Comic books are full of characters capable of leading shady organizations like Checkmate, SHIELD or the FBI. And now that President Trump has fired James Comey, the director of the FBI, it seems like the country is in need of a new super spy to guide things forward. Most comic publishers have spy characters, but I am focusing on Marvel/DC for this list because these characters have longer histories interacting with shadowy organizations.
Heroic Hollywood isn’t the place to comment on who might actually be appointed as the next director, but it’s the perfect place to debate which comic book characters could lead the organization most effectively. Sometimes comic books mirror real life, so don’t be surprised if you see one of these characters leading Marvel or DC’s FBI soon.
Find out more about seven comic characters who are capable of leading the FBI below.
7. Maxwell Lord
Max is the closest thing to a villain on this list and is definitely one of the shadiest spies in the DC universe. His experience as the Black King of Checkmate, a spy organization that was later re-chartered as a UN Security Council agency with global reach, has left him ready to lead the FBI if President Lex Luthor (a real thing, not a Donald Trump joke) ever calls on him. He’s also been a member of the Justice League, meaning he has friends in high places if his agents ever get in sticky situations.
Not only is Lord an expert spy and fight her, but his special abilities would boost the FBI’s abilities to control their enemies. Lord has the ability to take over people’s minds and force them to do actions they might not like. Sure, he might use that on his men who aren’t willing to perform certain missions, but if he could get in contact with enemy spies he can infiltrate opposing organizations. His controlling abilities have even worked on Superman, meaning if the government ever needs a little extra firepower Lord has no problem “persuading” people to assist him.
Under Lord, the FBI would likely become a terrifying organization that monitored everyone in the country. I’m not saying I want him in charge, I’m just saying he’s qualified guys!
6. Maria Hill
Maria Hill served as Nick Fury’s right-hand assistant for years before becoming the head of SHIELD. She’s worked from the bottom all the way to the top and has even climbed back to the top after being kicked out of the organization when Norman Osborne took charge.
Her allies have described Hill as hard, dedicated and mysterious, a great combination of traits for the Director of the FBI to have. Both Iron Man and Captain America have questioned her motives in the past, distinguishing her as someone willing to deceive those around her to further her cause. No matter what others tell her, Hill has a strong sense of justice that guides her forward in dangerous times.
Hill is also incredibly humble/modest, a trait that is rare among super-spies. During the Civil War story line, Hill tells Iron Man that she wishes she had never been appointed to head of SHIELD and thought that he was the only person other than Nick Fury capable of leading the organization. But when things get tough and Hill is thrown into tricky situations, she has no problem stepping up and doing everything in her power to make things right. When duty calls, Hill would have no problem stepping up to lead the FBI. But given the character’s history, it’s most likely she’d be appointed as an interim leader before someone else was given the position.
5. Tony Stark
Tony Stark became the head of SHIELD after Maria Hill botched things during Civil War and let Captain America easily escape the Helicarrier. He is also a member of the mysterious Illuminati, a group of Marvel’s smartest and most powerful figures who have helped steer Earth away from destruction in secret for decades.
While his experience selling weapons abroad might make him a better fit for the CIA (zing), his experience monitoring people still makes him a great fit for the FBI. Stark would likely completely upgrade the agency and integrate all of his technology into the FBI’s operations. Just imagine an Iron Man suit at every major crime scene across the country analyzing evidence and keeping an eye on the surrounding area in case the perpetrator returns to the scene.
Stark is a brilliant socialite who has connections throughout the MCU. Not only does that mean he has strong allies in case the FBI needs help, but he is usually able to single-handedly think his way out of difficult situations. He could be the FBI’s chief tactician, technologist and field-agent all wrapped into one iron suit.
4. Spider-Woman
Jessica Drew is one of the only Marvel characters to have been a member of SHIELD, SWORD and HYDRA. So, in short, she knows her way around a shady organization.
Not only is Drew a kickbutt superhero when she is in her Super-Woman persona, she is also a spy and private detective who’s incredibly bright. She inspires fear and confidence in those around her and has grown into one of the Avengers fiercest warriors.
As someone who has been mind-wiped, drugged and attacked, Drew already knows how effective some of the FBI’s classic tricks are. Additionally, she has experience working with police and skilled criminologists, making her comfortable as the lead on a crime scene.
3. Batman
While Batman is busy enough with the Justice League and Gotham City, he’s always planning and thinking bigger.
In the buildup to Infinite Crisis, Batman developed a sentient satellite capable of monitoring regular people and meta-humans around the world. Batman thought he could control the tool but soon realized it had a mind of its own and was being manipulated in to hunting down heroes across the DCU. Doesn’t that sound like a tool you’d imagine the FBI already having? Well, Batman knows how to reel things in when things fall outside of his control.
Batman would completely retool the FBI into his own task-force. Instead of being referred to as the Federal Bureau of Investigations, I’m sure he’d rename it the Federal Batman Investigations to fit his massive ego. But really, Batman would be a solid leader of the FBI. Not only could he train all of the agents in criminology, making it easier for them to solve crimes that take months or years to solve due to shady detective skills, but he would likely send Bat-bots to monitor crime zones across the country.
His rigid structure, desire to do right and need for accurate information, makes him the perfect boss for the FBI.
2. Nick Fury
Half James Bond, half David Hasselhoff, Nick Fury is the Marvel Universe’s original spy master. He’s been serving in the shadows ever sine World War II and knows almost all of the Marvel Universe’s secrets. He was originally a CIA agent, but I’m sure his skill set is just as useful for the FBI, and has often worked as a mediating force between governments and the super hero community.
He used to lead SHIELD, but he’s since retired and let his son take over a lot of his responsibilities. Maybe the elder Fury would consider the FBI to be less work and stress, compared to SHIELD and take the job to prevent boredom in his old age. His intense knowledge, ability to manipulate people into acting for him, as well as tendency to plan 100 steps ahead makes him a solid choice for Director of the FBI. Plus, he’s essentially immortal, meaning if he were to lead the organization we’d finally get a sense of institutional consistency sine he’d likely stay on the job for quite a long time.
More than anyone else on this list, Fury puts the world and others first. He considers himself a warrior for justice and has no problem pulling the trigger if it means protecting the world and the status quo. He even has the power to make Thor unworthy with a single word. If he can depower a god with a whisper, I can’t wait to see what he does when he’s screaming from FBI headquarters.
1. Amanda Waller
Amanda Waller is probably the biggest bad ass in all of DC comics. I mean just look at her put Batman in her place right there. Hot damn.
Not only is Waller a domineering conversationalist, but she’s also an expert spy and organizer who knows how to keep things hidden from the President and Batman. She’s the founder of Task Force X, better known as the Suicide Squad, and is perfectly comfortable putting herself and other’s in harm’s way for the greater good. Waller might have shady practices, but her ability to get results would make her a perfect fit for the top job at the FBI. She has led missions around the world, retrieved precious intelligence from dangerous battlefields and has stared down villains like Harley Quinn and lived to talk about it.
Waller has also been shown arguing with Obama in various Suicide Squad issues, showing she has the political skills to make it in the dangerous job. The Director of the FBI needs to be someone who can weather the storm and hold their ground even when the President thinks they are going things about the wrong way.
Are your favorite super spies not on the list? Hit the comment section and let me know who you think could lead the FBI!
