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Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) movie poster

Timeline

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 86 mins · English
Echo score 76
Directed by
Sam Liu
Starring
Greg Grunberg, Julie Nathanson, Christian Slater, James Urbaniak, Dania Ramirez, David Boat

Amanda Waller assembles another Task Force X team from Belle Reve Penitentiary, comprised of experienced members like Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and Harley Quinn, alongside newcomers Copperhead, Killer Frost, and Bronze Tiger. This deadly squad is tasked with stealing a powerful mystical object, a mission that demands their unique and dangerous skills. Expect a chaotic journey filled with gunfire, intense action, and the unpredictable attitudes of the incarcerated individuals forced to confront a high-stakes objective.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)

Where can you watch Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Mission to retrieve Tobias Whale's hard drive; betrayal and killings

    Amanda Waller dispatches Task Force X on a mission to retrieve a leaked hard drive from Tobias Whale. The team succeeds, but Count Vertigo and Jewelee betray them to steal the drive for themselves. Waller uses Vertigo's bomb to kill him, and Deadshot kills Jewelee to spare her the same fate.

    When
    Three years ago
  2. Waller's Get Out of Hell Free card and new recruitment

    Waller is diagnosed with a terminal illness and learns of the Get Out of Hell Free card. She assembles a new black ops squad, recruiting Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Frost, Copperhead, and Bronze Tiger to retrieve it.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Waller's base
  3. Strip club lead: Maxum located; rivals also seek the card

    The squad locates Steel Maxum at a strip club and fights off Professor Zoom, Silver Banshee, and Blockbuster, who are also after the card. They manage to escape with Maxum, but learn that Scandal Savage and Knockout have already stolen the card on Vandal Savage's behalf and abandoned him.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Strip club
  4. Confrontation at Scandal and Knockout's apartment; Vandal seizes the card

    The squad reaches Scandal and Knockout's apartment but is intercepted by Vandal Savage and his men. They seize the card and grievously injure Knockout, escalating the chase.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Scandal and Knockout's apartment
  5. Zoom places a tracker on Vandal's airship

    Zoom secretly attaches a tracker to Vandal Savage's airship, enabling the team to follow him from a distance. The tracker sets up the pursuit and keeps them in position as events unfold.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Vandal Savage's airship
  6. Deadshot's personal mission vs. squad obsession; Tiger asserts discipline

    Deadshot tries to break off to see his daughter Zoe, but Bronze Tiger insists he stay on the mission. The tension underscores the personal stakes for the crew while they press forward.

    When
    Present day
  7. Killer Frost kidnapped and recruited; trap is set

    The squad kidnaps Killer Frost, removes her bomb, and persuades her to join them. Zoom's group uses Frost to lure the main squad into a trap, wounding Tiger and dropping him off at a hospital.

    When
    Present day
  8. Scandal reveals Vandal's whereabouts

    Scandal Savage calls to reveal Vandal's location as revenge for Knockout's injuries. The information redirects the squad's pursuit and heightens the tension of the mission.

    When
    Present day
  9. Locating Vandal; the implant trap

    The squad locates Vandal and learns that Professor Pyg implanted the card inside him so that removing it would expend its magic. Zoom's group arrives to subdue everyone present, intensifying the confrontation.

    When
    Present day
  10. Batman lore and Speed Force limits powers

    Zoom reveals he was shot by another timeline's Batman but drew energy from the Speed Force to slow his death, which limits the use of his powers. The revelation explains his current vulnerability and unstable grip on time.

    When
    Present day
  11. Vandal's card extraction and death

    Zoom phases through to remove the card from Vandal without triggering its magic, killing Vandal in the process. The sudden death shifts the balance of power in the pursuit and raises the stakes for everyone else.

    When
    Present day
    Where
    Vandal Savage's airship
  12. Frost and Copperhead fall; Waller's bomb

    Killer Frost murders Banshee and Blockbuster to claim the card for herself. Copperhead fights Frost until Waller detonates his bomb, killing Copperhead and Frost in the crossfire.

    When
    Present day
  13. Boomerang betrayal; Tiger and Zoom duel; Deadshot's execution

    Boomerang betrays the squad for the card, but Bronze Tiger arrives to stop him. Zoom incapacitates Boomerang and fatally wounds Tiger; Tiger injures Zoom, allowing Deadshot to execute him. Deadshot then passes the powerless card to Waller through Tiger's death.

    When
    Present day
  14. Deadshot's final moment with his daughter

    Having served his time, Deadshot visits Zoe, his daughter. The mission's end leaves him with a moment of quiet domestic life, contrasting with the chaos of the relic's chase. He remains ready for whatever comes next.

    When
    Present day

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:05

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Timeline questions answered

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Amanda Waller want the Get Out of Hell Free card?

Waller is diagnosed with a terminal illness and learns about the Get Out of Hell Free card, a mystical relic that grants the owner access to heaven after death regardless of their sins. Knowing she will die soon, she becomes desperate to secure her place in the afterlife by obtaining this powerful artifact.

  • Amanda Waller
  • terminal illness
  • Get Out of Hell Free card
  • heaven
  • afterlife
Q2

Why is Professor Zoom's powers weakening?

Zoom reveals he was shot by another timeline's Batman but drew energy from the Speed Force to slow his own death. This extraction of Speed Force energy limits his powers significantly, leaving him with only phasing abilities that are fading as his life force continues to deplete.

  • Professor Zoom
  • Speed Force
  • powers
  • Batman
  • weakening
Q3

How did Vandal Savage die?

Professor Zoom used his phasing ability to remove the Get Out of Hell Free card from Vandal Savage without triggering its magic. The card was implanted inside Vandal by Professor Pyg so that any attempt to remove it would exhaust its power, but Zoom's phasing circumvented this trap, killing Vandal in the process.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, it was established that Professor Pyg implanted the card in Vandal to protect its magic from being stolen.

  • Vandal Savage
  • Professor Zoom
  • card extraction
  • death
  • phasing
Q4

Why did Killer Frost turn against the squad?

After Killer Frost was kidnapped and her bomb was removed by Zoom's group, she was persuaded to join them. Once the card was retrieved from Vandal, Frost killed Silver Banshee and Blockbuster to seize the card for herself, betraying everyone in pursuit of the card's power.

  • Killer Frost
  • betrayal
  • Silver Banshee
  • Blockbuster
  • card
Q5

What happened to Bronze Tiger at the end?

Bronze Tiger was fatally wounded during the final confrontation when Zoom incapacitated him. However, Tiger managed to injure Zoom in return, allowing Deadshot to execute Zoom. Before dying, Tiger received the card from Deadshot, and the powerless card was then given to Waller after Tiger passed away.

  • Bronze Tiger
  • death
  • Deadshot
  • final confrontation
Q6

Why did Captain Boomerang betray the squad?

Captain Boomerang betrayed the squad during the final confrontation to seize the Get Out of Hell Free card for himself. However, Bronze Tiger arrived just in time to stop him, leading to Boomerang's incapacitation by Zoom before the final resolution.

  • Captain Boomerang
  • betrayal
  • card
  • Bronze Tiger
Q7

How did Deadshot die at the end?

Deadshot was executed by Zoom during the final battle when Zoom incapacitated Boomerang and fatally wounded Bronze Tiger. However, Deadshot managed to kill Zoom first by taking advantage of Tiger's injury. Before dying, Deadshot handed the card to Bronze Tiger, and after Tiger's death, the now-powerless card was given to Waller.

  • Deadshot
  • death
  • execution
  • Zoom
  • card
Q8

Why was Killer Frost recruited after having her bomb removed?

Zoom's group kidnapped Killer Frost and removed her nanite bomb to convince her to join their side. With her bomb gone, she was no longer under Waller's control and became a willing participant in the mission to retrieve the card, using her as leverage to lure the squad into a trap.

  • Killer Frost
  • nanite bomb
  • recruitment
  • Zoom
  • trap
Q9

What is the Get Out of Hell Free card?

The Get Out of Hell Free card is a powerful mystical relic that grants the owner automatic access to heaven after death, regardless of the sins they have committed. It was originally in the possession of former Doctor Fate Steel Maxum and became the central prize that multiple factions fought to obtain throughout the film.

  • Get Out of Hell Free card
  • mystical relic
  • heaven
  • Steel Maxum
Q10

What happens to Deadshot's daughter at the end?

After the mission concludes and Deadshot has served his time, he visits his daughter Zoe, providing a moment of quiet domestic life that contrasts with the chaos of the mission. This ending underscores the personal costs of the mission while leaving Deadshot ready for whatever comes next.

  • Deadshot
  • Zoe
  • daughter
  • visit
  • ending

Movie threads

More Movies Like Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Deadly Squad Mission Movies like Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

Cynical anti-heroes are forced into a high-stakes mission with brutal consequences. If you enjoyed the chaotic, high-stakes action of Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay, explore more movies featuring teams of anti-heroes on fatalistic missions. These films share a dark tone, violent action, and themes of betrayal and sacrifice, often with a bittersweet or heavy conclusion.

  • violent
  • treacherous
  • fatalistic
  • action-packed
  • gritty
  • nihilistic
  • Tone: dark, nihilistic, treacherous
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically involve a powerful entity assembling a team of skilled but unreliable individuals for a near-suicidal task. The narrative is propelled by a fast-paced series of action sequences and double-crosses, where team loyalty is fluid and character deaths are frequent. The journey often explores themes of reluctant redemption and the personal costs of violence.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on their shared core premise of a 'dirty dozen' style team, a dark and treacherous tone, and a high-intensity, action-packed pacing. The emotional throughline is typically heavy, focusing on fatalism and the sacrifices made by deeply flawed characters.

Movies with Bittersweet Artifact Quests like Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay

A dangerous pursuit for a powerful object that ends with a heavy personal cost. Fans of the high-stakes hunt for a powerful card in Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay will find similar themes in these movies. Discover other stories where characters embark on dangerous journeys for supernatural artifacts, facing betrayal and sacrifice, leading to emotionally heavy and bittersweet endings.

  • action-packed
  • supernatural
  • fatalistic
  • high-stakes
  • somber
  • sacrifice
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet
  • Pacing: fast, steady
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a clear, objective-driven plot: find and secure a MacGuffin of immense power. The journey is linear but complicated by rival seekers and internal conflicts within the protagonist group. The climax often involves a sacrifice or a profound moral choice, ensuring the mission's success comes at a great personal cost, coloring the ending with melancholy.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their central plot device—a powerful artifact—and the specific emotional arc of the story. They combine high-stakes action with a dark tone and conclude with a sense of loss despite the achievement of the goal, creating a cohesive viewing experience focused on代价.

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Every angle

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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