Amanda Waller

Real Name: Amanda Blake

Alias: Amanda Waller, Black King, Mockingbird, White Queen, The Wall

Identity: Public

Age: 44

Species: Human

Physical Appearance: Amanda Waller is a heavy black woman nearing middle age. She has a one-sided love for donuts, weighing in around 200lbs and standing exactly 5'1". She keeps her dense curly hair cropped close to her head in a no-nonsense style.

She dresses for the office at all times, wearing dark suits with a skirt that always comes down to her knees and wears sensible low heels, also plain. Her one concession to fashion is a pair of pearl studs and a pearl necklace that was an anniversary gift from her late husband. Her expression is never welcoming and her dark brown eyes always seem to be saying 'get on with it or get out of my office.'

Personality: Amanda Waller is the top, full metal b!tch and she makes sure you know it. She is curt, cold, sarcastic and doesn't care about your feelings. She will blackmail, intimidate and use every dirty move in the book (half of which she invented) to get her way. Waller is as driven as she is paranoid -- unless she has leverage on someone, she doesn't trust them, and even then she'll trust that they'll do what she wants because she has leverage. To that end, she spares utterly no expense in getting what she needs to ensure success in her mission. Money, time, lives -- these are of little importance to her, so long as she gets what she needs.

Seeing little point in hollow threats, she is ready, willing and able to carry out lethal force on the spot in order to sway minds. There are no lengths she will balk at, no moral questions that will make her hesitate. If you want the impossible, Waller will get it done ahead of schedule. She is absolutely cut-throat and makes no apologies for it.

Waller sees herself as a protector, the only person willing to do the dirty work to ensure America stays safe from the possible threat of metahumans. She is quite willing to capture and ruthlessly control villains to bend them to her will -- thus generating the rather successful Suicide Squad. (And she makes sure it isn't just a snappy title.) Waller is a well-intentioned extremist as she will do some truly despicable things, but it's all because it must be done for the greater good in her eyes.

Amanda has no soft spots. She doesn't fear anyone or anything except for extreme situations, but will stare death in the eye unflinching. She is also very proud, unable to admit she is wrong or has been fooled until it's staring her in the face. Granted, she has good reason to believe she is never wrong or been played because she makes a point of doing that to everyone else first. However, when she has been shown her error (if any) she does not hold grudges; instead she is swift to correct the mistake with precise application of overwhelming force. Rest assured, she is very adaptable and makes safeguards to ensure it will never happen again.

Waller commands a calculating and ruthless intelligence, compared often to Batman; except Amanda has no use for an asset that will not obey orders.



Powers: None



Abilities:

• Espionage: Waller not only studied, she added to the book on 'spying.' She has access to everything, from phone taps and satellites, down to field agents and is even willing to use psychics to get what she needs. Waller can find out anything about anyone on short notice and she never loses track of someone. If someone has a skeleton in their closet, Waller has its GPS coordinates.
  
  
• Firearms: Waller is proficient in the use of firearms and practices regularly to keep her skills sharp.

• Hand-to-Hand: Waller is sufficiently trained in hand to hand combat, more capable of defending herself than many would assume judging purely by her physique. She has accompanied the Squad into the field a number of times, never being a detriment.
  
  
• Indomitable Will: Only death can stop Amanda Waller and even then, it better get ready to be blackmailed. When everyone else sees no option, she makes one. When everyone else says, 'that's impossible' she'll methodically bring all her power to bear to make sure 'impossible' is lowered to 'suicidal'. She does not stop, no matter what gets between her and her goal. She never shows fear or anything but totally unflappable, iron confidence and the will to do what has to be done.
  
  
• Intimidation: Anyone can find out secrets. Everyone has a measure of power, whether they think or realize they do or not. But not everyone knows how to use it properly. Waller does not back down and does not show fear, preferring instead to instill fear into others. Telling someone you know their secret is only as effective as the delivery method. She's been able to make some of the most strong-willed heroes balk at confronting her.
  
  
• Manipulation: Thanks to her long career in espionage, Waller can dig up whatever leverage she needs to get people to 'cooperate,' no matter how fantastic or exorbitant that leverage may be. No one is to be trusted, but behavior can be studied, anticipated, and manipulated; and someone you've forced to behave is more reliable than simple trust. She ensures she's got an ace up her sleeve in regards to everyone, even loyal soldiers under her command.
  
  
• Political Science: She holds a degree in political science. This allows her to navigate the trenches of the political landscape with ease. She knows who to talk to, stalk, blackmail, and give donations to and how to utilize the endless intricacies of the political system to cover it up.
  
  
• Tactical Analysis: Waller is a genius when it comes to developing a strategy. Her battlefield is not fought with tanks and soldiers, but with secrets and minds. She knows just how to manipulate, anticipate and prepare for every possible threat. Nothing happens without her already having thought of it. Not only does she develop a defense ahead of time, she plans for a counter attack as well. Multiples. With extra redundancies.

Weapons/Equipment:

• Tablet: This is state-of-the-art tablet with the best encryption and security available in the world -- it updates every few days. This is Waller's direct line to all her information on anyone and anything she needs. She's never seen without it and it will only operate with her specific biometric scan. (It has hand print, retina and voice locks.)
  
  
• Smith & Wesson 500: This massive handgun is meant for hunting big game in North America. It chambers a .500 magnum round. 5 shots, single and double action. This will put a very big hole in anything the breathes and weak to sudden perforations syndrome. Waller is always carrying this in a flashbang holster, and keeps additional moon clips on hand for quick reloading.
  
  
• Satellite Phone: This is also heavily encrypted and allows her to make calls anywhere at any time.

History: Amanda Blake grew up in the infamous slums of Cabrini Green in Chicago. At 18 years old, she married her husband, Joseph Waller. In short order, they had 5 children; Joe Jr, Damita, twins Martin and Jesse, and Coretta. Life was difficult financially, and they relied on social programs but they were happy. Then the world showed it's ugly side. While off to college on a basketball scholarship, Joe Jr. was murdered in a mugging gone wrong. Damita was raped and murdered on her way home from church. Despite knowing who the perpetrator was, a conviction was impossible without witnesses. Her husband went to avenge their daughter by killing her murderer, known as "The Candyman", and both men shot each other dead.

That day, Amanda swore the streets would never claim anymore of her family. She worked hard to put her kids, and then herself through college, earning a degree in political science. She approached congressional candidate Marvin Collins to be his campaign director and, thanks to her efforts, he was elected and took her to Washington as his aid. There, Amanda discovered old Task Force X files while going through old bills and asked to revive the Suicide Squad with her at the helm.

Given permission, Amanda rebuilt Task Force X, with the its former leader Rick Flag assigned as her subordinate. Flag and Waller would be continuously at odds, as he has reservations about her ruthless agenda and her only interest is his ability to follow orders. This would go on to characterize their difficult working relationship for years. Nightshade was the second recruited member, assigned the position of an undercover operative. Waller's first target was Brimstone, who was analyzed by a team of scientists for weaknesses. Shortly after, Waller put together a new Suicide Squad lead by Flag, with members including Blockbuster, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang and Enchantress. In exchange for their service, the criminals would be offered pardons for numerous crimes; in true Amanda Waller fashion, they are also fitted with explosive necklaces that detonate if they disobey orders or attempt escape.

This first Squad destroyed Brimstone at Mount Rushmore, with Blockbuster the only casualty -- this far exceeded Waller's expectations, as she had anticipated them to all die. Waller wanted to keep them in custody but Flag insisted on honoring their deal and released them. It did't take long until Captain Boomerang was captured by G. Gordon Godfrey; Boomerang threatened to expose the Suicide Squad unless he was rescued. Amanda gave orders to shut Captain Boomerang up by any means necessary. However, Flag doggedly resolved the problem non-lethally. Waller presented her case to the president and thanks to the Squad's successes, he let the team continue to operate on a provisional basis.

After, Waller set up the team in Louisiana's Belle Reve prison, with John Economos as warden. Psychologists Simon LaGrieve and Marnie Herrs examined the inmates, warning Waller that the entire team is unstable. As before, this did not faze her. The team was next sent to destroy the terrorist group Jihad in Quarac. Waller authorized Doctor Moon and Karin Grace to mindwipe the traitor Plastique. A furious Flag later confronted her on this and Amanda conceded she was in the wrong.

Belle Reve was then attacked by the Female Furies of Apokolips and successfully escaped with prisoner G. Gordon Godfrey.

On another mission, the Suicide Squad was tasked with taking down the racist vigilante William Hell, but Waller insisted on discrediting him so as not to make him a martyr for the 'white power' movement.

The president then ordered Waller to send the Squad to arrest Firestorm, with the incompetent NSC liaison Derek Tolliver in charge.

Despite Waller's protests, for purely political reasons, the team was also sent to rescue imprisoned author Zoya Trigorin in Moscow. LaGrieve acted as a counselor for Waller in this time. Upon their return, Amanda confronted Tolliver for irresponsibly sending the team to Moscow. His response was that her team was expendable. This got him a solid punch in the face from a furious Amanda Waller. She soundly rebuked him, insisting that just because they are expendable, that doesn't mean their lives could be throw away like garbage. Flag had a breakdown after this mission and was relieved of duty.

During a political summit, Waller sported an inter-agency rivalry with General Eiling. The Suicide Squad was sent to destroy the Manhunter temple with explosives, unaware that Waller had expected them to die in the blast. During this time, Batman also infiltrated Belle Reve and threatened to expose the Squad. Not to be intimidated, Waller threatened Batman with exposing his secret identity. Flag managed to catch Batman off guard and impressively held his ground in the ensuing fight. Impressed, Waller reinstated Flag as commander of the Suicide Squad.

Once more, Waller was forced to send Rick Flag on another mission she disagreed with on political grounds, rescuing Hawk in Nicaragua. The rest of the team was sent to Xavier Cujo, a drug czar. When Nightshade pointed out an illegal assassination constituted murder, Waller replied that it was justice, not murder. Upon the successful assassination, Speedy informed Waller that she did nothing but create a power vacuum. At this point, The Agency was reorganized by Harry Stein to become Checkmate, under Task Force X. Amanda Waller remained their boss.

When ordered to rescue the operative Nemesis from behind lines in the Soviet Union, Rick Flag directly disobeyed. A truly furious Amanda has the president send Justice League International to stop them. Maxwell Lord, the publicist for the JLI, made threats to expose them but Waller successfully kept him quiet with threats of violence. Meanwhile, the president was blackmailed by Senator Cray and was forced to authorize the Suicide Squad to help his reelection campaign. Bitterly, Waller was forced to work under none other than Derek Tolliver, now Cray's aide, or risk being fired. In a rare unguarded moment, Amanda confided in Bronze Tiger, revealing that he was to be the leader of the Squad, but Flag had been imposed on her for suspected racist causes. Despite this setback, the team was regrouped under Waller as she led them to save the world from Doctor ZZ. The Jihad returned to attack Manhatten to demand that Waller's team be handed over. Waller ordered Flag to not intervene and yet again, he disobeyed her. She coldly reminded him to do the job right this time.

Due to Waller's inability to deal and compromise with her people, Nemesis left the team, a US senator was killed and this indirectly led to the death of Rick Flag Jr. Still, the Suicide Squad remained loyal to her, siding with her instead of the government. It was revealed that Amanda kept heroes like Nightshade around to act as her conscience. Still, Waller struggled to reign in and fully control the unstable nature of the Squad; this only worsened when the Squad was publicly revealed and she was officially replaced. However her 'replacement' was simply an act and Waller remained in control behind the scenes. However, that secret would also be brought to light and Waller would be put on trial. During this time, the Squad became involved in an inter-agency conflict in a crossover between the Checkmate and Suicide Squad titles called the Janus Directive. Waller was charged as guilty for using the squad to kill the leadership of a crime cartel in New Orleans called LOA, and was sentenced to serve time in prison.

A year later, Waller was pardoned and released at the behest of Sarge Steel in order to reorganize the Squad as a freelance mercenary group. He needed them to deal with a crisis in Vlatava at the time, the home country of Count Vertigo. The Suicide Squad continued to perform a variety of missions, during which time Waller became closer to her operatives, even accompanying them on some field missions. She did not, however, lose her dominant and threatening personality. Eventually the Squad disbanded as Waller became disillusioned with her life.

Amanda Waller was also behind much of the organization of superheroes to confront Eclipso. During this time, she also confronted Sarge Steel. The first team she put together failed miserably, with most of them brutally murdered. The second team, this time much larger, had great success.

Under the tenure of President Luthor, Waller rejoined federal service, at first as a regional director for the Department of Extranormal Operations. Eventually, through her dedication and hard work, she was promoted to Secretary of Metahuman Affairs. This also made her a member of the Luthor Administration. Luthor used her as he saw fit during this time, notably one of the few who could.

During this time, Luthor revived and funded a defunct secret division under executive order. Originally, it had been a privately-owned lab created by Doctor Dabney Donovan and the Newsboy Legion and secretly funded by Luthor, which created the hero known as Superboy several years prior. Luthor let the lab crumble when running for office turned too much heat on his business and background, but when he had the Presidency secured, he restarted the lab with much more freedom and funding. This division would be responsible for not only researching metahumans, but evaluating their threat level to the country and the world, and developing appropriate countermeasures by any means necessary. This would be known as CADMUS, it's very existence known to very few. As Secretary of Metahuman Affairs, Waller was in charge of building and developing this program, which would also be responsible for black ops strikes, chiefly performed by the Suicide Squad and other assets as they were created and deemed necessary.

After Luthor's tenure, Waller faded from the public eye and another was appointed as Secretary. However she still reigns over CADMUS and the Suicide Squad, working in absolute secrecy to ensure the safety of world -- even from it's own heroes. Very very few people know of the existence of CADMUS as only one test subject has ever truly escaped. This subject is codenamed "Ace."

Shortly after the escape of Ace and the subsequent posturing threats from Batman, Amanda kept working long into the evening, as per usual. Setting aside yet MORE reports of mysterious disappearances for tomorrow, she retired at in the early morning for the night. While in the shower, she had what can only be described as a premonition, an inescapable sense of impending change. She had just enough time to step out of the shower, throw on a robe and call her dog to her before she appeared in a New Earth. 



Weaknesses:

• Only Human: Amanda Waller is just human and can be killed through mundane means.
  
  
• I Love Donuts: Waller has a love affair with donuts. She isn't athletic. She isn't going to run marathons. She's a heavy gal and she knows it and she doesn't care. It is to be noted that she does do stationary biking and keeps strong enough to handle her hand cannon, but she is much too busy to bother with acquiring a svelte figure.
  
  
• Arrogance: Waller doesn't trust people, she trusts motives. She is so on top of things, so paranoid about acquiring all possible information and fail safes and secrets, she cannot accept when she is wrong about something without overwhelming evidence. When told she's wrong or she's missing something or she's being manipulated, she will not believe it. Not until she goes back, thoroughly examines it for herself and reaches her own decision.
  
  
• Fear of Failure: Waller's entire life revolves around doing whatever is necessary for the safety of America and to neutralize the imminent threat of metahumans. Not only to protect innocents as a whole, but also her own family that's been ravaged by a vicious world. She seeks to put a collar on crime and force it to do good. Elimination isn't good enough, because, as the saying goes, 'pull up one weed, and ten more grow.' She fears everything she's done, all the cruelty, all the dirty work and heartless decisions will be for nothing. She fears she'll end up doing more harm than good and in the end, she'll be judged for it.

Other Information:

• Matter of Time: To understand Waller, you must understand that she doesn't think of metahumans and vigilantes as a possible threat. They ARE a threat and she's not about to simply trust that their good intentions will always hold true. To her, it's just a matter of time until one or all of them decide they'd get a lot more out of using their power for personal gain. People cannot be trusted. Motivations change. But they can be controlled.
  
  
• You've Got Mail: Blackmail. Waller has absolutely NO patience for petty little senators that want their palms greased twenty times a week. Or are simply blowing hot air and threatening to impede her operations unless she does them a 'favor.' Sure, she'll make deals. But only if it's in the budget of her time, patience and if she gets more out of it than she has to give. If those criteria are not met, she'll simply use a bit of leverage and suddenly roadblocks disappear.
  
  
• Whatever It Takes: To keep everyone safe from the mercurial mercies of metahumans, Waller will do anything. She'll collar madmen, she'll make back room deals, she'll trade favor for favor. Even if the law gets in the way, she doesn't care. The law was made for people, not flying invincible aliens that could slaughter Capitol Hill and no one can stop them. So while Waller largely follows the letter of the law, she realizes there are times the law endangers itself.
  
  If there's one rule of thumb Waller goes by, it's 'The end justifies the means.' And how.
  
  
• She has a dog, a German Shepherd named Patton. Patton is fiercely loyal and extremely well trained. Amanda trained him and is the one of few beings in this world she openly loves.
  
  
• She is a Baptist.
  
  
• Waller is diligent about separating her family life and her professional life. She goes to great lengths to hide the fact she has a family and keeps them safe from a distance. Without their knowledge, she has also 'persuaded' certain people that might impeded her family, such as crooked land lords or employers who have a history of sexual harassment. Needless to say, Waller's kids often find their path in life has been smoothed without knowing she's the one behind it. That being said, she has never done anything illegal to advance her children -- like bribing to get them a job or forcing a bank to approve a loan. This is because she believes in success through hard work and forcing rewards that haven't been earned will only result in disaster.
  
  
• Waller never misses or forgets a birthday, anniversary, or holiday with her family. Despite her busy schedule, she always remembers why she fights and makes time to be with her family. She is also not wholly unreasonable when it comes to families of the Suicide Squad. She is willing to make deals albeit with massive conditions to be upheld first.

RP Sample:

This is where they kept the worst. Rapists. Murderers. Mafia lords. Enemies of the state. Threats to the public. Criminally insane. The 'men' here barely qualified as such. Most had in fact degraded further, kept locked up in isolation cells or in some cases, physically strapped down most days. They say a mind starts to slip when it has nothing to eat but itself. The violent become berserk, the strange become disturbing; interestingly, the crazy ones don't change much. One might even say they were dependable in their unpredictability.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The concrete halls were quiet, most days. The screams, gibbering and hushed whispers couldn't escape the prison walls any better than prisoners themselves. Unless food was coming or someone had managed to do damage with teeth, nails and soft plastic cups, the halls were silent. After too many incidents, women were no longer allowed in this wing of the prison. So when the familiar click-clack of heels on the concrete broke the whispering hush, it drew attention.

Unshaven faces were pressed to the bars of their little windows to peer out with mad-glazed eyes. Mouths locked too-long in rictus grins spread wider as the figure of a female -- fat, short, yes, but still female -- passed their squalid cells of hell. Chewed fingernails scraped the air as she passed by, while voices rusty from disuse offered all manner of crude and disturbing offers.

They were ignored. She had no interest in them. Nearly all that ended up here were broken wastes of humanity. Too dysfunctional to even clean a toilet, much less be of use to her. But now and then, an individual ended up here for actions extreme, yes, but admirably so. Now and then, a weapon might be found in the prison yard that all others had left to rot.

The heels stopped before cell 343. The small six-by-six barred window revealed the haggard outline of a man sitting on his bed, illuminated by an anemic shaft of sunlight. He had sunlight still -- a good sign. Those that could not behave lost that privilege.

After several minutes of sullen silence, he finally spoke. "Whaddya want?"

"I want you to work for me."

Silence then. Then a bitter chuckle drifted past the bars. "Don't remember sendin' out any resume."

"But you have. News reports know little. But I know everything. Your work impressed me. I could use someone like that. Someone that's resourceful. Determined. Has nothing to lose."

The shadowy figure move fast. One second he was on the bed, head in his hands, the next instant he had his hands wrapped around the bars. Knuckles whitened as furious eyes glared at her from the dim cell. "What makes you think I'll do anything you say?"

"Our interests are the same. I'm offering you a chance to put your skills to good use against certain people. People like you used to work for. People that took interest in your wife."

The bars squealed as his hands tightened further. A low, nearly animal, growl threatened her to go no further. "What makes you think they'll just let me walk out of here? No one has that kinda power, lady. Nobody."

"I do. There's no one like me because I do what no one else can. You're going to waste in here but I can give you the tools, and more importantly, the freedom to continue your work. So long as you do it on my terms. Of course, if you'd rather stare at the same four walls the rest of your life..."

She turned and walked away before a hoarse "Stop!" made her pause. Unseen by him, her lips twitched into a slight smirk.

"If I agree... If I work for you... how soon can I get out of here? What guarantee do I have you're not gonna screw me over too?"

Twisting toward him slightly, as though barely interested, she shot a cool look at the inmate. "You don't. But I can get you out right now. Whether or not you believe me isn't my concern. I'm a very busy woman. I haven't time to wait for you to think. And if you can't decide..." She turned away again and only made a step away.

"Wait! I'll do it! Get me out of here. Get me out and I'll work for you," he hissed. "Whatever you want. Just get me out!"

A wave of her hand and the electronic lock beeped. The door swung open before his surprised eyes. He took a hesitant step forward. When nothing happened, no alarms went off, no gang of armored police rammed into him, he walked into the center of the hall, looking around as if seeing it for the first time. His eyes landed on the short, unimpressive woman before him. "How do you know I won't attack you?"

"You kill for a very specific reason. I don't fit that criteria. And even if you tried, you wouldn't get far."

A flicker of shadows, a cold blade pressed to his throat. Nightshade winked at him before she flickered away again, disappearing into shadow.

Licking chapped lips, he looked at his dubious savior again, this time much more wary. "Who the hell are you?"

A cold smirk. "My name is Amanda Waller. And now you work for me."

OOC Information

OOC Name: Razzy
Character color: #b37eb3
Group title: The Iron Lady
Face Claim: Comic art