Outsiders

The Outsiders is a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of metahuman superheroes who do not fit the norms of the "mainstream" superhero community (the Justice League).

The Outsiders have had three incarnations. They were founded by Batman, whose ties to the League had become strained. The Outsiders were reformed in the early 2000s by Nightwing and Arsenal after The Titans dissolved following the events of 'Graduation Day', in which the heroine Donna Troy was killed by a rogue Superman android. The intention of this new team was to act as 'hunters', actively searching for superhuman criminals currently on the loose, rather than waiting for them to act and then responding as other super-vigilante groups often do.

In its most recent formation the group's leadership was relinquished by Nightwing to Batman, who recruited former members and newcomers. He has stated his intention to use the team as a black ops version of the Justice League, able to take the proverbial "fall" in public opinion when the League cannot. After Batman's (apparent) death in Final Crisis, he posthumously charged Alfred Pennyworth with recruiting a new team of Outsiders for a forthcoming mission of "great importance".[1]

Batman and the Outsiders/Adventures of the Outsiders (1983–1986)
The Outsiders first appeared in a special insert in the final issue (#200) of The Brave and the Bold in 1983.[2] The team was given its own comic, Batman and the Outsiders, which debuted in August 1983. It was created and originally written by Mike W. Barr and illustrated by Jim Aparo (later illustrated by Alan Davis).

After Batman left the group in issue #32 the title was changed to Adventures of the Outsiders, continuing until its cancellation after issue #46. Issue #38 featured the last original story in the series, as issues #39-46 were reprints of stories from companion series The Outsiders (vol. 1, 1986).

The cast of the Outsiders was notable for having mostly new characters (Geo-Force, Katana, Halo and Looker). The other members were two characters who refused membership in the Justice League (Black Lightning and Metamorpho) and former Leaguer Batman.

Markovia and Baron Bedlam
The Outsiders formed in the fictional East European country of Markovia, which was ravaged by war at the time. Batman had attempted to enlist the Justice League's aid, but was told they had been ordered to stay out of the conflict. Because he disagreed with the order, Batman resigned to strike out on his own. He and Black Lightning traveled to Markovia to free captive Lucius Fox from Baron Bedlam (who killed the country's ruler, King Viktor). One of the king's sons became Geo-Force after gaining powers from Markovia's top scientist (Dr. Helga Jace) to stop Bedlam. Metamorpho was searching for Dr. Jace for the doctor to help him with his powers. Katana arrived in Markovia to kill General Karnz (Bedlam's military commander) as vengeance for her family's death. Batman found a young, amnesiac girl in the woods exhibiting light-based powers whom he names Halo. These heroes banded together to defeat Baron Bedlam and decided to stay together as a team, later fighting such villains as Agent Orange, the Fearsome Five and the Cryonic Man.[3]

Masters of Disaster and the Force of July
Recurring foes include the Masters of Disaster (New Wave, Shakedown, Windfall, Heatstroke, and Coldsnap), who at one point were almost able to kill Black Lightning. Windfall eventually became disenchanted with her team and joined the Outsiders. Another recurring opponent was the Force of July, a group of patriotic metahumans who also regularly came into contact with the Suicide Squad. During this time, Geo-Force's half-sister Terra died as a traitor against the Teen Titans. Batman revealed his real identity as Bruce Wayne to the team (although they already knew it). Eventually, Halo's origins were revealed. Emily Briggs (who later became the super-heroine Looker and joined the team) was introduced. Denise Howard (the love interest of Geo-Force) appeared for the second time.

Without Batman
Baron Bedlam later returned to life. With the assistance of the Bad Samaritan, the Masters of Disaster and Soviet forces, he again tried to seize control of Markovia. Batman withheld this information, angering the rest of the team. This eventually led to Batman disbanding the team and returning to the Justice League. Nevertheless the team traveled to Markovia, discovering many Markovian military casualties. They were defeated by the Masters, and learn that Bedlam cloned Adolf Hitler; however, the Hitler clone committed suicide in horror of the atrocities perpetrated by his original. The Outsiders became unofficial agents of Markovia to receive Markovian funding. They moved to Los Angeles; Geo-Force left his girlfriend Denise behind, and Looker separated from her husband.

Outsiders (vol. 1, 1985–1988)
This series again featured the original group, and was printed in the Baxter paper format[4] used on such titles as The New Teen Titans (vol. 2) and the Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 3). It lasted for 28 issues, in addition to annual and special issues. The series originally ran alongside the Adventures of the Outsiders title, chronicling events a year after that series. In the end, the first few issues of this series were reprinted in Adventures of the Outsiders before that title was canceled.

Story
The team has moved into a new headquarters in Los Angeles, and once again becomes involved in an adventure with the Force of July (ending in Moscow). Villains such as the Duke of Oil and the Soviet super-team People's Heroes are introduced during this time. The team's adventures take them all over the globe, most notably when the Outsiders' plane is shot down and the team is marooned on a deserted island for three weeks. Tensions rise as Geo-Force tries to resign his leadership and he and Looker succumb to temptation. Eventually, the team is rescued.

More trouble arises when a detective is hired to look into Looker (now working as a model known as Lia Briggs) and her private life, and learns of her actual identity as Emily. The detective tries to blackmail her, but she hypnotizes him and forces him to leave. However, he is killed shortly afterward and Looker is arrested as a suspect. The Outsiders, fortunately, clear her name.

Reunion with Batman
The Outsiders are reunited with Batman when they band together to fight Eclipso. After the adventure, Batman gives them access to a batcave in Los Angeles. The team is also infiltrated by a clone of Windfall. Meanwhile, Looker and Geo-Force are guilty about their affair and eventually end it. Metamorpho faces his own personal problems with his wife, Sapphire Stagg-Mason. The clone of Windfall is ultimately killed; the Masters of Disaster are defeated, as the real Windfall joins the Outsiders. The team also meets the other Los Angeles-based team, Infinity, Inc.

Millennium
The team is next involved with the crossover event Millennium, wherein it is revealed that Dr. Jace is an operative of the villainous Manhunters[5] and kidnaps the team.[6] The team (now joined by the Atomic Knight) free themselves, but Dr. Jace blows up herself and Metamorpho.[7] Looker is called to return to Abyssia (the origin of her powers), where she must also face the Manhunters. During the adventure, she is drained of much of her power and returns to her normal form.[8] Halo is hit in the crossfire when saving Katana's life, and slips into a coma as Katana vows to look after her.[9] The team is disbanded by Geo-Force as Looker returns to her husband, and Batman rejoins the Justice League.[9]

Outsiders (vol. 2, 1993–1995)
This revival of the title in 1993 lasted 24 issues and was written by Mike W. Barr, with most issues penciled by Paul Pelletier.[10]

Story
Declared a traitor in his native Markovia, Geo-Force is forced to seek the help of old (and new) Outsiders to battle the vampire-lord who controls his country. This is later coupled with the framing of the Outsiders for the slaughter of a Markovian village, forcing them into hiding. This fugitive status motivates the Atomic Knight to go after them, hoping to bring in his former allies without too much trouble. He is eventually convinced of their innocence, and joins them.

The new members who join the team in Markovia are the magician Faust, the warsuit-wearing engineer and industrialist Technocrat and Wylde (Charlie Wylde), a friend of Technocrat who has been turned into a mountain bear by Faust's uncontrollable magic.

During the initial confrontation with the vampires, Looker is (apparently) killed. Hiding out in Gotham City, the Outsiders experience another loss as Technocrat's wife Marissa and Halo are killed during a fight with Batman (actually the man standing in for Bruce Wayne, Jean-Paul Valley). However, Halo's spirit survives in the reanimated body of Marissa. For some time afterward, Technocrat has trouble accepting that his wife (whose body is still walking around) is dead. Eventually it is discovered that Looker is not dead, but undead. The Outsiders find her, and free her from the vampire's control.

Split in two
After the defeat of the vampires, two teams (one composed of Geo-Force, Katana, and Technocrat; the other composed of the Eradicator, Looker, Wylde, Halo and Faust) claim the name of the Outsiders; both teams are considered fugitives for some time, thanks to questionable tactics by their new members. During this time the teams learn that Halo's (original) body has been brought back to life by the terrorist organization, Kobra. In control of her body is Violet Harper, the evil woman whose body Halo originally inhabited. She now has abilities similar to Halo's, calls herself Spectra and joins Strike Force Kobra with Dervish and Windfall. Both Kobra and Violet Harper are defeated.

The two teams unite to confront Felix Faust, father of the Outsider Faust. During the confrontation, the bear-like Wylde betrays the team when Felix promises to restore his humanity. The team defeats Felix Faust and Wylde, who eventually becomes an actual bear (without the ability to speak) and is kept in a zoo. The title ends with the clearing of the Outsiders' names and the marriage of Geo-Force and Denise Howard.

In the interim, the Halo entity is restored to Violet Harper's body, returning her to normal off-panel and a new team of Outsiders is formed and seen as active during the "Day of Judgement" crossover. Members of this new team include Geo-Force, Halo, Katana, and Terra II, who in the 1999 Titans Secret File series, left the team after a round of genetic tests performed by scientists failed to decipher Terra's genetically altered DNA, to tell who she was prior to being turned into a genetic doppelgänger of the original Terra.