LIQUIDATORS

Membership: Dorx, Krit

Base of Operations: Wexr II

First Appearance: Action Comics I #380 (September, 1969)

History:  (Action Comics I #380, 381) - The Superman Revenge Squad sent the Liquidators, Dorx and Krit, to Earth with a detailed plan to destroy Superman’s reputation. Superman returned from a mission in space, and the Liquidators surreptitiously exposed him to artificial red kryptonite that gave him a conscience syndrome that would make him prone to feeling guilty for things he had not done. The Liquidators destroyed the Iwo Jima memorial and replaced it with a Superman statue, and Krit, wearing robotic armor, smashed into the Metropolis Mint, melted a number of coins and engraved Superman’s likeness on others. The authorities were convinced that some evil doer was trying to frame Superman and ruin his reputation, but Superman’s conscience syndrome made him wonder if he was having blackouts and committing crimes. Superman suspected that if he was responsible his behavior could be explained by exposure to red kryptonite, and went to the Fortress of Solitude to use his newly created red k detector. Dorx, disguised as Supergirl, met him there, and offered to help him use the detector. Superman stepped inside the detector, which ran an electrical current over him that would turn him red if he’d been exposed to red k, and although the test revealed his exposure Dorx lied to him, saying he hadn’t changed color. Dorx suggested he chain himself up before going to sleep, and if he broke the chains in his sleep he’d know he was committing crimes after falling unconscious. She also poured chemicals on the chains that would shatter them before Superman woke, and after rejoining Krit they destroyed Mt. Rushmore, then carving Superman’s image into the mountain. Superman was convinced that he was guilty, and had a criminal superego that was surfacing. He went to the Daily Planet, typed out a number of stories in which he confessed to the Liquidator’s crimes, and gave his confession to Perry, Lois and Jimmy, who told him they believed he was innocent. Superman returned to the Fortress and retrieved his box containing gold kryptonite, which would forever remove his super powers, deciding that was preferable to abusing his great power to cause harm. News stories popped up on Superman’s satellite television screens, and he noticed how fuzzy the picture was. Examining the Telstar satellite that relayed television to the Fortress he realized someone had placed artificial red k inside it. Superman came up with a plan to catch the perpetrators and put back the gold k before smashing the door to the Fortress and flying to the U.N. ready to stand trial for his crimes. The Liquidators watched him on their remote viewscreen do everything in his power to make the evidence against him fit. Noticing the Fortress was accessible they went inside to raid it and started bragging about how they’d framed Superman. Superman had the Fortress bugged, and their confession was broadcast to the U.N., clearing Superman’s name. The Liquidators, realizing they were exposed, fled in their spaceship. Superman allowed them to escape, knowing the penalty for failing a Revenge Squad mission was to be put into lifelong slavery by the Squad.