Major Victory (DC Comics)
| Major Victory | |
|---|---|
|
Major Victory featured in the promotional art for Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #1 (Early June 2006) cover, by Daniel Acuña. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance |
(Vickers) Batman and The Outsiders Annual #1 (1984) (unknown) Adventures of Superman #612 (March 2003) (2nd unknown) Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #1 (2006) |
| Created by |
(Vickers) Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo (unknown) Joe Casey and Derec Aucoin (2nd unknown) Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego |
- William Vickers - Unknown - Unknown (may not be a new user of the name) |
| Team affiliations |
(Vickers) Force of July Suicide Squad Captains of Industry Shadow Fighters (2nd unknown) Freedom's Ring S.H.A.D.E. |
| Abilities |
(All) Suit provided enhanced strength, flight and energy blasts. |
The Major Victory name has been used by three fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. The name was first used by a character in Batman and The Outsiders Annual #1 (1984). He was affiliated with groups like Force of July, and Suicide Squad.
The next character to use the Major Victory name first appeared in Adventures of Superman #612 (March 2003). He appeared as a background character in a few Superman stories of the time. To date, the other identity of this character has not been revealed.
The current Major Victory active in the DC Universe, first appears in the miniseries Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven (2006), also as a government operative. This Major Victory may or may not be identical with the second Major Victory from the Superman stories.
William Vickers
The man born William Vickers started out as Major Victory, when the group known as the Force of July was founded. There was an organization called the American Security Agency who found five willing Americans to undergo tests and transformations to become a force for America — the Force of July — and made no efforts to keep this a secret. With apt codenames and a lot of pomp and circumstance, these patriots held America's flag high as they took on missions that B. Eric Blairman assigned to them in the name of the President. Major Victory becomes the leader.
Infinity and the Outsiders
The Force had many successes believing that what they were doing was absolutely right, no questions asked. Major Victory and his team are featured in the 1987 Outsiders special, which continues in a similar Infinity Inc. one-shot. The two teams investigate the Force's ties to the corrupt Prime Minister of the country of Markovia. The Outsiders member Geo-Force is the prince of that country. Major Victory leads the assault when a combined Infinity/Outsiders team infiltrates their California base. All the heroes are subdued. Major Victory personally defeats the Outsider members Looker and Katana. In reference to Katana's Asian heritage, Major Victory says "Never could figure it out. I can understand the Jap turning against us, but Looker--she's an American!"
The Janus Directive
In a comic crossover that includes the Suicide Squad, Checkmate and Firestorm titles called the Janus Directive, the Force of July is drawn into a battle with the Suicide Squad. Each side believes the other is acting against the interests of America. This is the result of plans by Kobra, an international terrorist. The Squad kills the Force's Mayflower, Sparkler. Blairman dies of a heart attack.[1]
Suicide Squad #30, art by John K. Snyder
Major Victory wants revenge against the Squad. Despite this, he serves with them reluctantly, battling Kobra's plans which would result in the deaths of many more innocent people. He learns Waller had orchestrated the original fight to give the impression to outside hostile forces that an attempt to replace Waller with a double had succeeded. Major Victory loses his remaining teammates Silent Majority and Lady Liberty who sacrifice themselves in attempts to stop Kobra.[2]
He comes to have a grudging respect for Amanda Waller and her tough ways. Afterwards, the United States government asks Major Victory to maintain his post with the Squad and report on Waller's activities.
On The Run
The Major refuses, reminding the government that he was a civilian and the man who provided him with the uniform and purposes in life, Blairman, was dead. The Major was going to follow his own conscience, and the government could not control that. Major Victory went underground for some time, keeping his activities covert, especially since at that time the Squad was disgraced and Waller was in jail, serving a one-year prison term.
Eventually Major Victory returns to public duty. He reunites with the Suicide Squad, under Black Adam's command, to help stop Circe from her holy war against the Earth and all humanity. It was during this mission that he met and was recruited by the Captains of Industry. He served with that team until its dissolution.
Eclipso
Bill is later seen amongst a group of heroes assembled by Amanda Waller to invade the island stronghold of Eclipso, a villain that can take over minds. This group of heroes is called the Shadow Fighters.
In issue #13 of the Eclipso series, several of the Shadow Fighters make their move. Eclipso easily moves among them, killing them one by one. Bill, side by side with the older hero Steel, is beaten to death by multiple Eclipso bodies.
His body, and the bodies of the other dead heroes, are retrieved in a risky mission by several surviving Shadow Fighters.
Replacement in Metropolis
A new Major Victory who, like his predecessor, has links to the United States government, appeared in the city of Metropolis a few years later. He was one of the first victims of the Hollow Men, drained by them of all color and energy, but he was later restored. He had but a few appearances in the Superman stories of the time.
S.H.A.D.E. agent
Revealed in Infinite Crisis Aftermath: The Battle for Blüdhaven #1, a new Major Victory was created by S.H.A.D.E. at some point before the Infinite Crisis for the American government, leading into a remake of the Force of July named Freedom's Ring, which included new versions of Lady Liberty and Silent Majority. This Major Victory may or may not be identical with the above mentioned Major from the Superman stories.
Freedom's Ring was called in on orders from the government to take control of the situation in Blüdhaven, serving as a meta police group to keep other metas out of the city. Freedom's Ring eventually ran into a group calling themselves the Nuclear Legion, themselves on orders from the Secret Society of Super Villains to investigate a radiation spike in Blüdhaven. In the aftermath of the fight, Silent Majority II and Lady Liberty II were killed, and Major Victory's superior Father Time denied him backup, leaving him alone against the Nuclear Legion and the Atomic Knight.
This Major Victory shares a number of traits with his original namesake; blond hair, athletic physique, the original's arrogance and allegiance to the American government. This version's power suit also exhibits the same blue-white energy blasts and enhanced strength as the previous version. According to him he has a history in "kicking butt in seven different countries", and like Vickers this Major Victory seems to have developed a form of conscience, displayed in his wondering about the government's experimentation on refugees.
In an attempt to control Major Force's battle lust, Major Victory instead wound up having his arm ripped off and being beaten with it by Major Force. Major Victory reappears with his arm in issue #7.
Powers and abilities
- None of the Majors Victory are naturally in possession of meta-human powers; their superhuman abilities come from the special suits they wear. They are also trained to the peak of human perfection.
- The original Major Victory also had a charismatic personality that made it easy for him to lead others. In contrast, however, he was also arrogant and did not handle the authority of others very well.