Rick Flag

> I joined the military to serve my country, not to be its puppet.
>
> Rick Flag, The Suicide Squad

**Richard "Rick" Flag, Jr.** was a U.S. Army colonel and special operations forces specialist. He was also the field leader of the ARGUS affiliated black ops team Task Force X.

In 2016, he was recruited by Amanda Waller to lead Task Force X, alongside a team of Navy SEALS, in a high-risk operation to defeat the wicked siblings Enchantress and Incubus. The mission proved successful, and Flag stayed on as the Squad's field leader.

In 2021, Flag led a new incarnation the Squad on a mission to Corto Maltese to destroy a Nazi-era fortress known as Jotunheim, along with the dangerous Project Starfish. Upon reaching the island, Flag and the team had to face the soldiers of Corto Maltese, but most of the team died in battle. Flag fled into the woods where he encountered a rebel group against Silvio Luna, which he joined. Flag joined the new Task Force X team to get to Jotunheim successfully. Flag intended to reveal the whole truth about the alien creature Starro, but had to face Peacemaker, who was secretly working with Waller to protect the files. In a battle against Peacemaker, Flag was killed when Peacemaker stabbed him in the heart with a shard of tile.

## Biography

### Early life

Rick Flag was born in Washington, D.C. as the son of a decorated war veteran and was known to have attended junior high where he met a girl named Marsha Lane. During a winter high school break, he worked as a messenger for a legal firm in Midway City. There, he was known to have met and slept with a girl named Emily Spiegel.

### Military Service

> I know, you both served on special forces in Qurac that took down Avral Kaddam. Flag was the one who initially recommended you.
>
> Amanda Waller to Bloodsport, The Suicide Squad

Flag later enlisted out of a sense of patriotism and graduated from West Point, proceeding to serve an unknown number of tours in the United States Military, including one mission in Qurac to take down Avral Kaddam, before getting assigned to ARGUS, under the jurisdiction of Amanda Waller. She promptly sent Rick on a mission to subdue the Enchantress that possessed June Moone. Rick and June quickly got close, becoming lovers. He also ran into the formidable samurai warrior Katana, and managed to convince her to become his personal bodyguard.

### Saving the world

#### Recruited into Task Force X

> All those rumors, and my dumb ass didn't believe them."
>  "Hardly anyone does.
>
> Flag and Waller, Suicide Squad

Following the approval of Waller's Task Force X pitch to the Pentagon, Rick was assigned by her to be the task force's field commander. He attempts to object, however, stating that Waller needs actual soldiers instead of criminals and supervillains. Ultimately though, Waller forces him to comply and accept his position by revealing the debilitating leverage she had over him.

Flag soon accompanied Waller as he arrived at Belle Reve in Louisiana to recruit the members for the task force. Upon arrival, he was greeted by Captain Griggs and was first introduced to Deadshot at the firing range to test the alleged hitman's skilled marksmanship. Deadshot impressed Flag and Waller on the shooting range; then Deadshot listed his demands to Waller, but saying it to Flag, knowing the hierarchy. He also saw Killer Croc in Belle Reve.

#### Deployment in Midway City

Before Task Force X was activated, a Non-Human Entity known as Incubus appeared in the subway of Midway City, causing havoc. Flag and a Special Forces team was sent in with the help of June Moone, who was possessed by a metahuman called Enchantress; Enchantress' ability to move instantly was the key to approaching Incubus, however, unbeknownst to the team and Waller, Enchantress had planned Incubus' release and when tasked to destroy him using a powerful demolition charge, Enchantress bolted, leaving the operation in tatters. In response to this, the Pentagon decided to activate Task Force X and gather them in Midway City Airport.

 File:Flag talking with the Squad.jpg
Flag arrived with two squads of Navy SEALs and authorized them to gear up for the mission. Prior that, Flag explained that the Task Force has been injected with a nano-explosive that will kill them and that any sign of dissent would lead to their deaths. After briefing from Waller to extract "HVT1", the team then departed for Midway City, with Katana promptly joining them, with another helicopter carrying squad B escorting them. When they arrived in the city, their helicopter was shot down. Flag killed Slipknot after attempting to escape after he was tricked by Captain Boomerang into thinking that the bombs were a ploy.

#### Drowning sorrows

Following the presume death of Amanda Waller, the team decided to drown their sorrows with a drink. Distraught over what had happened, Flag smashed the detonator to the Squad's neck implants, allowing Harkness to then leave. He then gave Lawton the letters his daughter had written him while he was in prison. Angered by the sudden revelation, Lawton told Flag he would help him get to the Enchantress so that his daughter would know that he wasn't just "a piece of shit".

#### Facing Enchantress and Incubus

*To be added*

### Corto Maltese's mission

#### Forming a new team

 File:The Suicide Squad get to the chopper.png

> So, this is the famous Suicide Squad."
> "Well, we consider that term degrading. The official term is "Task Force X," and love 'em or hate 'em, these are your brothers and sisters for the next few days.
>
> Rick Flag and Savant, The Suicide Squad

 File:The Suicide Squad Empire Exclusive 2.jpg
Flag first meets Savant in Belle Reve before taking him to meet the rest of the squad After the team was ready, Flag took them to the plane to go to Corto Maltese, but first he met up with Harley Quinn, who was late for the flight. On the flight to Corto Maltese, Blackguard panics after Harley Quinn taunts him by lying that Weasel was a werewolf, which leads to Flag having to calm him down before revealing that Weasel had killed 27 children.

#### Battle on the beach

While hiding out on the beach, Blackguard reveals he had betrayed the team and contacted the local militia, which Rick promptly relays to Amanda Waller. During the following battle, the entire team with the exceptions of Harley and Flag are killed, Harley is captured and Flag escapes into the jungle before being found by Sol Soria and her rebels.

#### Working with a new Suicide Squad

Eventually found by Bloodsport, King Shark, Ratcatcher 2, Peacemaker, and Polka-Dot Man after assumed being captured, Flag is irritated to learn that the Squad killed off the entire town. Thankfully, Flag joins the squad in order to find Thinker.

#### Capturing of Thinker and saving Harley

> You're gonna risk the entire mission for a mental defective dressed as a court jester?"
> "We don't leave one of our own behind.
>
> Peacemaker and Rick Flag, The Suicide Squad

With the help of Sol, Flag and the Squad find Milton, a bus driver who is willing to take them into the La Gatita Amable, a nightclub in the city, to find Thinker. Disguised, he and the squad share a drink and have fun, until coming across soldiers who are searching for him and the Squad. After Bloodsport distracts the team, Flag turns himself and Peacemaker in. Whilst in the transport, Flag, Peacemaker and Bloodsport escape, finding the other members of the Squad, and make their way to the military fortress, forming a plan to save Harley Quinn. Unbeknownst to Flag or any of the Squad members, Quinn had escaped. Though frustrated that he wasn't able to carry out his plan, Flag is able to formulate another plan to break inside of Jotunheim.

#### Infiltration in Jotunheim

Once inside, the team splits up, with Bloodsport, King Shark, Harley Quinn, and Polka-Dot Man going to the upper levels to plant the bombs, while Flag and Ratcatcher take Thinker down to the basement. Once there, they bear witness to the gruesome experiments that Thinker had conducted on Starro and it's captives, which horrifies them, especially Ratcatcher.

When Thinker tells them that they were sent to Corto Maltese to cover up the U.S's involvement in Project Starfish, Flag refuses to believe him at first, enraging Thinker as he then reveals the truth; thirty years ago, the American government had found Starro and saw the potential in weaponizing such a powerful beast, so they made a secret deal with the Corto Maltese government to be able to conduct their illegal experiments on their soil, while Thinker himself oversaw them.

As he explains, Peacemaker suddenly shows up, finding Thinker untrustworthy. Disgusted and betrayed, Flag breaks inside the controls and finds a hard drive that contains the secrets to what the American government had done, planning to share it with the press, only to be cornered by Peacemaker, who attempts to stop Flag under orders from Amanda Waller. Right then, the building rumbles, and the group realizes the bombs have been set off too early. Believing that the information contained would cause an international dispute, Peacemaker tries to reason with him and begs Flag not to make him kill him. Before the confrontation can turn violent, however, the floor above caves in on Flag, Ratcatcher, Thinker, and Peacemaker, knocking all of them unconscious.

#### Facing Peacemaker

> Peacemaker. What a joke.
>
> Rick Flag's last words to Peacemaker, The Suicide Squad

Upon waking up, Flag, despite being wounded from the debris, sees the hard drive and attempts to take it, but Peacemaker stops him, leading to a brutal fistfight. Despite Peacemaker initially having the upper hand, Flag eventually manages to pin Peacemaker to the ground with a metal rod, choking the latter. Before Flag succeeds, Peacemaker grabs a shard of tile broken off from the fight and uses it to stab Flag through the heart.

With his last breaths, Flag calls Peacemaker out for his hypocritical name before collapsing to the ground, dead. Soon after, Peacemaker realizes that Ratcatcher had unwittingly witnessed Flag's death. She then takes the drive and flees upstairs, prompting Peacemaker to chase after her.

## Personality

> You’re a good man, Colonel Flag.
>
> Sol Soria to Rick Flag, The Suicide Squad

Trained in West Point, Rick Flag is very confident in his abilities. His tough military attitude, however, does occasionally make him seem less intelligent. When in combat, he tends to be very serious and short-tempered, particularly when concerning other allies' mistakes. His short temper also extends to his Task Force X teammates; in his first outing with the team, Rick made no effort whatsoever to hide his utter contempt and hatred for the criminals and supervillains under his command, referring to them as "scumbags" to Amanda Waller, threatening to blow their heads off for pissing him off and at one point flying into a rage when Harley Quinn nonchalantly stole from an abandoned shop window. Despite this, Flag was not above requesting Deadshot's assistance in keeping the team in check. Moreover, Flag is quite loyal to Amanda Waller and ARGUS, despite the intimidating rumors around her. Indeed, Rick even notes one can get used to Waller's ruthless personality after a while.

Rick's softer side comes from his love for June Moone, the unwilling host of the fearsome and malevolent Enchantress. Having been assigned to watch her, Rick promptly fell in love and they began dating. Hence, he follows Waller's orders "as Holy Writ", to protect his lover, whom Waller uses as exploitable leverage over him. In addition, the events in Midway City seem to have allowed Rick to gain a better understanding of the Squad members, with him ultimately destroying his nano-bomb detonator and releasing them from the mission after Waller's capture, giving up Zoe Lawton's letters to Deadshot, happily hugging Deadshot upon their victory over Enchantress, and making sure Deadshot's first supervised visit to his daughter lasts a few moments longer.

Years after being reunited with June, Flag had become more upbeat and cheerful in his mannerisms. Rick even began to form bonds and starts to care for some of the Task Force X members, such as Harley Quinn and Bloodsport for example. He also shows to have a strong sense of morals, as he was willing to tell the world about the horrible unethical experiments that the US government performed on the people and Starro.

## Abilities

> You take the finest special forces officer this nation has ever produced, Colonel Rick Flag.
>
> Amanda Waller, Suicide Squad

* **Peak Human Condition**: Flag was in top physical condition, though not even near to Batman's level. Hence, it took an entire group of Eyes of the Adversary to overpower Flag, though he was still swiftly overpowered by the mighty Enchantress. Flag was also a skilled athlete, as he golfed with a three handicap. He was strong enough to trade blows with Peacemaker, although he was ultimately overpowered.
	+ **Peak Human Durability**: Flag is very tough, swiftly recovering after being sent flying back by a superhumanly strong blow from Incubus, though this was also due to Flag's bulletproof vest. He engaged in a duel with Peacemaker even after he painfully extricated a sharp piece of debris from his side.

> I'm a soldier! And you're a serial killer who takes credit cards.
>
> Rick Flag to Deadshot, Suicide Squad

* **Expert Marksman**: Flag is a highly skilled marksman, one of the best Tier One shooters in the military. He able to use any civilian and military-grade weaponry with great skill, landing precise shots on Enchantress' monstrous troops, and the Corto Maltese soldiers. For instance, he fired his shotgun at two soldiers working side by side, resulting in them both having their sides exploding from the shot. However, was surpassed in accuracy and precision by Deadshot, Bloodsport, and Peacemaker.
* **Expert Combatant**: Flag is highly skilled in armed and unarmed combat (though not quite on par with Batman, Enchantress and Katana). He was able to take down several Eyes of the Adversary, and even momentarily able to hold his own against Enchantress herself (notably blocking her dagger slashes several times), though he was ultimately brought down by her. He also fought and ultimately overpowered Peacemaker, a very strong and experienced combatant, pinning him to the ground and choking him with a metal pipe.
	+ **Knife Expertise**: Flag is experienced with using a knife in combat. This is best demonstrated when he used his combat knife during his fight against the Enchantress.

> I don't do luck. I do planning and precision.
>
> Rick Flag to Amanda Waller, Suicide Squad

* **Keen Intellect**: Flag is quite intelligent, having graduated from the prestigious West Point, where he honed his leadership, tactical, and career networking skills. Flag's tough military attitude, however, does occasionally make him seem less intelligent than he actually is.
	+ **Expert Leader**: As a US Armed Forces colonel, Flag is an extremely skilled and experienced leader, with Amanda Waller even referring to him as "the finest special forces officer that [the USA] has ever produced". He was able to successfully lead the Suicide Squad in their first mission to extract Waller from Midway City, and then later lead them against Enchantress and Incubus. He did, however, initially have trouble motivating his Squad subordinates, due to them initially despising him, and the feeling being mutual, hence Flag requested Deadshot's assistance and he also had Edwards help in leading the SEALs. He also initially offered to contact the Tier One units and build Waller a team of "pipe hitters" who would do anything she could dream up; real soldiers, instead of the "scumbags."
	+ **Expert Tactician**: Flag was the best tactician Amanda Waller had ever known. He was an expert in special operations and counterinsurgency, able to come up with an effective strategy to bring down Incubus by attacking him from both fronts (with El Diablo chasing the gigantic opponent into a corner and Killer Croc helping Edwards plant a bomb right under him), and an equally effective one to destroy Enchantress' mystical superweapon. In Corto Maltese, he was smart enough to escape after Team A was massacred, and was quick to become allies with the resistance to formulate the plan to get to Jotunheim.
	+ **Expert Networker**: As a colonel in the US Army, Flag has a network of professional and social contacts to further his ambitions. He tried to gain leverage on Amanda Waller by threatening to call his powerful friends (though this proved ineffective due to Waller holding June Moone over him), and he tried to gain Deadshot's loyalty by claiming that he has "plenty of [his] own strings to pull" in order to ensure that Deadshot gets paid for the mission, and gets a fresh start (as well as a chance to see his daughter Zoe again).
	+ **Bilingualism**: Apart from his native English, Flag has a good understanding of Japanese, given that Katana usually communicated with him in her native language.
* **Indomitable Will**: Flag was a brave and dedicated soldier. Killer Croc was surprised when the Colonel was not scared when he recruited him. Flag kept his promise to June by stopping the Enchantress even if it meant sacrificing her and crushed the witch's heart, although June survived. He also stood his ground when he intended to expose the U.S. government's horrific experiments to the world, even when challenged by Peacemaker.

### Weaknesses

> I have the witch's heart. And Dr. Moone has his. Now he'll follow my orders as Holy Writ.
>
> Amanda Waller, Suicide Squad

* **Loyalty to June Moone**: Rick Flag's greatest weakness is his beloved girlfriend, June Moone, since Amanda Waller is able to use his girlfriend as psychological leverage against Flag, forcing him to comply with her orders concerning the Suicide Squad, much to Flag's dismay. The fact that his girlfriend was unwillingly hosting the malevolent Enchantress made it extremely hard for Flag to destroy the latter when he has the chance, with him only able to do so after recalling that June Moone had made him promise her to do so in such a situation.

## Equipment

* **Glock 17**: Rick Flag is seen carrying a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, which he uses as his sidearm.
* **Glock 45**: Flag carried a new sidearm in Corto Maltese.
* **IMI/Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX**: Flag attempted to shoot Peacemaker with his own pistol, but he was disarmed.
* **Heckler & Koch HK416A5**: Rick Flag is seen carrying an HK416 rifle equipped with different attachments and accessories. His version of the HK416 is the DS20R full-sized barrel version, a standard among US Special Forces equipment.
* **Mk 18 Mod 1**: Flag carried a carbine to Corto Maltese.
* **Benelli M2 Super 90 TTI**: Flag commandeered a shotgun after he was liberated from a convoy.
* **Winkler combat knife**: Flag carried this combat knife on his vest for close quarters purposes, most notably using it during the final fight against Enchantress.
* **C4 explosive**: Rick Flag carried an explosive ordinance to destroy Enchantress's weapon. After Harley Quinn cut the heart out, Flag readied the explosive and gave it to Killer Croc to throw, which is then detonated when Deadshot fired at the explosive.
* **Demolition charge**: In the original mission to stop Incubus, Flag carried a demolition charge powerful enough to destroy Incubus. Originally set for two seconds to explode, when given to Enchantress, Enchantress dropped it in the subway and escaped, leaving the bomb intact with a second set to explode. In the battle against Enchantress, his subordinate Lt. "GQ" Edwards of the Navy SEALS detonated it and destroyed Incubus, with El Diablo and GQ being casualties of the explosion.
* **Bulletproof vest**: Flag wore a bulletproof vest when in the field to protect him from rifle bullets. It's seemingly durable enough to take a hit from Incubus.

### Former equipment

> You cut and run, I'll blow your head off.
>
> Rick Flag to Deadshot, Suicide Squad

* **Nano-bomb detonator**: Rick Flag, in order to ensure the compliance of most Suicide Squad members (apart from his bodyguard Katana), keeps the detonator of their implanted nano-bombs on him (with a separate button for each individual) - ready to blow off the heads of any of them if they step out of line or fail to comply, with him notably killing Slipknot in this way. Ultimately, however, when Amanda Waller is captured by Incubus, Flag destroys his detonator, releasing his subordinates (who, however, are still motivated to stay and fight the mystical duo nonetheless).

## Relationships

Family* Richard Flag, Sr. - father
* Mother

Allies* United States Armed Forces
	+ Edwards - task force opposer turned supporter and authorizer
	+ Mackenzie Olsen
	+ "GQ" Edwards †
	+ Gomez †
* Dexter Tolliver - task force supporter
* ARGUS
	+ Amanda Waller - boss and manipulator
	+ June Moone - girlfriend
	+ John Economos - mission coordinator
	+ Emilia Harcourt - mission coordinator
	+ Flo Crawley - mission coordinator
* Belle Reve
	+ Hunter Griggs
	+ Ames
* Briscoe - mission transport
* Task Force X - subordinates
	+ Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn - friend and savior
	+ Robert DuBois/Bloodsport - friend
	+ Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2
	+ Abner Krill/Polka Dot Man †
	+ Nanaue/King Shark
	+ Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang †
	+ Gunter Braun/Javelin †
	+ Mongal †
	+ Cory Pitzner/T.D.K.
	+ Weasel
	+ Chato Santana/El Diablo † - friend and savior
* Floyd Lawton/Deadshot - rival turned savior, friend, and respected ally
* Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana - former bodyguard
* Waylon Jones/Killer Croc - former subordinate
* Maltese Resistance - assistance to Task Force X during Jotunheim mission
	+ Sol Soria
	+ Milton †
* Enchantress † - enemy, target and victim
	+ Eyes of the Adversary
* Incubus † - indirect victim
* Christopher Weiss/Slipknot † - subordinate turned enemy and victim
* Joker's Gang
	+ Joker - attempted killer
	+ Jonny Frost †
	+ Panda Man †
* Starro † - target
* Corto Maltese Armed Forces
	+ Silvio Luna † - target
	+ Mateo Suarez †
* Gaius Grieves/Thinker † - manipulatee
* Brian Durlin/Savant † - subordinate turned enemy
* Richard Hertz/Blackguard † - subordinate turned enemy
* Christopher Smith/Peacemaker - subordinate turned enemy and killer

## Trivia

* In DC Comics, Rick Flag is the name of three characters appearing in various DC Comic books. They are a father, son, and grandson, with Richard Flag Jr. being the son.
* His main weapon is a 5.56x45mm Heckler & Koch HK416 carbine outfitted with various accessories, while his sidearm is a 9mm Glock 17 pistol and a combat knife.
* Along with Deadshot and Katana, he is one of the relatively sane members of the Suicide Squad.
* In John Ostrander's original *Suicide Squad* comic run, Flag is seemingly killed by a nuclear explosion inside Jotunheim. Thus, Jotunheim's presence in *The Suicide Squad* sparked speculation among fans that Flag would sacrifice himself and die in the upcoming film, which was later confirmed upon the film's release.

## Behind the scenes

* Luke Evans, Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Cruise, Joel Edgerton, Karl Urban, and Jon Bernthal were considered for the role of Rick Flag.
* Tom Hardy (who previously played Bane in 2012's *The Dark Knight Rises*) was originally cast as Rick Flag but dropped out due to his prior commitment to filming *The Revenant*.
* Justin Howell and Kyle Mclean were stunt doubles for Joel Kinnaman in the role of Rick Flag.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *Suicide Squad: The Official Movie Novelization*
2. ↑ A.R.G.U.S. website
3. ↑ *Suicide Squad* Cards
Ayer, David (writer and director) (August 5, 2016). *Suicide Squad*.
Gunn, James (writer and director) (August 6, 2021). *The Suicide Squad*.

## External links

The ***DC Extended Universe Wiki** has a collection of images and media related to* **Rick Flag***.*

* File:Favicon.png Rick Flag on DC Database
* File:WP favicon.png Rick Flag on Wikipedia

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