History ComicBook / SquadronSupreme

* LampshadeHanging: The fact that the Squadron are {{Captain Ersatz}}es of the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} was eventually lampshaded in ''ComicBook/JLAvengers'' when Hawkeye; upon meeting the actual League, notices the parallels and repeatedly refers to the JLA as "Squadron Supreme-lite".

* MayflyDecemberRomance: Power Princess met her Steve Trevor-expy Howard during World War 2. At the start of this story, he's a sickly old man while his immortal wife is as healthy and active as ever. Its hinted that the relationship is loving but no longer sexual and Zarda is faithful to his death (though not for long after.)

* LampshadeHanging: The fact that the Squadron are {{Captain Ersatz}}es of the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} was eventually lampshaded in JLA/Avengers when Hawkeye; upon meeting the actually League, notices the parallels and repeatedly refers to the JLA as "Squadron Supreme-lite".

* AlliterativeName:
** '''S'''quadron '''S'''upreme.
** '''M'''ark '''M'''ilton.

In 2015, Marvel announced a new ''[[ComicBook/SquadronSupreme2015 Squadron Supreme]]'' series following ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'', taking place in the normal Marvel Universe, featuring versions of the Squadron's members from universes that had been destroyed in the events around ''Secret Wars''.

''[[ComicBook/SquadronSupremeDeathOfAUniverse Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe]]'' was released in 1989. It had little relation with the world domination theme, being instead a TakeThat to the ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths DC crossover. The team was moved to the normal Marvel Universe, and returned years later to their original world. The world domination theme is taken again in ''[[ComicBook/SquadronSupremeNewWorldOrder Squadron Supreme: New World Order]]'', but on the other side: during their absence, their ''utopia'' tools were turned into the tools of a police state, and the Squadron became outlaws fighting against it.

* BecomingTheMask: Hyperion's evil twin from the classic Marvel universe was recruited by [[ComicBook/LexLuthor Master Menace]] to infiltrate the Squadron but while he's there he falls in love with Zarda and decides he wants his new life. If only that other Hyperion hadn't shown up again.
** The Shape was brainwashed into being a hero by the SS, but after his brainwashing is undone it's heavily implied that he stays a hero.

* ClingyCostume: Thermite, whose temperature-based powers require him to always wear his costume and regulator pack to keep them in check.

* EvilTwin: Played straight when Master Menace recruits [[spoiler:Hyperion's EvilTwin]] to infiltrate the Squadron.

* GlamourFailure: Moonglow when she's knocked out, as her illusion powers are deactivated. [[spoiler: She's a frumpy, middle-aged brunette rather than the smoking hot blonde seen in the rest of the series.]]

* HumanPopsicle: Unable to cure all disease, the Squadron develops hibernaculums instead. People near-death would be kept in suspended animation, presumably to be revived in the future [[WeWillHavePerfectHealthInTheFuture once a cure to their ailment is found]].

** The Scarlet Centurion himself is another internal homage. It is a one-time identity took by Kang the Conqueror in an old Avengers annual. The character itself is the same thing than the usual Kang.

* DoubleStandardRapeSciFi: When Golden Archer is exposed for using Tom Thumb's Behavior Modification Machine on Lady Lark to make her love him, the Squadron have to actually '''take a vote''' as to whether or not [=McDonald=] should be expunged from the group for this offense. Blue Eagle, Arcanna, Tom Thumb and later Hyperion vote to expel the Archer, while [=McDonald=]'s best friend Doctor Spectrum, the Whizzer and Amphibian vote for the opposite, and Power Princess TakesAThirdOption by positing that Golden Archer, in line with the precepts of the Utopia Initiative, should be Behavior Modified for his crime. Only the Eagle and Arcanna see [=McDonald=]'s crime for what it is: '''RAPE''', and call it such. The Archer, by mechanically induced means, changed Linda Lewis' brain patterns so that she would be inclined to love him totally and unconditionally, which by inference would mean she would be unable to refuse any request or even suggestion of having sexual intercourse. In the end, [=McDonald=] is merely kicked out: he is not prosecuted for this sex crime, and he is allowed to '''LEAVE''' with the victim, who is still at the mercy of his whims! Sure, Archer professed regret and remorse for his crime, but who's to say that later on he won't have a change of heart, and figure he might as well continue to take advantage of Lark?

* AnyoneCanDie: This series had a surprisingly high body count for a Marvel comic at the time. Also surprising for a Marvel title is the fact that people [[DeadForReal stay dead]]. To elaborate, [[spoiler:almost half of the main cast is dead by the end of the story]].

* NoPowerNoColor: When Doctor Spectrum's Power Prism is destroyed, his body becomes a pure white outline, as though the colorist forgot about him.

The Squadron Sinister, four villainous {{Captain Ersatz}}es of the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, were created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema and first introduced in 1969. They clashed with Comicbook/{{the Avengers}} in an [[FakeCrossover unofficial intercompany crossover]], with the two teams manipulated by Kang the Conqueror and the Grandmaster in one of their schemes. Subsequent stories focused on their heroic equivalents, the Squadron Supreme, which existed in the alternate universe of Earth-712. The Squadron Supreme themselves clashed with the Avengers in 1971 and 1975, with at least one of these encounters due to mind control.

* CaptainErsatz: Aside from the blatant use of Ersatz Justice Leaguers, the series introduced much milder variants in Nighthawk's enemies - Remnant, Pinball, and Mink, who roughly correspond to Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman (although Mink is by far the most obvious), and the Shape, who is sort of like a good version of Clayface, himself a bumbling [[MinionWitHAnFInEvil henchman]] (later, he would take up a Plastic Man type of role, despite coming out years before Plas joined the JLA).

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%% * PrettyInMink: The Mink. She even admits she was a spoiled gal who got into crime ForTheLulz.

* IstanbulNotConstantinople: And how -- Every geographic location is renamed from its real-life counterpart. Mt. Rushmore becomes Presidents' Mountain, New York City is Cosmopolis in the state of New Troy, Washington D.C. becomes Capitol City, Magelland, so forth and so on.

[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Squadron-Supreme-TPB.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:275:The original and still the best.]]

* AnyoneCanDie: This series had a surprisingly high body count for a Marvel comic at the time. Also surprising for a Marvel title is the fact that people [[DeadForReal stay dead]].
** To elaborate, [[spoiler: almost half of the main cast is dead by the end of the story.]]

The Squadron Sinister, four villainous {{Captain Ersatz}}es of the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, were created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema and first introduced in 1969. They clashed with Comicbook/{{the Avengers}} in an [[FakeCrossOver unofficial intercompany crossover]], with the two teams manipulated by Kang the Conqueror and the Grandmaster in one of their schemes. Subsequent stories focused on their heroic equivalents, the Squadron Supreme, which existed in the alternate universe of Earth-712. The Squadron Supreme themselves clashed with the Avengers in 1971 and 1975, with at least one of these encounters due to mind control.

* PrettyInMink: The Mink. She even admits she was a SpoiledSweet gal who got into crime ForTheLulz.

** Happens a lot to the Squadron when they were trapped in the MarvelUniverse, leading to a lot of conflicts with [[Comicbook/TheAvengers the Avengers]].

* AmazonianBeauty: Power Princess, the WonderWoman CaptainErsatz.

* AnyoneCanDie: This series has a surprisingly high body count for a Marvel comic at the time. Also surprising for a Marvel title is the fact that people [[DeadForReal stay dead]].

The Squadron Sinister, four villainous {{Captain Ersatz}}es of the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, were created by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema and first introduced in 1969. They clashed with Comicbook/{{the Avengers}} in an [[FakeCrossOver unofficial intercompany crossover]], with the two teams manipulated by Kang the Conquerer and the Grandmaster in one of their schemes. Subsequent stories focused on their heroic equivalents, the Squadron Supreme, which existed in the alternate universe of Earth-712. The Squadron Supreme themselves clashed with the Avengers in 1971 and 1975, with at least one of these encounters due to mind control.

* Foreshadowing: When the issue as to whether or not the Squadron should induct two unknown superhuman quantities into their ranks (who as it happens are secretly moles positioned by Nighthawk to subvert the squadron from within), former Instituter and forcibly inducted Squadron member Lamprey agrees with Blue Eagle's sentiment that it's much more sensible (and safer) to Behavior Modify all new recruits, insuring their loyalty to the Squadron. Eagle is outvoted, prompting Lamprey's ultimately prophetic statement: