The Suicide Squad: Weasel's Backstory Explained

For hardcore fans of DC Comics, the character roll call for James Gunn's upcoming The Suicide Squad is a celebration of some of the coolest villains who you don't see popping up in every Batman or Superman movie. For everyone else, there were likely a few "Who?" moments when the official cast announcement video dropped as part of DC FanDome. If you had to hit up some explainers to bring yourself up to speed on Polka-Dot Man or King Shark, then you might also be scratching your head over Weasel.

This furry monstrosity may not have the name recognition of, say, the Joker or General Zod, but he does have a unique backstory. From the little we've seen of him in The Suicide Squad's roll call and behind-the-scenes sneak peak, it looks like Gunn is taking a unique approach with the character. Or rather, the Gunns are taking a unique approach, as the role is played by Sean Gunn, the younger brother of director James.

So, who exactly is Weasel? Let's go to the source and get the backstory on this verminous villain.

Weasel was first introduced in Firestorm Vol. 2 #38 (August 1985). The story follows Professor Martin Stein, a.k.a. Firestorm, who gets hired for a teaching job at Vandermeer University after multiple faculty members are mysteriously murdered. It doesn't take long for Stein to encounter the killer: a humanoid mustelid with super strength and an extremely deadly set of claws named Weasel.

Firestorm is captured by Weasel, but manages to escape. In Firestorm Vol 2 #39 (September 1985), he and his student/crime fighting ally, Ronald Raymond, investigate the spate of professor killings. They discover that all the murdered professors went to Stanford University in the 1960s, a trait they share with John Monroe, another Vandermeer professor. Monroe was picked on mercilessly by his fellow students at Stanford, with the most common taunt being "Weasel!" All these years later, he has transformed himself into the very thing that was used to torment him. Using the animalistic disguise, Monroe has gotten revenge — and secured his spot on the tenure track — by murdering his colleagues who had once been his bullies.

Stein and Raymond apprehend Monroe and turn him over to the police. Of course, he's later released by government agent Amanda Waller and drafted onto her secret special operations team, the Suicide Squad.

From the little we've seen, the Gunns have traded Weasel's buff and agile physique for a slimmer and, well, more weasely one. We're eager to see how else they transform this character when The Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 6, 2021.