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Vandal Savage

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Real Identity: Unknown
Appearances (Movies): Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay
Appearances (Comics): Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay (Chapter Eight)
Powers/Skills: Immortality, Accumulated Knowledge and Wealth, Strategy, and Marksmanship
Voiced By: Jim Pirri

Vandal Savage was originally a caveman granted immortality by the radiation of a meteor that landed on Earth. He lived through many ages, assuming new identities, taking part in many military engagements, and accumulating knowledge, wealth, land, assets, and influence. For centuries, Vandal Savage kept a base under Paris, France that didn't connect to the general catacombs under the city. Savage's fallen warriors were buried in the walls, in the ground, and even thrown into the aqueduct system then added to a magical security system. If it was set off by interlopers, the dead would be reanimated and attack. In the 36th chamber, Savage kept his most precious artifacts in the temple room and conducted occult ceremonies. The aqueduct system was used to wash out the chamber when sacrifices were made to an ancient aquatic creature. Savage knew even he wouldn't live forever and commissioned a total of 13 blacksmiths to forge him a supernatural relic named the Amaurex Key to prevent him from going to Hell upon death. It took centuries of slow enchantment to realize.

Savage hired the 13th and last blacksmith out of Boston. He was blindfolded and taken on an ocean voyage. Several weeks later, he was taken to Paris and led down underground into a chamber. He engraved patterns into the key that Savage showed him from ancient scrolls. When he was done, Savage paid him and returned him home. The next day, Savage killed him in Boston and laid his body to rest at Granary Burial Grounds to prevent his ghost from haunting him. A dark priest was directed to bind the key to the dead. Solomon Grundy was chosen as the reanimated defender and he kept the key from being bound to a living user that wasn't Savage and grew stronger over time. For a time, Savage could control the zombie. He came to value Grundy over the key but after some time, the key fell out of his grasp. He swore Gentleman Jim Craddock to guard the key. A spell was cast and sealed off Savage's temple room with a cement wall. Unable to recover it, Savage turned his attention to gaining the Get Out of Hell Free Card.

Vandal Savage chose his daughter Scandal Savage to succeed him and groomed her to rule his empire until he realized she wouldn't do everything his way. 20 years after his temple room in the Paris Catacombs was sealed off, Savage came into conflict with Zoom and Amanda Waller over the Get Out of Hell Free Card. He ultimately died in the finale. Waller's Suicide Squad procured it but Deadshot gave it to Bronze Tiger upon his death. She hired Jason Blood to verify it but she learned it was already used. Jason Blood and Madame Xanadu turned to the Amaurex Key as an alternative. Waller then asked where to start looking. Blood warned her it wouldn't be easy then advised her to start with any connections to Savage's underground society she might have. Jason Blood discovered a blacksmith connected to the Amaurex Key was buried at the Granary Burial Grounds in Boston. He arranged for Deadman to act as guide and instructed Waller to meet him there at twilight. Knowing a blood relative of Savage would eventually be needed, Waller came up with a scenario to manipulate his daughter Scandal Savage into taking her side.

Waller found her location on the Recovery naval ship, anonymously tipped off Savage's followers, then formed a new Suicide Squad to rescue her and her lover Knockout. Vandal Savage's lieutenants and underlings stormed the Recovery to assassinate Savage before she learned of her father's death and tried to take over his empire. Ironically, she had no interest in succeeding him and only wanted to protect Knockout. Waller and the squad came to her aid. Waller informed her what was happening and suggested a safer location for Knockout to recover. Savage fell for it and accepted Waller's offer. Gentleman Ghost was bound to safeguard the bearer of the key and he believed it functioned best where it currently was. He intervened and attempted to kill them all at Granary Burial Grounds. Deadman arrived and dispatched him. The ghost of the blacksmith who finished the key told the story of his part in its creation. They went to Paris and met with Scandal Savage and explored the catacombs but set off the undead warriors.