In a world of new dangers and threats, could our country benefit from a real life "Task Force X", AKA, a Suicide Squad?
For those unfamiliar with the Suicide Squad (or saw that very mediocre movie and zoned out), it's the concept of:
"What would happen if the government decided to take the worst criminals with unique skill-sets and abilities, and force them to take out our biggest threats."
BACKSTORY
The Suicide Squad has always been my favorite team since I started reading comics back in 1983. It was created by DC Comics as an alternative to superhero teams like the Justice League, Teen Titans, and the Justice Society.
It followed the story of government shadow agent, Amanda Waller realizing that there were new threats in the world that "conventional methods would not solve anymore.
She also realized it took doing things that would cross certain lines, and that she couldn't work with the likes of Superman or Batman (and by work with, I mean control), so instead forms a team of the deadliest criminals they had in their possession.
Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Bronze Tiger, Enchantress, and Blockbuster. Lead by the only one of them that wasn't a criminal, Rick Flag.
To make sure they were all "compliant" and would stay obedient, Waller implanted an explosive chip in their heads, with the threat that if they disobeyed, they would die instantly. She even went as far as to have a fail-safe device surgically connected to her heart so that if her heart stopped for a certain period of time, it would automatically set off the kill chips!
The team has changed its roster MANY times over the years. Due to the dangers of their missions, some members have been killed, incapacitated, or basically found a way to deactivate their chip.
The only consistent members of the team have been Deadshot, Rick Flag, and Boomerang.
CURRENT
The squad is now mainstream with the success of the movie and the new DCU. What added a great deal to their new popularity is the addition of fan favorite Harley Quinn.
(I'm not going to get into whether the movie was good or bad because basically you either liked it or your didn't... I'm in the middle personally)
But now that people at least heard of the squad, it got me wondering. Could a Suicide Squad realistically exist now?
How would that work? What would it look like? And most importantly, How do you choose who's on it?
MAKING IT HAPPEN
Look, there's no question our government already has shady dealings all over the world. So naturally they have agents who for all intent and purposes, "don't exist" on paper.
So why not go the next step?
There are plenty of criminals serving time who would rather be out fighting and getting paid a government salary. Criminals who have special talents that would make them an asset in the field.
Most importantly, criminals who probably don't have any family ties that could make things messy should something tragic happens to them... Like implanting a kill chip in their heads and having to use it!
And obviously, these are people who the the government can use "Plausible Deniability" without question!
WHAT IS NEEDED
So now that you got the legalities out of the way, the question is, what do you look for?
There are people out there with extraordinary abilities, and yes, some of them are incarcerated. So it really just depends on what type of team you are trying to form!
Here are just a few:
Tech Expert
We live in a time where even 12 year olds have basic programming knowledge. Cyber crime is has reached new levels. So the first person I would grab, if this were my team, would be the most notorious hacker in lock-up! There is no doubt this individual would be a necessity. And with government funded equipment, their skills would be unstoppable.
Expert Marksman
You might have to go to military prison for this individual, but I know there are men and women out there who have near perfect aim with many variations of fire arms! This is the person who is going to be the "guardian angel" of the squad, getting them out of the stickiest situations.
Ghost
Getting in and out of an area unseen is an art. And for a team like this, discretion could mean the difference between success or failure. There are plenty of professional thieves or cat burglars who fit this qualification. And with the right tech, can be the super spook of the team.
Demolition Man (or Woman)
Discretion is fine and well, but there are times you're going to need to blow shit up! Or, on the other side of that, you might need a explosive disarmed! But having someone who knows the ins and outs of making things go "boom" will come in handy.
Assassin
Having an expert marksman who can kill a target a mile away is not going to be enough. Sometimes things need to be handles "up close and personal." A master of unarmed combat can clear an area without sounding alarms. And they obviously have "moral flexibility" that will make it easier when given "questionable" orders.
And rounding it out:
You would need a master tactician to lead the team. Someone who's an expert at improvising when things go wrong. But I would leave that job to a "non-criminal" member of the team!
HOW WOULD THIS PLAY IN THE "REAL WORLD"
Well, that's were this gets interesting. We don't live in a world of "supervillains" or "alien threats" or even mutated monsters (yet). So the question is, would a team like this be overkill? Or worst, a costly experiment that doesn't really have an "end-game?"
I think we are getting closer to comic book villains more than we know. I think criminals are becoming more eccentric and flashy in their shenanigans, and are one major event away from donning costumes!
Also, we are talking about a shadow government squad here. They would most likely be used more on foreign soil than domestically.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We're living in wild times right now. As scary as it is with all the shit going on, it also makes one wonder what the possibilities are. We might start seeing some unbelievable things happen.
And what's more, we might start seeing unbelievable individuals emerge!
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