I know this isn’t my usual WCW but hear me out. If you read DC comics from the 90s on up, then you know who she is and you also know how bada** she is. Amanda Waller has always been a force to be reckoned with, despite not being super powered at all. I bet almost no one remembers her origin story which is kind of sad.
“Amanda Blake grew up in the crime-ridden Cabrini-Green area of Chicago. At the age of 18 she married the 20-year-old Joseph Waller, and they quickly had a large family together. Her first child was Joe, Jr., then Damita, then the twins Martin and Jessie, and then her youngest child Coretta. Their lives were a financial struggle, and they relied on social programs, but they were happy. Joe, Jr. was set to go to college on a basketball scholarship until he was killed in a mugging gone wrong. Damita was raped and murdered in an alleyway on her way home from church. They knew who was responsible, but the police could not get a conviction with no witnesses. Her husband Joseph Waller set out to kill the rapist “Candyman” and both men shot each other dead. Amanda swore that the streets would take no more of her family. She worked hard to put all of her other children through college, then she put herself through college and earned a political science degree. Amanda decided to go into politics, and she approached democratic congressional candidate Marvin Collins to become his campaign director. Collins was elected thanks to her efforts, and he took her to Washington as his aide. Amanda discovered the old Task Force X files while searching through old bills, and asked to revive the Suicide Squad under her direction.” (http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Amanda_Waller_(New_Earth) )
Most of us know Amanda Waller as the no nonsense leader of the Suicide Squad but she is so much more (still technically a bad guy though). She was the White Queen in the organization Checkmate which lead her into Task Force X (Suicide Squad). Amanda is her own woman with a strong sense of justice that she shows through aggressive tactics and dealings (much like Batman in a sense). She is seen as threatening and on the wrong side of the law but she is respected and feared. You can’t get away from the fact that through all of the crap she has put people (heroes and villans alike) through, Amanda Waller is a force that commands attention and respect. Viola Davis’ portrayal of this character in the movie “Suicide Squad” was spot on. She only cared about saving the world in the only way SHE knew how, which was in an extreme way. The belief of having a deterrent against superheroes in case they ever decided to use their power for evil was seen as extreme but essentially it was something that the world needed.
Amanda Waller may not be the typical WCW but her determination, drive and authority is something to be admired. Yeah she may be on the wrong side of things sometimes but usually her intentions are just (when she’s not being sneaky) and she’s able to scare and command superpowered men and women without having powers herself. So lets celebrate Amanda for her strength and resilience. That’s all for this week nerds so tune into next week where I will be highlighting a little lesser known super heroine. Be on the lookout for streaming posts to start soon and I haven’t forgotten about this week’s Anime Spotlight. Until next time, Nerd Out!