- "Corto Maltese is a small island nation off the coast of South America. Over the past 100 years, the country has been ruled with an iron fist by the Herrera Family. But, a week ago, this guy, General Silvio Luna, along with his right-hand man, Mayor General Mateo Suarez, took control of the Corto Maltese government in a violent military coup. The entire Herrera Family were hanged in a public execution. Although the United States did not condone the excesses of the Herrera regime, they were non-antagonistic toward the U.S. Luna, however, is virulently anti-American."
- ―Amanda Waller[src]
Corto Maltese is a small island country off the coast of Argentina.[1] It briefly fell under the iron fist of dictator Silvio Luna until he was assassinated by Harley Quinn in his palace, which he took from the Herrera Family that reigned before him.
In 2020, Corto Maltese was invaded by the American black-ops strike team Task Force X to destroy the Jotunheim facility. Following a successful completion of this mission, Sol Soria and a pro-democracy Resistance assassinated the collective of generals that made up the dictatorship government of Corto Maltese. Soria proclaimed that Corto Maltese would have its first free and fair election in years to choose their new government.
History[]
20th century[]
For more than 80 years, the country was ruled under a fascist government, beginning with the Herrera Family.
Nazi Ratlines[]
After the second World War, Nazi scientists and war criminals escaped to Corto Maltese seeking asylum, and used its land and resources to build Jotunheim, a prison and laboratory where political prisoners were kept and used as human experiments, creating some of the earliest known Metahumans for military use. The Herrera Family later accepted bounties on the Nazis at Jotunheim and killed them.[2]
Herrara Rule[]
In the years after, the Herreras continued to use the facility to murder their poltical rivals and their families by comminting unorthodox experiments on them to maintain their rule, as well as anyone who threatened their reign, such as dissidents and journalists. Later, under a collaboration with the American government, Starro was sent to the facility for experimentation, eventually creating Project Starfish led by metahuman scientist Gaius Grieves.
21st century[]
Coup by Silvio Luna[]
At an unknown point in time, Corto Maltesian General Silvio Luna, and a group of associated generals in the military forces of Corto Maltese, gathered together to plan and execute a coup d’état over the island nation. They deposed the entire Herrera Family that had ruled Corto Maltese with an iron fist (presumably as a monarchy) and the current rulers, including Herrera’s children, were hanged publicly by the newly risen regime. Afterwards, Luna was chosen as President of Corto Maltese and Mateo Suarez became Luna’s second-in-command within a group of generals that now ruled the country as a military dictatorship. One of their main selling points was anti-American sentiment which, despite what Luna said, was contrary to the feelings of the people of Corto Maltese.[2]
Brief Reign of Silvio Luna[]
The Maltese soldiers take aim
After the coup orchestrated by Luna, Luna and Suarez ruled the Maltese people with an iron fist, and even when a revolution led by civilian Sol Soria threatened to destroy them, Luna and Suarez simply swatted it down.
In 2020, the American strike team known as Task Force X invaded the country on a mission to destroy Jotunheim and assassinate Luna, freeing Jotunheim's prisoners and liberating the Maltese people. When the Force arrived, they met Sol and took her offer of assistance in completing their mission.[2] Task Force X and their allies soon faced the threat of Starro, who went on a brief rampage before being killed. Afterwards, Sol was able to take control of the government and topple the tyrannical regime, liberating the country and allowing free elections.[2]
Geography[]
Corto Maltese is stated by Amanda Waller to be off the coast of South America. Despite being located near the coast of Argentina, Waller and her A.R.G.U.S. team accidentally located the island in the Caribbean Sea for the map they presented to Task Force X. The country's flag has Bolivarian colors seen on the reminiscent to Venezuela.
The urban area of the island seems to be almost entirely concentrated in the Western peninsula of Valle Del Mar with the larger East of the country left undisturbed with mountainous regions along the coastlines and a jungle hosting a wide array of wildlife including tamarins, birds and rats. Not many people are seen to inhabit this region of the island, however the Corto Maltesean Resistance had its encampment there.
Known Citizens[]
- Camila
- Gaius Grieves †
- Isabella †
- Silvio Luna †
- Milton †
- Sol Soria
- Mateo Suarez †
- Vera †
Organizations[]
Behind the Scenes[]
The set of the beach.
- In the DC comics, Corto Maltese is a small island off the coast of South America.
- The set of the Maltese beach covered an entire parking lot.
- The island's name is a reference to Corto Maltese, a long-running Italian adventure/fantasy comic book series.
.png){kind=link}
