Lead-up and premise
Following Black Adam's rampage in World War III, the Amazonian attack on the United States, the murder of the Flash (Bart Allen), and the Injustice League's attack upon the wedding of Green Arrow and Black Canary, a government-sponsored secret program is put in place to combat the growing metahuman threat. Initiated by the President and executed by Amanda Waller of Checkmate and the Suicide Squad, the purpose of the program is to capture supervillains and exile them to the distant planet Cygnus 4019, also known as Salvation, somewhere in Cygnus X-1 via a Boom Tube. Several Suicide Squad members, including Bane and Deadshot, are sent to Salvation once they are no longer needed. According to Rick Flag Jr., the prisoners are not given any supplies or equipment for their survival, as that would make the government responsible for them. Once they are off-world, they are no longer Earth's responsibility. Cygnus 4019 was intended to be peaceful, but was turned into a "training planet" for the New Gods of Apokolips, overseen by DeSaad.[5]
Main plot
Having arrived on Cygnus first, the Rogues (Abra Kadabra, Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Mirror Master, and Weather Wizard) are the first to find out that the Cygnus is seemingly designed to kill any visitors. Kadabra deciphers the language of the local pygmies and learns of the "Safe Zone", a safe district. During their journey, they hear a second Boom Tube arrive and decide to go back. Out of the Boom Tubes come Black Spider, Cheetah, Clayface, Effigy, Girder, Hammer and Sickle, a Hyena, Joker, Kid Karnevil, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, Mammoth, Mr. Freeze, Mister Terrible, Phobia, Psimon, Rock, Shimmer, Shrapnel, Sonar, Tapeworm, and Tremor. For a short time, they attempt to assert leadership over the second group.
The Body Doubles, Hellhound, Iron Cross, Manticore, Meanstreak, Metallo, Rag Doll, Skorpio, and Tar Pit battle wild robotic beasts, during which Hellhound is wounded. Despite their plans to leave him to die, the other villains bring Hellhound along only to feed him to lion-lizards.
