Adam Susan

Adam Susan
Adam Susan in V for Vendetta #2
Publication information
Publisher	Vertigo imprint of DC Comics (Originally Quality Communications)
First appearance	Warrior #1 (March 1982)
Created by	Alan Moore David Lloyd
In-story information
Team affiliations	Norsefire Party
Notable aliases	The Leader

Adam James Susan is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the comic book series (later graphic novel) V for Vendetta, created by writer Alan Moore and illustrator David Lloyd. He is renamed Adam Sutler (the surname being a portmanteau of "Susan" and "Hitler") in the film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by John Hurt.

Adam Susan is the leader of the Norsefire party, and the ruler of the dictatorship that holds Britain in an iron grip under the puppet monarchy of Queen Zara. A firm adherent of pure fascism, he values order above all else and sees civil liberties as unneeded luxuries which are ultimately threats to a secure society. He states early in the novel that he believes in "the destiny of the Nordic race", and subsequently despises anyone who is not white, Christian, male and heterosexual. Despite the latter, he disdains all sexual contact as "brutish coupling", and has subsequently remained a virgin his entire life.

The graphic novel establishes his backstory. A former police chief constable, upon his entrance into politics he gathers a select few like-minded right-wing extremists and corporate executives into his inner circle, and then exploits the poverty, chaos, and panic that follow a worldwide nuclear war to seize power. Once in control, he gives himself the title of "Leader," and bans all art and literature that conflict with the views of the party, criminalizes political dissent, and puts Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, secular humanists, Africans, Arabs, Kurds, Persians, Pakistanis, Russians, Chinese people, South Americans, liberals and homosexuals into concentration camps.