Warning! Spoilers ahead for Suicide Squad: King Shark #1
In DC's new Suicide Squad: King Shark #1, the publisher's Free Comic Book Day offering reveals how Amanda Waller keeps the vicious Nanaue in line. In the issue, King Shark has been called to meet with his shark godfather, but Amanda Waller needs some insurance that he'll return to Task Force X once he's done. While any other inmate of Belle Reve would easily comply and return so their heads won't get be blown off by Waller, King Shark doesn't have a neck bomb due to his unique physiology, forcing the Suicide Squad's director to come up with another means to make sure Nanaue cooperates.
Born a demigod to a human woman and the shark god known as the King of all Sharks, Nanaue is an incredibly strong and nearly impervious shark-hybrid monster. He's easily one of the Suicide Squad's strongest members and one of Waller's most valuable assets as a result. However, his tough and protective shark skin apparently makes it impossible for Waller to implant a remote bomb in Nanaue's neck like she would with any other Suicide Squad member. Bur as always, Waller apparently has a plan B when it comes to dealing with King Shark.
In the new Suicide Squad: King Shark #1 from writer Tim Seeley and artist Scott Kolins, Nanaue takes a liking to the angsty and volatile fellow inmate known as Defacer, even going so far as to eat another inmate that was harassing her. Naturally, this piques the interest of Waller, who's always looking for ways to manipulate her assets. And when King Shark's royal father summons his son, Waller found the darkly perfect way to make sure Nanue returns to Belle Reve after he visits him: she'll kill Defacer if he doesn't come back.
Now, Waller has a new twisted method of controlling King Shark, and all at the expense of Defacer, who's now unwillingly found herself in the middle of Nanaue's family drama. This concept could've helped explain the King Shark plothole in The Suicide Squad movie, seeing as how the DCEU Nanaue does have an embedded neck bomb despite having his super hard skin. In theory, Nanaue and Racatcher II - who form a bond throughout the movie - could have had a prior friendship in Belle Reve, which Waller could have taken advantage of just like in this new issue with Defacer.
Whatever the case may be, this reveal proves just how dark and cunning Amanda Waller truly is by taking advantage of one of King Shark's genuine connections. Now, Defacer is right in the splash zone of King Shark's battle with Orca, and it seems as though she's going to have no choice but to go with the flow as Nanaue enters a contest known as the Wild Games in future issues of the new Suicide Squad series.