Name: Secret Society of Super-Villains
Universe: Earth-1
First Appearance: Secret Society of Super-Villains #1

History:
An organization that has gone through a number of incarnations, the overall roster of the Secret Society of Super-Villains reads like a Who's Who of the super-criminal world.

Originally formed by Darkseid to pave his way for a takeover of Earth, a clone of Manhunter gathered Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Gorilla Grodd, Sinestro, Copperhead, Shadow-Thief, Captain Boomerang, the Wizard and Hi-Jack to become a team that would rid Earth of its super-heroes. The group eventually rebelled against Darkseid and his minions, preferring to rule the Earth themselves if and when they accomplished their purpose.

Upon the seeming demise of Darkseid and the end of his scheme, the group was taken over by Funky Flashman, who sold them on the idea that with the right publicity, they could go about their business without interference. He recruited a number of super-villains, including Captain Stingaree, Matter Master, Felix Faust, and the Trickster to carry out various plans. He also withstood an attempt by Lex Luthor to take over the organization.

Gorilla Grodd was the next one to gain control of the Society, albeit briefly. He recruited Angle Man, Bizarro, Sinestro, Star Sapphire, and Poison Ivy in an attempt to destroy the Justice League... that failed.

When Funky Flashman attempted to reorganize the group, he found himself deposed by the Wizard, who had acquired new powers. The Wizard formed a core group of the Floronic Man, Blockbuster, Reverse-Flash, and Star Sapphire and took them to Earth-2 to battle the Justice Society. In the process, he involved them in a battle with the Crime Syndicate of America of Earth-3. Meanwhile, on Earth-1, Mirror Master called together another team of villains at the request of the Silver Ghost with the purpose of killing members of the Freedom Fighters. This team included Copperhead, Sizematic, Quakemaster, Chronos, and Killer Moth.

During this early part of the group's activity, it was first infiltrated and the constantly battled by Captain Comet, and it is he who must be credited for more than one defeat of the Society.

One last incarnation of the Society was seen, formed by the Ultra-Humanite, in an attempt to rid Earth-2 of all super-heroes. He recruited Killer Frost, Signal Man, Floronic Man, Cheetah, Psycho-Pirate, the Monocle, the Mist, Rag Doll, and Brain Wave to battle ten separate heroes on Earths 1 and 2 and banish them to limbo. The Earth-1 villains, realizing they had been duped, decided to get even with the Ultra-Humanite, involving other members of the Justice League in the case. The combined forces of the Justice League and the Justice Society defeated this latest cabal of villains and banished them all to limbo.

At some unrecorded time, the villains, with the sole exception of Brain Wave, escaped from limbo and many of them became involved in the so-called Crisis on Infinite Earths.