List of Astro City Characters - Groups

Groups

• The Apollo Eleven (featured) - A bizarrely diverse space-themed group consisting of ten former moonbase astronauts and one apparent alien, all serving as Earth emissaries of galactic league of planets "The Continuum." Collectively empowered by (and tasked with routinely manifesting) The Incarnate, a cosmic being evaluating Earth for league membership and possibly for destruction. The group, formed either in, or shortly before, 1972, consisted of Commander One (the group's leader), Aquarina, Arthro, Encephalon, Gas Giant, Ichthyos, Kahoutek, Nihil, Shrrk, Strangeling, and LGM (the non-human member). The ten human members were restored to their depowered human forms with the apparent death of The Incarnate in 1982, with the fate of LGM left unclear.
• The Astro City Irregulars - A group of outcast heroes founded by Bravo in the early to mid 1970s, after El Hombre's disgrace; its original roster also included Alligator, Skitter, Switchblade, and Umbra; Orphan was added to the membership as a result of their first case. The current (1998) roster consists of Juice (the apparent leader), Ruby, Palmetto, Jailbait/HomeGirl, El Robo, and Stray. The name echoes the Baker Street Irregulars of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
• The Gorilla Swarm - Insect-headed, gorilla-bodied hive-mind entities. The gorilla swarm ramets go berserk when the hive mind is disrupted. Easily used as servants by villains.
• The Balloon Bandits - A group of villains fought by Atomicus in the 1960s.
• The Barnstormers - A group of villains fought by Air Ace in the post-World War I era.
• Birdmen – An unnamed group of three flying villains fought by Jack-in-the-Box.
• The Birds of Paradise – A group of at least three Brazilian flying superheroines, all elaborately garbed and capable of flight, who fought the Enelsians in Rio de Janeiro. Later two of them apprehended Senhor Technico.
• The Blackout Bandits - A gang of villains defeated by the All-American and Slugger in 1943.
• The Brothers of Trouble - Devotees of Jack-in-the-Box from the future who have made him the basis of a religion. Possibly a future version of the Trouble Boys.
• The Chessmen - A group of armored villains patterned after chess pieces; Sean Hanrahan was the original Queen's Bishop. Fought the original Jack-In-The-Box April 6, 1968. After a defeat by Samaritan their armor was abandoned and later salvaged by the Red Queen to create a new team of Chessmen to serve as her strike force, with equipment improved by the Mock Turtle. This team later hunted the Mock Turtle to Astro City, where it was defeated by residents of Kiefer Square under the direction of Steeljack, on the assumption that it was acting on behalf of the Black Mask Killer. Only one, the Bishop, was allowed to escape, to warn off his employer.
• The Computermen - A group of villains fought by Atomicus in the 1960s.
• The Crazy Eight - A gang of eight well-armed criminals who wore matching costumes and frightening facial makeup. All were apparently killed during an encounter with Gloo in 1984.
• The Crossbreed (featured) - A group of pariah religious heroes, led by Noah and consisting also of Daniel, David, Joshua, Mary, and Peter. Stigmatized by society as "Jesus freaks." Based on biblical figures.
• The Dominos - A group of villains employed by Braintrust. Dressed as dominos. Active in 1977.
• The Dopple Gang - A group of villains capable of assuming the forms of others, particularly of noted celebrities.
• The Disastroids - A group of villains, opponents of the First Family.
• The Dynamoids - An army of nearly identical brutes with mohawks who are apparently artificial beings created by Dr. Ganss. Fought Mirage and the Hellhound in Las Vegas in 1984; are similar to or the same as a group from the Sixties who were linked to PYRAMID.
• E.A.G.L.E. - Short for Extranormal Activities Garrison for Law Enforcement, a federal-level law enforcement agency designed to deal with superhumans.
• E.N.G.I.N.E. - The scientific R&D division of PYRAMID, which broke off and went rogue for a time during the 1980s after the Sekhmet Stone was captured; its attempt to grow soldiers using humanoid plant-creatures was foiled by the Point Man. ENGINE members wore non-standard PYRAMID uniforms with no Egyptian imagery, at least during this time, and its insignia was a light bulb superimposed over a pair of gears.
• The Experimentals - A hero group active in the 1970s, and perhaps still. Their stasis pods were confiscated by Enelsian-infiltrated authorities during the run-up to the Enelsian invasion.
• The First Family (featured) - A family of inter-dimensional explorers and superheroes consisting of brothers Augustus and Julius Furst, Augustus' adopted children Nick and Natalie, Natalie's husband Rex, and their daughter Astra.
• The Five Fists - Masked Chinese warriors active in the 1920s.
• The Frigians – Extra-dimensional race, enemies of the Thermians.
• The Gorilla Troops - Henchmen of the Brass Monkey who wear gorilla masks.
• Gunbirds – Cybernetic henchmen employed by Tommy Gunn. Active in the 1970s.
• The Guilloteam – A group of villains mentioned by the Confessor.
• Honor Guard (featured) - The most prestigious grouping of superheroes. Founded in 1959 by Max O'Millions; its original roster also included the Silver Agent, Starwoman, Leopardman and Kitkat, the first N-Forcer, and the first Cleopatra. The Bouncing Beatnik and the Old Soldier assisted Honor Guard on its second case, but did not become members. Throughout its history, Honor Guard appears to have maintained an active membership of seven members. Kitkat seems to have been replaced by the Mermaid early on, and Max by El Hombre by 1964. During the next few years Hummingbird and Mirage took the places of Leopardman and Starwoman. The Living Nightmare was also a member at some point before November 1972, though it is uncertain whether this was before or during the period of El Hombre's membership. By April 1973, at the time of El Hombre's downfall, the Black Rapier and Starfighter had taken the places of Cleopatra (I) and the Silver Agent. It has not been revealed what new member was brought in to fill the vacancy left by El Hombre's disgrace; possibly the Living Nightmare again, as he was apparently once more a member again sometime in the 1970s and is known to have served on two separate occasions. The current (1998) roster consists of Beautie, the Black Rapier, Cleopatra (II), M.P.H., the current N-Forcer, Quarrel (II), and Samaritan. The Black Rapier is the current leader. The modern team has been shown working with Winged Victory and the Gentleman, but these have not become members.
• The Howling Dead - a spiritual stampede of bison and countless Indian warriors that rampaged through the western shore of the Gaines river in 1887. defeated by a gathering of heroes but not before Johnny Lightfoot was killed.
• The Iron Horde - A group of villains defeated in the recent past and now apparently inactive.
• The Iron Legion - Armored criminals, defeated by the Samaritan. Possibly the same as the Iron Horde.
• The Jade Dragons (Gary Samuel Novak, Keiko Shimasa Takamura) - A brother and sister duo of martial artists who can combine their tattoos to form a single image of a dragon, they are able to manifest that dragon in energy form. Active in the 1970s.
• The Legions of Midnight - A group of villains defeated by Honor Guard during their first case in 1959.
• The Menagerie Gang - A band of non-powered, gun-toting thugs who wear animal masks.
• Omega Rangers - superhero team active in the 1980s. Members included Bravo, Point Man, Cleopatra II, and Hellhound.
• PYRAMID - An international conspiracy seeking world domination, active for decades if not centuries. It has fought Honor Guard and Samaritan in the past, and doubtless many other heroes.
• The Queen's Men - British villains, costumed henchmen of the Red Queen who dressed as playing cards. Distinct from her strike force, the armored Chessmen. The name, perhaps coincidentally, is the same as that of an early Elizabethan acting troupe.
• Ravagers - Also known as the Shark Men, acolytes of Karnus' Shirak cult in 1959, transformed into shark men by Shirak.
• The Shaders - A group of villains employed by the Deuce. Appear to all be black males dressed in black and shades and can materialize out of shadows. Many if not all were killed by Jitterjack in January 1977.
• The Skullcrushers - A Kiefer Square street gang the young Carl Donewicz once belonged to.
• Smoke & Mirrors - Villainous duo with illusion-casting powers, opponents of Jack-in-the-Box; as hirelings of the Conquistador, created an illusion of a city-wide conflagration. Currently incarcerated.
• Special Incarceration Squad - Astro City's municipal police department counterpart to the EAGLE Troopers.
• Team Carnivore - A group of human/animal hybrid villains created and controlled by the corporation that made Roustabout superhuman.
• The Techsperts - A group of villains who facilitate their robberies with high technology. They once infiltrated Honor Guard headquarters.
• Tempus Fugitives - A gang assembled by the Time-Keeper, active in 1943.
• The Terrifying Three - A group of villains active in the 1970s, whose members included Steeljack, the first Quarrel, and Cutlass. Steeljack reformed after twenty years in prison, Quarrel died, and the fate of Cutlass is unknown.
• The Thermians – Extra-dimensional race, enemies of the Frigians.
• The Trouble Boys - A Bakerville street gang/athletic group founded by Roscoe James to keep himself and his friends out of real trouble. Imitators and tormentors of Jack-in-the-Box.
• The Unclean – Indian hero group with at least three members, apparently based in New Delhi.
• The Unholy Alliance (featured) - A group of villains led by Demolitia. Current members include Flame-thrower, Glowworm, Slamburger, and Spice; apparently other villains have also been members in the past. They attacked Detroit as part of the Conquistador's grand scheme in 1998.
• The Worst Family - The First Family's "evil twins" from a parallel earth; thus far only mentioned and not seen.