Mikhail Gorbachev

"Just a day before President Reagan is set to welcome General Secretary Gorbachev to the White House to sign the INF Treaty, a White House tour ends in violence and what witnesses describe as "a rocket man.""

- Channel 52 Anchor on Gorbachev's meeting with Reagan

Mikhail Gorbachev held the position of General Secretary, the de-facto leader of the Soviet Union in 1987. On December 8th, 1987, Mikhail Gorbachev and the United States' Ronald Reagan signed the INF Treaty, reducing both countries' nuclear arsenals and paving the way for the end of the Cold War. Gorbachev was among the targets in a historical aberration plot overseen by Damien Darhk and Eobard Thawne.

History
In 1987, Ronald Reagan oversaw the signing of the INF Treaty, to which the Soviet Union's General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev agreed. During preliminary negotiations on December 7th, the Reagan Administration was infiltrated by Damien Darhk, who, in alliance with Eobard Thawne, conspired with the opportunist KGB agents to get a certain artifact from the Soviet Union in exchange for a CD-Rom that contained the nuclear codes of the United States, as well as a bomb that would blow up the White House. A White House tour that was hosted before the negotiations was compromised when the Legends ended up disrupting peace with their extraordinary abilities, causing panic among the Soviets and Americans alike. While Reagan was meeting Gorbachev on December 7th, Darhk's plan transpired, but was ultimately prevented by the Legends, with Ray Palmer and Mick Rory evacuating the guests from the building, before stopping the bomb left by Darhk.

Personality
Mikhail Gorbachev, as portrayed on Channel 52, was quite happy to negotiate a treaty with the United States, showing goodwill not seen with the previous Soviet Union leaders like Joseph Stalin. KGB was in de-facto opposition to Gorbachev, trying to scheme along with Damien Darhk and H.I.V.E. to see the General Secretary dead in a White House explosion, along with Ronald Reagan.

Abilities

 * Diplomacy: Gorbachev was ready to deal with the United States during the Cold War for the betterment of both sides, despite opposition from KGB. However, according to Damien Darhk, the treaty was made in a way to "make the Soviets believe it was their idea", while actually benefiting the United States.
 * Leadership: Gorbachev led the Soviet Union as a General Secretary on the path of reforms and better relations with the United States. His leadership, however, was contested by a number of opportunistic KGB agents who conspired with H.I.V.E. to see the General Secretary dead.

Behind the scenes

 * Mikhail Gorbachev is a real historical figure, being the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, from 1985 to 1991; as well as the last, and only, President of the Soviet Union, from 1990 to 1991. Gorbachev's policies of glasnost ("openness") and perestroika ("restructuring") and his reorientation of Soviet strategic aims contributed to the end of the Cold War. His reforms, however, ended up fatal for the Communist Party's regime, with the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991.