Royal Flush Gang

Latest revision as of 07:05, 1 May 2024

The Royal Flush Gang in Justice League of America v2 #35.

Royal Flush Gang is a supervillain team who features in DC Comics.

History

Pre-Crisis

The Royal Flush Gang were a team of superpowered thieves that were first gathered together by Amos Fortune. (Justice League of America v1 #43)

Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.

Originally, it was established by Amos Fortune and his fellow criminals after they robbed a high-stakes poker game and decided to use the money to establish themselves rather than return to their former employers in the local mob. Fortune decided to base themselves on cards with him taking the identity of the Ace of Spades with them using a variety of sophisticated weaponry. This brought them into conflict with the Justice League of America which led to the gang's defeat with them barely escaping the heroes. After numerous such defeats, the gang decided to recruit more people into their ranks and base them on the card-theme in order to establish them as a criminal organization. In time, they began to have a major branch in almost every major city in the United States of America with them being considered a national menace and a rival threat by Intergang. (Justice League of America v2 #36)

With Amos Fortune as Wild Card, the Gang was deployed on a number of missions for him where they were sent on a heist at the Startopia hotel. They were seemingly after the money and faced an undermanned Justice League team who battled the villains but they managed to escape. Unknown to anyone, the money was not their objective but rather it was its proprietary nanotech that was stolen on behalf of their employer. (Justice League of America v2 #35)

Later, the gang looked to consolidate starting from Chicago where they began to expand to Pittsburgh and going as far as Kansas City. They began recruiting in mass where they absorbed local gangs from any city who were forced to work for the suits that wore the Royal Flush Gang members in costume. (Superman: The Man of Steel v1 #121)

Instead of targeting one another, they began to focus on everyone else instead leading to the start of a crime wave in the city. As the largest criminal gang in America, they looked to establish their foothold in Metropolis. They came to believe the city to be easy prey due to the portrayal of Superman being a soft hearted hero who would not be aggressive. The gang during a heist looked to evade the police in Suicide Slum where their actions drew the attention of the Man of Steel. Unexpected by them, the Kryptonian hero was more aggressive and pro-active in stopping the Royal Flush Gang. This saw Ten of Diamonds being sent to activate their Ace of Diamonds android. They believed that the volatile core that powered the machine would have prevented Superman from easily disposing of it. Despite initially putting up a fight, the Ace came to find itself outmatched by its foe. However, the hero froze it then knocked the android into orbit where it detonated harmlessly in space. The diamond suite of the gang were then rounded up the police after being frozen in place though Ten of Diamonds escaped in the confusion where she looked to find a means of battling the Man of Steel. In reality, he had allowed her to escape to the gang's safehouse where the rest of the deck were sent to battle Superman. Multiple Ace androids were deployed but the Man of Steel easily dealt with them and helped capture all the gang members at the site. This allowed the Metropolis police force to arrest them though it was believed that this would not stop the gangs rise in the city. For leading Superman to their base, the Ten of Diamonds was demoted to the rank of Nine of Diamonds by her fellow gang members as they headed towards lockup. (Superman: The Man of Steel v1 #121)

Post-Flashpoint

Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. The Royal Flush Gang

A new team of criminals, calling themselves 'the Royal Flush Gang' took the mantle when the Crime Syndicate came to Earth and claimed to have killed the Justice League. Some members attended the Crime Syndicate's announcement in Happy Harbor. (Forever Evil v1 #1) Setting up in the Man of Steal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Royal Flush Gang caught wind of a bounty set on the Rogues' heads set by the Crime Syndicate themselves. Hoping to acquire more territory and power in exchange for the Rogues, the Ace of Spades sent the Diamonds division to track down and apprehend the Rogues in Gotham City. (Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion v1 #4) Though the Rogues escaped and killed the Diamonds, the Royal Flush Gang still had Golden Glider held captive as leverage. The Rogues then invaded the gang's territory, stole Glider back, and began fighting the army the Royal Flush Gang had at its disposal. The fight was interrupted by Johnny Quick and Atomica arriving, wanting to kill the Rogues themselves. However, the Ace of Spades wouldn't give up the fight and shot Weather Wizard in the head with his shotgun anyway, seemingly killing him, and causing Johnny Quick to go into a fury, being robbed of his rightfully deserved kill. In a fit of revenge, Johnny Quick went around killing members of the gang until he was beamed back to the Watchtower to deal with an important issue. The second group of the Royal Flush Gang was rendered defunct. (Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion v1 #5)

A third wave of criminals who became the Royal Flush Gang were active when Superman's identity was revealed publicly to be Clark Kent. The group was composed of Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. This group did not have a set card suit for each member, instead they wore a general collection of clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds and referred to each other by their codenames. The new Royal Flush Gang sought to bring grief to Kent by attacking his apartment building but happened to see him walking the streets on their way. Picking a fight, Ten only threw one punch before Ace surrendered and started beating up King. (Superman v3 #44)

Overview

In appearance, the Royal Flush Gang (R.F.G.) were a criminal gang based on the theme of playing cards.

Originally, the gang consisted of only four members but after opening their membership they came to be regarded more as an organization rather than a team. This led to them establishing branches in almost every major city in the United States. Hierarchy was based on the card theme with those from the seven ups being well protected with their families cared for if they were to die. This left the lower ranks being considered expendable though this was seen as an incentive for them to rise up the ranks. (Justice League of America v2 #36) Upon moving into a new city, they recruited entire gangs by force who all fell under the command of the suits that were the costumed members of the Royal Flush Gang. (Superman: The Man of Steel v1 #121)

Lower ranking members had booby-trapped equipment that could be triggered remotely to kill them if they threatened to expose the Gang's objectives. (Justice League of America v2 #36) At one point, the gang was inactive which led to Wanda Wayland organizing a team of young street urchins to be her foot soldiers who were called Ten's Little Indians. These were all young kids who wore card-based costumes where they worked on their leaders behalf. (New Titans v1 #69)

One incarnation of the team made use of a Stellaration device that was a machine that harnessed astrological power of the stars to charge objects with stellaration power in order to cause different effects. (Justice League of America v1 #43)

The gang came to use an entire series of Ace androids with some of the later series being powered by P.B.M.R. nuclear fuel pellets. This made them dangerous to destroy as the resultant explosion could devastate a part of the area if they were in a city. (Superman: The Man of Steel v1 #121)

Members

• Amos Fortune :
• Joe Carny :
• Mona Taylor :
• Wanda Wayland :
• Derek Reston :
• Ernest Clay :
• Rex Quintain :
• Regina Quintain :
• Sam Kurtis :
• Bluff :
• Hi-Jack :

Notes

• The Royal Flush Gang were created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky where they made their first appearance in Justice League of America v1 #43 (March, 1966).

Alternate Versions

• In Captain Marvel, Jr. v1 #7 (1943), a similar group of villains referred to as the Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of Crime appeared on Earth-S. Led by Black Ace, they consisted of members named Diamond Jack, King Clubbo, and Queenie Hart where they were enemies of Freddy Freeman's Captain Marvel, Jr.

In other media

Television

• In The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, the Royal Flush Gang appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "The Wild Cards".
• In the DC Animated Universe, the Royal Flush Gang made multiple appearances in the shared continuity setting:
  • In Justice League, the Royal Flush Gang appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Wild Cards". King was voiced by actor Scott Menville, Queen by actress Tara Strong, Jack by actor Greg Cipes, Ten by actor Khary Payton, and Ace by actress Hynden Walch. This version of the group were five Project Cadmus-trained, metahuman teenagers, with King possessing pyrokinesis, Queen metallokinesis, Jack complete body elasticity, Ten super-strength comparable to Superman, and Ace powerful psionic abilities. The Joker came to find them and turned them into his Royal Flush Gang so he could attack Las Vegas and battle the Justice League on live television while he secretly used Ace to drive millions of viewers insane. After the Leaguers captured most of the gang, Batman discovered the Joker kept a collar that Ace's government handlers used to control her as insurance against her. Realizing that the Joker was using her, an enraged Ace put him in a catatonic state before disappearing.
  • In Justice League Unlimited, the Royal Flush Gang re-appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Epilogue" with Ace voiced again by actress Hylden Walch whilst the rest of the gang were silent. This version of the group was formed by a lonely and depressed Ace, who developed reality-warping powers. She used them to turn four random people into a new Royal Flush Gang to play with her, but they chose to abandon her and turned to crime.
  • In Batman Beyond, the Royal Flush Gang appeared in the setting of the animated television series. King was voiced by actor George Lazenby, Queen by actress Amanda Donohoe in the first season and actress Sarah Douglas in all subsequent appearances, their son Jack was voiced by actor Scott Cleverdon in the first season and then by actor Nicholas Guest in the third season, whilst their daughter Melanie Walker/Ten was voiced by actress Olivia d'Abo with Ace being silent and non-voiced in the entire role. This futuristic version of the group is a multi-generational crime family who use high-tech, playing card-themed weapons and an android serving as Ace. Additionally, they previously encountered the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, who nearly succeeded in disbanding the gang's predecessors. Throughout their appearances, the gang battle Wayne's successor Terry McGinnis, who falls in love with Melanie and eventually motivates her to leave the group. Following this, the gang struggle to maintain their power and work with their employer Paxton Powers to assassinate Wayne, only to be thwarted by McGinnis. In the aftermath, Ace is destroyed, King and Queen are arrested, the former is revealed to have been pursuing an affair with Powers' secretary due to an inferiority complex stemming from being compared unfavorably to his late predecessor and father-in-law, and Melanie bails Jack out of jail and helps him get a job at the restaurant she works at.

Films

• In Justice League: Doom, the Royal Flush Gang appeared as minor antagonists in the setting of the animated film. The Royal Flush Gang attempt to rob a bank using dimensional phasing technology, but are hindered by Batman. They manage to overcome him, but the Justice League arrive and foil the gang. The heroes are unable to find out who supplied the Royal Flush Gang with their technology as they did not know themselves. Unbeknownst to the Justice League, Vandal Savage used the gang as a distraction so Mirror Master could infiltrate the Batcave.

Video games

Appearances

• Justice League of America v1: (1966)
• Justice League of America v2:
• Forever Evil v1:
• The Flash:
• Superman v3:

External Links

• DC Database Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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