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Nemesis-1
Nemesis
Real name Thomas Andrew Tresser
Debut The Brave and the Bold #166 (September 1980)
Created by Cary Burkett, Dan Spiegle
Affiliations Department of Metahuman Affairs, Suicide Squad
Abilities Master of Disguise, Hand-to-Hand Combat

History[]

Origin[]

Tom Tresser is a vigilante, turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of disguise. His default costume is a black turtleneck sweater with a balance as a chest symbol and a chest holster. He was an applicant to an unnamed government agency whose brother Craig was an undercover agent infiltrating a criminal syndicate called the Council. Craig was brainwashed into killing their family friend Ben Williams and was subsequently killed in self-defense by fellow agents. Tom thus became the Nemesis, preferring to use an alias instead of his dishonored family name. With the assistance of Batman, he cleared his brother's name and saw the men responsible for his brother's death dead.

Nemesis was apparently killed in the helicopter crash that killed the Council's leader, though he was later revealed to have survived, thanks to Amanda Waller and Rick Flag. He then became one of the few non-criminal members of the Suicide Squad as a means of paying off what he perceived as a debt. Nemesis became an on/off member of the Suicide Squad, assisting them from time to time, and even fell in love with one of their members, Nightshade. Although the love was returned, the two never really began a relationship.

Suicide Squad[]

During a mission in Moscow with the Suicide Squad, the team tried to rescue (although she saw it as a kidnapping) Zoya Trigorin. The mission was a bust, as she would die in his arms, and he was taken into custody. Rick Flag and Nightshade set up a rescue mission for their teammate, and even came into conflict with the Justice League because of it. Eventually, the two teams worked out their differences, and Nemesis would later be allowed to escape by the Justice League. He continued to work alongside the Squad for a while, but eventually left the team after bumping heads with Amanda Waller. He would later return only shortly to help retrieve the kidnapped Flag's son and to assist in trying to uncover a secret government cabal. This plot-point that was never resolved.

Nemesis I was drafted into the Shadow Fighters, in an attempt to battle the villain Eclipso. He was originally the sole survivor of the Eclipso massacre that claimed lives of the rest of the Shadow Fighters in issue 13 of the Eclipso series. He would continue the fight against Eclipso in a smaller recon-team that also included Nightshade and the matter-manipulator Chunk. Nemesis and Chunk are saved from a nuclear bomb attack by Nightshade's powers.

After his involvement with the Suicide Squad and The Shadow Fighters ended, he apparently met his end - again - in the pages of Catwoman. In Superman Secret Files 2004, (August 3, 2004) Nemesis was revealed to be alive and well, impersonating Sarge Steel and apparently working for a shadowy Cabal. Furthermore, in the last issue of the second volume of Suicide Squad the then-current team's erstwhile leader Sgt. Rock is revealed to have been an impostor. Given the events of the Superman Annual, "Rock" may well have been Nemesis for some or all of his appearances with the Squad. The story of what happened to Nemesis between his 'death' in Catwoman and subsequent reappearance in Superman Secret Files has not yet been told.

One Year Later[]

Nemesis was seen again One Year Later after the events of Infinite Crisis, aiding government agent Diana Prince, Wonder Woman in disguise, in the rescue of Donna Troy from several of the Amazon's villains. Nemesis is part of the newly re-opened Department of Metahuman Affairs under Sarge Steel. Around this time, Nemesis assists in saving the life of the second Maxi-Man. Shortly before the events of Amazons Attack Nemesis questions the detainment of Wonder Woman by the D.M.A. and goes against orders to rescue her, after brutally beating, tying up, and gagging several of his fellow agents. He soon uncovers a plot by the villain Circe to trick the U.S. government into destroying Themyscira under false pretenses. During the Amazon counterattack, he was stung by several gigantic Stygian Killer Hornets, native to the Amazon Nation. Wonder Woman risks her life by traveling to Themyscira for an antidote and revives Nemesis back into health. Shortly thereafter, Wonder Woman began courting Tresser, in the traditional Amazon manner.

Powers and Abilities[]

  • Master of Disguise: Able to develop lifelike masks used to impersonate others.
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Excellent hand to hand combatant.

Equipment[]

  • Nemesis utilized a mask disguise system that could be quickly dissolved with a special chemical spray from a collar device.

Links[]

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