Origin
Little is known about Simon LaGrieve’s origin. He attended medical school and specialised in psychiatry. At one point in his career he worked in Chicago counselling poor people. This is where he first met Amanda Waller, shortly after the deaths of her husband and two of her children. Sometime later, Dr LaGrieve was hired at Belle Reve to act as the head psychiatrist for the Suicide Squad.
Creation
Simon LaGrieve was created by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell. He made his first appearance in Suicide Squad #1.
Major Story Arcs
Suicide Squad
LaGrieve vets members for the Squad and assesses their mental states after missions. Frequently his recommendations, typically that the individual in question should not be allowed to participate in Squad missions, are ignored in favour of furthering Waller’s goals. He leaves the team due to his belief that the people on it should be treated as patients, while Waller tends to treat them as cannon fodder.
Institute for Metahuman Studies
Joining the Institute for Metahuman Studies as the new director, LaGrieve is responsible for the monitoring and study of various metahumans. During this time he develops theories about Killer Frost’s powers, and accidentally learns the identity of Firehawk, later studying her powers as well. He discovers that Killer Frost’s powers are created by an artificial virus, and later attempts to cure her. During his time with the Institute he is shot by Dr Morrison, and spends some time in a coma. He uncovers the experiment that turns Cliff Carmichael into the Thinker, and later contributes the Thinker helmet to Waller.
Powers and Abilities
Simon LaGrieve is an ordinary human and has no known superhuman powers or abilities. He is very intelligent, and a trained psychiatrist.