The ALLIES

The Allies was a villainous team formed by former Nazi the Masked Swastika in the late 1940s. The Swastika intended to use the team to amass power and wealth, and to take a measure of revenge against the nations responsible for Germany's defeat (choosing to name his new team "The Allies" as an insult to the Allied Powers of World War II).

The team operated internationally and acted primarily to sow chaos and disrupt the activities of the Western powers (and later NATO). Though they worked primarily for the Soviet Union (despite the Soviet's being one of the powers that defeated the Nazis) and other Eastern Powers, including on occassion Red China, the Allies were an independent team and Swastika was not above going against the Communists on occasion.

As primarily a mercenary group, the missions undertaken by the Allies were often paid for by client states and individuals. On other occassions the team would undertake a mission on their own, usually with the goal of acquiring wealth or some form of advanced technology that would help them increase their power. When operating internationally the Allies were most frequently opposed by civilian, military and intelligence forces of whatever nation they were operating in. When they were on missions in the United States, however, they often crossed paths with members of the Justice Society and others of the handful of Mystery Men who were still operating in the post-War years.

The Allies were active through the 1950s, but by the early 1960s increasing age and changes in global politics led to the team disbanding. The Masked Swastika retreated back to his South American hideaway, the Avenger retired his power armor and returned to service in the Soviet Red Army, and Nunchuk vanished never to be seen or heard from again, though there were rumors of him joining a secret organization, possibly the League of Assassins or the Nimba Cult.

• Masked Swastika: One of the best soldiers and tacticians in Nazi Germany, the Masked Swastika (known as the Iron Swastika during the war) escaped capture after the fall of the Reich. Emerging from hiding in 1948 the Swastika formed the Allies as a means to rebuild his power base and strike back at his enemies. The Swastika remains in top physical condition and is still a deadly adversary with expertise in a variety of forms of combat. He typically no longer wears the suit of armor he while active during the war, but still carries a sword with him in addition to an automatic pistol.
• Nunchuk: A former operative of Imperial Japan and member of the Masked Swastika's World War II-era team Vendetta, the martial arts master known as Nunchuk was imprisoned for war crimes after the end of the war in 1945. He was freed by the Swastika to become a member of the villain's new team. Nunchuk was skilled in a variety of martial arts and was an expert with the nunchaku, the weapon from which he took his nom-de-guerre.
• Avenger: A former Red Army soldier, the Avenger joined the Allies as an informal liaison for the Soviet government. Equipped with a prototype suit of powered combat armor, Avenger eventually went independent and became a full member of the Allies (though there are rumors that he secretly remained an agent of the USSR, reporting clandestinely to a handler in the KGB or NKVD). Avenger's suit was heavily armored and was equipped with jets that allowed him to fly. The suit also increased the wearer's strength and the gauntlets were initially equipped with built-in machineguns for ranged offensive capability, but were later replaced with laser blasters.