Tom Tresser, a.k.a. Nemesis, is a vigilante, turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of disguise. His default costume is a black turtleneck sweater with a balance as a chest symbol and a chest holster.
History
The Council
He was an applicant to an unnamed government agency. His brother Craig was an undercover agent infiltrating a criminal syndicate called the Council. Craig was brainwashed into killing their family friend Ben Marshall and was subsequently killed in self-defense by fellow agents. Tom thus became the Nemesis, preferring to use an alias instead of his dishonored family name. With the assistance of Batman, he cleared his brother's name and saw the men responsible for his brother's murder dead.
Nemesis is believed to have sacrificed himself, and died in the helicopter crash that killed the Council's leader.[5] It is later revealed that he freed himself at the last second and fell into the river, horribly injured by the explosion. His body was found by federal men, who took him to a hospital. The U.S. government paid his hospital bills, and he was offered a position on Task Force X. This would allow him to pay his debts, and operate on a global scale.[6]
Suicide Squad
Main article: Suicide Squad: Trial by Fire
Nemesis is recruited by Amanda Waller to work undercover for the Suicide Squad. His first mission is infiltrating the terrorist group Jihad in Qurac by impersonating the terrorist Mushtaq.[7] This is revealed when Plastique tries to sell the team out to Mushtaq, and Nemesis knocks her out.[8] When Belle Reve is attacked by the Female Furies of Apokolips, Nemesis tries to fight Lashina with a machine gun and is easily defeated.[6] They are sent to release imprisoned writer Zoya Trigorin in the Soviet Union, and Nemesis goes undercover in a psychiatric hospital.[9] The team is discovered and Nemesis leads them out while fighting the Soviet army. He is trapped with Nightshade inside a train car, and he admits that he has feelings for her, but she has feelings for Rick Flag.[10] Nemesis offers to stay behind and cover their escape, then says he's quitting the team anyway because he does not want to work with criminals. This fails and he is forced to escort Zoya to their helicopter. Zoya is gunned down by enemy fire, and Nemesis is arrested by the Russian army while holding her in his arms.[11]
He is held captive in a Russian prison, where they intend to execute him. Batman learns of this and tries to have Justice League International rescue Nemesis, but they refuse to anger Russia. Rick Flag disobeys Waller and launches an unauthorized rescue mission to save Nemesis. Waller learns of this, and has President Reagan send the JLI to stop them.[12] The JLI intend to keep Nemesis imprisoned, and both teams battle. They decide to work together when Rocket Red talks to Nemesis and realizes he is being falsely executed. Nemesis is taken to a Justice League Embassy for "questioning" where he can escape their custody after several days.[13]
He later returned only to help retrieve the kidnapped Flag's son and to assist in trying to uncover a secret government cabal.
Shadow Fighters
Nemesis was drafted into the Shadow Fighters, in an attempt to battle the villain Eclipso. He was originally the sole survivor of the Eclipso massacre that claimed lives of the rest of the team. He continued the fight against Eclipso in a smaller recon-team that also included Nightshade and the matter-manipulator Chunk. Nemesis and Chunk were saved from a nuclear bomb attack by Nightshade's powers.
After his involvement with the Suicide Squad and The Shadow Fighters ended, he apparently met his end -again- while he was allied with Catwoman. In fact, Nemesis was alive and well, impersonating Sarge Steel and apparently working for a shadowy Cabal.
One Year Later
Nemesis was seen again One Year Later after the events of Infinite Crisis, aiding government agent Diana Prince, Wonder Woman in disguise, in the rescue of Donna Troy from several of the Amazon's villains. Nemesis was part of the newly re-opened Department of Metahuman Affairs under Sarge Steel. Around this time, Nemesis assisted in saving the life of the second Maxi-Man. Shortly before the events of Amazons Attack, Nemesis questioned the detainment of Wonder Woman by the D.M.A. and went against orders to rescue her, after brutally beating, tying up, and gagging several of his fellow agents. He soon uncovered a plot by the villain Circe to trick the U.S. government into destroying Themyscira under false pretenses. During the Amazon counterattack, he was stung by several gigantic Stygian Killer Hornets, native to the Amazon Nation. Wonder Woman risked her life by traveling to Themyscira for an antidote and healed Nemesis. Shortly thereafter, Wonder Woman began courting Tresser, in the traditional Amazonian manner.
This courtship ended when Genocide used Tom as a hostage and forced Wonder Woman to tell him the truth about their relationship, that although the courtship was real, she did not love him. After Wonder Woman defeated Genocide, she further explained her feelings to Tom. While it was true she did not love him "the human way", she did love him "the Amazon way", explaining later using the Lasso of Truth that she had tried love the human way but was never good at it. She also stated that she was attracted to him, and Amazons instantly selected a man as mate if they were attracted, rather than waiting to completely fall in love.[14]
Diana showed Tom what she felt when she pledged herself to him: she wanted to marry him and have a child. At the same time, she also was worried about her culture and found Tom fit to carry on the Amazon traditions were she or Hippolyta to disappear. Tom was unhappy that she never asked him earler and stated that he couldn't have kids because of his dangerous life as a spy. He then broke off their relationship as a result.[15]
Alternate New Earth
After Morgaine le Fey reshaped reality, Alfred Pennyworth, who retained memories of the previous reality, recruited Nemesis among other people to search for Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman.[16]
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Final Crisis & The Impostor
During the events of Final Crisis, Nemesis was captured by the Global Peace Agency and brainwashed into joining the agency.[17]
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Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Disguise: Able to develop lifelike masks used to impersonate others. With training and the right equipment, he can change his appearance to almost any other.
- Master of disguise: Capable of imitating the personality and mannerisms of the person portrayed. However, his skills are limited, and therefore he prefers to portray people who don't speak much, such as butlers, security guards, servants, etc. Over time, he improved his skills.
- Espionage: an Espionage expert.
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced)
- Firearms
- Inventor[18]
- Multilingualism: Nemesis, in addition to English, knows Russian.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Concussion gun
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Disguise.
- Nemesis Mask System: Nemesis used a mask disguise system that could be quickly dissolved with a special chemical spray from a collar device.
Weapons
- Paralysis pistol
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
Trivia
He is an honorary Amazon.
Recommended Reading
- The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1) (first appearing in issue #166)
- Suicide Squad (Volume 1)
- Wonder Woman (Volume 3)
- Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape (Volume 1)
- Nemesis: The Impostors (Volume 1)
Related
- 140 Appearances of Thomas Tresser (New Earth)
- 34 Images featuring Thomas Tresser (New Earth)
- 9 Quotations by or about Thomas Tresser (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Thomas Tresser (New Earth)
Footnotes
- ��� Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #24
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #6
- ↑ Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #6
- ↑ Wonder Woman Annual (Volume 3) #1
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold #193
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Suicide Squad #3
- ↑ Suicide Squad #1
- ↑ Suicide Squad #2
- ↑ Suicide Squad #5
- ↑ Suicide Squad #6
- ↑ Suicide Squad #7
- ↑ Justice League International #13
- ↑ Suicide Squad #13
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #32-36
- ↑ Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #36
- ↑ Trinity #25
- ↑ Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #1-6
- ↑ Wonder Woman Annual (Volume 3) #1
  Suicide Squad member |