The Royal Flush Gang is a criminal-syndicate in the DC universe which themes themselves around playing-cards. While traditionally enemies of the Justice League, they have notably quarrelled with Batman and his successor Terry McGinnis with notable appearances agains them in other media.
They first appeared in Justice League of America #43 (1966) and were created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky.
History[]
Pre-Crisis[]
Origins[]
The gang was established by gambling-themed villain Amos Fortune to aid him in his robberies. They were also equipped with card-themed technology. The gang would expand over the years to have a larger roster with more and more advanced technology. They became frequent enemies of the Justice League.
Rebirth[]
When Two-Face blackmailed Gotham into hunting down Batman, the Royal Flush Gang was one of the forces serving in the bounty-hunt. However, the gang was attacked and seemingly massacred by the KGBeast who was hunting down Batman himself.
The gang recovered however and was taken in by Catwoman's enemy, Roulette to serve her as her minions.
A significant portion of the gang operated within Blackgate Prison, lead by the, "Queen of Spades". They had conflicts with Joker obsessed criminal Punchline, before recruiting Orca to defeat Punchline.
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Animation[]
Super-Friends[]
In this show, the Royal Flush Gang was assembled by Batman and the Joker with Joker himself serving as Ace in-secret.
DCAU[]
See: Royal Flush Gang (DC Animated Universe)
In the DC Animated Universe, the Royal Flush Gang is reimagined as being an aristocratic criminal-operation that has been in operation since at-least the 19th century. The gang's survival is explained as being through bringing in new members, particularly via expanding the family with children and partners. Multiple factions of the Flush Gang are able to exist at-once, seemingly reflecting the four different playing-card suits.
Justice League[]
Chronologically, the first Royal Flush Gang we meet is made up of meta-humans who were experimented on by Amanda Waller. The five were released from incarceration by the Joker who manipulated them into being his club-suit Royal Flush Gang in a scheme involving explosives.
Of them there was Ace who was a young-girl with mind-bending powers, Jack who had elasticity, King who could shoot plasma from his cane, Queen who could reshape metal at her fingertips, and Ten who had super-strength.
Justice League Unlimited[]
When the young girl Ace began dying, she used her powers to create a new Royal Flush Gang who she gave super-powers. However, the gang still neglected her even though she only wanted a family. Ace later died side-by-side with Batman who comforted her as she passed.
Batman Beyond[]
At some point in time, Batman fought an incarnation of the gang where he imprisoned the gang's, "King". The Jack of this gang had an affair with the King's daughter Donna who he would come to marry after the King's disposal. Together, they ruled the spade faction of the Royal Flush Gang with the Jack as King and Donna as Queen.
By the time Terry McGinnis is Batman, the new Royal Flush Gang (or Walker family) was also made up of King and Queen's children Melanie and Jack Walker as Ten and Jack respectively. They returned to Gotham City in-order to become enemies of the new Batman, out of vengeance for their losses at the original. The Royal Flush gang would become regular enemies of Batman, with Melanie even becoming an on-again off-again love-interest of Terry's, mirroring Bruce's relationship with Catwoman.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold[]
In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the Royal Flush Gang is shown as a gang in the wild-west which becomes enemies of Jonah Hex and a time-traveling Batman.
Justice League: Doom[]
The Royal Flush Gang appears in this film's opening, being pawns of Vandal Savage in-order to get Mirror Master to be able to sneak into the Batmobile, infiltrate the Batcave, and steal files on how to destroy the Justice League from the Bat-Computer.