History TheMole / ComicBooks

* As soon as Creator/ChrisClaremont returned to the ''Franchise/XMen'', he revealed that Tessa (aka Sage) had been a Reverse Mole for the X-Men... for the first 20 years of her editorial history! Previously, she seemed to just be the telepathic secretary of the Hellfire Club's Sebastian Shaw.
* In Creator/MarvelComics, The Shroud has been undercover as a supervillain since the '80s, even going so far as to form the Night Shift, a team of supervillains with no idea their boss is working to destroy the underworld from within. ComicBook/WerewolfByNight was also a member of the team, and since he was faking a FaceHeelTurn for the role (especially since a former foe of his, Tatterdemalion, was also on the team), was the only member of the team the Shroud trusted with his secret. When the Shroud left the Night Shift, Werewolf left as well.
* [[spoiler:Femme Appeal]] from the [[Creator/KaboomComics Boom! Kids]] ''ComicBook/DarkwingDuck'' comic.
* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', Klaw sabotages Doctor Doom's godlike powers [[spoiler: subconsciously, because the Beyonder has taken him over.]]
* ''ComicBook/Robin1993'': The cold assassin that Dodge brought on as part of his villain team up to take down Robin turns out to be Ravager having the time of her life messing with them while keeping Robin and the ComicBook/TeenTitans appraised of their plans. She's downright gleeful when the time comes to take them down and she gets to suddenly attack her "allies" and reveal her identity.
* Rob and the Jesters plant Much as a mole inside the Nobles biker gang in ''ComicBook/SherwoodTexas''.

* Frank Wolff, Calculus's assistant in ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' album ''Destination Moon/Explorers on the Moon''.
* The comic series ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' has had several--Rodney Greenfield (who pretends to be a Mundy, not a Fable, and who the reader knows is a spy from the end of his first appearance), [[spoiler: the ironically named Trusty John (he IS trusty--just to his original master, who has joined the Adversary), Red Riding Hood (actually two different shapeshifting witches--the second being Baba Yaga), Ichabod Crane, and Bluebeard--although the one that he is secretly helping is Goldilocks, not the Adversary]].
* In Marvel UK’s ''ComicBook/GeneDogs'', team member Panther - a mole for recurring villains [[EvilInc Mys-Tech]] - is promptly killed in the first issue. Mission control knew she was a mole, but not whether she was working alone (so hadn’t told the rest of the team). Her replacement’s first job is to check the loyalty of the survivors.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':
** Mondo from ''ComicBook/GenerationX'' was revealed to be a traitor planted on the team to help destroy it from the inside. He reveals his teammates' weaknesses to his master, longtime X-Men foe Black Tom Cassidy.
** In ''ComicBook/Extermination2018'', the French twins rescued by the Blue team turn out to be working for Ahab.
** Storm of ''ComicBook/XMenForever'' was revealed to be a spy for an evil shadow group.
** In ''ComicBook/{{Wolverines}}'', Mystique is secretly working at cross-purposes to the rest of the group, using information left to her by Destiny to use them for her own ends.
* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': The titulalr hero's weakness for the ladies has led more than one of his enemies to employ a FemmeFatale Mole. In particular, Obadiah Stane used Indries Moomji this way with devastating effect. (She was the "Queen" among his [[TheChessmaster chess-themed agents]].)
* Part of the premise of DC's 1988 CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/Millennium1988'' was that at least one character in every book was revealed to be secretly an agent of an evil alien robot cult. Since this was imposed from above on the hapless writers, the results were...variable.
* 20 years later, Marvel pulled off nearly the same thing in ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', rather more successfully. For one, there was much better coordination between writers and the editorial staff; for another, they didn't automatically mandate "one character per book", which kept the readers guessing.
* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' had a Mole in the team as one of the running threads in its first 18-issue arc, leading to a particularly shocking reveal:

* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': A retcon and a bit of ArcWelding are eventually applied so that [[spoiler: Geoffrey St. John]]'s apparent FaceHeelTurn turns out to actually be this, stating that he's really been working for Ixis Naugus since before either of them were even introduced.
* Several are used in the ''ComicBook/SquadronSupreme'' limited series as part of a plot to stop the heroes' efforts to turn the planet into a police state.
* The ''VideoGame/PerfectDark: Janus Tears'' comic book revolves about Joanna Dark haunting a mole in the Carrington Institute.
* During the ''ComicBook/New52'' tun of ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'', it eventually turns out that [[spoiler: Black Spider]] is an agent of [[{{Cult}} Basilisk]], who allowed himself to be arrested and recruited into the Squad so that he could assassinate Waller.
* Terra of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' fame. The arc back in The80s was so famous it is still known as "ComicBook/TheJudasContract" arc. She is introduced when she apparently rescues the Titans and crushes Slade. It turns out she is working for Slade (and in fact his girlfriend) much later when she leads the Titans into a deathtrap. According to ''ComicBook/KnightAndSquire'' by Creator/PaulCornell, DC heroes now refer to this sort of thing as "a Judas contract".
* In one week of ''ComicBook/{{Wildlife}}'' strips, Hanley had Soviet moles in his garden. We meet one of them up close.
-->'''Mole''': [My name is] Avogadro. [[IncrediblyLamePun Here's my number]].
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: In Golden Age stories, U.S. Army Intelligence often seems to be the service from which CTU inherited its vetting procedures. ComicBook/SteveTrevor goes through a number of secretaries, almost all of whom turn out to be moles working for the bad guys. (Diana Prince didn't work for Trevor, but for his boss, Colonel Darnell. Though come to think of it, ''Diana herself'' was a mole, albeit for America's friendly ally, Paradise Island.)
* In ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan'', Australian naval officer and spy Rose Copen forms a lesbian relationship with Dr Allison Mann so she can accompany her and thus keep tabs on the last man on Earth [[spoiler:only to [[BecomingTheMask fall in love with Allison for real]]]].
* The first cycle of ''ComicBook/ArthurBenton'' revolves around a character who was sent as a spy in Germany in 1929, and had to play the perfect Nazi for the following 15 years. It's hard to classify said character as good or bad.
* ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'':
** ''ComicBook/AndersonPsiDivision'': In "Half-Life", there's a resistance movement against the increasingly murderous rule of old Deadworld's judges. It includes a man named Fuego, who lures them into an ambush before revealing himself to be an undercover Judge working for De'ath. It turns out that this is the human who became Judge Fire.
** ''ComicBook/{{Necronauts}}'': [[spoiler:H.P. Lovecraft]] has been recruited by the Sleepers in the Void to spy on Houdini and his allies. He redeems himself when they break him free of their influence.
* In ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', the residents of Earth-42 serve as this for the Empty Hand, acting as its eyes and ears.
* One major character in ''ComicBook/{{Revival}}'' in addition to their day job is feeding information to the CIA.
* A member of Astrid's inner circle in ''ComicBook/CleanRoom'' is recruited to pass information to the demons and sabotage the Mueller organization as appropriate.
* In ''ComicBook/MegaRoboBros'', [[spoiler:Jaqueline]] is one for Robot 23.

* ''ComicBook/LegendsOfTheDeadEarth'': In ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' Annual #7, it turns out that the Durlan Legionnaires Shape and Shift are conspiring with their people to prevent the re-establishment of the United Planets.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': Many street heroes organize a group to go against the Kingpin. Iron Fist is forced to spy on them and report to the Kingpin.
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Black Widow joined the team to help sabotage it. She actually worked for the Liberators.
** ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen''
*** Initially, Wolverine joined the team to kill Xavier. He drops being a mole, and joins the X-Men for real.
*** Angel became Xavier's mole in the Academy of Tomorrow after being 'expelled' from the Xavier School.
** ''ComicBook/AllNewUltimates'': One of the cops driving the truck with Scourge was a watchdog taking part in his liberation.
* In ''ComicBook/TheGreenLantern'', the Guardians send Hal Jordan undercover with the Blackstars to find one of these within the Green Lantern Corps.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' stories provide several examples:

* ''ComicBook/DoubleDuck'': After her Heel–Face Turn, Kay K works for the Agency and becomes the mole into the Organization.
* ComicBook/LexLuthor's first go-around of an Injustice Gang in ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' saw Franchise/{{Batman}} get ''three'' into the team: firstly by having Bruce outbid Luthor for the services of [[Franchise/TheFlash the Mirror Master]], secondly with the Connor Hawke ComicBook/GreenArrow feigning defection after [[Franchise/WonderWoman Circe]] tracks him and the Kyle Rayner Franchise/GreenLantern down, and lastly by having ComicBook/PlasticMan capture and impersonate Bruce's archnemesis ComicBook/TheJoker.
* Natalia Kassle of ''ComicBook/DangerGirl'' is introduced as one of the original members of the team. However, she is revealed to be a member of [[ThoseWackyNazis the Hammer Empire]] in #5 after having faked her death in #4.
* ''ComicBook/BlackDynamite'': One of The Man's bodyguards is revealed to be part of the rebel alliance, and helps Black Dynamite escape from Guantanamo Bay.
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'': During the ''Misadventures'' arc, [[DiabolicalMastermind Clutch]] forms a LegionOfDoom with several other villains not associated with [[BigBad Eggman]], and sends three of them to infiltrate the Restoration in order to help him bring it down from within -- first, [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Mimic]] takes on the identity of "Duo the Cat" to join the heroes and volunteers to join the Neo-Diamond Cutters, then Surge and Kit present themselves as [[FakeDefector having had a change of heart]], taking any heat off of Mimic as Sonic and the others are too busy watching them for any hints of betrayal.

* Terra of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' fame. The arc back in The80s was so famous it is still known as "ComicBook/TheJudasContract" arc. She is introduced when she apparently rescues the Titans and crushes Slade. It turns out she is working for Slade (and in fact his girlfriend) much later when she leads the Titans into a deathtrap. According to ''Comicbook/KnightAndSquire'' by Creator/PaulCornell, DC heroes now refer to this sort of thing as "a Judas contract".

* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'': During the ''Misadventures'' arc, [[DiabolicalMastermind Clutch]] forms a LegionOfDoom with several other villains not associated with [[BigBad Eggman]], and sends three of them to infiltrate the Restoration in order to help him bring it down from within -- first, [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Mimic]] takes on the identity of "Duo the Cat" to join the heroes and volunteers to join the Neo-Diamond Cutters, then Surge and Kit present themselves as [[HeelFaceMole having had a change of heart]], taking any heat off of Mimic as Sonic and the others are too busy watching them for any hints of betrayal.

* Terra of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' fame. The arc back in TheEighties was so famous it is still known as "ComicBook/TheJudasContract" arc. She is introduced when she apparently rescues the Titans and crushes Slade. It turns out she is working for Slade (and in fact his girlfriend) much later when she leads the Titans into a deathtrap. According to ''Comicbook/KnightAndSquire'' by Creator/PaulCornell, DC heroes now refer to this sort of thing as "a Judas contract".

* Lord Saampa in ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' was chosen by an evil EldritchAbomination to lead the cult of the serpent god - but he keeps the busy with useless rituals so they don't hurt innocents, and tries to resist the monster's influence.

* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', [[MakeMeWannaShout Klaw]] sabotages Doctor Doom's godlike powers [[spoiler: subconsciously, because the Beyonder has taken him over.]]

** In ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel2015'', Queen Trios of Shu-Toran makes contact with Leia during the ''Ashes of Jedha'' arc and reveals she's willing to act as an informant and agent for the Rebellion within the Empire. She proves her worth during the following ''Mutiny on Mon Cala'' arc, being key to helping the Rebels get what they need to get the titular mutiny kicked off. [[spoiler: Then the end of that arc's last issue reveals that [[DoubleAgent she's actually been working for Vader the whole time]], manipulating the Rebellion into trusting her so she could sabotage their fleet and sell out their headquarters to the Imperials. This plays out during the following ''Hope Dies'' arc, with Trios' deception being revealed and quickly earning her a place as Leia's new ArchEnemy.]]

* In ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel2015'', Queen Trios of Shu-Toran makes contact with Leia during the ''Ashes of Jedha'' arc and reveals she's willing to act as an informant and agent for the Rebellion within the Empire. She proves her worth during the following ''Mutiny on Mon Cala'' arc, being key to helping the Rebels get what they need to get the titular mutiny kicked off. [[spoiler: Then the end of that arc's last issue reveals that [[DoubleAgent she's actually been working for Vader the whole time]], manipulating the Rebellion into trusting her so she could sabotage their fleet and sell out their headquarters to the Imperials. This plays out during the following ''Hope Dies'' arc, with Trios' deception being revealed and quickly earning her a place as Leia's new ArchEnemy.]]

* Part of the premise of DC's 1988 CrisisCrossover ''ComicBook/{{Millennium}}'' was that at least one character in every book was revealed to be secretly an agent of an evil alien robot cult. Since this was imposed from above on the hapless writers, the results were...variable.

* ComicBook/LexLuthor's first go-around of an Injustice Gang in ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsJLA'' saw Franchise/{{Batman}} get ''three'' into the team: firstly by having Bruce outbid Luthor for the services of [[Franchise/TheFlash the Mirror Master]], secondly with the Connor Hawke ComicBook/GreenArrow feigning defection after [[Franchise/WonderWoman Circe]] tracks him and the Kyle Rayner Franchise/GreenLantern down, and lastly by having ComicBook/PlasticMan capture and impersonate Bruce's archnemesis ComicBook/TheJoker.

* As soon as Creator/ChrisClaremont returned to the ''ComicBook/XMen'', he revealed that Tessa (aka Sage) had been a Reverse Mole for the X-Men... for the first 20 years of her editorial history! Previously, she seemed to just be the telepathic secretary of the Hellfire Club's Sebastian Shaw. Given that it's ''[[KudzuPlot Claremont]]'', it's entirely possible he had this planned all along.

* In ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', [[MakeMeWannaShout Klaw]] sabotages Doctor Doom's current AGodAmI powers [[spoiler: subconsciously, because the Beyonder has taken him over.]]
%% * Umber in ''Comicbook/SuperboyNew52'', who is a spy for ComicBook/LoisLane.
* In ''Comicbook/ActionComics'' #317, Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} believes her friend Lena's boyfriend Jeff Colby is an enemy spy. Later she finds out that Jeff was really working with the FBI and trying to trap a spy ring.
* ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'': The cold assassin that Dodge brought on as part of his villain team up to take down Robin turns out to be Ravager having the time of her life messing with them while keeping Robin and the ComicBook/TeenTitans appraised of their plans. She's downright gleeful when the time comes to take them down and she gets to suddenly attack her "allies" and reveal her identity.

** Parodied in ''ComicBook/SupermanFamilyAdventures'' when ComicBook/LexLuthor gets a job at the ''Daily Planet''.
** In ''ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman'', the titular villain infiltrates the city of Kandor and poses as a Kryptonian in order to spy on the [[Franchise/{{Superman}} House of El]], per General Sam Lane's orders.

[[quoteright:350:[[Recap/TintinCigarsOfThePharaoh https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spy_2.png]]]]