Giant Size Suicide Squad Special #4

Note: This is the first Giant Size Suicide Squad Special isue to present completely new stories.

BELLE REVE PRISON: The splash page shows Amanda Waller, Bronze Tiger, Greg Moore, Rick Flag, and Nightshade in Amanda Waller's hospital room. She explains that they are the only ones going on this mission that are not criminals, so she needs them to keep the others in line. The new recruits haven't been around long enough to have explosives surgically implanted, so instead they will all have the old-style explosive bracelets. Waller says this is only a “minor mission.”

A low-level super-terrorist calling himself Science Lord has been making vague threats for a number of months, but now he seems to have gotten ahold of the same technology Cliff Carmichael made Waller to control Chemo, the tech she used to control the Manhunter robot during the fight with the Black Lanterns. When Science Lord figures out what the technology can do, every robot on earth will be his potential weapon. Science Lord is a brilliant but mysterious genius in the field of robotics who is clearly psychologically disturbed. He has no powers, but his lair is likely to have a lot of technological defenses. The wrinkle is that Science Lord is also secretly the son of a U.S. Senator, a Senator who would like the situation handled with the utmost discretion.

Greg hasn't been part of the team very long, but shows a prodigious ability to learn new skills with superhuman quickness, no doubt one of his newly discovered powers. As a result, is already a qualified marksman and a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. Waller says Greg is to be given some automatic weapons. "You are as likely to need them for your teammates as the enemy," she says, with no trace of humor in her voice. She and Flag have gone over the files, and they are sending the newly resurrected Captain Boomerang, a clone of the original (male) Dr. Light, the new Mirror Master (brother of the original), and some completely new recruits. Metroplex is still recovering from wounds suffered at the House of Secrets, while Virtuoso is on psychological leave after the trauma of the Blackest Night.

Science Lord's headquarters is a cave in the mountains of Bialya.  Nightshade will not be part of the main team, but instead will hang back near the cave entrance to teleport everybody home. As Science Lord's defensives will take out any aircraft that approaches, she is their only means of transport. The team is assembled. Dr. Light's clone is as annoying as the original. Captain Boomerang is uncharacteristically quiet and cautious at first, but it doesn't take long for him to fall back into the familiarity of operating with squad.

AN HOUR LATER, IN BIALYA: It is night in Bialya. Nightshade teleports the team to just outside the cave entrance. Bronze Tiger starts to order someone to scout the area, but the new recuirt who rushes forward is immeidately killed by Science Lord's defenses. Their presence revealed, the team quickly dismantles the revealed defenses and charges in, ending up in battle with giant robots. Dr. Light and Grigori Moore moves to engage one of the robot, at which point Captain Boomerang decides to try his new highly explosive boomerang. Reflecting to himself that he is "bloody tired of that annoying Light guy" and that the new guy would "probably get irritating sooner or later," he throws the explosive boomerang at the robot even though both Dr. Light and Greg are right next to it. The robot is destroyed, with no sign of Greg or Dr. Light. Boomerang runs back to the others, saying "We got the other one, but I think it killed Light and the new guy."

Greg doesn't know it yet, but one of his powers is good luck. The monster batted him to the one part of the cave that was sheltered from the explosion just before Boomerang struck. Unfortunately, Greg reports, the corpse of the Dr. Light clone landed next to him. Boomerang says, "Yeah, it looks like the bloody monster had some sort of self destruct device. Glad you managed to survive, mate. Too bad about that Light fellow. I always liked him..."

Several more battles ensue, with heavy casualties. During one fight, new team member Icecube turns on the team and fires his ice blast at Grigori. Another surprise is in store, however, as Greg lights up like the Human Flame. A new power, an instinctive adaptation to threats, had been set off by the ice blast. Unfortunately, the fire eventually kills yet another time member, and when the dead Squadder's body hits Greg, he accidently fires his uzi. Due to Greg's luck power, the bullet happens to hit Icecube in one of his (unprotected) eyes, bypassing Icecube's icy armor and killing him instantly.

Eventually, the much smaller time makes it way to Science Lord's inner sanctum. Standing on a dais in the center is, of course, Science Lord. The Squad can hardly believe their eyes-- Science Lord appears to be a boy no older than fifteen. They knew it was a senator's kid, but no one said he was an actual kid. "No wonder Waller was light on the details," Bronze Tiger murmurs quietly. Flag agrees that it explains a lot, including the fantastic but impractical deathtraps. Greg is uncertain what to do, but none of his teammates seem to bat an eyelash at taking out a kid.

Science Lord becomes aware of their presence and reveals a hostage, a young woman tied to a massive bomb. When the team reveals itself to rescue the hostage, Science Lord unveils a massive death ray and proves its power by disintegrating another new recruit. The team spreads out, and Science Lord trains his giant ray gun on Greg. However, Greg's luck power kicks in again, and the experimental weapon jams for a moment, giving the rookie Squad member time to duck behind a giant magnet. Panicking, Science Lord activates more robots, who appear from the cavern walls. Captain Boomerang, however, is quick enough to seize the opportunity. As Science Lord is focused on his death ray, Boomerang uses his good arm to throw one of the new explosive models he used earlier to kill Dr. Light. The boomerang detonates on impact, obliterating Science Lord.

Bronze Tiger yells for Greg to grab the girl and fly out. As he does so, Flag  temporarily disarms the wrist explosives, and tells Boomerang he has five seconds to get his off. Confused but happy to get the explosives off, Boomerang complies as he, Flag, and Tiger begin a fighting retreat back out the way they came. Able to get a few hundred feet away, they break into a flat-out run to escape the pursuing robots. Nightshade meets them near the entrance, having already sent Greg and the hostage back through her portal. Bronze Tiger hastily explains that since they couldn't give the Squad implants this time, they drastically increased the explosive power of the bracelets. He then remotely detonates all of them, destroying Science Lord's compound and triggering a massive cave-in before Nightshade teleports them all back to Belle Reve.

BACK AT BELLE REVE: Captain Boomerang is sent to the infirmary to recuperate, while the hostage-- who turns out to be the Senator's daughter, and Science Lord's own sister-- is returned to her home.

Later, Waller debriefs them all from her hospital bed. She informs the Squad that Captain Boomerang won't be rejoining them any time soon, as some crusading Keystone City D.A. is trying to restore some murder charges from before Boomerang's "death." On hearing the entire report, Waller is pleased and congratulates the team on a successful mission. Greg is confused, noting that most of the team died. Waller smiles maternally at this. "That doesn't matter. I had a feeling most of your team were only good as cannon fodder, and this mission proved me right. What matters is, you achieved your goal-- and furthermore, now a Senator owes us a favor. A big one. Overall, I'd say this went better than most of our missions do. Welcome to the Suicide Squad."

Flag says they've arranged some tests to try to determine the source of Greg's strange powers. Waller dismisses the team so she can rest, but as Greg leaves, she says, "By the way, Mr. Moore, it sounds like you've made a friend. In his report, Boomerang made a point of saying how much he was looking out for you in that first fight with those golems. Looks like you'll fit in just fine... once we get you a code name."

Greg leaves the room politely, then finds someplace quiet to try to take everything in.