When most of us think about superhero teams, we picture paragons of virtue—noble, selfless champions dedicated to justice, like the Justice League or the Avengers. These teams inspire us because they reflect the best of what humanity can be: brave, moral, and strong in the face of adversity. And then there’s Section 8—a team so unhinged, so bizarre, and so absurd that it feels like the creators sat down, threw out the rulebook, and said, “Let’s see how far we can push this.”
Originating from DC’s Hitman comic in the mid-1990s, Section 8 is not your average group of caped crusaders. In fact, they’re barely heroes at all. They are a parody of the superhero genre, wrapped in dark comedy, chaos, and an unapologetic dose of insanity. Let’s take a deep dive into this legendary (and legendarily messed-up) team.
The Birth of Section 8: From Hitman to Cult Fame
Section 8 first appeared in Hitman #18 (1997), a comic created by Garth Ennis and John McCrea. The series itself was a gritty, humorous spin-off born out of DC’s Bloodlines event—an attempt to introduce superpowered individuals via alien parasites that “activated” latent genes in humans (basically, DC’s way of mimicking Marvel’s mutants).
The setting of Hitman took readers into the Irish district of Gotham known as The Cauldron, a gritty, crime-ridden neighborhood where the absurd felt right at home. Amidst this backdrop, Section 8 emerged: a group of would-be heroes led by a drunkard named Sixpack and made up of a collection of misfits that defied every superhero trope in existence.
What’s in a Name? The Military Origin of “Section 8”
The team’s name is a direct reference to a military discharge code for individuals deemed mentally unfit for service. And trust me, every single member of this team lives up (or down) to that label. They aren’t just flawed—they’re completely and gleefully broken.
Meet the Madness: Members of Section 8
Sixpack – The Drunken Leader
Sixpack is the glue that holds this chaotic team together. Or maybe more like the duct tape. Dressed in an ill-fitting costume with a gut hanging out, Sixpack believes he’s a hero on par with Superman—when he’s not hallucinating from excessive alcohol consumption.
He doesn’t have superpowers in the traditional sense, unless you count his inhuman ability to drink, use broken beer bottles as weapons, and survive nearly anything. Strangely enough, he’s one of the few characters who has real moments of heroism… between blackouts.
Bueno Excellente – The Creep in the Shadows
This character is as disturbing as he is mysterious. Bueno Excellente “fights evil with the power of perversion.” He rarely speaks—his only dialogue consists of “Bueno” or “Excellente” followed by a creepy laugh. Most of his fights happen off-screen, but the aftermath always involves disturbed enemies and off-panel implications no reader wants spelled out.
He’s so unsettling that when Sixpack finds him to reassemble the team, he’s in an adult theater. Enough said.
The Defenestrator – Window-Wielding Chaos
Imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger from Terminator 2—now picture him constantly carrying around a window so he can throw criminals through it. That’s The Defenestrator. He doesn’t arrest people, he defenestrates them. Naturally, this behavior lands him in Arkham Asylum.
He’s less of a hero and more of a walking, talking wrecking ball with a one-track mind. Even his last words parody Arnold’s iconic one-liners.
Dogwelder – The Stuff of Nightmares
Dogwelder is arguably the most infamous member of Section 8. His power? He welds dead dogs to criminals’ faces. That’s it. He doesn’t speak. He lives in an alley. He catches stray dogs, sets traps, and waits for the next criminal to approach. His identity remains unknown—hidden behind a welding helmet.
What’s crazy is that Dogwelder became a cult favorite, even winning Wizard’s “Best New Comic Book Character” in 1997. Twisted? Absolutely. Iconic? Weirdly, yes.
Friendly Fire – Too Powerful to Trust
If Friendly Fire had better aim and more confidence, he’d be the team’s most dangerous weapon. His power is flame projection, but he’s so nervous and accident-prone that he usually ends up hurting his own teammates instead of the enemy.
Tragically (but fittingly), Friendly Fire meets his end by accidentally shooting himself in the face during Section 8’s final battle.
Jean de Baton-Baton – The Power of Frenchness
This walking stereotype is Section 8’s bizarre ode to French culture. Jean speaks entirely in untranslated French, fights with a baton and a baguette, and hurls garlic and onions at enemies to blind and stun them. Think Batroc the Leaper mixed with every exaggerated French trope ever—and you’ve got Jean de Baton-Baton.
Flemgem – Sticky Situation Specialist
Flemgem’s gift is as gross as it sounds. He spits globs of phlegm to blind, suffocate, or disgust enemies. That’s right—he’s the team’s human mucus cannon. Not the hero we want. Not even the one we need. But certainly… memorable.
Shakes – The Tragic Punchline
Shakes is a homeless man suffering from a combination of Tourette’s and Parkinson’s, making him constantly twitchy and incoherent. It’s an extremely dark portrayal and has been criticized for being tasteless—but in the parody-filled world of Section 8, Shakes is often the heart of the team. He’s Sixpack’s closest friend and a recurring source of accidental chaos.
Section 8’s Wild Exploits
Despite their ridiculousness, Section 8 actually made real contributions in several Hitman storylines.
In the Ace of Killers arc, they teamed up with Hitman, Catwoman, and others to take on the mob—and actually succeeded in taking out several mafia soldiers.
In the Hitman/Lobo crossover, they rescue Hitman from Lobo (yes, the Lobo), by convincing the intergalactic bounty hunter that he drunkenly married Bueno Excellente. They even take photos to use as blackmail, warning Lobo not to kill them or the photos go public. Ingenious… and terrifying.
A Hero’s End: The Demise of Section 8
As Hitman neared its end, so did Section 8. In Hitman #51 and #52, a dimensional disaster unleashes the Multi-Angled Ones (DC’s version of Lovecraftian demons). The team bravely (or drunkenly) faces them—but one by one, they fall.
- Shakes grabs a grenade and charges into a gas station, sacrificing himself to take out as many demons as possible.
- Six other members die quickly in the chaos.
- Friendly Fire accidentally kills himself.
- Only Sixpack and Bueno Excellente remain.
In a surprising twist, Sixpack confronts the demons, offering his soul to save Earth. They accept, and the last we see of him is a statue in his honor… until he’s later shown alive at an AA meeting, hinting that he survived—or perhaps truly became a hero in the end.
