First organized by Darkseid, the Secret Society of Super Villains were based out of the Sinister Citadel in San Francisco. From early on, the team was plagued with power struggles. Lex Luthor, the Wizard, and Funky Flashman all sought to control the powerful team; Manhunter and Captain Comet, on the other hand, sought to divert the villains' evil ways into a more positive channel. After confusion over the purpose of the team, the Secret Society of Super-Villains dedicated themselves to villainry and found a nemesis in Captain Comet. After discovering the true identity of their benefactor, the team rebelled against the alien overlord. To quash their uprising, Darkseid sent Mantis and Kalibak. At the end of the struggle, Manhunter sacrificed himself to stop Darkseid. After this, the team splintered, with Luthor and Flashman leading competing teams. However, the Wizard proved to be the most tenacious, by usurping power from Flashman and creating the definitive incarnation of the Secrety Society.
This incarnation battled against the Justice League of America aboard their satellite headquarters. At one point in the battle, the two teams swapped bodies, allowing the super villains to discover the true identities of their nemeses. After gaining the upper hand, the Justice League wiped the memories of the super villains, precipitating Identity Crisis and the formation of the current Society years later.
The history of the first incarnation of the Secret Society of Super-Villains is different. After the Wizard gained leadership of his own branch of the Secret Society, he sought to travel to Earth-Two, where the superheroes would be ill equipped to battle against the villains of Earth-One. However, the Secret Society and Captain Comet found themselves on Earth-Three instead. After freeing the Crime Syndicate, the Secret Society made it to Earth-Two, where they were handily defeated by the Justice Society of America. After escaping back to Earth-1, the Wizard and his team attacked the Justice League.
Recent Incarnation:
Felix Faust
Chronos
Star Sapphire II
Floronic Man
Matter Master
Wizard
Former Members:
Angle Man
Bizarro
Blockbuster I
Blockbuster II
Brainwave
Captain Boomerang I
Captain Cold
Captain Stingaree
Charaxes
Cheetah
Cheshire
Copperhead
Darkseid
Deadshot
Funky Flashman
Girder
Gorilla Grodd
Hector Hammond
Hi-Jack
Killer Frost
Killer Moth I
Lex Luthor
Mirror Master
Mist I
The Monocle
Per Degaton
Poison Ivy
Psycho Pirate
Quakemaster
Rag Doll
Professor Zoom the Reverse Flash
The Riddler
The Scarecrow
Shadow-Thief
Sinestro
Silver Ghost
Dr. Sivana
Signalman
Sizematic
Solomon Grundy
The Trickster I
Ultra-Humanite
