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90-635: Villains United is one of four miniseries leading up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis event and a seven-issue miniseries. This story follows the evolution of the latest incarnation of the Secret Six , and the group's ongoing plight against the machinations of the various supervillains belonging to Lex Luthor 's expansive Secret Society of Super Villains . Like all major intracompany events, this series ties in with several monthly DC Comics titles, including: For months now, former President Lex Luthor has been using his resources to assemble an army against

180-498: A trade paperback : The one-shot special was also collected in Infinite Crisis Companion ( ISBN   1-4012-0922-X ). Infinite Crisis " Infinite Crisis " is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics , consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez , George Pérez , Ivan Reis , and Jerry Ordway , and

270-634: A charity ball, Floyd witnesses Gotham City's hero Batman apprehend a group of thieves. Seeing Batman as a rival, Floyd decides to reduce the hero's influence on Gotham before fully embarking on a criminal career. Donning a tuxedo, top hat, gun belt, and domino mask, Lawton operates publicly in Gotham City as a vigilante called Deadshot and uses his marksmanship abilities to disarm criminals without killing them. Batman becomes suspicious of Deadshot and eventually learns his true motives and identity. Later, Deadshot reveals himself and attempts to kill Batman but

360-543: A dramatic battle (it is also suggested this is why he initially decorates his second costume with a target on his chest). During his time with the team, Deadshot frequently clashes with teammate Captain Boomerang and field leader Rick Flag (for whom Floyd develops a grudging respect). Soon after Deadshot joins the Suicide Squad, Batman learns of the team's existence and confronts them, threatening to expose that

450-503: A fellow "ugly monster", to switch sides. Ragdoll fights his father until Parademon beats the elder Rag Doll. Catman and Ragdoll Jr. escape from Black Adam 's group while Parademon blows up himself, Rag Doll and the battleground. Deathstroke and Deadshot duel, ultimately shooting each other at the same time. To save his daughter Scandal, Vandal Savage infiltrates the Society's headquarters and threatens to kill Luthor if he does not disengage

540-558: A forgotten enemy of Batman's while others such as the Penguin and Riddler gain greater renown. At his first opportunity, he escapes imprisonment and decides to prove himself in combat against Batman with new, wrist-mounted guns, customized body armor, and a mask that helps his already impressive aim. Despite his efforts, Deadshot is once again defeated by Gotham City's hero. After escaping authorities again, Deadshot once again becomes an assassin for hire rather than focusing on revenge against

630-656: A killer who never misses. At some point, Floyd Lawton marries a woman named Susan and they have a child together, a boy named Edward after Floyd's deceased brother. Floyd later divorces Susan and removes himself from her and Edward's life. He later claims he did this because Susan saw him not as who he is but who she thought he could be, and that his presence endangered the lives of happiness of her and Edward. Eventually, Floyd takes residence in Gotham City and hires an assistant and trusted valet named Steven. He decides to become an influential figure and crime lord, similar to how his parents operated in his home town. While attending

720-483: A letter from Michelle Torres , a woman who claims Floyd Lawton is the father of her daughter Zoe Torres . Deadshot visits Michelle Torres in the Triangle, a neighborhood of Star City . Realizing Zoe is indeed his daughter, he recognizes Michelle as a sex worker he spent time with years before. Haunted by the memory of abandoning his son Eddie and later finding him dead, Floyd decides to take up temporary residence in

810-567: A number of tie-in books. The main miniseries debuted in October 2005, and each issue was released with two variant covers: one by Pérez and one by Jim Lee and Sandra Hope. The series storyline was a sequel to DC's 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths , which "rebooted" much of the DC continuity in an effort to fix 50 years of allegedly contradictory character history. It revisited characters and concepts from that earlier Crisis , including

900-613: A perfect world, Alexander restores many alternate Earths. When Earth-Two Lois finally dies of old age, an aggrieved Kal-L and the younger Post-Crisis Superman Kal-El fight until Wonder Woman separates them. Bart Allen (wearing Barry Allen 's costume and aged to adulthood) emerges from the Speed Force, warning that he and the other speedsters were unable to hold Superboy-Prime, who returns wearing Anti-Monitor inspired armor that stores yellow sun radiation to empower him, making him even stronger. Batman's strike force destroys Brother Eye,

990-509: A personal code of ethics. The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including television series, feature films and video games. Deadshot was portrayed by Bradley Stryker in the final season of Smallville , by Michael Rowe in the live-action Arrowverse franchise, and by Will Smith in the DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad (2016). In his debut story, Floyd Lawton

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1080-467: A planned visit with his daughter, his first since his arrest, is withheld from him. Deadshot ultimately sacrifices his life to kill the evil cult member Regulas. Deadshot is later resurrected, possibly through genetic material taken from Resurrection Man during an earlier mission. During the 2013–2014 " Forever Evil " story line, the Justice League teams are seemingly killed. To ensure Earth

1170-477: A preemptive attack, but the remaining four members ( Black Adam is absent for unknown reasons) decide the action is necessary. Simultaneously, the Six agree to a last stand, but only under the condition that any survivors be set free from Mockingbird's control with no strings attached. Prior to the battle between the Society and the Six, Deadshot visits Scandal's room to talk about the team's future. A framed picture on

1260-470: A response team, and the facility is destroyed. Once the Six return to their base, Cheshire and Catman are in bed together when Cheshire accuses Catman of being a spy and wanting to be a hero. However, she reveals that she has slept with him in order to conceive a child. A short time later, most of the Society's founding council votes to mount a final strike on the Secret Six — Lex Luthor disagrees with

1350-459: A satellite AI created by Batman that had gone rogue and begun transforming civilians into nano-infused robots geared to hunt down and exterminate supers. Alexander selects and merges alternate Earths, trying to create a "perfect" Earth, until Firestorm blocks his efforts. Conner, Nightwing , and Wonder Girl release the Tower's prisoners. Fighting each other, Conner and Superboy-Prime collide with

1440-485: A similar editorial role. DC replaced its official decades-old logo (the "DC bullet") with a new one (the "DC spin") that debuted in the first issue of DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy . Aside from marking a major editorial shift within DC Comics, Infinite Crisis was a return to large company-wide crossovers of a sort that had been uncommon since the downturn of the comic industry in the 1990s. The story begins in

1530-685: A similar journey of self-discovery, revisiting the training of his youth, this time with Dick Grayson , now healthier, and with Tim Drake joining him. Superman retires from super heroics until his powers return, focusing his career as a journalist in the meantime. Hiding in an alley in Gotham City and making new plans, Alexander Luthor is found by Lex Luthor and the Joker . The Joker mutilates Alexander by spraying acid onto his face, then electrifies it, and finally, kills Alexander by shooting him as Lex mocks him for making mistakes including not letting

1620-510: A special tie-in issue, released at monthly intervals during the Infinite Crisis event. As with many large-scale comic crossovers, Infinite Crisis featured a large number of tie-ins. Before the event was announced, books such as Adam Strange and Identity Crisis were being described as part of bigger plans. After Countdown , several books were identified as tie-ins to the four mini-series. Thus, although Infinite Crisis itself

1710-621: A tanker in Gotham harbor. Upon their arrival at the tanker, the Six are ambushed and captured by members of the Society , including Weather Wizard , Cheetah , Doctor Polaris , Count Vertigo , Killer Frost , Captain Nazi , Hyena , Crazy Quilt , and others. The Crime Doctor tortures the Six, asking them, among other questions, the identity of Mockingbird. After a few rounds of torture, Catman breaks free and rescues his teammates. While escaping,

1800-592: A unique mask featuring a multi-use lens over his right eye. Since then, he has been a recurring character in Batman comics. Since 1986, Deadshot has also been frequently portrayed in comics books featuring the Suicide Squad . Deadshot is an expert in firearms and an excellent sniper who regularly boasts of never missing a shot. He is often considered one of the deadliest assassins in the DC Universe . Lawton

1890-483: A wealthy family that has great influence over their community. Their father George Lawton owns interests in much of the local real estate and hold sway over the local police, while their mother Genevieve Pitt Lawton, a prize-winning sharp shooter, controls the Pitt banking businesses. The Lawton parents are seen as a power couple in their society circles, but in private they grow to hate each other. By various accounts, Floyd

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1980-811: Is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . Created by David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz , based on a concept from Batman co-creator Bob Kane , the character made his first appearance in Batman #59 (June 1950). The introduction story features Deadshot using standard firearms while wearing a tuxedo, top hat, and simple domino mask. The character was not seen again until twenty-nine years later when writer Steve Englehart along with artists Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin retooled him in Detective Comics (vol.1) #474 (1979), now presenting him with customized wrist-mounted guns and

2070-466: Is allegedly bilingual , and learned to speak Russian as a youth. Deadshot has proven to be a formidable hand-to-hand combatant when needed due to his excellent physical condition and training as an assassin. He has gone toe-to-toe against Batman on several occasions and has also fought Deathstroke to a standstill. He is adept in Karate , Jiu-Jitsu , Judo , Boxing , Krav Maga and Muay Thai . He

2160-473: Is eventually brought to justice by the superhero Batman , who becomes Lawton's most recurring enemy over the years (though he also occasionally comes into conflict with other heroes). While typically portrayed as a supervillain , he is also sometimes depicted as an antihero as a member of the Suicide Squad where he fights more dangerous villains and threats, his need to protect those he regards as family, and his occasional efforts to hold himself accountable to

2250-429: Is hired to retrieve Tarantula from Alcatraz Island , and find a card which she stole from Junior, a mysterious villain who supposedly runs the entire West Coast mob. Junior has practically the entire villain community at her beck and call, as many fear her methods and formidability. The Six later learn that the card in question was made by the demon lord Neron and serves a special function: "Get Out Of Hell Free." Soon,

2340-539: Is only seven issues long, its plot elements appeared in dozens of publications. Some of these books were of direct and major importance, such as the Superman: Sacrifice and JLA: Crisis of Conscience storylines, the latter of which ended with the Justice League's lunar Watchtower being destroyed, leading directly into Infinite Crisis #1. Another notable tie-in is Batman: Under the Hood , which features

2430-476: Is protected, Amanda Waller pays Deadshot to reunite the Suicide Squad. Deadshot's first visit is to Harley Quinn. Following the events of DC Rebirth in 2016, Deadshot's pre-New 52 history is restored. When a character mentions having heard that Deadshot grew up in poverty, Lawton now remarks that this was a lie he told. In the story "The War of Jokes and Riddles," it is retroactively revealed that soon after his first defeat at Batman's hands, Deadshot sided with

2520-444: Is repeatedly judged by his parents for not matching the achievements of his brother in academics and sports, leading the younger Lawton child to act out in various ways. When Eddie is in his mid-teens and Floyd is around 12 years old, Genevieve tells her sons about her husband's infidelities and the many abuses she suffers under him, then asks the boys to kill George. Floyd attempts to warn George, but Eddie locks his younger brother in

2610-399: Is shocked when each of his shots miss. Batman taunts that Deadshot has no nerve to properly face and kill an opponent. In truth, Batman had gotten to Deadshot's weapons ahead of time and altered their sights to throw off his aim, hoping to shake the villain psychologically. Publicly exposed, Deadshot is taken to trial and imprisoned. After some time, he becomes resentful that he is considered

2700-435: Is shown to be an independently wealthy man with a trusted staff member and valet named Stevens. Gotham's wealthier citizens, such as businessman Bruce Wayne , refer to Lawton as someone "new" to Gotham City . Following his recruitment to Task Force X (the "Suicide Squad"), Lawton's past is further explained by therapist Dr. Marnie Herrs. As a child, Floyd Lawton and his older brother Edward "Eddie" Robert Lawton are raised in

2790-528: The Green Lantern Corps , but he kills thirty-two Green Lanterns before Kal-L and Kal-El carry him toward what is left of Krypton that is now a debris field of kryptonite . The Supermen fly Superboy through Krypton's red sun, Rao , destroying his armor and causing all three Kryptonians' powers to diminish. Falling to the sentient planet (and Green Lantern Corps member) Mogo , they fight. Kal-El finally knocks Superboy-Prime out before succumbing to

Villains United - Misplaced Pages Continue

2880-477: The Mad Hatter , simply so they would be killed. Tarantula sacrifices herself and Junior, seemingly destroying the card as well in the process. It is later revealed that Scandal is now in possession of the card. While on a mission to Gotham City to kill several of Batman's allies, the Six are ambushed by a group of superheroes who have come to assist Batman. Deadshot is rendered unconscious by Green Lantern and

2970-509: The Superboy of Earth Prime , Alexander Luthor, Jr. of pre- Crisis Earth-Three, and Lois Lane Kent of pre- Crisis Earth-Two voluntarily sequestered themselves in "paradise". DC officially began leading up to the new Crisis with a one-shot issue Countdown to Infinite Crisis , followed by four six-issue limited series that tied into and culminated in Infinite Crisis . Once the Crisis

3060-405: The "One Year Later" jump. Some ended outright, like Batgirl , Gotham Central , and Batman: Gotham Knights , while others were suspended and restarted later with new volumes, notably JLA , JSA , Flash , and Wonder Woman . Additionally, Adventures of Superman returned to its original title of Superman , while the book that had previously been coming out as Superman since 1987

3150-548: The Dark Knight. Government operative Amanda Waller gets permission to revive Task Force X, a special operations group that in the past was also known as the Suicide Squad. Under Waller's leadership, Task Force X is no longer a group of government and military operatives but now is primarily made up of incarcerated super-villains who are considered expendable if lost on dangerous missions and are promised reduced prison time in exchange for their services. After being defeated by

3240-574: The Earth-Two heroes transported there. Superboy-Prime attacks Conner Kent , this world's Superboy. Multiple super-teams intervene. Superboy-Prime accidentally kills several heroes before the Flashes and Kid Flash force him into the Speed Force , assisted by the speedsters already within it. Jay Garrick , the only speedster left behind, says the Speed Force is now gone. Seeking to create

3330-532: The Flash, Floyd Lawton is imprisoned again and transferred to Belle Reve, a prison in Louisiana that also serves as the secret hub for the new Suicide Squad. There, Deadshot is recruited by Amanda Waller. It is later said Deadshot is selected not only due to his skills but also because mandated therapy sessions have revealed he sometimes is prone to a "death-wish", internally hoping a proper enemy will end his life in

3420-738: The Joker in a gang war against the Riddler and other criminals. During this time, he sustained head trauma and was hospitalized after a battle with Batman. Deadshot returns to service with the Suicide Squad. After several more missions, he is seemingly killed by Black Mask . Deadshot has no superhuman powers but is the top marksman in the DC Universe. He possesses superhuman-like accuracy, and regularly boasts that he "never misses" his target. Deadshot once shot an apple off of Captain Boomerang 's head with his eyes closed. He also intentionally grazed

3510-531: The Joker play in the Secret Society and underestimating Lex. The Green Lantern Corps imprison Superboy-Prime inside a red Sun-Eater. The series ends with him carving an S into his chest with his bare hands and declaring that he has escaped from worse prisons than this. The hardcover collecting all seven issues of Infinite Crisis included changes in coloring, as well as, more significantly, alterations in dialogue , most of which relate to hints to

3600-747: The Kryptonite is not native to Kal-L's universe, and Superman destroys it with his heat-vision. Afterward, Batman learns Superboy-Prime destroyed the JLA Watchtower. Alexander reveals to Power Girl that he and Superboy-Prime had been leaving their "paradise" for some time, manipulating events to help create an inter-dimensional tuning fork. Using the Anti-Monitor 's remains and captured heroes and villains specifically attuned to former universes (Power Girl among them after Superboy-Prime knocks her out), Alex restores Earth-Two, unpopulated except for

3690-607: The Secret Six disbands, Deadshot is said to have returned to Amanda Waller's new Suicide Squad. While part of the Suicide Squad, Deadshot is sent against the villains Pied Piper and Trickster and then seemingly kills Trickster. These events occur during the year-long series Countdown . Like many events depicted in that series, Trickster's death is later contradicted by other stories. Amanda Waller decides to exile all criminals with superhuman abilities to another planet, without trial. The Suicide Squad works on rounding up as many villains as possible, sending them to another planet via

Villains United - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-456: The Six are attacked by a small army of super-villains, all wanting to recover the card and collect the reward of $ 20 million for each of the Six. It is later revealed that Junior is in fact Rag Doll's sister, as well as the daughter of the first Rag Doll. The Six escape and head for Gotham City , only to be attacked by Junior and the Super villains. It is revealed that they were initially hired by

3870-615: The Six decide to send the Society a message. They murder one of the two Hyenas. The Six then infiltrate a Society installation in Brazil . After fighting their way through a legion of H.I.V.E. troopers, apparently led by the Queen Bee , they discover the Society's plans for the "Vindication Scenario": erasing the memories of all of Earth's superheroes. The facility is a giant battery, powered by kidnapped heroes Firestorm and Gehenna . The Six release Firestorm just as Black Adam arrives with

3960-946: The Society executes "Operation: Hope Abandoned", engineering breakouts at metahuman holding facilities worldwide. Oracle masses responses as fast as possible, but with the "Big Guns" of the Justice League unavailable, the heroes are having problems just holding the line. Contacting the Martian Manhunter , Oracle organizes a global telepathic link. Meanwhile, the Secret Six intercept the Scarecrow and Amos Fortune fleeing Enclave M, and discover that all supervillains, once freed, are to head to Metropolis. They relay this information to Green Arrow , who informs J'onn. Lady Blackhawk commandeers aircraft to traffic all available heroes and National Guardsmen to Metropolis. An army of second-stringers, vigilantes and retired metas (including Argus , Geist , Manhunter and El Diablo ) align with

4050-652: The Society: Catman, for his knowledge of Batman 's villains; Deadshot, for his knowledge of the remaining Suicide Squad members; Parademon, for his experience living on Apokolips ; Ragdoll, because he grew up as a "nephew" to the members of the Injustice Society ; Scandal, because she grew up with Vandal Savage and his associates; and Cheshire, for her knowledge of the Teen Titans villains. Mockingbird/Luthor reveals to Scandal that he never placed

4140-610: The Suicide Squad operations are temporarily halted and Deadshot returns to his own life and agenda. At one point, he becomes a host body for the demon lord Neron and nearly kills a kindergarten class. To Lawton's relief, he is stopped and then relieved of his demonic possession by the Justice League . Later on, Deadshot accepts a contract to kill the Pope, but is thwarted by Wonder Woman . After both of his parents die, Deadshot inherits some of their documents and belongings. He find

4230-461: The Suicide Squad. Lawton's uniform is stolen by a man who then uses the Deadshot name and equipment to commit crimes and murders. After Lawton kills the impostor while the man is still dressed in the Deadshot uniform and mask. Later, Floyd is haunted by the experience of having shot down his own "image" and for some time does not fix the fatal bullet hole that now occupies his uniform. Eventually,

4320-415: The Triangle and look after Zoe and Michelle. He learns more about Michelle as a person, such as that she is proud of her Cuban and Italian heritage, and he comes to understand the different criminal gangs and slum lords that threaten the Triangle. Announcing his presence, Deadshot begins systematically fighting the corruption in the Triangle, hoping to make it a safer place for Zoe and Michelle. This results in

4410-567: The US government is employing super-villains for covert and possibly illegal missions. Amanda Waller counters that public exposure of Task Force X will force her to reveal Batman's true identity. Before Batman leaves, Deadshot threatens him but the Dark Knight remarks that Lawton always "pulls" his shots when they are in battle with each other. Therapist Dr. Marnie Herrs later agrees with this conclusion, remarking that Deadshot sometimes sabotages his own efforts as if inviting his opponents to take advantage of

4500-434: The area and convincing Green Arrow to patrol it more regularly. During the 2005–2006 Infinite Crisis storyline, Deadshot briefly operates with a short-lived incarnation of the Secret Six , joining other villains who are recruited by the mysterious Mockingbird (a temporary alias used by Lex Luthor ). For accepting membership, Deadshot is offered the reward of ruling North America ; if he declines, his punishment will be

4590-624: The attack against the Six. Reluctantly, and over Black Adam's objections, Luthor ends the battle. Deadshot is led to medical help by the surviving members of the Secret Six. The central revelation of the book is that Mockingbird is actually Lex Luthor and that the Luthor who organized the Secret Society is an "imposter" (in reality, Alexander Luthor, Jr. ). Mockingbird/Luthor reveals that he chose those six individuals because each had different knowledge and experience that could be used to oppose

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4680-478: The authorities to fend off the Society's assault. Leading the villains' charge is Doctor Psycho , flanked by the monster he and "Monsieur" Warp unleashed from imprisonment: Doomsday . High above the battle, Catman informs the rest of the Six they are to remain neutral, even after the battle. The Six leave, determined to be an independent group, while the battle continues. See List of Secret Society of Super Villains members The series has been collected into

4770-512: The book was adapted from: GraphicAudio produced an audiobook of the novelization of Infinite Crisis . The audiobook spans two volumes with 6 CDs each and features a full cast, music and sound effects. Volume 1 and 2 were released in May-July 2007. A multiplayer online battle arena video game adaptation loosely based on the comic book series was developed by Turbine, Inc. and released in 2015. Deadshot Deadshot ( Floyd Lawton )

4860-690: The boy struggled against an assault, which resulted in Wes becoming enraged and killing him. Deadshot takes revenge by delivering several non-lethal gunshots to Wes before finally killing him. Having learned that Eddie's kidnapping was part of a complicated plot by Genevieve Lawton to inspire Floyd to finally kill his father, Deadshot returns to his home town. Confronting his mother in her home, Deadshot first intends to kill her but then reconsiders when his therapist Marnie Herrs points out that Genevieve also has her own desire for death and hopes to be killed as she does not wish to harm herself. Rather than possibly give her

4950-578: The canon comic books do not give much further detail regarding if Floyd Lawton had other training under other teachers, media such as the Arkham Asylum video games propose he served for a time in the US Army where he received sniper training. Lawton becomes a hired assassin in Europe and South America, staying largely unknown to authorities but gaining a reputation among certain gangs and cartels as

5040-455: The castle, and Cheshire is shot by Deathstroke , who comments that "The Society doesn't need traitors". The Secret Six, however, fights back successfully. Talia and Scandal, daughters of immortals Ra's al Ghul and Vandal Savage , respectively, fight each other. Just when Talia has the upper hand, Scandal's mole in the Society, Knockout , knocks her out (it is also revealed that Knockout is Scandal's lover). Ragdoll convinces Solomon Grundy ,

5130-441: The crew debates how the Society found them, Cheshire confesses to several traitorous deeds, including giving Luthor the coordinates of the Six's base and covertly joining the Society. When asked why she would do such a thing, considering Mockingbird's threat to kill her daughter if she does not comply, Cheshire points out that the baby she is having with Catman would make a fine replacement for a lost child. The Society storms through

5220-494: The destruction of the Triangle in Star City, where Michelle and Zoe still live. At the conclusion of their main objective, Deadshot is rewarded with significant money that he then sends to Michelle. Despite no longer being employed by Lex Luthor, the Secret Six remain active for a time and Deadshot stays on as a member. He develops a grudging friendship with teammate Catman , another former enemy of Batman's. When this version of

5310-410: The dimensional space-bridge known as a boom tube (a product of New Gods technology). After helping the effort, Deadshot is betrayed and exile to the planet as well, as he is still a supervillain as far as Amanda Waller and Rick Flag are concerned. Eventually, the exiled villains escape back to Earth. Deadshot, along with Scandal Savage , Bane , Rag Doll and Catman reunite the Secret Six. The team

5400-458: The elder brother shoots at their father. Eddie's aim is also thrown off, leading his bullet to strike and shatter George Lawton's spine rather than killing him. Refusing to have his family name tarnished by the scandal that would occur, George Lawton arranges with the police to cover up details of the crime. The official report concludes that an unknown sniper opened fire twice on George Lawton and that his son Eddie heroically died while diving into

5490-538: The end of Crisis on Infinite Earths . Kal-L seeks out his cousin, Power Girl , also a survivor of Earth-Two. Believing Lois' health will improve on her native world, he hopes to replace the current Earth with Earth-Two, which he considers perfect. Kal-L tries to enlist Batman's support, stating that the Post-Crisis Earth's inherent "bad" nature caused Batman's recent mistrust and hostility. Batman refuses and tries to use his Kryptonite Ring. This fails as

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5580-450: The existence of DC's Multiverse . Some of the characters featured were alternate versions of comic icons such as an alternate Superman named Kal-L , who came from a parallel universe called Earth-Two . A major theme was the nature of heroism, contrasting the often dark and conflicted modern-day heroes with memories of "lighter" and ostensibly more noble and collegial heroes of American comic books ' earlier days . Infinite Crisis #1

5670-466: The families of the Six in danger and disbands the team. Also notable is the Society Luthor's apparent murder of Pariah , a character from the original Crisis. In Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1, the Secret Six meet to discuss their future as a team, with Deadshot recommending they be a mercenary team for good or evil, "as long as we get paid". In phase one of a master plan,

5760-541: The first Fiddler , after he was killed by Deadshot on Mockingbird's orders when Mockingbird felt he had not fulfilled his part in a mission. Late one night in the mansion of the Secret Six , Catman and Deadshot have a discussion about their unknown leader, Mockingbird, and about the dramatic change in Catman's life, while Cheshire secretly listens in the shadows. Afterwards, Scandal informs everyone that Mockingbird has just assigned them to steal Thanagarian weaponry from

5850-475: The hero's many years of preparation for crime-fighting. As a member of the League of Assassins , who sometimes take private contracts but are also available as operatives of the terrorist Ra's al Ghul , David Cain is an expert in marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat techniques, martial arts, and military tactics, and he trains Floyd Lawton in all these areas. Floyd later remarks that Cain was his "best teacher." While

5940-564: The imprint of the Berkley Publishing Group and published by the Penguin Group , released an October 2006 novelization adaptation of the series written by Greg Cox , with an introduction by Mark Waid , and cover art designed by Georg Brewer and illustrated by Daniel Acuña . The novel was primarily adapted from the seven-issues mini-series published by DC Comics (December 2005 to June 2006). Additional materials on

6030-403: The incident and Eddie's death inspires him to swear that in the future when he fires a gun, he will "never miss." The next several years of Floyd Lawton's life before his arrival in Gotham City are not fully explained in the comics, though it is eventually revealed that as a young man he did meet David Cain, a highly skilled assassin who years earlier had been one of the teachers of Batman during

6120-605: The kryptonite radiation poisoning (but saved the Corps) and the older Superman Kal-L dies of his injuries in the arms of his cousin, Power Girl. Back on Earth, Batman, struggling with Superboy's death and Nightwing's severe injuries sustained during the Metropolis battle, contemplates shooting Alex. Batman is dissuaded by Wonder Woman. Alex manages to escape. Wonder Woman , Batman, and Superman later meet up in Gotham City . Wonder Woman plans to find out who she is. Batman plans

6210-494: The local population advocating to protect Deadshot from vigilantes such as local hero Green Arrow , and also leads to a new romance between Michelle and Floyd. As supervillains with a grudge against Deadshot begin appearing in the Triangle, Lawton decides to put distance between himself and Michelle and Zoe. After setting up a school scholarship for Zoe, Deadshot kills several supervillains targeting him and then fakes his own death in an explosion. He decides to act more covertly for

6300-467: The nearby boathouse and then locks the doors of the family home so no one can enter or intrude on the killing. Floyd escapes, grabs a hunting rifle, and climbs a nearby tree to get a better view through all the windows of the family home. Seeing Eddie enter the house library to shoot their father, Floyd fires his rifle, hoping to disarm his brother. But the tree branch Floyd is on suddenly gives way and throws off his aim, causing him to shoot Eddie dead just as

6390-440: The outcome she desires, Deadshot chooses not to kill his mother and instead shoots her with a precision shot to the spine, causing her to be a paraplegic. Deadshot remarks that this is fitting since her efforts to kill George Lawton only resulted in his own paralysis, and now they are a "matched set." Later on, a US senator threatens to expose the Suicide Squad to the world. Task Force X field leader Rick Flag decides to assassinate

6480-473: The path of the second bullet. As punishment for her efforts, George Lawton refuses to divorce Genevieve and instead forces her to live on a limited allowance and in isolation in another, smaller house the Lawton's own on the outskirts of town. After high school, Floyd Lawton leaves his family home to travel. Despite his later claims that he felt nothing on seeing his brother die, he often shows anger when recalling

6570-480: The previous timeline, Edward and Zoe, are not mentioned. Before joining the Suicide Squad, Lawton is described as a Batman villain and a rival of Mad Dog, a bounty hunter. He also is bitter enemies with Captain Boomerang . In the New 52 stories, he no longer sports his trademark mustache except at one point to grow one to cover a scar. A mercenary protégé of Lawton named Will Evans tried to usurp his role as Deadshot but

6660-498: The re-emergence of the DC Multiverse . Also changed is the two-page spread near the end of the book, where a new George Pérez image is substituted. Four additional pages of art by Phil Jimenez were added, who also illustrated new cover art for the dust jacket of hardcover collection. An interview section included as an afterword explains the reasoning behind some of these alterations. A number of series were cancelled with

6750-553: The rescue, and they are joined by the National Guard. The battle results in multiple deaths on both sides, including many by Superboy-Prime himself, who kills villains and heroes alike. During the battle, Superboy-Prime takes off to destroy Oa , planning to collapse the Universe in a big bang event, and recreate it with himself as the only superhero. Superboy-Prime is slowed down by a 300-mile thick wall of willpower created by

6840-418: The rest of the Six are similarly defeated soon after. In The New 52 (a 2011 reboot of the DC Comics universe), a new timeline is presented which features a Deadshot with a significantly different past. Rather than a child of wealth, he is a child born to poverty who then joins the military before becoming an assassin for hire. He has a daughter named Suchin Lawton who has Japanese heritage. His children from

6930-492: The return of then-dead second Robin Jason Todd as the antihero Red Hood . DC Comics executive editor Dan DiDio stated that Infinite Crisis was being hinted at in various stories for two years prior to its launch, starting with the "death" of Donna Troy . With Countdown to Infinite Crisis , Infinite Crisis began to visibly affect DC's editorial policy. Mark Waid signed an exclusive contract with DC, receiving

7020-468: The senator and Deadshot is ordered to stop Flag. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Deadshot publicly kills the senator himself, justifying that this is in compliance with his literal orders: "Stop Flag from killing the senator. Exact words." DC police then gun down Deadshot where he stands, but he survives his wounds and after a hospital stay and physical therapy he returns to active duty with

7110-444: The situation and end his life. Deadshot's son Edward, now about eight years old, is kidnapped by a gang of criminals hoping to manipulate Floyd. One of the gang members, Wes Anselm, is a pedophile with documented incidents of assaults against children. When Deadshot hunts down the gang, Wes grabs young Eddie and knocks him out, then flees with the boy in a car. Later, Deadshot finds Wes in his apartment and Eddie lying dead. Wes implies

7200-487: The skull of Enchantress while she was flying, since he was asked to take her down non-lethally. He is so skilled that he can make his shots ricochet from structures and kill multiple targets at the same time. He can even shoot around corners. Deadshot is also a tactical genius and master strategist and is also a highly skilled demolitions expert. Deadshot has access to a vast array of weaponry, most notably, his sniper rifle and twin machine guns mounted on each arm. Deadshot

7290-623: The superheroes. Luthor's team now has over two hundred members with a six-member core team consisting of Luthor, Talia al Ghul , Doctor Psycho , Deathstroke , Black Adam , and the Calculator . Nevertheless, not all the villains offered a chance to join this army are thrilled with this idea. Batman villain Catman has joined a team of five supported by the mysterious Mockingbird including Cheshire , Deadshot , Scandal , Ragdoll , and Parademon to oppose this new Secret Society. Catman replaced

7380-459: The time being. His efforts in the Triangle also inspire Green Arrow to take more interest in the area, ensuring the Zoe and Michelle's neighborhood remains protected. Lawton decides to do right by his daughter, and embarks on a lethal war on the local gangs that plague the area. The series ends with Deadshot faking his death, having realized a normal life is not for him, but also having mostly cleared up

7470-519: The tower, destroying it. The multiple Earths recombine into a "New Earth" as Conner dies in Wonder Girl's arms. Power Girl soon arrives and asks Kal-El what happened to Lois. The answer causes her to break down prompting her to ask Kal-L why. He answers her simply, telling her it was because he chose the wrong Superboy to condemn and the wrong Superboy to condone. When a horde of supervillains attack Metropolis, heroes, current and retired, fly off to

7560-544: The wake of the four lead-in limited series , with Superman , Wonder Woman , and Batman feuding, the JLA Watchtower destroyed, and the heroes of the world all facing a variety of menaces. Over this backdrop, Kal-L (the Earth-Two Superman), along with Earth-Two's Lois Lane , Earth-Three 's Alexander Luthor , and Superboy-Prime escape from the pocket universe where they had initially fled to at

7650-464: The woman's desk reveals that her father is the immortal Vandal Savage . Before the conversation can progress past basic greetings, Catman ambushes Deadshot and admits knowing that he (Deadshot) masqueraded as the villainous Deathstroke and murdered the lions in his pride. The two scuffle before finding the real Deathstroke leading a small band of villains to the front door of the House of Secrets . As

7740-452: Was announced in March 2005. The event was kicked off with the release of Countdown to Infinite Crisis . Countdown to Infinite Crisis was followed by four six-issue limited series : The OMAC Project , Rann–Thanagar War , Day of Vengeance , and Villains United , as well as a four-part limited series DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy . These first four limited series each had

7830-498: Was canceled, thus making the Superman line's two books, Superman and Action Comics , match the Batman lines Batman and Detective Comics (in addition to the shared title Superman/Batman .) In Dark Multiverse : Infinite Crisis , after Ted Kord takes over Checkmate when he kills Maxwell Lord , he manages to subvert most of Alexander Luthor's plans before confronting Luthor and Superboy-Prime directly. Ace Books , under

7920-554: Was completed, DC used the One Year Later event to move the narratives of most of its DC Universe series forward by one year. The weekly series 52 began publication in May 2006, and depicts some of the events which occurred between Infinite Crisis and One Year Later . In June 2008, a third series, Final Crisis , set immediately following the conclusion of the 51-issue Countdown to Final Crisis , began. Infinite Crisis

8010-408: Was killed by Lawton. Deadshot is arrested for a failed assassination of a U.S. Senator by Batman and is sentenced to life in prison. Later, he is recruited to be part of the Suicide Squad in exchange for early release. Deadshot is made team leader due to his skill under pressure. He develops a casual relationship with new teammate Harley Quinn . Deadshot later grows disillusioned with the group after

8100-414: Was ranked first in the top 300 comics for October 2005 with pre-order sales of 249,265. This was almost double the second ranked comic House of M #7, which had pre-order sales of 134,429. Infinite Crisis #2 was also the top seller in top 300 comics for November 2005 with pre-order sales of 207,564. The plot begins when, in Crisis on Infinite Earths , Kal-L (the Superman of pre- Crisis Earth-Two),

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