Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Superman and Lois season 3, episode 3, "In Cold Blood."The secretive supervillain group using advanced technology to empower Superman's enemies in Superman and Lois season 3 may be more firmly tied to the cosmic villain Darkseid than previously imagined. This connection to the New Gods tyrant had been speculated upon, given the presence of Bruno Mannheim and Intergang, who had worked with Darkseid before in the comics. However, one throwaway line in the episode "In Cold Blood" made reference to another evil organization with ties to Darkseid.
The story of Superman and Lois season 3 has found Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Chrissy Beppo investigating notorious crime boss Bruno Mannheim, whom Lois had been trying to put away for years. Their investigation coincided with the empowerment of Superman's old enemy Atom-Man and the appearance of new supervillains like Onomatopoeia, who were shown to be working with Bruno Mannheim. The implication was that this was all part of a scheme perpetuated by Mannheim's organization Intergang, but now there is reason to believe something bigger is in the works.
Superman & Lois All But Confirms The Secret Society Of Supervillains' Existence
A notable name-drop almost came early in Superman and Lois season 3, episode 3, "In Cold Blood," as Lois Lane and Chrissy Beppo went over some old court records. They had previously discovered that Atom-Man had been granted an early release from prison by a judge influenced by Bruno Mannheim and were hoping to find that other super-criminals had received similar treatment. They confirmed that a tech genius turned elite killer named James Distefano, who had no apparent connection to Bruno Mannheim or Intergang, had also been released early by the same judge.
This prompted Chrissy to remark "It's like all these criminals are in some secret society of -" Though she was cut off before she could finish the thought, Chrissy almost evoked the name of DC Comics' Secret Society of Supervillains. This is notable, for while there have been many groups like the Injustice League and Legion of Doom that opposed Superman and his allies, the Secret Society of Supervillains was originally established by Intergang's ally Darkseid.
The Secret Society of Supervillains & Darkseid Connection In DC Comics Explained
The Secret Society of Supervillains first appeared in its own title by writer Gerry Conway and artist Pablo Marcos in 1976. The first issue established a group called the Brotherhood of Crime, which was secretly run by Darkseid in the guise of the Director. It was Darkseid's hope to build upon what he had started with his sponsorship of Intergang. He had found success in establishing a power base on Earth by giving advanced technology to common criminals and hoped to accomplish more by organizing those villains who already had powers and advanced weapons of their own.
Unfortunately for Darkseid, the villains he recruited proved to be loyal to Earth when they discovered who was truly behind their organization and rebelled against him. Believing that Earth's heroes lacked the fortitude to stand against Darkseid and his followers, Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire, Clayface, and a clone of Manhunter formed the Secret Society of Supervillains so they could further their own goals while protecting the Earth in secret. The group was less than effective, however, with evil genius Lex Luthor trying to take over the team and the membership fighting each other just as much as their heroic enemies and Darkseid.
Who Could Be In The Secret Society Of Supervillains In Superman & Lois?
Sadly, it is unlikely that most of the villains who made up the Secret Society of Supervillains in the comic series will make an appearance in Superman and Lois season 3. Part of this is due to the rights of most of these characters being tied up in other shows and films. Even with The Flash coming to a close after nine seasons, it is highly unlikely that any members of his Rogues Gallery will be putting in an appearance as part of the Secret Society of Supervillains, despite two of Barry Allen's biggest enemies, Captain Cold and Gorilla Grodd, helping establish the team.
Given the way that Superman and Lois season 3 has empowered the Green Arrow villain Onomatopoeia, it seems likely that any established villains who do show up will be fairly obscure without notable ties to another superhero. This means that Batman villains like Poison Ivy or Wonder Woman's archenemy Cheetah are also out of bounds. Thankfully, there are a number of tech-based Superman villains, like Bloodsport, who would be ideal recruits for the Secret Society. It's also possible we could see such classic Superman tech villains as Toyman or Prankster. It also seems inevitable that Lex Luthor will try to take over what Bruno Mannheim has started.
Superman and Lois season 3 continues on Tuesdays on The CW.
