Darkseid's Society
First organized by Darkseid, the Secret Society of Super Villains were based in the Sinister Citadel in San Francisco. From early on, the team was plagued with power struggles. Lex Luthor, Wizard, Gorilla Grodd, and Funky Flashman all sought to control the powerful team; Manhunter (the team's first leader) and Captain Comet sought to divert the villains' evil ways into a more positive channel.[7] After discovering the true identity of their benefactor, the team rebelled against the alien overlord. To quash their uprising, Darkseid sent Mantis and Kalibak. At the end of the struggle, Manhunter sacrificed himself to seemingly kill Darkseid. After this, the team splintered, with Luthor, Wizard, Gorilla Grodd, and Flashman leading the team at different times. However, Wizard proved to be the most tenacious and created the definitive incarnation of the SSoSV. They went on to fight the original Crime Syndicate of America of Earth-Three and the Justice Society of America. While traveling between dimensions, back on Earth-1 the Silver Ghost, Mirror Master and Copperhead formed yet another team and fought the Freedom Fighters.[8]
Wizard's group eventually returned from Earth-2 and battled against the Justice League of America aboard their satellite headquarters. At one point in the battle, the two teams swapped bodies, allowing the supervillains to discover the true identities of their enemies. After gaining the upper hand, the Justice League wiped the memories of the supervillains, precipitating Identity Crisis and the formation of the current Society years later.[9]
Ultra-Humanite's Society
The next incarnation of the Secret Society appeared in 1981, headquartered in a new Sinister Citadel in Nepal, and was created by Ultra-Humanite, who organized foes of both Earth-One's Justice League and Earth-Two's Justice Society. This version of the Society consisted of Ultra-Humanite, Brain Wave, Killer Frost, Cheetah, Signalman, Floronic Man, Monocle, Rag Doll, Mist, and Psycho-Pirate, and marked the first appearance of Ultra-Humanite's albino gorilla body.[10] After capturing and sending ten heroes of the JSA and JLA to Limbo, the Society was betrayed by Ultra-Humanite, who had his own agenda.[11] In response, the betrayed villains of Earth-1 freed the heroes and attacked the Ultra-Humanite. The entire Secret Society of Super-Villains was incarcerated in Limbo by the JLA and JSA.[12]
Ultra-Humanite contacted his younger self in 1942, who helped to break out the SSoSV using the power of
Underground
After the reformation of the JLA, Martian Manhunter lures a group of villains to one spot by disguising himself as the late Brain Wave and assembling a new version of the Secret Society of Super Villains. Blockbuster twice questions if Brain Wave is supposed to be dead before Brain Wave asks him to hang back. When the villains leave their meeting place, they are confronted and defeated by the Justice League. The Justice League members find Blockbuster knocked out next to Martian Manhunter.[14]
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Society
After the defeat of the last incarnation of the SSoSV, a great amount of time would pass before villains would band together in any sort of large organization. Fueled by rumors of the mindwiping of Doctor Light, a new Society emerged. This Society was founded by Alexander Luthor Jr. posing as Lex Luthor, along with Calculator, Doctor Psycho, Deathstroke, Talia al Ghul, and Black Adam.
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s intent was to gather together a cadre of supervillains to retrieve several key superheroes who have ties to the multiverse to harness their residual temporal vibrations to recreate the multiverse. Only Psycho-Pirate, who remembered the multiverse, knew of this plan, as Alexander Luthor Jr. lied to the members of his inner circle, telling them that he was building a massive mind-erasing machine.
The group, referred to simply as the Society, was featured in the miniseries Villains United as background characters and foils for the new Secret Six (consisting of six villains recruited by the real Lex Luthor, who refused to join the Society). The follow-up one-shot issue Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 focused on the Society as they enacted Alexander Luthor Jr.'s back-up plan to conquer Earth in the event that his main plan failed.
At the end of Infinite Crisis, Alexander Luthor Jr. is killed by the Joker. Black Adam, betrayed by Alexander Luthor Jr., returns to Khandaq to rule full-time.
"Final Crisis"
Not long after the Society's dissolution, Checkmate instigated a crackdown on all villains in the DC Universe, who were captured and exiled to a prison planet as seen in the Salvation Run miniseries. After the surviving villains return to Earth, their desire for revenge drives the Society to depose Lex Luthor and replace him with Libra.
Libra, a follower of Intergang's "Religion of Crime" and a secret agent of Darkseid, leads the Secret Society in their role as Darkseid's ground troops as part of the Final Crisis storyline. Promising to fulfill the hearts desires of his subordinates, Libra murders Martian Manhunter. He also arranges for Clayface to cause an explosion at the Daily Planet, killing and maiming dozens of Superman's closest friends and mortally wounding Lois Lane, to try to seduce the disgruntled Luthor to his side and draw Superman to Libra.
With most of the Society, including Vandal Savage, behind him, Libra reveals his true self to Lex Luthor as the villain turns on the Human Flame by forcing a mind-control helmet onto his face, exposing him to the Anti-Life Equation and turning him into a mindless warrior known as a Justifier. Faced with the threat of becoming a Justifier himself, Luthor agrees to become Libra and Darkseid's servant. With help from Doctor Sivana and Calculator, Luthor turns against Libra and forces him to retreat.
In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge, the Rogues withdraw from Libra's Society and plot to take revenge on Inertia before they retire.
The New 52
The Secret Society of Super Villains appears in DC's 2011 The New 52 continuity reboot, consisting of Professor Ivo, Outsider, Scarecrow, Blockbuster, Signalman, Copperhead, and Plastique.[16]
DC Rebirth
The Society reappears in DC's 2016 reboot, DC Rebirth, consisting of Vandal Savage, Hector Hammond, the Riddler, Professor Zoom, Black Manta, Ultra-Humanite, Deadline, Raptor, and Killer Frost, with Lex Luthor being established as a former member. They place Deathstroke on trial while debating whether he is truly reformed or not; however, the Riddler proves via Hammond's telepathic abilities that Deathstroke is 'evil'.[17]
During the "Dark Crisis" storyline, Deathstroke leads an incarnation of the Secret Society of Super Villains. After mourning the apparent deaths of the Justice League, the Society attack Titans Academy before being repelled by Jon Kent.[18] The Great Darkness later corrupts the Society's members into serving it.[19]
