Checkmate

"Making the world better."

―Slogan^[src]

Checkmate is a covert operations agency created by Leota Adebayo and the 11th Street Kids with the aid of former A.R.G.U.S. agents Sasha Bordeaux, Langston Fleury, and Judomaster.

History[]

Background[]

Leota Adebayo revealing the truth about A.R.G.U.S.

"When has anything we've ever done actually been for the good of the people?"

―John Economos to Emilia Harcourt^[src]

Following Leota Adebayo's public statement regarding Task Force X and the Butterfly Invasion, the U.S. Congress canceled any operations involving human inmates, leading to Amanda Waller's departure from A.R.G.U.S. two years later, and her replacement by General Rick Flag, Sr.. However, Waller pulled strings to ensure that the 11th Street Kids could not continue their work as agents for A.R.G.U.S. or other government organizations, with the exception of John Economos.^[1]

Following Peacemaker's arrest and the takeover of the interdimensional device, A.R.G.U.S., under Rick Flag, Sr., allied with LuthorCorp technicians and began a campaign to find an uninhabited dimension capable of supporting Earth life, using A.R.G.U.S. agents as scapegoats during the investigation, putting their lives at risk by blindly plunging them into unknown universes. While investigating Candyland, they were attacked by Imps who attempted to kill them, managing to maim Kline, much to the horror of his friends.

Sasha Bordeaux arranging a meeting with Emilia Harcourt

Emilia Harcourt and John Economos began to question the purposes behind the investigation, realizing that nothing A.R.G.U.S. did had ever served the good of the people. Upon finding Salvation, Flag revealed his intentions to imprison metahumans on the planet based on their dangerousness, so they could never return. Sasha Bordeaux, being a metahuman, felt threatened and arranged a meeting with Harcourt. Upon realizing that they were being used, they considered starting their own covert operations agency.^[2]

Founding[]

"We're gonna do something, Chris. For us. And for the world. We're gonna stand the fuck up. But we need our boy with us. We need you."

―Leota Adebayo to Chris Smith^[src]

Leota Adebayo left her personal business and put all her ideas together to lead the initiative, convincing Adrian Chase to use the dirty money from drug trafficking stored in his warehouse for good use, and convincing Chris Smith to join when he tried to get away from everyone. Under the vision of making the world a better place in the face of A.R.G.U.S. corruption, the 11th Street Kids and former A.R.G.U.S. agents, including Judomaster and Langston Fleury, used Chase's funds to shape the project, which they named Checkmate, establishing its headquarters in Evergreen.^[2]

Members[]

Current Members[]

Leota Adebayo[]

Name: Leota Adebayo
Species: Human
Status: Alive
Active: 2025
Description: A resourceful, quick-witted and determined individual who is pushed by her mother, Amanda Waller, to work as an agent of A.R.G.U.S. She eventually joins the team and helps to prevent the invasion of the parasitic aliens known as Butterflies. After the events Project Butterfly and developing a close friendship with the antihero Peacemaker, She forms a press conference to reveal the inhumane use of prisoners for a project designated as Task Force X, and names her mother as the architect behind the Black ops unit. Now estranged from her mother, Adebayo remains as one of Peacemaker's closest allies and friend.

Peacemaker[]

Name: Christopher Clyde "Chris" Smith
Species: Human
Status: Active
Active: 2025-
Description: A skilled assassin with a violent and morally-questionable view of how to deal with criminals. He is a former member of Task Force X who was assigned to deal with the alien threat known as Butterflies. After defeating the butterflies, he eventually gained his freedom and returned home thanks to the help of Leota Adebayo.

Emilia Harcourt[]

Name: Emilia Harcourt
Species: Human
Status: Alive
Active: 2025
Description: A natural born leader and dedicated government agent who worked for Amanda Waller and the organization known as A.R.G.U.S. She was later assigned to be a field agent during the events of Project Butterfly and developed a close relationship with her new team.

Vigilante[]

Name: Adrian Chase
Species: Human
Status: Alive
Active: 2025
Description: An enthusiastic bus boy who moonlights as a violent and sadistic vigilante. He is the self-proclaimed "best friend" of Peacemaker who joined him and the other members of the 11th Street Kids in stopping the Butterfly invasion. After defeating the Butterflies Adrian continues his work as a crime fighter.

John Economos[]

Name: John Economos
Species: Human
Status: Alive
Active: 2025
Description: A snarky and well equipped computer hacker that works for A.R.G.U.S. He was assigned to work with Peacemaker and joined him and the others on a crazy adventure to defeat the extraterrestrial threat called Butterflies. During the events of Project Butterfly, Economos broke his leg and required crutches for an extended period of time. After defeating the Butterflies he returns to Belle Reve to continue his work for A.R.G.U.S. and the newly formed black ops unit designated as Task Force M.

Sasha Bordeaux[]

Name: Sasha Bordeaux
Species: Metahuman (Cyborg)
Status: Active
Active: 2025
Description: A high ranking operative of A.R.G.U.S., she remained loyal towards Rick Flag Sr. during his manhunt of Peacemaker and started a relationship with him. Once Flag Sr. obtained Peacemaker's dimensional travel technology however, Bordeaux became disillusioned at A.R.G.U.S. and Flag's increasing abuse of power, leading her to decide to abandon the agency and work with the 11th Street Kids to found their own independent intelligence agency.

Langston Fleury[]

Name: Langston Fleury
Species: Human
Status: Active
Active: 2025
Description: A member of A.R.G.U.S. who was assigned to participate in the capture of Peacemaker to seize his dimensional portal. Fleury became disgusted by Flag's abuse of authority and conspiring with Lex Luthor, and decided to leave A.R.G.U.S.

Judomaster[]

Name: Hadley "Rip" Jagger
Species: Human
Status: Active
Active: 2025
Description: A martial artist freelancer, originally hired by the Butterflies to bodyguard their queen as they plotted world domination, Judomaster became an enemy of the 11th Street Kids during their campaign to stop the Butterflies. Later, he joined A.R.G.U.S. in their efforts to capture Peacemaker and seize his dimensional portal technology. Jagger eventually made amends with the 11th Street Kids and became a founding member of Checkmate.

Eagly[]

Name: Eagly
Species: Bald Eagle
Status: Alive
Active: 2025
Description: The Prime Eagle and Peacemaker's loyal pet, serving as emotional support for Smith in the 11th Street Kids, with whom they then founded Checkmate.

Facilities[]

Checkmate Headquarters: Located in Evergreen, Washington, and financed by Vigilante's recovered blood money, the Checkmate headquarters are a facility where the agency monitors their activities and covert operations.

Relationships[]

Enemies[]

A.R.G.U.S.

Trivia[]

In the comics, Checkmate is governmental "spy" agency with the hierarchy revolving around the pieces in the classic board game, Chess, with Kings & Queens being the leaders. The agency was set up by Amanda Waller as its first Queen to serve as a branch of Task Force X, which also included the black ops organization known as the Suicide Squad. In the New 52, Checkmate is an international organization run by Maxwell Lord that works with all of the world's governments, but is answerable to none of them.