.gif)
Knockout (comics)
Encyclopedia
Knockout is a fictional character
, a supervillainess in the DC Comics
universe
. She first appeared in Superboy
vol. 2 #1 (February 1994), and was created by Karl Kesel
and Tom Grummett
.
from Apokolips
. She first appeared shortly after Superboy
moved to Hawaii. Using her superstrength, she fought and flirted with Superboy
just for the fun of it. Her hidden identity was that of a super strong stripper who worked at a club called the BoomBoom Room. Later, she was recruited to join Amanda Waller
's Suicide Squad
for an attack against the international crime cartel Silicon Dragons. She joined Captain Boomerang
, Deadshot
, Sidearm and King Shark
on the Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad had to overcome betrayal and overwhelming enemies, and in the end, Knockout was supposedly killed when the Squad left her and King Shark in the exploding base. She later returned alive, and assisted Superboy in a battle against Valor, although she and Superboy did spar. She turned up shortly thereafter and teamed up with Superboy in several of his adventures. Soon, however, her past caught up with her. She was originally from Apokolips
, a member of Granny Goodness
's Female Furies. After Big Barda
escaped with Mister Miracle
, Knockout decided to leave the Furies as well. At one point when she was chained to a wall in the Fire Pits as punishment, she broke her chains and leapt into the fires. As she did so, a Boom Tube opened and took her to Hawaii.
The Female Furies arrived on Hawaii to reclaim Knockout. A battle broke out between Superboy, Knockout, and a small contingent of police officers and the Female Furies. One police officer died during the battle, but the Furies were driven off when Dubbilex
used his mental abilities to convince them that Knockout had died in the battle as well. Dubbilex investigated the murder of the police officer, using his mental powers to scan the memories of most of the survivors. They soon realized that Knockout had killed the officer simply because he was in her way.
The police attempted to bring her in, but Superboy refused to believe she was guilty, forcing the two to briefly hide from the law. The two encountered an explorer named Victor Volcaneum, whom Knockout hoped Superboy would kill as a sign of deference to her. Superboy refused, and thus Knockout killed Volcanus instead. Upon seeing Knockout's true colors, Superboy managed to defeat her and bring her into custody.
Knockout never escaped custody for the rest of the Superboy series, as anti-gravity items were used to keep her restrained.
In the storyline Hypertension, Superboy met a number of variations of Knockouts during his journey through Hypertime. One of which was an agent of Black Zero
, an alternate adult version of Superboy. Another notable version gave her life to save Superboy and the Challengers of the Unknown
from a horde of rampaging Doomsday
s.
Since then she has been revealed to be on the loose and has joined up with the Society
as seen in Villains United
. In that book, she was revealed to have joined the Society as a mole at the request of her lover, Scandal Savage
, a member of the Secret Six
.
alongside Scandal. The team successfully assassinated a jail warden in North Korea
, allowing the Secret Six to relax for a time. Each member celebrated in his or her own way when a team of assassins attacked each member, save Catman
.
Knockout was almost killed when she was shot with a Thanagar
ian sniper rifle by Pistolera
. The shot implanted a bomb in her skin and when Scandal
refused to leave her side, she threw her from the blast range telling her they would meet again in the afterlife. After the bomb went off, Scandal
scrambled through the debris to find Knockout miraculously still alive, though horribly burned and unconscious. Knockout received medical treatment for her extensive injuries but recovered fully due to her body's Apokoliptian regenerative capabilities.
Knockout rejoined the Secret Six in hopes of finding the person behind their attempted assassinations, but was injured when Ragdoll attacked them due to Doctor Psycho
's manipulations, although her regeneration prevented any lasting damage. Though thought to be Scandal
's lover, Knockout was most recently seen in bed with Deadshot
, when Scandal
caught the two in the act. It was later revealed that Knockout had slept with Floyd because she misunderstood the sexual exclusivity of her relationship with Scandal. Scandal and Knockout were together when the series ended and Scandal still refers to her as her girlfriend.
Knockout, along with the rest of the Secret Six, were hired by a Russia
n mercenary and battled Barbara Gordon
's team in Birds of Prey. Knockout engaged in one-on-one combat with Big Barda
, a fight which continued above all other concerns (including the resurrection of Ice
), although the battle had no apparent victor.
Weeks later, after Scandal suggested that her bad mood was the result of her inconclusive encounter with Barda, Knockout went to the Birds of Prey headquarters looking to continue their fight. Upon her arrival, she was tracked and killed by Infinity-Man
, adding her name to the list of murdered New Gods
. She stated that she knew her assailant and requested one last phone call to Scandal, the contents of which are unknown.
Knockout made a possible post-mortem appearance in Secret Six (vol.2) #1, when the team tries to cheer Scandal up with a stripper dressed like Knockout. Scandal, in her drunken stupor, has a vision, possibly a hallucination, of Knockout comforting her, though Scandal Savage later noted she didn't "see Knockout inside" when she accidentially meets the stripper — whom introduces herself as Liana Kerzner — while shopping and subsequently starts dating her.
Scandal is shown to have kept the "Get out of Hell Free" card the Six had been tasked with capturing and had falsely reported lost or destroyed. When Ragdoll is discovered to have stolen it, Scandal murders him. Afterwards, Black Alice — as her final act before leaving the team — teleports the rest of the team to Hell to retrieve the card where to Scandal's horror she discovers a brainwashed Knockout betrothed to Ragdoll as part of his elevation to the hierarchy of the Underworld. An exceptionally violent fight breaks out, resulting in the entire team with Knockout in tow escaping back to Earth with the certain knowledge of their ultimate destination.
Following her resurrection, she rejoins the Secret Six and accompanies the team on a mission to Gotham to kill several of Batman
's allies. While in Gotham, Scandal proposes a polygamous marriage between Knockout, herself, and the stripper that she had been dating while Knockout was still dead. Knockout accepts the proposal just prior to the team being ambushed by a number of superheroes who come to assist Batman, resulting in a massive battle. Knockout is quickly blasted in the face by Captain Atom
, and falls to the ground next to Scandal. The two women hold hands one last time, with Scandal referring to Knockout as her "wife" before losing consciousness. The fates of Knockout and the other members of the Secret Six (save for Bane) are ultimately left ambiguous as the series ends.
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillainess in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. She first appeared in Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
vol. 2 #1 (February 1994), and was created by Karl Kesel
Karl Kesel
Karl Kesel is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics...
and Tom Grummett
Tom Grummett
Thomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
.
Fictional character biography
Knockout is a former Female FuryFemale Furies
The Female Furies are a group of fictional women warriors appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Mister Miracle #6 , and were created by Jack Kirby.-Team history:...
from Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
. She first appeared shortly after Superboy
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
moved to Hawaii. Using her superstrength, she fought and flirted with Superboy
Superboy (Kon-El)
Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
just for the fun of it. Her hidden identity was that of a super strong stripper who worked at a club called the BoomBoom Room. Later, she was recruited to join Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller
Dr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
's Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
for an attack against the international crime cartel Silicon Dragons. She joined Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang
Captain Boomerang is a fictional character in the . A supervillain traditionally portrayed as an enemy of the Flash...
, Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
, Sidearm and King Shark
King Shark
King Shark is a DC Comics supervillain. The character was introduced in Superboy vol.3, #0 in October 1994.-Origin:Born in Hawaii, Nanaue is a humanoid shark. His father is "The King of all Sharks"—also known as the Shark God...
on the Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad had to overcome betrayal and overwhelming enemies, and in the end, Knockout was supposedly killed when the Squad left her and King Shark in the exploding base. She later returned alive, and assisted Superboy in a battle against Valor, although she and Superboy did spar. She turned up shortly thereafter and teamed up with Superboy in several of his adventures. Soon, however, her past caught up with her. She was originally from Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
, a member of Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness
Granny Goodness is a fictional character, a deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, Granny Goodness was modeled on comedienne Phyllis Diller and first appeared in Mister Miracle vol...
's Female Furies. After Big Barda
Big Barda
Big Barda is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
escaped with Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Mister Miracle #1 and was created by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, Knockout decided to leave the Furies as well. At one point when she was chained to a wall in the Fire Pits as punishment, she broke her chains and leapt into the fires. As she did so, a Boom Tube opened and took her to Hawaii.
The Female Furies arrived on Hawaii to reclaim Knockout. A battle broke out between Superboy, Knockout, and a small contingent of police officers and the Female Furies. One police officer died during the battle, but the Furies were driven off when Dubbilex
Dubbilex
Dubbilex is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. He debuted in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #136, , and was created by Jack Kirby. His name is a play on the XX chromosome. -Pre-Crisis:...
used his mental abilities to convince them that Knockout had died in the battle as well. Dubbilex investigated the murder of the police officer, using his mental powers to scan the memories of most of the survivors. They soon realized that Knockout had killed the officer simply because he was in her way.
The police attempted to bring her in, but Superboy refused to believe she was guilty, forcing the two to briefly hide from the law. The two encountered an explorer named Victor Volcaneum, whom Knockout hoped Superboy would kill as a sign of deference to her. Superboy refused, and thus Knockout killed Volcanus instead. Upon seeing Knockout's true colors, Superboy managed to defeat her and bring her into custody.
Knockout never escaped custody for the rest of the Superboy series, as anti-gravity items were used to keep her restrained.
In the storyline Hypertension, Superboy met a number of variations of Knockouts during his journey through Hypertime. One of which was an agent of Black Zero
Black Zero
Black Zero is a name shared by two supervillains, two terrorist organizations, one special forces group, and a computer virus that have all appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics.-Fictional Character biography:...
, an alternate adult version of Superboy. Another notable version gave her life to save Superboy and the Challengers of the Unknown
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
from a horde of rampaging Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
s.
Since then she has been revealed to be on the loose and has joined up with the Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
as seen in Villains United
Villains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
. In that book, she was revealed to have joined the Society as a mole at the request of her lover, Scandal Savage
Scandal (comics)
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillainess and antiheroine in the DC Comics Universe . She first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
, a member of the Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
.
Secret Six
Knockout joined the Secret SixSecret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
alongside Scandal. The team successfully assassinated a jail warden in North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, allowing the Secret Six to relax for a time. Each member celebrated in his or her own way when a team of assassins attacked each member, save Catman
Catman (comics)
Catman is a modern version of a fictional character in comic books published by DC Comics, initially a supervillain and foe of Batman, although in recent years has developed into a more capable and antiheroic figure. He first appeared in Detective Comics #311...
.
Knockout was almost killed when she was shot with a Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
ian sniper rifle by Pistolera
Pistolera
Pistolera is a DC Comics supervillain, an assassin and sharp-shooter from the Batman family of comic book titles.-Fictional character biography:...
. The shot implanted a bomb in her skin and when Scandal
Scandal (comics)
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillainess and antiheroine in the DC Comics Universe . She first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
refused to leave her side, she threw her from the blast range telling her they would meet again in the afterlife. After the bomb went off, Scandal
Scandal (comics)
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillainess and antiheroine in the DC Comics Universe . She first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
scrambled through the debris to find Knockout miraculously still alive, though horribly burned and unconscious. Knockout received medical treatment for her extensive injuries but recovered fully due to her body's Apokoliptian regenerative capabilities.
Doctor Psycho
Doctor Psycho is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. A villainous telepathic dwarf, Doctor Psycho has traditionally been presented as an adversary for Wonder Woman...
's manipulations, although her regeneration prevented any lasting damage. Though thought to be Scandal
Scandal (comics)
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillainess and antiheroine in the DC Comics Universe . She first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
's lover, Knockout was most recently seen in bed with Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
, when Scandal
Scandal (comics)
Scandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillainess and antiheroine in the DC Comics Universe . She first appeared in Villains United #1 , and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham...
caught the two in the act. It was later revealed that Knockout had slept with Floyd because she misunderstood the sexual exclusivity of her relationship with Scandal. Scandal and Knockout were together when the series ended and Scandal still refers to her as her girlfriend.
Knockout, along with the rest of the Secret Six, were hired by a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n mercenary and battled Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
's team in Birds of Prey. Knockout engaged in one-on-one combat with Big Barda
Big Barda
Big Barda is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4 , and was created by Jack Kirby....
, a fight which continued above all other concerns (including the resurrection of Ice
Ice (comics)
Ice is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in publications from DC Comics. Created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire, she first appeared in Justice League International #12 ....
), although the battle had no apparent victor.
Weeks later, after Scandal suggested that her bad mood was the result of her inconclusive encounter with Barda, Knockout went to the Birds of Prey headquarters looking to continue their fight. Upon her arrival, she was tracked and killed by Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial superhero published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Forever People #1, .-Fictional character biography:...
, adding her name to the list of murdered New Gods
New Gods
The New Gods are a fictional race appearing in publications by DC Comics, as well as the title for four series of comic books about those characters. They first appeared in New Gods #1 , and were created and designed by Jack Kirby....
. She stated that she knew her assailant and requested one last phone call to Scandal, the contents of which are unknown.
Knockout made a possible post-mortem appearance in Secret Six (vol.2) #1, when the team tries to cheer Scandal up with a stripper dressed like Knockout. Scandal, in her drunken stupor, has a vision, possibly a hallucination, of Knockout comforting her, though Scandal Savage later noted she didn't "see Knockout inside" when she accidentially meets the stripper — whom introduces herself as Liana Kerzner — while shopping and subsequently starts dating her.
Scandal is shown to have kept the "Get out of Hell Free" card the Six had been tasked with capturing and had falsely reported lost or destroyed. When Ragdoll is discovered to have stolen it, Scandal murders him. Afterwards, Black Alice — as her final act before leaving the team — teleports the rest of the team to Hell to retrieve the card where to Scandal's horror she discovers a brainwashed Knockout betrothed to Ragdoll as part of his elevation to the hierarchy of the Underworld. An exceptionally violent fight breaks out, resulting in the entire team with Knockout in tow escaping back to Earth with the certain knowledge of their ultimate destination.
Following her resurrection, she rejoins the Secret Six and accompanies the team on a mission to Gotham to kill several of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's allies. While in Gotham, Scandal proposes a polygamous marriage between Knockout, herself, and the stripper that she had been dating while Knockout was still dead. Knockout accepts the proposal just prior to the team being ambushed by a number of superheroes who come to assist Batman, resulting in a massive battle. Knockout is quickly blasted in the face by Captain Atom
Captain Atom
Captain Atom is a fictional comic book superhero that has existed in three basic incarnations. Created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko, he first appeared in Space Adventures #33 . Captain Atom was created for Charlton Comics but was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for...
, and falls to the ground next to Scandal. The two women hold hands one last time, with Scandal referring to Knockout as her "wife" before losing consciousness. The fates of Knockout and the other members of the Secret Six (save for Bane) are ultimately left ambiguous as the series ends.
Powers and abilities
Knockout is a highly trained warrior and is also a master of hand-to-hand combat. She has superhuman strength, durability, and endurance. She also possesses a healing factorHealing factor
A healing factor is a term used to describe the ability of some characters in fiction to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate...
.