DC Comics explains Amanda Waller's vendetta on vigilantes

Amanda Waller’s win over the metahuman community in Absolute Power No. 1 is among the best victories from an antagonist ever. The word antagonist is used instead of villain because an antagonist isn't always the bad guy. In this case, Absolute Powers: Origins showcased that Amanda Waller’s reasoning behind her takeover may make some kind of sense. You may feel some sympathy when you hear her story.

There have been comic books about why Amanda Waller started her vendetta against vigilantes. Most of them surround her daughter. This is the most recent explanation and it ties into Batman.

Trigger warning! The story of Amanda Waller involves assault that may be triggering to some people.

The story of Amanda Waller

When Batman finally caught the man who killed his parents, Amanda Waller’s daughter was sexually assaulted and killed by a drug dealer named Candyman. After hearing this, Waller’s husband Joe grabbed his gun and killed Candyman. Unfortunately, Joe was killed in the process. Because he went after Candyman, Waller's family can’t get Joe's life insurance.

You’re probably wondering how this connects to Batman. While Amanda Waller is going through the most traumatic moment of her life, James Gordon is on the news. He's commending the anonymous citizen who helped capture a criminal. He said, “A citizen has the right to intervene in the commission of a felony. As long as the citizen is willing to fully cooperate with the police they have a right to anonymity through our qualified immunity laws.”

Everyone knew the "anonymous citizen" was Batman. He broke the law as a vigilante and was commended. The detective at Waller's house wouldn’t even listen to her. He had the nerve to blame the victim and ask what her daughter was doing with a drug dealer. Then, James Gordon said something that set everything in motion. "Anybody has a problem with that, take it up with the constitution.”

Waller's next step

First, Amanda Waller gets a file from a police officer (more on that later). Then, she went to work for Councilman Marvin Collins’ campaign team. He was antivigilante and that fit Waller's perfectly. She worked for free and was the first person in the office and the last one out. It seemed like she believed in everything he stood for. Of course, Waller wasn't doing this out of the kindness of her heart.

Waller found dirt on Collins’ opponent to win their campaign race. When Collins said he didn’t want to use it, Amanda Waller told him she knew he took money from Candyman to look the other way. Collins was prepared to go down for his mistake, but Waller said he’d tell the news that his wife was taking money from the campaign. The funny thing here is she wasn’t. Waller cooked the books to make it look like she did. After that, Collins had no choice but to use the information to win the race.

Now, Waller had a politician in her pocket who voted the way she wanted and, as she put it, opened doors of power so she could walk through. All he had to do was sit back and let it happen. As you can see, he did just that. It's how she became the leader of Task Force X (the Suicide Squad), revered by her peers, and feared by her enemies.

Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to see wha's next in the story of Amanda Waller.

What do you think of Amanda Waller's "villain" origin story? Are her actions justified? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Instagram and Twitter.