Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe

From Checkmate to Argus and the DEO, spies have waged war in the dark corners of the DC Universe for almost a century. Here’s your guide to some of the DCU’s top government agencies and covert agents.

Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe
  The Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans is rumored to date back to the American Revolution

The Agency

Amanda Waller - aka The Wall - was around in the early years of The Agency, initially run by a council with the titles of White (Intelligence) and Black (Operations) Kings and Queens. Waller ordered Police Lieutenant Harry Stein to transform the Agency into ‘Checkmate’ in 1988's Action Comics #598, refocusing it as a global intelligence agency to protect US interests.

APES (All-Purpose Enforcement Squad)

HQ’d in Mount Rushmore, this secretive US government organization within the Department of Extranormal Operations has ties to many agencies including the FBI and CIA. Apes’ top agents, Donald Fite and Ishido Maad - known as Fite 'n Maad - hounded the Young Justice team in the early days.

ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans)

Operating under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security, Argus is under the command of Amanda Waller and Col. Steve Trevor and is sometimes portrayed as a parent agency to Checkmate and Suicide Squad. It is a support group to Batman and the Justice League, supplying resources.

ASA (American Security Agency)

ASA has supervised a US team of super-agents called the Force of July and initially appeared in Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1 (September 1984).

BAA (Bureau of Amplified Animals)

BAA is a US government agency that monitors and deploys enhanced animal super-operatives including Rex the Wonder Dog and Detective Chimp.

Black Dragon Society

Based on a WWII organization, a Japanese spy ring called the Black Dragon Society of Japan has stolen American inventions and kidnapped their inventors. In later versions, the Black Dragon Society are eco-terrorists.

Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe

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From Checkmate to Argus and the DEO, spies have waged war in the dark corners of the DC Universe for almost a century. Here’s your guide to some of the DCU’s top government agencies and covert agents.

Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe
  The Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans is rumored to date back to the American Revolution

The Agency

Amanda Waller - aka The Wall - was around in the early years of The Agency, initially run by a council with the titles of White (Intelligence) and Black (Operations) Kings and Queens. Waller ordered Police Lieutenant Harry Stein to transform the Agency into ‘Checkmate’ in 1988's Action Comics #598, refocusing it as a global intelligence agency to protect US interests.

APES (All-Purpose Enforcement Squad)

HQ’d in Mount Rushmore, this secretive US government organization within the Department of Extranormal Operations has ties to many agencies including the FBI and CIA. Apes’ top agents, Donald Fite and Ishido Maad - known as Fite 'n Maad - hounded the Young Justice team in the early days.

ARGUS (Advanced Research Group Uniting Super-Humans)

Operating under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security, Argus is under the command of Amanda Waller and Col. Steve Trevor and is sometimes portrayed as a parent agency to Checkmate and Suicide Squad. It is a support group to Batman and the Justice League, supplying resources.

ASA (American Security Agency)

ASA has supervised a US team of super-agents called the Force of July and initially appeared in Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1 (September 1984).

BAA (Bureau of Amplified Animals)

BAA is a US government agency that monitors and deploys enhanced animal super-operatives including Rex the Wonder Dog and Detective Chimp.

Black Dragon Society

Based on a WWII organization, a Japanese spy ring called the Black Dragon Society of Japan has stolen American inventions and kidnapped their inventors. In later versions, the Black Dragon Society are eco-terrorists.

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Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe
The Central Bureau of Investigation


CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)

The CBI is akin to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which also appears in the DC Universe. It isn’t always clear whether the CBI or fictional FBI hold more power.

Checkmate

Created from the ashes of its predecessor The Agency (see above), Checkmate was initially set up by Waller as a branch of Task Force X and is now re-chartered as a UN Security Council-affiliated agency. The identities of its members are top secret.

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)

Batman (actor Lewis Wilson) was initially a counter-espionage agent battling Japanese spy Dr. Daka in WWII. The caped crusader’s ties to the CIA remained strong during the Cold War as Batman discussed Soviet spy KGBeast with CIA Agent Ralph Bundy. And when Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane scooped an exclusive interview with a General during a CIA op in Africa, the Agency moved in quickly. 

DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations)

The DEO is a branch of the US government concerned with the superhuman, magical, and alien. They are connected with the Suicide Squad and Knightwatch.

Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe
FBI agent Cliff Cornwall relied on his crime-solving skills rather than superhero abilities


FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The fictional investigative arm of the US Department of Justice, DC Universes’ FBI serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and a domestic intelligence agency. Cliff Cornwall is one of the Bureau’s highly specialized agents, so sought after he is seconded to Army Intelligence on occasion.

Finger, Eye & Ear

The Finger (secret police), the Eye (CCTV monitoring), and the Ear (phone surveillance) are the three branches of overt government surveillance depicted in the dystopian Britain of Alan Moore’s legendary V for Vendetta which morphed into a 10-issue DC series.

Force of July

A superhuman strike force with a paramilitary slant, the field team is funded by the ASA but have also come under the leadership of maverick extremists. As a result, some officials don’t trust them. Major Victory (Bill Vickers) heads the team in the field.

Spies & Covert Agencies in the DC Universe
Hayoth, a division of the Mossad


Hayoth

The four covert operatives who act as a special division of the Mossad first came into contact with the West when Amanda Waller (see above) was contracted to capture Kobra. She found out about Hayoth's existence from an Egyptian operative named Nazair.

I.O. (International Operations)

While its origins are murky, some believe the fictional CIA founded I.O. in 1964 to safeguard US interests. In The Wild Storm continuity, I.O. began as a classified joint intelligence commission in the 1950s. At some point, I.O. controlled the secret space program Skywatch. Its key ability is purportedly its' access to data. Spy John Lynch (alias Topkick) was once a top agent of I.O. and later led Team 7.

MAZE

MAZE was an international espionage agency that stole information to sell to the highest bidder, discredited political dissidents, and assassinated world leaders. They first appeared in Superman #268 and often battled Batgirl and Robin in the 1970s.

Quorum

The Quorum is a clandestine department of an unnamed government agency that funded the Blood Pack, a superhero team made up of ‘New Bloods’ who tried to create a superhuman Army.

Digger Harkness, disguised as Batman, is interrogated by the Red Shadows


Red Shadows

Do the Red Shadows still exist? Rumor has it the team never did disband. Consisting of ex-members from Blue Trinity and the People's Heroes, they are a covert military group formerly under the suspected authority of the KGB and Major Zastrow.

Shade (Superhuman Advanced Defensive Executive)

Initially a counterterrorism organization called the Creature Commandos, Shade’s agents were products of the science division and specialized in monsters. They later took on the role of Checkmate when Maxwell Lord's manipulations of the covert agency were brought to light.

Spyral

Sometimes known as the Second Hand, Spyral is a former UN covert operations agency founded during the Cold War which recruited rebels, daredevils, and rogue geniuses. It is purportedly one of the world's most dangerous espionage organizations and is headed by the Tiger King of Kandahar, aka Patron.

Squad K

Squad K is a government strike force team led by Percy Hazard which aims to bring down a rogue Superman or any Kryptonian.

Team 7 

Team 7 is a team of the finest and best operatives from all of the government forces including the CIA, NSA, FBI, Army, and Marines. 

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