Group Spotlight: World Security Council

This is an interesting one. Before today, this entry would've looked something like this:

The World Security Council is an international group that oversees SHIELD operations. They were first mentioned in Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant (2011), to set up their appearance in Marvel's The Avengers (2012), where they were a shadowy organization that ordered a nuke on Manhattan. They later appeared in the light - both figuratively and literally - in Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) with some different members, and one of the original members appeared as an antagonist on Agents of SHIELD season 3 (2015-2016).

The World Security Council did not appear in the comics until Sam Wilson: Captain America #2 (November 2015), and even then, it was only a mention...

...until they appeared for real in Avengers Standoff: Assault on Pleasant Hill Omega #1 (April 2016).

That's how it would've looked.

But then, as I was finding pictures for this post, I stumbled upon this:

it's clearly older than the movies (I'm guessing the 80s), and I found it on the site of the VFX company that designed the World Security Council's look. It was provided to them by Marvel, so this group is clearly the inspiration for the World Security Council.

Here's the thing, though: I have NO IDEA where this came from. The site doesn't say, and I can't find any evidence online of Nick Fury ever answering to a shadow council (except The Shadow Council, but that was a very different group and they are only a few years old). Whoever this group is, they're definitely not called the World Security Council, so I'm still counting it.

If anyone has any information about this image, please let me know.

EDIT: Thanks to user Idran, I know that this group (which ComicVine calls the Executive Board of Directors, but I don't know if that's their official name) first appeared in Marvel Graphic Novel #18: The Sensational She-Hulk (September 1985). They've only made two appearances since then, in Incredible Hulk #336 (August 1987) and Nick Fury vs. SHIELD #1 (April 1988). And the last of those times were actually imposters.

Character Spotlight: Kingslayer

I know it's been a while since I've updated. The back-to-back TMNT and Batman Beyond projects took a lot out of me, and then I've been busy with work. On the plus side, that means I have a backlog so you'll be getting one a week for at least the next two months.

Let's get started with a deep cut! (Brought to my attention by user austinpopdan - thanks!)

In Superman #48 (January 2016), an assassin named Kingslayer attacks a conference at Central City University, but is stopped by Steve Trevor and Superman.

But this wasn't Kingslayer's first appearance! (If it were, he wouldn't be on this site). He actually debuted in the Super Friends tie-in comic, issue 11 (March 1978). In that issue, his goal - true to his name - was to take down the heads of Atlantis, Gorilla City, Sardonia, Valdania, Kaliph, and Graustania. He believed he was working for a crime lord, but he was ultimately getting his orders from Overlord, a guy who wanted to be king of the world.