Institute of Evil
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Evil is a fictional organization, owned by Marvel Comics
.
’s arch-foes. The known members of the Institute of Evil included Ape-X
(the leader), Doctor Decibel
, Foxfire
, Lamprey
, Quagmire
, and the Shape
.
The Behavior Modification process invented by Squadron member Tom Thumb
would prove to be the Institute of Evil’s undoing. The Golden Archer
used the machine to make fellow Squadron member Lady Lark
obsessed with him. However, he couldn’t stand her irrational behavior, so went for a walk and was captured by the Institute. They tortured the Archer until he revealed the Squadron’s new base of operations. They then kidnapped the Squadron’s family members and attacked their headquarters. They began ambushing Squadron members and using the behavior modification machines on them as they returned from their missions. The Institute then brought the Squadron back to their lair where the Golden Archer and their captive family members were held. The Squadron attacked, revealing that Tom Thumb had designed the process not to work on Squadron members, and defeated the Institute completely.
The Institute of Evil’s members were subjected to the Behavior Modification process, altering their personalities. The former super-criminals all became elected to full membership in the Squadron Supreme and aided them in their efforts to conquer the world in order to forcibly turn it into a utopia
.
Some Institute members did not fare so well as members of the Squadron. Ape-X suffered from a psychotic withdrawal from reality and fell into a coma, due to her behavior modification process. After saving twenty factory workers from a gas leakage, Quagmire went into a coma. In the hospital, he was sucked into the hole in his brain that is a portal into the dimension from which his dark matter originates, and Doctor Decibel suffocated in Quagmire’s extra-dimensional slime.
In time, Squadron Supreme member Nighthawk objected to the extreme methods the Squadron was using to achieve its goals, and left the group. Nighthawk formed a rebel group, known as the America Redeemers, to oppose the Squadron’s “benevolent” tyranny. The Redeemers included other enemies of the Squadron, expelled Squadron member the Black Archer
, as well as unknown superheroes that infiltrated the Squadron to help take it down. With the help of Master Menace
, the Redeemers were able to reverse the Behavior Modification of Foxfire, Lamprey, and the Shape and recruited them into his group. These three agents also remained in the Squadron as double agents.
When the Redeemers finally confronted the Squadron Supreme, an all-out battle broke out. Lamprey tried to absorb Doctor Spectrum’s power, but Doctor Spectrum was able to overload Lamprey’s power which killed Lamprey. Foxfire, who had long been in love with Doctor Spectrum, tried to gain his approval by betraying Nighthawk, to allow the Squadron to win the fight. She used her powers to kill Nighthawk by blasting his heart and causing a massive coronary. Foxfire was then killed by fellow Redeemer Mink
, who had been in love with Nighthawk. The death of Nighthawk caused the Squadron members to realize that they had become the very thing that they had intended to oppose, and thus ended the fight.
The Shape
was the only former member of the Institute of Evil that eventually chose to side with the Squadron Supreme, finding happiness in his new calling.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Fictional team history
The Institute of Evil existed in the Earth-712 universe and served as the Squadron SupremeSquadron Supreme
The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first appeared in Avengers #85 - 86 The Squadron Supreme is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Squadron Supreme first...
’s arch-foes. The known members of the Institute of Evil included Ape-X
Ape-X
Ape-X is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the universe of the Squadron Supreme.She is based on Gorilla Grodd of the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
(the leader), Doctor Decibel
Doctor Decibel
Doctor Decibel is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the universe of the Squadron Supreme.-Publication history:Doctor Decibel first appeared in Squadron Supreme #5 , and was created by Mark Gruenwald....
, Foxfire
Foxfire (comics)
Foxfire is a fictional character from Marvel Comics' original Squadron Supreme series.-Fictional character biography:Olivia Underwood was born in Nexusville, New Brunswick, in the United States of Earth-712. She later became a criminal and supervillain using the alias Foxfire...
, Lamprey
Lamprey (comics)
Lamprey is a fictional character from Marvel Comics' original Squadron Supreme series. He was initially created as a pastiche of the DC Comics supervillain, the Parasite.-Fictional character biography:...
, Quagmire
Quagmire (comics)
Quagmire is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who is a native of the universe of the Squadron Supreme. He first appeared in Squadron Supreme #4 Quagmire (Jerome Meyers) is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics who is a native of the universe of the Squadron Supreme. He first...
, and the Shape
Shape (comics)
-Squadron Supreme:-Fictional character biography:The Shape was born in Simak, Lowengard, in the U.S.A. of the alternate Earth of the Squadron Supreme, Earth-712...
.
The Behavior Modification process invented by Squadron member Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb (comics)
Tom Thumb is the name of two fictional characters who are owned by Marvel Comics and appear in the comic books published by that company...
would prove to be the Institute of Evil’s undoing. The Golden Archer
Golden Archer
Golden Archer is a fictional superhero that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Squadron Supreme, the character exists in the universe of that team, an alternate universe to Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe.Although he was a...
used the machine to make fellow Squadron member Lady Lark
Lady Lark
Lady Lark, later named Skylark, is a character in the Marvel Comics series Squadron Supreme and hails from Earth-712. She is based on Black Canary and later on Hawkgirl in DC Comics.-Publication history:...
obsessed with him. However, he couldn’t stand her irrational behavior, so went for a walk and was captured by the Institute. They tortured the Archer until he revealed the Squadron’s new base of operations. They then kidnapped the Squadron’s family members and attacked their headquarters. They began ambushing Squadron members and using the behavior modification machines on them as they returned from their missions. The Institute then brought the Squadron back to their lair where the Golden Archer and their captive family members were held. The Squadron attacked, revealing that Tom Thumb had designed the process not to work on Squadron members, and defeated the Institute completely.
The Institute of Evil’s members were subjected to the Behavior Modification process, altering their personalities. The former super-criminals all became elected to full membership in the Squadron Supreme and aided them in their efforts to conquer the world in order to forcibly turn it into a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
.
Some Institute members did not fare so well as members of the Squadron. Ape-X suffered from a psychotic withdrawal from reality and fell into a coma, due to her behavior modification process. After saving twenty factory workers from a gas leakage, Quagmire went into a coma. In the hospital, he was sucked into the hole in his brain that is a portal into the dimension from which his dark matter originates, and Doctor Decibel suffocated in Quagmire’s extra-dimensional slime.
In time, Squadron Supreme member Nighthawk objected to the extreme methods the Squadron was using to achieve its goals, and left the group. Nighthawk formed a rebel group, known as the America Redeemers, to oppose the Squadron’s “benevolent” tyranny. The Redeemers included other enemies of the Squadron, expelled Squadron member the Black Archer
Golden Archer
Golden Archer is a fictional superhero that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Squadron Supreme, the character exists in the universe of that team, an alternate universe to Marvel's main shared universe, the Marvel Universe.Although he was a...
, as well as unknown superheroes that infiltrated the Squadron to help take it down. With the help of Master Menace
Master Menace
Dr. Emil Burbank, also known as Master Menace, is a fictional Marvel Comics character. Two different versions of the character appear in two separate continuities, Squadron Supreme and Supreme Power.-Squadron Supreme:...
, the Redeemers were able to reverse the Behavior Modification of Foxfire, Lamprey, and the Shape and recruited them into his group. These three agents also remained in the Squadron as double agents.
When the Redeemers finally confronted the Squadron Supreme, an all-out battle broke out. Lamprey tried to absorb Doctor Spectrum’s power, but Doctor Spectrum was able to overload Lamprey’s power which killed Lamprey. Foxfire, who had long been in love with Doctor Spectrum, tried to gain his approval by betraying Nighthawk, to allow the Squadron to win the fight. She used her powers to kill Nighthawk by blasting his heart and causing a massive coronary. Foxfire was then killed by fellow Redeemer Mink
Mink (comics)
Mink is a fictional character who appeared in the Marvel Comics series Squadron Supreme, and is based on Catwoman. She is a former criminal, who became a part of Nighthawk's America Redeemers, who attempted to stop the Squadron from taking over the world.Mink has no superhuman powers, but is highly...
, who had been in love with Nighthawk. The death of Nighthawk caused the Squadron members to realize that they had become the very thing that they had intended to oppose, and thus ended the fight.
The Shape
Shape (comics)
-Squadron Supreme:-Fictional character biography:The Shape was born in Simak, Lowengard, in the U.S.A. of the alternate Earth of the Squadron Supreme, Earth-712...
was the only former member of the Institute of Evil that eventually chose to side with the Squadron Supreme, finding happiness in his new calling.