firestorm defeated both the Breathtaker and the Mindboggler and handed them over to the authorities. The Mindboggler later led Firestorm to the headquarters of the committee. The committee was founded by corrupt industrialist Henry Hewitt, a.k.a. Tokamak , and first appeared in Fury of Firestorm #15. Other operatives of
3132-445: Was Maria Elliot, the mother of Tommy Elliot . Marquis Jet kidnaps them and Jada where he took them to a mausoleum. He uses a special gas mask to subject Barbara to the same chemicals used on James Gordon Jr. and kills Crown, Arkham, and Falcone. Before he can do away with Jada, Batwoman fights him off while rescuing Jada and seeing that Barbara gets medical attention. Black Hole is a terrorist organization that has plans to harness
3190-472: Was closely associated with history and myth . Greek poets such as Homer , Hesiod , and Aesop developed fictional stories that were told first through oral storytelling and then in writing. Prose fiction was developed in Ancient Greece , influenced by the storytelling traditions of Asia and Egypt. Distinctly fictional work was not recognized as separate from historical or mythological stories until
3248-768: Was first seen in "Treachery is the Torpedo Man". The Awesome Threesome later appear together in "The Torp, the Magneto, and the Claw". Nemeses of the Maximums, the Axis of Evil included Annihilate, Demise, Godiva, and Rapier. Bane and his henchmen Bird, Trogg, and Zombie. A cult and terrorist organization led by Regulus. Initially used as pawns by Eddie Gordon, the Bat-Knights of Elvaran repeatedly returned to antagonize
3306-614: Was formed after the Invasion , all its known members carriers of the metagene who manifest no powers. They saw themselves as natural leaders, and wanted the U.S. government to find a way to turn on everyone's metagene. They first appear in Wonder Woman Annual #3. Created by Dr. Jacob Krigstein, the Americans were supposed to be an American super hero group but were instead sadistic slaves of their creator. Only five of
3364-535: Was in Superboy (vol. 4) #36 (February 1997). Short for A llied P erpetrators of E vil, A.P.E. is a supervillain group in The New Adventures of Superman . First appearing in "The Men from A.P.E.", the line-up consists of Lex Luthor , Toyman , Prankster , and Warlock. In "A.P.E. Strikes Back", Lex Luthor and Warlock get back together as A.P.E. with Brainiac as its new member. Altered Strain
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