Villains United #4
Villains United #4 is the pivotal middle chapter of one of the four Infinite Crisis prelude miniseries, and it delivers a narrative coup: the Secret Six — a team of second-tier rogues defying Lex Luthor's all-encompassing Secret Society — raid a H.I.V.E. stronghold in Brasilia and liberate Jason Rusch's Firestorm, simultaneously introducing the shadowed first glimpse of Gehenna, the mysterious fellow prisoner who would become a major figure in the post-Infinite Crisis Firestorm mythology. The issue also marks the first issue in which Scandal Savage adopts a costume, a character-defining moment for one of Gail Simone's most enduring creations. Taken together, these debut moments make the issue a quiet but consequential node in the DC Universe's 2005 restructuring.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Villains United was written by Gail Simone and illustrated primarily by Dale Eaglesham and inker Wade Von Grawbadger as one of four miniseries DC commissioned to bridge Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis. Simone has recounted publicly that her original outline featured an all-star cast of A-list villains, but editorial restrictions barred every major name she requested, forcing her to build the Secret Six from comparatively obscure characters — a constraint that, paradoxically, gave the series its distinctive voice and character depth. Issue #4 returned to the core Eaglesham/Von Grawbadger art team after Eaglesham had missed issue #3 due to illness, with Val Semeiks stepping in as a fill-in for that one chapter.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published August 10, 2005 (cover-dated October 2005); written by Gail Simone, pencilled by Dale Eaglesham, inked by Wade Von Grawbadger, colored by Sno-Cone Studio, lettered by Pat Brosseau.
- Part 4 of the six-issue Villains United limited series, itself one of four DC miniseries serving as preludes to Infinite Crisis (2005–2006).
- The Secret Six infiltrate a Society-controlled H.I.V.E. base in Brasilia where the Society is holding metahuman power sources — including Firestorm (Jason Rusch) — to fuel a plan to mindwipe every superhuman hero on Earth.
- First appearance (in shadow, page 19) of Gehenna, a character created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham who would become Jason Rusch's love interest and eventual Firestorm matrix partner in the ongoing Firestorm series.
- First issue in which Scandal Savage adopts a costume, according to the Grand Comics Database.
- The Firestorm subplot depicted here occurs in continuity between Firestorm vol. 3 #16 and #17, tying the miniseries directly into Jason Rusch's solo title.
- Issue has been reprinted three times: in the Villains United trade paperback (DC, January 2006), in The Infinite Crisis Omnibus (DC, August 2012), and in Secret Six vol. 1 — Villains United (DC, April 2015).
- Villain lineup on the Society side includes Lex Luthor, Black Adam, Talia al Ghul, Dr. Psycho, Calculator, Queen Bee (Zazzala), and the Royal Flush Gang — the issue also features Post-Crisis first appearances of several Royal Flush Gang members (Deuce Canyard as Jack of Spades, Queen of Spades III, King of Spades V, Ace of Spades V, Ten of Spades V).
Cast · 3 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Villains United #[nn] (2006), The Infinite Crisis Omnibus #[nn] (2012), Secret Six #1 (2015), Secret Six by Gail Simone Omnibus #1 (2024)
Key issues in Villains United
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