Amanda Blake Waller started out as an ordinary woman, married to Joseph Waller and mother of five, living in a dangerous neighborhood (Cabrini-Green, Chicago). Her life changed drastically when her husband and two of her children were tragically murdered by the violence of the city's organized crime. The legal system and the police failed to protect his family and deliver justice. Waller believes that superheroes are too powerful and often act outside of government control. She doesn't trust them. The Squad is her way of using superpowered individuals – villains – in clandestine missions, ensuring their obedience with implanted explosives.