The premiere of James Gunn’s Peacemaker reveals an unexpected twist regarding the DC Universe’s Amanda Waller.

On the show, Danielle Brooks stars as Leota Adebayo, Task Force X’s latest recruit, and – surprise! – the daughter of their boss Amanda Waller.

Academy and Emmy-Award winner Viola David reprised her role from the Suicide Squad films to make a brief appearance on the HBO Maz show, cameoing in the series’ second episode.

This also marked her third time portraying the character.

Waller is one of the most discussed characters in the DC Universe, and her complex history is certainly worth discussing.

Amanda Waller: History-Maker

Waller first appears in Legends #1 in the 1986 comics as the director for missions the Suicide Squad must embark on.

She is a specialist who oversees research into those with unusual powers, making a name for herself as a high-ranking and ruthless government official who uses connections and intimidation to make it to the top.

Waller is commonly associated with the in-universe fictional government agencies Checkmate and A.R.G.U.S.

The character of Amanda Waller was groundbreaking in the world of comic books and superheroes.

Created by writer John Ostrander, Waller is a middle-aged and heavyset black woman in a position of power.

While other women are drawn as stick-thin, full-figured love interests, Waller provided a unique contrast to perceptions of black women in the fictional spaces of the 1980s.

Waller is cunning, a willing participant in the contentious and controversial nature of government service.

She is one of DC’s most fascinating characters, asserting her political dominance over vigilantes and her fellow government officials.

Over the years, Waller has enjoyed a rare staying power in the fictional universe, thanks to her creator and the reception to the character in comics and on the small screen.

The Importance of Amanda Waller

Comic book commentator Ardo Omer recalled the moment she was first introduced to Waller in a profile in Variety.

Omer was watching a mid-2000s episode of the Justice League Unlimited animated series when she was shocked by the authoritative woman on her screen.

“She was this short, big, black woman — the kind of woman I’d grown up seeing in my neighborhood, calling them ‘aunties’ even though they weren’t related to me. And she was standing up to Batman!” Omer excitedly said.

In terms of her physical experience, artist John Byrne hit the nail on the head when told to create a recognizable woman who would be just like any other black woman in the city.

Modeled after actress Nell Carter, Waller wears bright purple eyeshadow and a strict, no-nonsense bun, with her business attire indicative of someone who has no time for games. 

How Amanda Waller Came To Be

Omer’s reaction to Waller is a testament to Ostrander, who was struggling to develop a unique character.

Having joined the world of comics in his mid-30s, Ostrander had a unique background.

He had studied to be a Catholic priest before becoming a cab driver in Chicago, where he discovered a knack for playwriting and acting.

After a friend from the theatre, Mike Gold, encouraged him to give comic book writing a shot, Ostrander decided to try his hand at the job in 1983.

Gold hired Ostrander as a writer for his newly-formed company, First Comics. 

Ostrander’s first job was to pen an extravagant sci-fi series he called Grimjack, whose unusual style caught the attention of DC editor Bob Greenberger.

In 1985, Greenberg asked Ostrander to work on a series for DC, and the priest-turned-comic-writer suggested bringing back a 1950s hero squad called Challengers of the Unknown.

Although the project had already been claimed, Greenberger pushed Ostrander to work on a different series, called the Suicide Squad.

“My first reaction was, ‘Suicide Squad’? What a stupid name for a book,” Ostrander recounted. “Who would knowingly belong to something that called itself ‘Suicide Squad’?”

After settling on a group of prisoners-turned-superheroes, Ostrander decided he needed to include a central figure of authority to keep the vigilantes in check.

He then made a decision that would play a huge role in shifting the perception of DC forever.

When discussing the creation of Amanda Waller, Ostrand stated that he wanted someone African-American because that demographic was severely lacking in comics.

“And I wanted the character to be female,” he added, “because we didn’t have very many female characters, either, ones who were very strong and could basically kick ass. And I thought she should be a little bit older, because I wanted her to have a life story, something that fed into who she was.”

The most crucial element of any DC character? Their backstory.

Ostrand wanted to justify Waller’s rough-and-tough attitude by having her grow up in Cabrini-Green, an area white people rarely ventured into.

Why Her Popularity Went Down

Unfortunately, the character struggled to gain traction in live-action adaptations.

Actress Angela Basset played a role in the commercial flop The Green Lantern, and although she gave it her all, the character lost the traits that had defined her.

Viola Davis earned better reviews for her version of Waller, but even that has been subject to scrutiny since 2016 – more so for the weak script than anything else.

Davis is much closer to Waller in terms of age and has the hardened look fans demanded to see on screen.

Of her casting, Davis said:

“I felt liberated to tap into that power with no vulnerability; to totally own it without apology.”

These live adaptations have changed Ostrand’s original design in the comic world.

In April 2021, Waller was changed to be older and larger again, a design trait that had been lost in the 2000s.

Ostrand has stated he is proud of the character and is excited to see what will happen to Amanda Waller when she is in the hands of a black writer.

Vita Ayala will be writing a few stories about the Suicide Squad in the coming years, and Ostrand hopes a more intimate perspective will enhance the character he believed the world needed.