- "I'm sorry. The President couldn't make it."
- —Smith to The Flash, Green Arrow, Atom and White Canary[src]
Smith is a high-ranking agent of the National Security Agency who was primarily in charge of all operations involving contact with the Dominators. Following his attempted murder of Team Arrow, Team Flash, and the Legends during the Dominator invasion, Smith was demoted by president Susan Brayden and reassigned to Antarctica.
Biography
First encounter with the Dominators
Smith as he prepares to experiment on the Dominator.
In 1951, Smith encountered Steel, Vixen and Heat Wave with an injured Dominator. Smith and his fellow agents tranquilized the three of them, taking the group back to their base, where they were locked up. Smith later entered with armed agents, planning on interrogating the four of them, beginning with the Dominator. He took the alien and began to run tests on it. Suddenly, Steel, having been rescued by fellow time travelers, knocked out Smith with a punch and freed the Dominator.[1]
Second encounter with the Dominators
Smith terrorizing Ray Palmer in 1988.
In October 1988, Smith and several other agents were tracking a baby Dominator in Ivy Town, who was being sheltered by young Ray Palmer. Smith told the agents that they were to find the infant alien and also capture Ray in order to keep him from talking.[2]
Original timeline
Smith and a fellow agent managed to corner Ray when he tried to rescue the alien. Ray stole Smith's keys to try and open the lab, but Smith's partner shot and killed him. They then left Ray's body to be found in the woods two days later.[2]
Current timeline
Smith and his agents managed to capture young Ray, the Dominator, and Zari Tarazi and use a jamming device to suppress the baby Dominator's powers. However, Zari and an adult Ray managed to prevent Smith and his man from shooting young Ray and disabled the jamming device. Smith caught up with the group and warned them that the Dominator was dangerous, but they told Smith of their intentions to return the Dominator to its mother. Smith and his agents were ready to shoot them, but they were frozen by the baby Dominator. It then mind-controlled them into singing and dancing to the musical Singin' in the Rain. After it wore off, the agents gave chase, but Zari used the Air Totem to lift her, young Ray, and the Dominator into the air, allowing them to meet up with the Dominator's mother, the Dominator queen.[2]
Third encounter with the Dominators
In 2016, Smith joined A.R.G.U.S. director Lyla Michaels and the President of the United States in deciding what to do with the returning Dominators. When the President suggested they engage them, Smith reminded him of their first encounter in 1951, suggesting the casualties would be too high. Lyla voted in favor of the President's idea to engage, as being idle is probably what the Dominators wanted. Angry with the President's decision, Smith suggested that Lyla follow his lead quickly, otherwise she would not as last long in her position as Amanda Waller.[3]
Some days later, Smith and a multitude of agents ambushed the Atom, the Flash, Green Arrow and White Canary. When they asked who he was, he refused to reveal his identity. As the heroes took out all of his men, Smith revealed that the Dominators had told him of the Flash's meddling with time and thus viewed meta-humans as a threat, which aligned with Smith's own beliefs. He further explained that by creating Flashpoint, the Flash had broken a truce made between Earth and the Dominators, causing them to return. Due to this, Smith negotiated a deal with them: The Flash in exchange for peace.
That night, after the heroes had defeated the Dominators, forcing them to flee, Smith showed up at their celebration party, much to the chagrin of Nate Heywood. He guessed Smith's true intent to commandeer the heroes' resources and erase all traces of their presence. Before Smith could approach the rest of them, Kara Danvers explained how she'd discussed a separate governmental department to deal with aliens with the new president, Susan Brayden, much to Smith's chagrin. Kara also informed Smith that because of his unauthorized operations without consent from the president, he was to be reassigned to Antarctica, as per the former's suggestion. Humiliated, Smith left with his bodyguards.[1]
Personality
Smith is very arrogant and opinionated, as he spoke down to Lyla Michaels, the director of A.R.G.U.S., after she agreed with the then-president of United States to engage the Dominators, he bluntly stated she better learn to follow his lead if she wanted to last long; completely disregarding the fact that he didn't have the authority to have the latter removed or fired from her position as the director of A.R.G.U.S.[3]
Smith has proven himself to be self-righteous, immoral and willing to use lies or other underhanded tactics to accomplish his goals; for example, after capturing one of the Dominators in 1951, he tortured the alien and in 1988, he was willing to kill a 7-year-old Ray Palmer, an innocent boy, to make sure that the alien and their activities stayed secret, he had no guilt or remorse for these vile acts of his.
Overstepping his authority and blaming the superheroes for the Dominators' return, Smith attempted to kill them, disregarding the new president Susan Brayden's desire to meet with them.
Appearances
The Flash
Season 3
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 2
Season 3
Trivia
- Smith has similarities to the late Amanda Waller and Samanda Watson; all three are individuals in positions of high government who, despite their obligation to the law, arrogantly believe they are above the entity and thus not afraid to resort to dishonorable and immoral acts to achieve their goals. This subsequently puts them at odd with the heroes.
Behind the scenes
- In the DC comics Smith is also a mysterious figure clad in suit and glasses investigating extraterrestrial activity, although instead of US government he is primarily affiliated with Ferris Aircraft and Manhunter Cult. In the comics, instead of "Invasion!" Smith played a part in another crossover event, "Millenium".
- While his name was used only once on the show as Smith, in the credits, the character was listed only as "Glasses" and "Young Glasses".