Say what you will about Amanda Waller, but she is a determined woman. Despite all the setbacks that she's faced, she won't give up on the Suicide Squad. Even if they constantly go behind her back or find a way to slip out of her control.
The group officially known as Task Force X has gone through numerous rosters and leaders but the most well-known enemies are Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and Enchantress. Many members have been overlooked or forgotten in recent years that deserve more attention. Here are ten of the most underrated members of the Suicide Squad from the comics.
10 Penguin
Penguin didn't make a name for himself in the criminal underworld with just his moniker and some trick umbrellas. He is also a brilliant– albeit short-tempered– strategist, which is Waller picked him for the Suicide Squad. While he only served for one mission, he planned the rescue operation of a Russian political prisoner and even went into the field in disguise. His motives may have been selfish and there were hiccups along the way, but he managed to adapt his plan and get everyone out alive. Not bad for the former mayor of Gotham.
9 Black Manta
Aquaman's arch-nemesis Black Manta served in the Suicide Squad while Vic Sage ran the program. Serving as the squad leader, Manta led the team through many difficult but otherwise successful missions.
From Russian robots to the League of Assassins, he took charge and kept his squad alive. In the end, he had a falling out with the team and returned to plotting against Aquaman. Still, he managed to give Rick Flagg a run for his money as the team leader.
8 Nemesis
The key to espionage is the ability to blend in with your surroundings. No member of the Suicide Squad understands this better than the master of disguise, Nemesis. Much like Marvel's Chameleon, he can fool anyone with his disguises and even saved Waller by pretending to be her. He's most effective at luring people into a false sense of security and tricking them into giving away vital information or showing their true colors. For Waller's sake, she better stay on his good side.
7 Briscoe
Not everyone in the Suicide Squad has flashy powers or costumes. Sometimes all you need is to be a reliable mechanic or trained pilot. Whenever the Squad needs someone to provide supporting fire or a getaway, Briscoe is on the job with his chopper Sheba. Some might think it's weird that he's named his helicopter after his late daughter and talks to it, but that's because he can remotely control the helicopter by speaking into his wristwatch. Besides, he wouldn't be the first member of the Squad to talk to inanimate objects.
6 The Banana Splits
To make room for other underrated members, Fleegle the Beagle, Bingo the Ape, Drooper the Lion, and Snorky the Elephant will be bundled together. In a bizarre crossover, Amanda Waller recruited them to back-up Harley, Deadshot, Katana, and Killer Croc when a mission went wrong as the band was even more expendable.
Surprisingly, the group did well with Fleegle being an excellent tracker, Snorky providing sound plans and muscle, and Drooper and Bingo being decent shots. As ridiculous as they look, they managed to pull off their first mission and save the Suicide Squad with no casualties. Also somehow less violent than their recent movie.
5 Nightshade
Among the roster of characters from the '80s, Nightshade was an invaluable asset to the team. She possessed one of the best powers a covert ops team could need: portal making. She could open up portals that allowed her and the team to pop up just about anywhere. A useful skill especially when it comes to infiltrating bases or making a grand escape. If not for her, the Suicide Squad would have been captured numerous times and killed either by enemies or Waller.
4 Juniper
Few people are gifted with access to the Green, the force that connects all plant-life. Poison Ivy did serve some time with the team but Juniper contributed more. A member of A.R.G.U.S., she worked with Suicide Squad Black to stop Sebastian Faust from destroying all magic on Earth.
To stop Faust, she risked her life to transport the team through the Green and transformed into a giant plant monster to stop Faust's mechanized warrior. Time will tell if this little acorn will continue to blossom or if her bud will be nipped.
3 Hack
Harley Quinn has an aptly insane amount of fans in real life but she also has fans within DC. One of those being Hack, a girl with cybernetic abilities. Among them include converting people into digital information, navigating through computer networks, downloading information into her brain, and uploading all sorts of viruses. She idolizes Harley for her free-spirit and joined the team to be closer to her. Since then, she has been a valuable asset that's even managed to bring Captain Boomerang back from the dead.
2 Gentleman Ghost
Speaking of the dead, let's talk about Gentleman Ghost. An interesting addition to Suicide Squad Black, Jim Craddock is an intangible ghost who played an essential role taking down Sebastian Faust. He's a fearless being that can't be harmed traditionally and makes for a useful scout. He was even willing to shoot Wither, the first woman he's fallen in love with in decades, to save his team. He's a dapper gentleman and a deadly addition to Task Force X.
1 Bronze Tiger
Rick Flag is usually assigned as the team leader but even he has his breaking points. When that happens, Bronze Tiger steps in to lead the team. He's a natural-born leader trained by the League of Assassins as an expert martial artist. He's one of the few members of Suicide Squad to willingly join and is trusted enough to not require an explosive device. The fact that he can manage the team through alternate dimensions and against demonic entities is a testament to his skills.