Entertainment

Why Are They Called The 'Suicide Squad'?

by Rachel Semigran

After the premiere of the first look at the Suicide Squad trailer at Comic-Con, one thing is for sure: it's good to be bad. The upcoming DC Comics action adventure film is about a band of supervillains who are hired by the US government to undertake black ops missions. The squad, which is also known as Task Force X, is full of incarcerated criminals, madmen, and total psychopaths... who are here to save the day! It's not just the risky missions that give this badass team their name. In fact, there's quite an interesting history to how Suicide Squad got its name, and it includes some freaky science and harsh realities.

In return for completing these unsanctioned and highly secretive tasks, the Suicide Squad can receive a speedier release from prison. However, since these villains are also horrible criminals, they're seen as expendable in the eyes of the government. Throughout the history of the Squad, which dates back to the 1950s, many members have not returned from their missions — which is part of the reason why they are given their name. They all go in knowing that they might not ever come out.

As an added risk to the Squad, there are bombs implanted on each of the members. If Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), or Enchantress (Cara Delevigne) go off task or try to escape their mission... boom. They're gone. The Suicide Squad is watched over by the formidable Dr. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). She keeps check on who steps out of line, and holds the button that can destroy any member of the Suicide Squad at any time.

It's a grim story for sure, but it's full of action and plenty of characters you'll either love to hate or hate to love. Either way, it's going to be hard to resist the gritty, macabre magnetism of Suicide Squad.

Check out the trailer below.

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures