History
Beetles
An armored superhuman restraint unit's first appearance in the Marvel Universe was in Marvel UK's The Mighty World Of Marvel, during the events of the Jaspers' Warp story arc involving Brian Braddock as Captain Britain. Insane reality warper Mad Jim Jaspers is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and turned the UK into a fascist state,[3] and enforced "Super Hero Legislation" using armored agents of S.T.R.I.K.E. (the UK division of S.H.I.E.L.D.) to hunt down and detain superhumans within the UK. These anti-superhuman agents were called "Beetles" squadrons due to their beetle head shaped helmets and were best known for gunning down Tom Lennox, Betsy Braddock's lover.[4]
Cape-Killers I
The first incarnation of the Cape-Killers[5] (sometimes written Capekiller[6]) are agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. equipped in armored suits during the events of Marvel Comics' Civil War crossover, where these agents were sent to bring in rogue superheroes.[5] The United States government passed the Superhuman Registration Act,[7] and used a division of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trained to deal specifically with superhuman threats,[1] to enforce the law. These foot soldiers[8] of S.H.I.E.L.D., known as (Anti-)Superhuman Restraint Unit and more commonly Cape-Killers, were spread out across Marvel comics and came into conflict with various superpowered individuals throughout the event. The Cape-Killers wear armor and use hardware designed by Stark Industries.[9] The Cape-Killers' armor has two different styles of helmet (a Riotsquad style helmet,[10] and a helmet with a Filter style gas mask[11]) as well as suits that are out-fitted with internal comm systems,[11] and hover discs that give the wearers the ability of flight (which have been seen in various comics),[12] and various firearms that shot tranquilizer darts,[5] though later they have been shown to use genetic paralyzer laser weapons.[12] Weaknesses of the Cape-Killers' armor suits have been shown to be susceptible to power surges in several issues,[10] and S.H.I.E.L.D. former director Nick Fury would later develop a device that transmitted an electromagnetic overload pulse-broadcast straight into their comm systems which shut down their suits and frying their electrical systems that was shown to take down several unit members at once.[11] It's also shown that there's an override code used by the Cape-Killers' disillusioned designer on his high tech palm pilot that can freeze their suits.[13]
The Cape-Killers are seen in the subsequent Initiative story arc as well as the "Secret Invasion" storyline, until being discontinued by H.A.M.M.E.R. commander Norman Osborn at the start of the "Dark Reign" storyline.[14]
Cape Killers II
The Cape Killers would later be revived by Agent Julia Gao of the NYPD during the "Devil's Reign" storyline to enforce the Anti-Vigilante Act previously enacted by former New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk. Gao recruits several supervillains like Electro II, Scorpion, Taskmaster and Hightail into the Cape Killers in exchange for clemency and first deploys them during the "Carnage Reigns" event to stop Cletus Kasady.[15] Gao and the Cape Killers frequently clash with Spider-Man (Miles Morales), but are often forced to work together.[16][17]
During the "Gang War" event, Gao sends the Cape Killers members Scorpion, Taskmaster, Hightail, and new recruit Gust to deal with the destruction wrought by the warring gangs and orders them to arrest both superheroes and supervillains alike as seen after Spider-Man, Misty Knight, and Colleen Wing have defeated Bumbler and Frost Pharaoh.[18] She-Hulk intervenes and argues with Gao through a video call that Spider-Man and his allies have been deputized by Mayor Luke Cage to help stop the gang violence. As Gao begrudgingly allows Spider-Man to go free, she still orders Hightail to bring Knight and Wing to her. Spider-Man accompanies Scorpion and Gust to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn where they end up fighting Prowler and the Enforcers. Scorpion and Gust manage to defeat the Enforcers while Spider-Man fights his uncle until Starling arrives with Ms. Marvel and Shift.[19] The Prowler reveals that was he secretly working undercover to thwart the Hobgoblin's attempt to control Brooklyn and joins forces with Spider-Man and the Cape Killers to stop Hobgoblin and his supplier Rabble.[20] At Hobgoblin's hideout, Scorpion convinces several supervillains under the Hobgoblin's employ to turn against their employer; the Cape Killers and Spider-Man and his allies are able to save Brooklyn from the Hobgoblin although Rabble escapes during the battle and the Hobgoblin is presumed killed after blowing up his base. Gao ends her truce with Spider-Man and attempts to arrest him, but he defiantly leaves to help end the final battle at Central Park.[21]
After the Gang War ends and Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Act is repealed, Mayor Cage orders the Cape Killers to disband, with its members either having their sentences commuted or returned to imprisonment. Although Cage lets her keep title and has her transferred to a different department, an infuriated Gao seeks out Rabble to form her own alliance in thwarting New York's superhuman activities.[22] Hoping to arrest Spider-Man before the Act is officially repealed and the Cape Killers are disbanded, Gao equips herself and the Cape Killers with upgraded suits provided by Rabble and ambush him, but Spider-Man fights them off after empowering himself with his Bio-Electricity and when Rhino, Prowler, Ms. Marvel, Shift and Starling arrive to back him up. However, Rabble intervenes by using her technopathy to take control of the Cape Killers' suits, letting them fight at their full capacity but would also eventually kill them, goading Spider-Man into confronting her alone.[23] Spider-Man narrowly defeats Rabble after a brutal fight, which frees the Cape-Killers from her control. Gao slips away from the authorities while the Cape-Killers are treated for their injuries as Cage arrives on the scene and officially disbands the Cape-Killers.[24]
