DC's Supervillain Group Intergang Explained

In a recent article in The Hollywood Reporter, actress Sarah Shahi revealed some tantalizing information about her role in the upcoming DC superhero film "Black Adam." Starring Dwayne Johnson, the film is set to explore the former, fallen champion of the wizard Shazam in his first solo feature film. Discussing her character, Shahi had this to say: "I play a character named Adrianna, and she's a freedom fighter that's leading this big resistance against an evil, malicious group called Intergang."

Intergang is a name well-known to DC Comics fans, but it might also be familiar from appearances in other media as well, from the comics to the DC animated universe to the CW's "Smallville." Intergang is one of the DC Universe's premiere villainous organizations, a crime syndicate that's got some seriously powerful backers. Let's take a look at their background and see what we can learn about this shadowy organization and what kind of opposition it might give Adrianna and her resistance movement.

Debuting in "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133" in October of 1970, Intergang initially appears to be a powerful criminal syndicate with advanced weaponry, transportation, and communication devices. Overseen by corrupt media mogul Morgan Edge (a name "Superman & Lois" viewers will recognize), the group functions as a criminal organization that spans the globe but is based out of Metropolis, the city Superman calls home. The Man of Steel has had many run-ins with Intergang over the years in various incarnations as DC Comics continuity was updated and rebooted, but the group always comes back as a power player in the underworld of the DC Universe, typically led in the field by Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim, a boss of bosses with a penchant for brutal violence.

Intergang has featured as a criminal syndicate in "Superman: The Animated Series" as well as "Smallville," and had a version of Mannheim as the leader of the organization. But beneath the surface of Intergang as a criminal empire, there's another, more sinister force at work — the will of Darkseid.

Intergang is, in fact, a creation of Darkseid, as part of his plan to locate the fabled anti-life equation he knows to be lurking somewhere in the human subconscious. He provides Intergang and its agents with advanced technology and weapons from the planet Apokolips, allowing them to wreak havoc on a level that can give even Superman pause. The use of Intergang in "Black Adam" could be a clue that the pantheons of Greco-Roman and Egyptian gods might not be the only deities at play in the world of "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" or Black Adam's own feature film.

Whether or not the creators behind "Black Adam" lean into the Apokolips connection, the inclusion of Intergang is a fun little nod to the larger world of DC Comics. Then again, it could be an indicator that Darkseid is poised to become part of the larger DC Extended Universe. Or it could be it's just a cool name. Either way, we're excited to see what happens.