A.R.G.U.S

**A.R.G.U.S** (**A**rmed **R**evolutionary **G**roup **U**niting the Super-Enhanced) is a United States government organization tasked with handling major threats, directed by Amanda Waller. A.R.G.U.S is known to collaborate with the CIA and the FBI in some instances.

## History

### Foundation of Task Force X

Following Superman's defeat of the Kryptonian Invasion led by Dru-Zod, Amanda Waller, the director of A.R.G.U.S noted that while Superman is an an emery, and a powerful ally of the United States of America, other powerful beings may become hostile and leave humans helpless to defend themselves should Superman taken out of play. To counter this possibility, Waller advocates for the formation of Task Force X, a black-ops team with expendable criminals with exceptional skills, abilities, and powers to combat superhuman threats. Her roster included:

* **Floyd Lawton** - a formidable marksman and former bounty hunter known as **Deadshot**
* **Waylon Jones** - a monstrous cannibal and assassin known as **Killer Croc**
* **Chato Santana** - a pyrokinetic metahuman known as **El Diablo**
* **Louise Lincoln** - a cryokinetic metahuman known as **Killer Frost**
* **Digger Harkness** - a skilled marksman known as **Captain Boomerang**
* **Leslie Willis** - an electrokinetic metahuman known as **Livewire**
* **Nathaniel Adam** - a metahuman with super strength known as **Monarch**
* **Eve Eden** - a umbrakinetic metahuman and former spy known as **Nightshade**
* **Eric Needham** - a master assassin and weapons expert known as **Black Spider**

On behalf of A.R.G.U.S and with the support of Batman himself, Waller was able to secure government funding for this new Task Force. She also secured both Rick Flag and Steve Trevor to lead this group. Their first mission was to track down the Joker and his goons, believing they were planning to commit a huge attack on Gotham City, and that the ageing Batman would be unable to handle the threat on his own.

## Notes

* It is introduced in The New 52 (a reboot of DC Comics continuity) following Darkseid's invasion.
* A.R.G.U.S. acts as support and liaison to the Justice League, supplying them with resources and cleaning up afterwards.
* Trevor was asked to stand down as head liaison after their battle with Graves, having gotten too close to Wonder Woman.
* It also attempts to control the magical superhero group the Justice League Dark, and later still directly establishes the counterpart group to the Justice League in the form of the Justice League of America, of which Trevor is himself a member.
* Besides Director Amanda Waller and Col. Steve Trevor, known members of A.R.G.U.S. include Black Orchid, Booster Gold, Chronos, Dale Gunn, Darwin (the assistant to Dr. John Peril), Doctor Light, Dr. John Peril, Etta Candy, Major Nicholson, Paul Chang, and Puzzler.
* In the television series, Arrow, A.R.G.U.S. appears in several episodes. In this continuity, A.R.G.U.S. stands for "Advanced Research Group United Support" and one of their agents is Lyla Michaels. In the second season, Amanda Waller is revealed as the agency's director. It is also revealed that they have emergency bunkers all over the United States and that they are known for pursuing criminals like Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, and Shrapnel.

Nyssa Al Ghul is also on their high-value target list. A.R.G.U.S. commands the Suicide Squad, who handle many overseas missions. A.R.G.U.S. is aware of Oliver Queen's identity as the Arrow, but do not see him as a threat. In the season two finale episode "Unthinkable", Slade Wilson is locked away in an A.R.G.U.S. prison on Lian Yu. In Season 3 of Arrow and Season 1 of The Flash, A.R.G.U.S. continues to operate capturing high target criminals and have also had a number of traitors within itself.
Mark Shaw attempted to sell A.R.G.U.S. secrets but were stopped by Team Arrow and Captain Boomerang was seen as a former Suicide Squad member who attacked A.R.G.U.S. after a failed mission that nearly killed him as a direct result of the agency's actions. Both Arrow and Flash stopped him and placed him on the prison on Lian Yu.
Flash would go on to use A.R.G.U.S. resources by contacting Lyla Michaels to learn the status of General Wade Elling when he and his team captures him delusional from Gorilla Grodd's mind control. A.R.G.U.S. attempted to cover up his absence but Lyla told them the truth of him being missing and she also allowed them to use a plane to transport meta-humans to Lian Yu when their own private prison became unsafe. A.R.G.U.S. was a constant presence during Arrow's Season 3 flashbacks as Amanda Waller had Oliver Queen work for her and the season's flashbacks detailed his history with the agency.
Despite resigning from A.R.G.U.S in Season 3, Lyla was still connected to A.R.G.U.S. In the Season 4 episode "A.W.O.L", a group known as Shadowspire infiltrated A.R.G.U.S. in order to obtain access codes for a project known as Rubicon. Due to Team Arrow's help, Shadowspire was taken down, but at the cost of Amanda Waller's life. In The Flash's Season 2 episode "King Shark", it is revealed that Lyla is now the new director of A.R.G.U.S., and that A.R.G.U.S. had captured King Shark shortly after Harrison Wells defeated it.
A.R.G.U.S. also makes an appearance in the DC Animated Original Movies film Batman: Assault on Arkham, where they attempted to apprehend the Riddler after the latter stole vital information relating to the Suicide Squad from Amanda Waller, as well as entering a confrontation with Batman, who intended to interrogate the Riddler himself relating to a dirty bomb that Joker stole and placed somewhere in Gotham.