Warning: this article contains spoilers for Suicide Squad: King Shark #11!
The DC Comics villain Starro is as disgusting as it is terrifying, being a giant space monster that releases miniature versions of itself that stick onto the faces of its victims and controls them, but Suicide Squad: King Shark just revealed a version of the villain that is even grosser. King Shark’s latest adventure has taken him deeper into the danger zone of the DC Universe than normal, as he is participating in a gladiator-style tournament to decide which species will dominate the planet.
In Suicide Squad: King Shark #11 by Tim Seeley and Scott Kolins, King Shark is in the final round of a deadly Wild Games, where he's been fighting against Vik Wynn aka the Man-King. Man-King is a skilled fighter with diverse powers, giving Nanaue a run for his money. When King Shark has the villain on the ropes, however, he reveals that he is possessed by a hive-mind parasite that is offering him the extra edge he needs to win it all. That parasite is known as the Cordyceps Queen.
The Cordyceps Queen is an ancient fungus that has lived off of biological hosts for generations. The parasite acts very similarly to Starro, releasing and spreading spores that latch onto a host and control them, adding their minds to its collective consciousness. Unlike Starro, however, Cordyceps attaches to its host from inside their bodies rather than adhering to their faces. Once Cordyceps takes over a host body from the inside, it does make itself known by spilling out of their eyes and mouth before taking over the whole face in a manner that is simply revolting.
Another aspect to the Cordyceps that makes it more disgusting than Starro is the pheromones it's able to release, which influence how its bearer is perceived. The Cordyceps pheromones are released in an effort to make a potential host more susceptible to infection, and can even cause those who aren’t yet possessed by the fungus to be attracted to those who are. This deeply immoral ability goes beyond even Starro's control, and communicates how deeply evil the Cordyceps Queen and Man-King have been in their mission to claim dominion over the planet.
From the vile visuals of having fungus grow out of one’s eyes and mouth to her deeply disturbing powers, the Cordyceps Queen has proved to be one of the most disgusting villains in DC Comics. While Starro's face-hugging offspring has always been uncanny - and are deadly in the DCEU's The Suicide Squad - the Cordyceps Queen's steady infiltration and transformation of her victims means Suicide Squad: King Shark boasts an even more repulsive villain.