What is Amanda Waller: Hero or villain?

[QuinnFillory]

Amanda Waller has done many horrific things in the past, especially to the superheroes of the DC universe. However, she claims to have good reasons for her actions, like the protection of humanity. So, what do you think she is?

[Robotman]

At the end of the day Amanda Waller is just doing her job to protect the American people. She just doesn't care how many eggs have to be broken in order to make her omelet.

[Rincewind]

At the end of the day Amanda Waller is just doing her job to protect the American people. She just doesn't care how many eggs have to be broken in order to make her omelet.

Pre New 52, she's a hero that does some unpleasant things to unpleasant people to protect the country/world.

Post New 52, she's a corrupt official who will hurt innocents, or let them be hurt if it helps her achieve her goals.

[JackDaw]

There is only one Amanda Waller, the one that appears in the great John Ostrander run. Beware all imitations.

The real one is a hero.

[gwangung]

Pre New 52, she's a hero that does some unpleasant things to unpleasant people to protect the country/world.

Post New 52, she's a corrupt official who will hurt innocents, or let them be hurt if it helps her achieve her goals.

There is only one Amanda Waller, the one that appears in the great John Ostrander run. Beware all imitations.

The real one is a hero.

I agree with both of these.

Really easy to writer her as a villain.

Much harder to write her doing things and keep her a hero.

[WebLurker]

All the stuff I ever saw with her had her as bad as the villains she fought (although I understand that the DCAU version did reform later in life).

[Robotman]

I think Waller would be "Lawful Neutral"

[Outside_85]

Villain, she assumes to be doing good for America... but in doing so she tramples on everything that, pardon the expression, makes America great.
Her saving grace is that she's part of the government and have their permission to do what she does, but that only makes her legal, not good.

[Agent Z]

Villain, she assumes to be doing good for America... but in doing so she tramples on everything that, pardon the expression, makes America great.
Her saving grace is that she's part of the government and have their permission to do what she does, but that only makes her legal, not good.

Couldn't the same be said of superheroes as well? It isn't like a lot of them don't cross numerous legal and ethical lines

[batnbreakfast]

The fact that there's a whole thread and everybody comes to their own conclusions makes her an interesting gray area character

[ultradav]

Most writers get her so wrong. Ostrander and a few others are the only ones who really got her. Most other writers just write her as a sociopath and that's not right.

[theoneandonly]

she is neither a hero or villain. she is the wall and a. wall will fulfill its purpose regardless of other considerations. so she is utilitarian.

[batnbreakfast]

Most writers get her so wrong. Ostrander and a few others are the only ones who really got her. Most other writers just write her as a sociopath and that's not right.

I'd like to see Viola Davis return for the role and thanks to your avatar I'd like to watch her go against Granny (Kathleen Turner)

[Manda-Panda]

Currently, she is a villain, an anti villain to be sure, but a villain none the less. Ideally, she is an anti hero, but people struggle to write her that way.

[Rincewind]

There is only one Amanda Waller, the one that appears in the great John Ostrander run. Beware all imitations.

The real one is a hero.

I feel this way about the Suicide Squad in general. When written by John Ostrander, it is one of the best titles DC ever published. But any Suicide Squad story not written by John Ostrander is pretty bad. The other writers only go for the "villains fighting worse villains" aspect and miss all the other stuff Ostrander was doing. As a result, even the "villains fighting worse villains" comes off weaker than anytime Ostrander used it.