Rat-Man (comics) - The Secret Squads

The Secret Squads

The First Secret Squad, a league of extraordinary individuals who fought crime during peacetime and in the Second World War, inspired a generation's dream for justice and helped control the Nation. The eventually disbanded when they felt that the Government, controlled by the Shadow, was trying too hard to manipulate them, and, for this defection, they were murdered. The original members are:

• Saetta (Lightning Bolt)
• Ripulitore (Cleaner)
• Fantasma Azzurro (Blue Ghost)
• Pipistrello (Bat)
• Tròteo (Troutish)

After fighting the Second World War, they accepted a younger Lupo (Wolf) as a new member. He was the only one to survive the murder, probably because he was an instrument of the Shadow, as it was later revealed.

The Second Secret Squad was made by genetically engineering the DNA of unborn babies, who were then trained to become a new Secret Squad and control the Nation instead of the Shadow. They were trying to emulate the older squad, and thus have similar names and costumes. They were

• Fulmine (Lightning, emulating Saetta)
• Tresh ("Trash", emulating Ripulitore)
• Spettro (Wraith, emulating Fantasma Azzurro)
• Nottolo (Noctule, emulating Pipistrello)
• Karpa (Karp, emulating Troteo).

Nottolo was almost immediately kicked out in favour of Rat-Man. The whole squad was led by Lupo, but they failed to create the same kind of national unity that the First Squad achieved and disbanded.

The Shadow, however, didn't give up on the project and prepared a Third Secret Squad, who is only seen on a poster shown by Janus Valker. In order to make space for the new one, the Shadow used Nottolo and Lupo to dispose of the Second Squad, but Rat-Man foiled their plan and the whole idea was finally abandoned. Spettro was originally and unwillingly chosen to be the leader of the Third Squad, as she was the daughter of Lupo. It is also thanks to her help that Rat-Man stops the sinister project.