Here's Why Maria Hill Is Much More Powerful Than DC's Amanda Waller

Maria Hill and Amanda Waller are two of comics' fiercest leaders, but Hill is making more waves in the Marvel Universe than her DC counterpart.

Although from different universes, Maria Hill, the former Director of Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D., and Amanda Waller, the founder of DC's Suicide Squad, share many similarities. Hill and Waller are strong and committed leaders who bear the world's burden on their shoulders. They're both workaholics and often struggle with guilt. They are recognized for their cruelty, recklessness, and controversial unsanctioned operations. Hill and Waller are visionaries responsible for imaginative security responses to dangerous threats. However, a notable difference exists between them. While Amanda Waller is a well-respected leader in the DC Universe, Maria Hill possesses more power in the Marvel Universe thanks to her unexpected capacity for personal growth.

Despite making difficult decisions others might perceive as extreme or unethical, Hill and Waller never openly express remorse. Despite their similarities, the two spymasters have followed very different paths. Waller's lost a lot of her influence over Task Force X as she's lost her superiors' trust. However, Hill is still respected as a strong leader and a frontline soldier and has become more of a superhero ally over time. Her decision to trust one superhero led to her success with the CIA and SHIELD in ways that Amanda Waller has never matched.

Hill And Waller Express Deep Regret For Following Orders

Maria Hill and Amanda Waller share many similarities at first glance. They're both military veterans who suffered trauma and pioneering women with high-level security positions. They even both live in Chicago. On a deeper level, Waller and Hill also share a sense of hidden guilt about their work. After following orders that almost led to her demise, Maria Hill struggled with remorse. In 2016's Jessica Jones #12 (written by Brian Michael Bendis, with Michael Gaydos, Javier Pulido, and Matt Hollingsworth), metahuman private investigator Jessica Jones was on the case to discover who was trying to kill Maria Hill. Jess discovered that Hill had ordered her own assassination and wiped her own memory afterward because she'd been forced to eliminate Hydra triple agent who was loyal to SHIELD. Amanda Waller has faced similar internal struggles.

Amanda Waller's guilty conscience is explored in Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Amanda Waller #6 (by Vita Ayala, Jai Nitz, Cliff Richards, and Matt Merhoff). Here, a drugged Waller blames herself for the way her workaholic tendencies have led to her family's victimization. In Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1 (by Jim Zub, Andre Coelho, Scott Hanna, and Andrew Dalhouse), Waller laments: "I have nightmares about all the people who've died because of shots I've fired or decisions I've made." Although Hill and Waller both feel guilty about their work, they keep it to themselves and don't share it with others. In Captain America: Steve Rogers #9 (by Nick Spencer, Jesus Saiz, edited by Tom Brevoort), when Maria Hill is on trial for using the Cosmic Cube to imprison supervillains in Pleasant Hill, she defends herself by explaining that her controversial decisions were made for the common good. Despite her mistakes, Hill perseveres and confidently presents a new idea while defending the good intentions underlying her previous project.

Hill And Waller Produce Imaginative Solutions To The Supervillain Problem

The Suicide Squad, led by Amanda Waller, and Maria Hill's Pleasant Hill, are both notorious for using lethal tactics to contain and control supervillains. However, they also demonstrate innovative methods to accomplish their objectives. Avengers: Standoff #1 (by Nick Spencer, Mark Baley, Scott Hanna, Paul Mounts, and VC's Clayton Cowles) details the top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. prison Pleasant Hill. Once launched, this security project contains supervillains inside a suburban fantasy alternate reality, using fragments from the sentient Cosmic Cube to power its simulation. In theory, Pleasant Hill may seem like a peaceful community where prisoners' powers are suppressed and their criminal tendencies are erased. However, The Fixer created a device within the illusion that revealed his true identity and exposed the harsh reality Pleasant Hill was based on. This resulted in a catastrophic rebellion among the prisoners and a reprimand for Hill from the World Security Council.

While Maria Hill learned from her mistake and came out of her experience humbler and wiser, Amanda Waller can't resist showing off her skills, even if it means overestimating herself. In Suicide Squad # 30 (by Sean Ryan, André Coelho, Scott Hanna, and Brett Smith) Waller all but lost her leadership role in Task Force X because of her failure to follow the U.S. government's directives, making the already caustic Waller more bitter than ever. Conversely, Maria Hill has learned to prioritize global security over her personal feelings of failure. Even after big missteps, she employs more innovative methods to ensure that Earth remains secure. Her "Shield" for the planet is still impervious, even after she faces the consequences for her personal mistakes.

Maria Hill Knows How To Make Friends

Secret Invasion #3 (by Ryan North, Francesco Mobili, Jordie Bellaire, and Joe Caramagna) did a lot to demonstrate how Maria Hill is the more impressive leader, soldier, and spy when she stopped a full-fledged alien invasion. Her success was based on her surprising decision to trust Iron Man and work with the Skrull refugees he vouched for. Maria Hill's willingness to try something new showed the humility Amanda "The Wall" Waller lacks. Maria knows how to be vulnerable, trust superhero allies, and challenge her own prejudices. Waller may have possessed these strengths at some point, but after spending years with the Suicide Squad, she seems to have lost them.

Maria Hill and Amanda Waller share a lot of similarities, but Hill is evolving while Waller is standing still. Waller is a brilliant woman with lofty aspirations but she's still bitter and antagonistic in a world that rewards cooperation. Hill is building alliances within the government, the superhero community, and even with Skrulls, whereas Waller's long tenure leading supervillains may have turned her into one herself. Hill keeps making better decisions putting her ego aside. This has made her more powerful than Waller has ever been in her extensive run in DC Comics.