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We’ve previously wondered if DC was preparing a stealth reintroduction for the Justice League as part of the mysterious Absolute Power: Task Force Seven series launching in July as part of DC’s summer 2024 event, but perhaps there’s a more obvious answer to the question posed by the title lying right there in view: What if Amanda Waller is just building a new Suicide Squad that acts as her own version of the Justice League?

As we’ve previously established, Waller — the driving force behind Absolute Power, as she makes a move to steal the super-powers of all existing superhumans in the DCU — is aware that people with super powers can solve problems that others simply cannot; her problem is that she can’t control the people with the super powers the way she’d like. So… what if she could?

Again, the high concept behind Absolute Power is that Waller is going to take the powers of superheroes away from them… but what if she then decided to give them to other people? Specifically, people that she knew and could trust to do whatever she wanted, for any number of reasons. Don’t forget: as the mover and the shaker behind the Suicide Squad, Waller is very fond of placing remote-control bombs in people’s heads, or elsewhere on their bodies. And also don’t forget: the official government assignation for the Suicide Squad was Task Force X. So… what does that make Task Force Seven?

The “seven” part is important, of course, because the Justice League was formed by seven heroes — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter — with that core cast being described as “The Big 7” both inside the DCU and outside, by creators referring to that original line-up. For many, the idea of a group of seven characters inside the DCU inherently references the Justice League. If it’s not that, then what else could it be? A revival of former Wildstorm/New 52 seriesTeam 7? Surely not.

Will Task Force Seven end up being a brand new Suicide Squad made up of people with the powers of the Justice League…? And if so, just why did Waller make herself a new team? All will start being revealed this July, when Absolute Power begins in earnest. Until then, keep your eyes on Popverse for any and all news about the upcoming event.

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