Royal Flush Gang
| Royal Flush Gang | |
|---|---|
| File:Royalflushgang.png Royal Flush Gang vs JLA, art by George Perez | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #43 March (1966) |
| Created by | Gardner Fox writer Mike Sekowsky artist |
The Royal Flush Gang are fictional characters in DC comics. First appeared in Justice League of America #43 in March 1966 under the leadership of Professor Amos Fortune.
History
They are a group of playing card-themed supervillains who are usually thwarted by whatever superheroes they encounter. They have code names based on a royal flush in poker i.e. Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten.
First Gang
The original Royal Flush Gang was Professor Amos Fortune's childhood gang. With Fortune himself as Ace, they fought the Justice League on two occasions, using Fortune's luck-altering "stellaration" technology to realize the fortune-telling significance of playing cards. After Fortune abandoned the Gang, they attempted to steal paintings containing clues to a hidden treasure but were thwarted by the Joker's manipulations (Joker #6). Most of them then abandoned their criminal careers, although Jack briefly joined the Secret Society of Super Villains as "Hi-Jack". Fortune's gang wore costumes based on the suit of clubs. In the pages of JLA Classified, it was revealed the original Royal Flush Gang (sans Amos Fortune) reunited to fight the "Detroit Era" Justice League and their successors in the second gang. In this battle, the original members were killed.
Second Gang
The second Royal Flush Gang was set up by Green Lantern villain Hector Hammond in Justice League of America #203. Hammond led the group as "Wildcard". This version wore costumes based on the suit of spades. The gang split up and went on to have separate criminal careers before re-establishing themselves, without Hammond. They were twice hired by Maxwell Lord as part of his manipulation of Justice League International. Later, they were reorganized and reoutfitted by a successor to the Golden Age Green Lantern villain the Gambler, who was masquerading as the Joker.
- King (Joe Carny) -- The so-called "King of the Hoboes," Carny also suffered from lung cancer. As Hammond's agent, he wore a costume that technologically enhanced his natural charisma to the point of mind control. Following the metagene bomb in Invasion! King became immortal.
- Queen (Mona Taylor) - Taylor was originally a Broadway star whose career was destroyed by her ongoing alcoholism. As Hammond's agent, she wielded a sceptre that cast realistic illusions. After the Gambler reoutiftted the team, she began employing a wrist shooter that fires razor sharp spades.
- Jack (name unknown) - Originally a gigolo, he became a fugitive after inadvertantly killing a client while attempting to steal her jewelry. As Hammond's agent, he wielded an energy-charged sword. The Gambler replaced his left eye with a cybernetically-activated laser weapon, making him a literal "one-eyed Jack." The removal of his eye to implant the laser initially impacted his sanity.
- Ten (Wanda Wayland) - Wayland was a test pilot fired for refusing her employer's sexual advances. As Hammond's agent, she wore a costume with energy blasters in its gloves. Has enhanced reflexes, and carries explosive playing cards
- Ace ("Derek Reston") - The Ace was a superstrong android in the form of an African-American man. A later Ace, Ernie Clay, was recruited by King and used a strength-enhancing exoskeleton provided by the Gambler. In more recent appearances in Starman and Infinite Crisis, however, the team was once again employing the robot Ace.
King, Queen, and Ten also have blaster-pistols. The Gang fly on hovering playing cards. In the Gang's appearances in Teen Titans, Ten had organized runaways as "Ten's Little Indians," a gang of thieves dressed as the two through nine of spades and armed with bows and trick arrows.
Third Gang
Superman: The Man of Steel #121 revealed that the Royal Flush Gang had expanded. The Royal Flush Gang is now an organisation that reaches across America, with cells in every major city. Instead of five members, each "cell" has fifty-two, split into four suits run by the "court cards". Each members has a playing card value, and those who rise or fall in the Gang's esteem gain or lose a "pip". Notably, Stargirl's father was a "Two"; upon defeating him, she transitioned from the Star-Spangled Kid identity to Stargirl in JSA All-Stars.
Infinite Crisis
Template:Spoilers Recently, in Infinite Crisis #2, the Joker tortured and killed the leadership of a local cell of the Royal Flush Gang from an unspecified city, after being rejected by the Society for his "instability". Another cell of the expanded version, this one stylized as a street gang, appeared as members of the Society in Villains United and several of its tie-ins in other comics.
Elseworlds
In the epic miniseries Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, King is a member of Lex Luthor's Mankind Liberation Front. He apparently has gone separate from the Gang, but carries a cigarette pack with playing card markings and speaks in metaphors drawn from card games.
Other media
The Royal Flush Gang have also appeared in other media including the Superfriends, Batman Beyond, and Justice League.
Batman Beyond
In the Batman Beyond series, the new Batman repeatedly faces a future version of the gang, who appear to be a family. They all mostly used various high-tech weapons. It should be noted that this version of the gang resembles the group created by Hector Hammond, down to the riding hovering playing cards and Ace being an android. The family suggests that crime runs in the family, with each new generation forming a new version or branch of the gang. The daughter, Ten, was also a romantic interest for Terry McGinnis, creating much the same conflict as existed between the original Batman and Catwoman, so much so that Bruce Wayne mentions the relationship.
Justice League
According to the Justice League episode, "Wild Cards," the original Royal Flush Gang were orphans born with superpowers in a government project to use them as human weapons. The Joker freed them and they pledged their allegiance to him.
- Ace - Can create illusions, and drive people insane just by looking at them. Later, her powers developed into the ability to actually alter reality.
- King - Able to create fire blasts
- Queen - Ferrokinesis (metal manipulation)
- Jack - Complete body elasticity
- Ten - Invulnerability and super strength
Justice League Unlimited
Two other versions of this gang were seen in the animated continuity. In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Epilogue", Ace creates a new version of the gang to have friends to play with. This version of the gang was a series of in-jokes.
- King - Appeared to be a massive head with small limbs. Flew on a throne and fired beams from his eyes. This King was a nod to the Marvel Comics supervillain M.O.D.O.K.
- Queen - A large woman with enhanced strength. This Queen was actually a man, a joke on "drag queen".
- Jack - A Samurai-styled warrior. This Jack was a nod to the Cartton Network series Samurai Jack.
- Ten - A beautiful woman with long, extendable cornrows she could use like a whip. This Ten was a nod to Bo Derek's character in the movie "10".
Unfortunately, the people Ace empowered decided to go out and commit crimes instead. As the League battled the Gang (minus Ace), Amanda Waller revealed that Ace was dying, and a possible psychic backlash caused by her death could kill millions. Batman volunteered to use a device to kill her before that could happen. Instead, he destroyed the device and stayed with Ace, comforting her until she died quietly. With Ace gone, the remaining members of the gang lost their powers.
Comparison chart
An interesting note is that the Royal Flush Gang in Justice League are voiced by the main cast of the Teen Titans series:
| Gang member | Voice actor | Role in Teen Titans |
|---|---|---|