Spyral

Spyral is an organization that features in DC Comics.

## History

The growing fears of the rise of superhumans meant that individuals sought a way to combat their power and turned to Dr. Netz. (Grayson v1 #14) As such, an agency was formed within the United Nations when Dr. Otto Netz emerged from seclusion in Argentia and took over its operations as Doctor Dedalus. (Batman Incorporated v1 #5) The organization began calling itself Spyral after Agent 0 rebuilt the department. (Batman Incorporated v1 #4) As part of Dedalus's own goals, he also created an eternal evolving enemy to challenge Spyral and secretly made Leviathan as a result. (Grayson v1 #14)

Another terrorist threat that Spyral had combated was an organization known as Gladius with it being believed that this enemy had been eliminated years ago. (Batgirl Annual v4 #3) For a long time, Spyral had been on the trail of Talia al Ghul and were seeking to eliminate her. During her vendetta against Batman, Headmistress Kathy Kane was deployed where she entered the Batcave and terminated Talia by shooting a bullet into her head. Kane thanked Batman for bringing about a trap for Talia and told him not to find Kathy as she did not exist whereupon she disappeared. (Batman Incorporated v2 #13)

Following the death of Mister Minos, Helena Bertinelli became the new head of the Spyral organization, (Grayson v1 #9) Checkmate gathered intelligence indicated that the Fist of Cain intended to strike at the Vatican from one of their murder-churches beneath the city with Director Bertinelli tasking Agent 1 to stopping them. (Grayson v1 #10) After this mission, Matron Bertinelli established Spyral's mission as being to continue to maintain and collect privilege information where they buried those that could not be known and exposing those that must be known. (Grayson v1 #13)

## Overview

They were the world's premier specialists in mind erosion, brainwashing and misdirection to the point that they held that reality was an elaborate deception. (Secret Origins v3 #8)

Agents in Spyral as part of their policy were allowed to nominate new partners. (Secret Origins v3 #8) It was said by them that the only operative one could trust was themselves. (Batman and Robin Eternal v1 #10)

One branch within the organization was the Information Freedom Division responsible for gathering intelligence on other organizations. (Grayson v1 #4) Central to the organization was a trinity of beings known only as Spyder that appeared to the director of the agency. (Grayson v1 #10)

Hypnos were devices used by the agency where they were able to get others to perceive what the user desired them to see. (Grayson Annual v1 #1) Senior agents were able to trigger Subliminal Post-Hypnotic Suggestions within fellow agents whereby their Hypos emitted a mild shock into the person's brain allowing them to be knocked out. (Grayson v1 #2) Hypnos interrogation of subjects took a practiced and concentrated hand with even these operators still causing brain damage in the individual. Such a procedure was also harmful to the Hypnos operator as they could suffer from Post-Mental Integration Trauma. (Grayson v1 #6) Such was the extent of their memory technology that they had Hypnos Memory Files that could wirelessly transmit information. (Secret Origins v3 #8)

Nanite trackers was another tool used to track the location of Spyral agents by the agency though these could be disabled through the use of an EMP. A computer system known as Spyral-Tech that could be operated by voice command was present on their vehicles to assist their agents. (Grayson v1 #10) In order to communicate with the head of Spyral, agents sometimes made use of the Mental Image Simulation Theatre (M.I.S.T.) though it was recommended to discontinue use if there were any feelings of temporary blindness, permanent loss of brain functions or feelings of deja vu. (Secret Origins v3 #8) Agents were coated with nanobots that could be remotely activated to kill the operative if they were deemed a threat. However, an electromagnetic pulse was able to knock the nanobots offline thus preventing them from achieving their goal. (Grayson v1 #14)

Another tool were spherical drones known as the Deep Eyes defense net that could be controlled by agents. (Grayson v1 #13) For protection of their facilities, they made use of spider-appearing security drones. (Grayson v1 #14) One vehicle used by their agents was a high-speed helicopter that was called the spyralcopter. (Grayson v1 #7)

## Members

* Luka Netz : a female brunette haired senior agent designated as Agent 0. (Grayson v1 #12)
* Mister Minos : a secretive male head of Spyral who shifted the focus of the organization from elimination of superheroes to uncovering their identities. (Grayson v1 #1)
* Helena Bertinelli : female high ranking agent in Spyral and partner to Dick Grayson. (Grayson v1 #1)
* Dick Grayson : recruited by Spyral after his identity was revealed to the world during Forever Evil and given the designation of Agent 37 but secretly tasked by Batman with bringing down the rogue intelligence agency. (Grayson v1 #1)
* Santiago Vargas : formerly Agent 33 where he was on a mission to retrieve Kathy Kane but she seemingly died on the mission causing him to quiet the agency and adopting the mantle of a vigilante named El Gaucho. (Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! v1 #1)
* The Hood : a male operative designated as Agent 24. (Grayson v1 #2)

## Notes

* Spyral was created by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham where they made their first appearance in Batman Incorporated v1 #4 (April, 2011).
* Grayson Co-Writer Tom King commented on the organization:

"The power of Spyral is the power of lies. They'll hit you in the face if they have to, but they'd rather find a way to manipulate you into walking into a wall. At this point, Spyral is focused on mapping out the secret identities of the DCU's superheroes, and that's why they're collecting these organs. Or at least that's what they're saying. Honestly, I don't trust those guys. I've walked into too many walls."