Trickster (comics)

The Trickster is a moniker used by three DC Comics supervillains, two of which are enemies of the Flash. Both have been members of the Rogues.

The character has been substantially adapted into television productions of DC Comics work. Actor Mark Hamill is most closely associated with the role, having played the character in two live-action adaptations of The Flash and even voiced the character in animated form for the series Justice League Unlimited.

Publication history

James Jesse first appeared in Flash (1st series) #113 (June–July 1960) and was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.

Axel Walker debuted in Flash (2nd series) #183 (April 2002) and was created by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins.

Fictional character biography

James Jesse

The Trickster (James Jesse) makes his debut in The Flash vol. 1 #113 (June–July 1960), evading the Flash.

The original Trickster is the practical joker and con man whose favorite occupation is damaging enemies like the Flash with items such as explosive teddy bears.

His alter ego is "James Jesse", a stage name to replace his true identity, "Giovanni Giuseppe". He was a circus acrobat who decided to become a criminal just like his "reverse namesake" Jesse James. He created shoes that allowed him to walk on air to first help him in the trapeze shows his family was in, as every member of his family was a trapeze expert and his father wanted him to be one also, and other dangerous gag gadgets for his crimes. He clashed with the Flash (Barry Allen) many times. In his first appearance, his Harlequin costume causes the Flash to guess he is in a circus, and he captures the Trickster after pogo-sticking to the trapeze.

After Barry Allen's death, the Trickster relocated from Central City to Hollywood, where he spent some time working in special effects. He attempted to steal Dan Cassidy's innovative Blue Devil suit, but was defeated. When Cassidy later became trapped in the suit, Jesse befriended him and relied on Cassidy to help with his sporadic efforts to give up supervillainy. In the miniseries Underworld Unleashed Neron tried to create Hell on Earth. When James Jesse tricked his way into Neron's domain it was only to find himself an expected visitor. Neron made vague promises to Jesse, and seemed to keep Jesse in his confidences. However, once Jesse realized he was in Hell and Neron was the Devil incarnate, Trickster realized it was up to him to beat the Devil. He managed to trick Neron and defeat him with Captain Marvel's help. Upon finding himself back on Earth, Trickster lamented the fact that he had engineered "the greatest sting of all time" and no one had witnessed it... and promptly decided he'd better work the side of the angels, because he didn't dare go to Hell.

He began using his con-artist skills for good, and collecting the weapons of incarcerated supervillains because such things were too dangerous to be left lying around and could fall into the wrong hands. (He was right: see Trickster II.)

When his old girlfriend Mindy Hong called on him for help, Trickster went with her to the tiny mountain kingdom of Zhutan. There, with the help of the Pied Piper and Billy Hong, a 12-year-old boy who proved to be the Majee (a special agent of the Saravistran god Meshta, sent to observe and weigh humankind's progress), he again defeated Neron. As part of the deal, Jesse told Neron to forget the Rogues, who were grudgingly grateful for being rescued from the demon's wrath. Minutes later, Jesse was flabbergasted to be told that Billy Hong was his son.

Trickster returned to the States and kept on using his skills for good. He once saved Catwoman's life by tricking her into helping him "kill" her. She was grateful, and he thought her "the most fascinating woman I've ever met," but they parted as merely friends. The FBI contacted Jesse and recruited him. He worked for them awhile and then the Top reappeared and turned the Rogues' world topsy-turvy by brainwashing several of them, causing the ROGUE WAR. Still working as an agent of the FBI, James Jesse gathered the reformed Rogues to stop Captain Cold and the other Rogues. However, the Top appeared and reverted what he did to the reformed Rogues, eventually. It took Trickster and the Pied Piper a long time to sort out their own memories from the Top's hypnotic suggestions. The other Rogues scattered and laid low.

Countdown

James Jesse appears in Countdown #51, where he arrives at fellow Rogue Heat Wave's apartment in response to Captain Cold's call for a meeting of the Rogues. Heat Wave is not pleased to see Trickster, and reprimands Jesse on the fact that he was once helping the Flash (Wally West). Trickster talks his way into the apartment, and it appears that the Top's brainwashing of Jesse has been completely undone. Unbeknownst to the two former cellmates, as they are discussing the future of the Rogues, one of the Pied Piper's rats is spying on them.^[1] Later that evening Pied Piper rejoins the Rogues as well and resumes an uneasy friendship with Jesse. After Captain Cold, Heat Wave and Weather Wizard murder Bart Allen in Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #13, the resultant chaos sends the Trickster and the Pied Piper on the run from heroes and villains alike.

After attending Bart Allen's funeral in secret, Piper and the Trickster are captured by Deadshot and Multiplex and handcuffed together with cuffs that will explode if they are tampered with, separated by about five feet of equally protected chain. They manage to escape from their captors, but unfortunately they remain shackled together as they continue their lives on the lam. They quickly make their way to Gotham where they are offered partial sanctuary by the Penguin, who contacts the FBI for the reward. The duo then escape the Suicide Squad only to have the Question and Batwoman catch up with them.

Piper and Trickster immediately begin to plead with the two heroes that they personally were not responsible for the death of Bart Allen. Batwoman is quick to ignore their pleas, and more concerned for busting the two criminals for the Flash's death. The Question however, is willing to hear them out, at which point the Trickster performs a puppet show in order to plead their case, using puppets of himself and the Flash. Batwoman becomes furious at the disrespect that Trickster shows, and punches him down, breaking his nose. The Question however, believes their story, saying that "those two couldn't kill time' and lets them go. When Batwoman demands what right she has to release them, Montoya states that her past as a police detective taught her to spot true murderers.

The two Rogues inadvertently make it to Poison Ivy's greenhouse, and are captured by her. Despite being dazed by Poison Ivy's use of pheremones, Trickster finds himself focusing on Piper once he hears the other man speak. The situation gets even more dangerous when Deathstroke arrives. Trickster draws his attention away from Piper for the second time, and gets his nose broken a second time. Deathstroke beats up both Rogues but does not kill them, deciding to use the two fugitives as bait by planting a bomb on them. They are found by Batman, who gets the third dose of Trickster's insolence, but resists temptation and turns the pair of them over to the Flash (Wally West). West is furious. He hauls Trickster and Piper back to Bart Allen's Grave. They explain that Deathstroke has planted subcutaneous explosive devices in their necks. West believes them and removes the devices by vibrating through their skin. He continues questioning them, and Trickster's answers make him so angry he breaks Jesse's nose for the third time. Eventually, however, he believes their story.

Wally confines the two at the Green Arrow/Black Canary wedding, despite the warnings that Deathstroke is planning an all-out assault at the occasion. The two manage to escape the wedding assault, stealing a car and inadvertently picking up Double Down as a passenger. The trio stop at a diner, only to be attacked by the Suicide Squad. Double Down is captured, but Piper and Trickster decide to follow the Squad using an invisibility field, planning to free the other captured villains, whom Trickster insists will "owe us for life." They encounter and free Two-Face, who tells them that the villains are being shipped off at a secret base, then flips a coin to decide whether or not to go along with them. The duo narrowly escape the resultant mayhem and then once again avoid capture by Deadshot.

Throughout Countdown, Trickster makes a series of less-than-funny homophobic jokes (although he has never used them in any earlier series) which keep the Piper angry and focused. But at the last, when they are riding in the freight car of a train, he is finally able to turn the joke on himself and the two crack up laughing at his awful wordplay.

Unfortunately, just at the moment when Trickster finally addresses the Piper as "Hartley" for the first time in the entire series, Jesse notices the red dot of a laser sight on Piper's forehead. Deadshot has caught up with them again. Trickster yanks the Piper out of the line of fire, saving his life, and then Trickster uncharacteristically decides to make a stand and fight. During the fray, Deadshot grabs Trickster's cape and yanks him from the train, then drags him along the tracks, wounding him. When Deadshot declares he's going to shoot the Pied Piper and takes aim, Trickster shouts, "NO! NOT HIM! NOT NOW!" and hurls himself into the hail of bullets. Jesse is killed instantly but the Piper is shielded by his body and survives and escapes on the train.^[2]

Left alone with the corpse of Trickster still chained to him, Piper is forced to flee the train in the Chihuahuan desert and gets lost, dragging along his dead (but talkative) companion.^[3] Unable to destroy the cuffs, Piper eventually chops off Trickster's left hand after carrying his corpse as far as he can.^[4] While most of Trickster's body remains on Earth, the hand goes with the Piper through a mysteriously-appearing boomtube to Apokolips.^[5]

There, Desaad breaks away the cuffs, freeing Piper and consigning Trickster's hand to the foul depths of Apokolips.^[6] Desaad then explains that he has been manipulating events and both Rogues all along, because he believes the Piper can express the Anti-life Equation through his music. Realizing this fiend murdered Trickster, the Piper lets Desaad have what he wants-- "voicing" the Anti-life Equation with his music until Desaad's head explodes. Then, alone and mourning his murdered friend, the Piper plays a swan song for Trickster, and his music is so furious and powerful that the entire planet explodes.^[7]

Once returned to Earth via another boomtube he created, the Pied Piper recovers from his nightmare journey and resumes his efforts to take down the Rogues for good.^[8] In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge he steals Jesse's Last Will & Testament from the authorities. While on the run, Jesse had told him how the document conceals another written in invisible ink, which turns out to be instructions and diagrams showing how to bring down the Rogues. Unfortunately, Piper's efforts to carry out Jesse's plans are unsuccessful: he is wounded and then unwillingly involved in the killing of Inertia.^[9]

In Blackest Night: The Flash James Jesse was reanimated as a Black Lantern.^[10]

Axel Walker

The second Trickster (Axel Walker).

While the first Trickster was working for the FBI, teenager Axel Walker stole all of Jesse's gadgets and shoes and became the new Trickster. He joined Blacksmith's Network and destroyed files from Goldface and Hunter Zolomon for her. He was also given new "toys" in addition to Jesse's originals. After the defeat of Blacksmith, he was invited to join the new Rogues led by Captain Cold, and accepted. He remained with the new Rogues until the "reformed" Rogues attempted to stop Cold. While the two Tricksters were fighting, the Top gave Jesse's memory back. The original Trickster then defeated his successor and told him never to become the Trickster again.

After some time, Axel escaped from prison and returned to Keystone City. However, he was quickly defeated by the Flash.^[11]

Axel's next appearance since then was in Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp, where he answered an ad from four college students asking for an experienced superhero to train them. He had dinner with them and then killed all four of them. His crime was discovered when Detective Chimp used his remarkable deductive powers to help deduce who the murderer was. Axel was then arrested.

Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge

With the "reformed" Trickster dead, Axel returned as The Trickster in Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge mini-series. Throughout the series Axel was taught what it took to be a true Rogue. When Trickster is told he needs to earn his place in The Rogues he asks how. Mirror Master responds by telling him "Yeh don't tell Cold why yeh wanna be here, yeh tell him why yeh need to be here." At the end of the series Trickster participates in the murder of Inertia.^[9]

The Flash (Vol. 3)

The Trickster and the Rogues visit Sam Scudder's old hideout and unveil a giant mirror with the words In Case of Flash: Break Glass written on it.^[12] Afterward, Axel is still on the run with the Rogues. He is seen speeding away in the Trickster Mobile being chased by the Flash (Barry Allen). The Trickster drives off a cliff and escapes the vehicle while the Flash takes the car apart in the air.^[13]

The New 52

In The New 52 Trickster/Axel Walker returns in the post-Flashpoint reality as a member of the Black Razors, the team responsible for dealing with the Daemonites invasion. He is tasked to work alongside Priscilla Kitaen in order to take down her clone.^[14] He is later seen as a part of Glider's Rogues, and rescued Captain Cold, and attempted to reason with an invading Gorilla Grodd, which led to him losing his right hand.^[15]

New God

Another Trickster appears in Batman/Superman as part of the New 52 continuity. A Trickster god from Apokolips, Kaiyo is an agent for Darkseid with the power to move between worlds at will. She pursues Batman and Superman and their counterparts on Earth-2 (prior to that world's destruction), and is responsible for the first encounter between the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight. Her appearance on Earth 2 leads to Darkseid's discovery of and later siege upon that world, while she also leaves behind a relic which will contribute to the resurrection of Damian Wayne.^[16]

During the Forever Evil storyline, the Rogues were in the middle of springing Trickster from prison only for Johnny Quick to arrive and succeed in freeing all the inmates.^[17]

Powers and abilities

The Trickster has a number of trick items that he employs. This includes itching powder, potato head bombs, exploding rubber chickens and yo-yos, sharpened jacks, hard shell candy, and various other joke themed weapons.

The Trickster wears a pair of shoes that allow him to fly for up to 10 hours.

Other versions

Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Axel Walker, known (in this reality) as the Trixter, was imprisoned in Iron Heights; the prisoners forced to shut Trixter up for his jokes.^[18] He and the Rogues escape from Iron Heights and he then follows Mirror Master's Rogues; however, the Rogues did not invite him. The Trixter claims to them that he plans to kidnap Citizen Cold's sister, Lisa Snart. The Trixter pursues revenge on Citizen Cold for murdering the original Trickster.^[19] The Rogues, however find out that the Trixter has been working for Citizen Cold all along. The Rogues member, Mirror Master kills him by making him enter his mirrorverse, causing him to die.^[20] Axel mentions that Cold has killed the previous Trickster.

25th Century Trixster

A futuristic version Trixster is a heroic Trickster as part of the 25th Century cops known as The Renegades from Professor Zoom's future.^[13]

In other media

Television

The Trickster, played by Mark Hamill, with his sidekick Prank in The Flash.

• In the live action television series The Flash (1990–1991), the Trickster was played by Mark Hamill. In the episode "The Trickster", private investigator Megan Lockhart (played by Joyce Hyser) attempts to capture a wanted criminal psychopath named James Jesse. His full name is James Montgomery Jesse, (his original alias in the comics) and has committed mass killings in various states according to his dossier. During the pursuit, Jesse gets the upper hand and captures Lockhart, but not before she is able to call her friend Barry Allen (played by John Wesley Shipp), whom she had learned was the Flash in an earlier episode. The Flash saves Megan, and Jesse is arrested. As a result, both The Flash and Megan Lockhart become James Jesse's new fixation. After escaping from police custody, he takes on the costumed identity of The Trickster. Unlike the Flash's previous enemies, Trickster is particularly adept at countering the Flash's usually overwhelming advantage of his speed with mundane materials; most notably he eluded one pursuit by releasing a large number of marbles from his vehicle behind him, causing the Flash to immediately lose all traction as he attempted to follow at superspeed. He has psychotic delusions that Lockhart had been his true love, a costumed sidekick named Prank. He believes that Prank has been kidnapped and brainwashed by the "evil" Flash, and coerce Lockhart into wearing the Prank costume and serving as his sidekick after delivering a death threat to Barry Allen. Barry manages to escape from a drowning stunt, changes into his Flash costume, and sends the Trickster back behind bars, thanks to Lockhart's "betrayal". In the final episode of the series, "Trial Of The Trickster", James Jesse escapes from his criminal trial with the unexpected help of a fake court stenographer (played by Corinne Bohrer) named Zoey Clark, the wealthy owner of Clarx Toys. She is a huge fan of the Trickster and would do anything to get her hands on him. As they arrive safely at her toy store, Clark admits that she finds a kindred spirit in the Trickster and wants to be his fantasy sidekick Prank. She takes her clothes off to reveal the Prank costume underneath and seduces the Trickster into thinking that "she" is the Prank of his delusions. After a brief "reunion", both the Trickster and the new Prank kidnap the Flash and brainwash him into becoming evil. The fastest man alive becomes the Trickster's new partner, causing Prank to become jealous over being replaced. She complains to the Trickster, only to end up restrained inside her toy store for being a nuisance. Meanwhile, the Trickster plans to put Central City on trial but fails after the Flash regains his memories. He hurriedly escapes from the court and is rescued again by Prank, who manages to break free from her binds and is still in love with him. The Trickster shows his gratitude by pushing Prank out of the getaway car and runs off solo, leaving Prank behind again. In the end, the Trickster loses the battle with the Flash and gets arrested along with Prank. The Trickster is incarcerated into a high-restricted prison cell, isolating him away from anyone else.
• In 1995, the two episodes were edited together into a movie and released on VHS as The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster.

Trickster in Justice League Unlimited

• In the Justice League Unlimited episode "Flash and Substance", Mark Hamill reprises his role as the James Jesse version of the Trickster, with the character designed to resemble his appearance in the previous live-action television show. The animated Trickster is apparently not a total villain, aware of his psychosis, and does seek treatment if encouraged. The Trickster aids three other Flash villains (Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, and Mirror Master) in their vendetta against the Flash, but his plan (involving four hundred cases of greased, fake dog vomit, a wall of metal spikes, and plenty of explosives) is rejected ("Okay, you don't like the barf? I can make do with 50,000 rotten eggs & a chainsaw"). When the other three villains leave while he tells his plan to them, Trickster ends up disappointed and leaves. He is next seen at the bar where Flash's enemies hang out, disgruntled at his rejection. When Flash, Batman, and Orion arrive at the bar in search of Flash's would-be assassins, Orion tries to muscle the Trickster into revealing the other villains' plans. Flash intervenes and speaks to him in a friendly manner, noting that James has not been taking his medication (James was apparently unaware that he was even wearing his costume again until the Flash pointed it out). Trickster informs the heroes of the plan to ambush Flash at the museum opening, and agrees to turn himself in and return to the hospital at Flash's urging after finishing his drink, with Flash promising to visit him and play soft-tip darts with him.
• Both Tricksters appear in the 2014 The Flash episode "Tricksters" with James Jesse being reprised by Mark Hamill^[21] and Axel Walker portrayed by Devon Graye.^[22] Jesse terrorized Central City twenty years prior and is imprisoned in Iron Heights, kept in solitary confinement after he talked a psychiatrist into committing suicide and only allowed cable TV to distract him from killing any guards. Walker surfaces as a copycat terrorist in present day. Initially, Jesse acts appalled that someone "stole" his tricks and equipment, but ultimately reveals himself to be the new Trickster's mentor and secret father. Walker breaks Jesse out of prison, taking Barry's father Henry (played by John Wesley Shipp, who had starred as the Flash in the 1990-91 TV series) as a hostage due to his ties to the police department, and they extort all the wealthy patrons attending the Mayor's fundraiser in City Hall by poisoning them and demanding their money in exchange for the antidote. They subdue the Flash by attaching a bomb to his wrist that would explode should he try to remove it or reduce his speed. However, the Flash learns to phase through objects by vibrating his molecules and manages to leave the bomb behind, proceeding to apprehend both Tricksters after his allies devise an antidote for the poison. The episode pays homage to the 1990s series by using old photos of Hamill as the Trickster to illustrate Jesse twenty years prior. In addition, Hamill's role as Luke Skywalker is referred to, when he says 'I am your father' to Axel, aping Darth Vader's famous line. James later appeared in "Running to Stand Still," where the Weather Wizard broke him and Captain Cold out of prison to kill the Flash. Cold refuses, but James goes with it and threatens Flash on television, which was an attempt to lead Flash to an abandoned factory to blow him up with explosive dreidels, but he and Patty Spivot escape. He disguises himself as Santa and gives a number of children explosive presents to get Flash to surrender to him and Weather Wizard. It almost works with James about to cut the Flash, until the Flash's team get rid of the explosive presents through magnetism and a wormhole and Flash wraps James up in Christmas lights.

Film

• The Axel Walker incarnation of the Trickster appears in the animated film Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom, voiced by Mark Hamill. He is seen robbing a bank in Metropolis until he is defeated by the Justice League. To his annoyance, the police mistake him for the Joker. A Lego minifigure of the Trickster is also included with the DVD release of the film.

Video games

• The James Jesse version of the Trickster appeared in the 1991 The Flash video game.
• The James Jesse version of the Trickster appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Paul Wensley.^[23]
• The Axel Walker version of the Trickster appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Troy Baker.

References

Countdown # 51 Dini, Paul (w), Saiz, Jesus (p), Palmiotti, Jimmy (i). "Look to the skies!" Countdown to Final Crisis 51 (May 9, 2007), DC Comics

External links

• Arrowverse entry for Trickster
• Arrowverse entry for Trickster 2
• Alan Kistler's profile on the Flash - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Kistler. Covers information all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains and rogues who fought the Flash. Various art scans.
• Counting Down to Countdown V: Mary Marvel, Trickster, Pied Piper
• Crimson Lightning - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.