In this special episode, Shag and Rob welcome the legendary CHUCK PATTON to discuss the unforgettable listings he drew in the original Who’s Who series! Including characters such as: Aquaman, Gypsy, Mal Duncan, Mon-El, Psimon, Royal Flush Gang, Steel, Tamaran, and more!
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I’ve never listened to this podcast before, but I hope every episode is this good. So much fun to listen to, guys! Great interview. Absolutely loved hearing Chuck’s stories and insights and occasional grievances with these Who’s Who entries!
I’m still in the process of listening to the episode, but I had to pause to comment on something Chuck Patton just said. How wonderful it was to hear him thank Rob for helping him work through his complicated feelings on his comic book career. I don’t know all the details involved in why Patton left the industry, but I do know that it was a loss for comics. Like so many of us from that generation of JLA fandom, Chuck Patton’s work is an integral part of our collective experience.
It is also a testament on how sincere kindness and appreciation (along with some distance in years) can help heal resentments and regret.
Rob Kelly – making the world a better place, one comic book creator at a time.
Really loved this.
When did you interview him previously?
Uncle Rob interviewed Mr. Patton in 2009.
http://www.aquamanshrine.net/2009/04/aquaman-shrine-interview-with-chuck.html
Oh, wow, I always love episodes that feature discussions with creators, and this one did not disappoint. Loved listening to Patton’s comments on the various entries he drew and the details behind them. (My personal favorites, by the way, are Aquaman, Mon-El and Phobia, but really they’re all good.)
Otherwise, though, I would have loved seeing his work on a revived Star Hunters or – something he mentioned as an aside – Stalker series.
Great job, Rob and Shag!
I’m struck by the mixture of celebration and frustration in this great interview. Youthful enthusiasm tempered by office politics, being mentored by the best but still running in editorial snags. Everyone’s trajectory is different, but the general beats seem time-honored: you break into the industry with your dreams and ambitions intact but then you have to deal with a dicey playing field. The work speaks for itself, though, so I’m glad he knows how fond we all are of his efforts from that heartbreaking period.
Overall a great talk — Shag & Rob, your love and respect of this stuff shines thru. Super glad Chuck Patton took us down memory lane.
Great episode! I was a fan of Chuck’s art as a kid and have fond memories of the Martian Manhunter 3 parter, and the excitement of a brand new league! As time went on, I began to resent the league (maybe coinciding with becoming a surly teenager). I enjoyed watching their demise as it made way for a new version.
Looking back as a much older adult, you can see JLDetroit was almost set up to fail. I’m embarrassed for rooting for the mean spirited termination of the team, and also for calling to have Robin killed.
I’m glad to see the members quietly brought back and redeemed. The team in JLU, Steel in JSA, and in particular- VIBE on The Flash and his one issue spotlight in the JLU comic. Rob and Shag, you did a podcast on this team many years ago which led me to buying the omnibus. I joked for years when I left feedback “blaming” you both, but I really do love this version.
Was glad to hear from Chuck, and how open he was. His work was beautiful, and truly a loss for the fans. It really epitomized the best of DC’s art look in the 80s. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to get outshined by the LEGEND George Perez. Chuck is like Lou Gehrig on the 1927 Yankees. The game where Babe Ruth called the shot, Gehrig hit back to back homers like it was nothing. Chuck’s work meant a lot to me then and now
George, did you see the ten-issue Vibe series from 2013-14? Most of it was written by Sterling Gates, so it’s great.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Chuck a couple of years ago, and he was just as delightful here. It was just a joy to her him discuss these pages firsthand. Congrats, guys!
Great episode guys, liked it so much I listened twice.
Wonderful episode that powered thru 1/3 of my lawn mowing today.
Thanks, Rob, Shaggg & Mr. Patton!
While George Pérez was THE first JLA artist for me (my first comic purchase was JLA 192) Chuck Patton drew more of MY JLA.
Grateful for his work and the fun chat on this show.
Awesome episode guys. Just a delight to hear Chuck talk about his art and especially interesting to hear his thoughts about different inkers. Really a top notch show
Gentlemen, thunderous applause are inadequate. This was a fabulous episode. Chuck Patton is so incredibly deserving of this honor. When I learned that Mr Parton had left comics under bitter circumstances, I was appalled. It has bothered me deeply for many years. He is one of my all time favorite artists. Justice League of America 224 is one of my favorite single comic book issues. In many ways JLA 224 is the last hurrah of the Satellite Era. Then you have the momentous Justice League of America Annual #2. The introduction of the “Detroit Era League.” A team that unfortunately never reached its full potential. None of which was the creative team’s fault. But we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to hoist Mr Patton up on our shoulders and thank him for some amazing comic art.
I would also like to congratulate Rob and Shag for for letting Mr Patton know he had fans who loved his contributions to comic book history and helping him reconcile with it. This was an amazing experience. Thanks for bringing it to us.
Really loved this.
Loved Chuck remembering his thoughts about so many of these, his thoughts on who inked him best, and most importantly the ones he asked for because he loved them.
Multi-Man is the equivalent of Dr. Doom! Only a true fan would say that! Loved that the most!
I’m no artist, but I can see myself asking to be part of Hyathis, Stalker, and Dr. Tzin-Tzin
Wonderful episode, cheers Chuck! I can’t wait to see Absolute Dale Gunn, nice one Isamu.
How great of Chuck to thank you, Rob, for helping him find the love for his comics work that we all had – and how amazing you helped him meet his fiance. It’s a rotten shame Chuck felt he had to walk away from JLA, I could imagine him doing some strong co-plotting.
It was fantastic to hear about the process of the Who’s Who entries. I wonder if Chuck is underselling the strength of his linework, because the distinctive Robert Campanella and Frank Giacoia finishes apart, everything looked very similar in terms of clean lines and sharpness. My three faves were slick Aquaman, Wicked Queen Phobia and B’wana Beast – the shading reminded me of Gil Kane’s work.
So, within a year, I’m sure the Fire and Water magic will manifest a new version of the cardre that will make Chuck happy
I went to the Secret Origins issue to see if Chuck‘s new costumes for the Challs were in there. Sadly not – I’d love to get a gander. Was I the only fan of their red and yellow short-sleeved look? It was well sexy.
Psimon was gay?
Impressive podcast most impressive. I did not know who this man was, but I have been a fan of his work for years.just didn’t know who he was. But, yeah a lot of these entries are ones I tried to learn to draw from as a kid. Or marveled at how well done they were drawn .
The Aqua Man drawing is cool and has great composition. And yeah the trident bit pulls it together. Sadly it doesn’t look like Jason Mamou ( sorry Rob I had to make the joke.).
Next skipping a bit the Coare team looks great. Yeah is sad they weren’t used more. Ah well is what it is. Ah Freedom Beast lols cool. Not a fan of the character, but cool Mr. Patton is and he got to draw him. Just I know him best from the brave and the bold cartoon and the JLU show and Oy vey,
This is what happens when you are at a 80s theme party and you’re dressed to sing Tarzan boy. But a crime happens so you have to stop it. This guy so so have the ohh ophhh oh ohyh oh bit from the song playing when he enters a room. Just saying .
Next Cannon and saber, cool art. And good typography. Though looks like the ninja guy is a fan of Guy Gardener. Or Moe Howard…, next.
Ah Congilla em mostly know him from the Dwayne McDuffie JLA run. That happened. Any way great art work and typography. And the characters look cool on the page. I got nothing else, looks. Like the guys Indiana Jomee was inspired by. And a big gorilla. Next.
Ah Gypsy. She looks nothing like her, but she kind of reminds me of my girlfriend Alita. Well she lols like a free spirit here. And that fits. I liked the character Gypsy well enough in other stuff and love this art work. And liked her on the Flash show. As well as the Bwaawh issues of the JLA.
Next. jynx cool drawing. And interesting design for her look. Haven’t read much with her in it. Still cool. Next.
Mal yeeeqh was supposed to be cooler than he became. Sadly comics were what they were at the time. Even with Panther and Like Cage. We still got the pour guy with the horn… oy, yeah though he was way cooler when he was made to be Guarden . Ah well sadly that didn’t last
Yeah him becoming a dude with a bat is probably realistic. Then again we’re taking about stories ware grown men , women and what not running around in spandex fight crime. So yeaaah realism is well up to interpretation. I love the comics just saying. Yeah not as bad as what they did to the one guy in the LSH , but still. Mon-El looks good. Pretty much how he always looks.
Cool and stoic. Next . Multi- Man. Yeah w see why he was in the Justice League Antarctica . Kind of looks like a buff version of Vincent Price on Bat-Man 67. Egg head I think he was called. Next.
Ah Phobia. So …. Hate to admit it but when I was a kid a young trans girl. Yeah I may have took a sec to transition, but my egg cracked long ago.., any way I kind of wanted to look like this Gal. Phenomenal art work.
And she’s warring green my favorite color. I popped when she showed up in Identity Crisis. Sorry ya’ll had to mention that comic. But, I think Sue and Ralf are back from the dead So … yeah. Any way I know she’s a bit evil , but something about the look and confidence I wanted to be that woman as a kid…. Some of my exes will say that I am more evil than her, but that is neither they’re here nor there.
And her outfit is killer. Would never get in good enough shape to ware it, but it looks cool. Which reminds me as soon as I get use to my dentures I need to go back to the gym.
Also that smile on her face in the sir print. Is just wow. I use to try and replicate it in my younger years. But, meh couldn’t get it moving on. Next.
Psimon. Ah cool a member of my community. As for him not being date able… I don’t know I have seen a few guys in my world that might want to try and change him.
And I have dated straight guys that were worse…. Cool robe. Though I only know him from Crisis ware he takes out Brainiac. And scares Lex. Oh and the Titians video game. Or was it young Justice? Can’t remember. Just yeah he was a pain to beat.
cool robe though.
Next.
The royal flush gang has always looked cool. And this drawing definitely keeps that trend going. No notes next.
Ah Shimmer cool art and great design work though the hair …. Yep the 70 fro in full affect. Next.
Star Hunters cool drawing. Though they remind me of the movie Ice Pirates sorry. Huh I wonder if they were given a black label comic or a Vertigo triceps if yhatNext.
Steel is ok. Descent costume. Though yeah what Mr. Patton says makes since if he and Gypsy we’re a couple it could have given them both something to build off of. I like the look having tried it I know how difficult it is to make a character look cool draped in a flag.
Jack Kirby and Joe Simon wee geniuses. As was the designer of Steels costume. Cause Oy not easy. I went through a few versions of one and Oy vey. The Vakakta thing looked terrible.
Any way great drawing I understand why Shag and Rob spot lighted the artist and interviewed him, Didn’t know his name, but loved his art work for years. Next.
Tamaran huh interesting. Well done and could help artist with back ground shots and how to make it look. Next.
Oh that’s it anyway cool podcast can’t wait for the next w.
Good interview with Chuck Patton . He does seem a under appreciated probably because the Detroit League was not a humongous hit. but you know what? It still means a lot to me because Aquaman got to lead it and he was always one of my favorites. It might have actually done better if it was Aquaman and his Watermen like Batman and the Outsiders but who knows?
Thank you for this conversation with Chuck Patton. I will forever be grateful that he helped introduce me to some of my favorite lesser known DC characters through his Who’s Who entries for B’Wana Beast and Congorilla and Congorilla’s appearance in the 2nd issue of DC Challenge. I do we could have seen more of his work in comics, but it sounds like he has had a great career in animation.
And I absolutely loved The Cadre, especially their look and would love to see them return in some way at DC.
Great job. Patton was probably the first JLA artist I was aware of, so his work will always have a special place for me. And I was way into JLDetroit, at least at first; I’m still puzzled why they replaced him with Luke McDonnell, who I thought was great on Suicide Squad, but not suited to DC premier super-team. (Speaking of which, I recall you two expressing disappointment with McDonnell’s JLA entry in the original Who’s Who, and I agree. I find myself really wanting to see Patton’s version. Perhaps a follow-up to his Dale Gunn piece?)
When/where was it established that Psimon is gay? I know Cannon and Saber were. (You guys skated right by that entry, I was hoping for a more in-depth discussion.)
The Cadre have shown up as utility villains here and there; I recall Shrike got a nice moment in the ’80s Suicide Squad, where she was characterized as a Jesus freak for some reason, and I’m pretty sure Shatterfist pops up in Justice League Unlimited. Oh, and Black Mass got his own movie starring Johnny Depp, while Fastball hit the charts in the late ’90s with “The Way.” 😉
1) I’m happy that my alerting Rob to a comment Chuck left on my Justice League Detroit blog in some small way contributed to all these good vibes. But it also amuses me that Chuck has more of a Rolled Spine mouth than a Fire & Water one. Mainstream DC looks but Vertigo language.
2) Of the images I assume Rob was referencing as his personal favorites, mine is the Patton Who’s Who page. I’ve said in the past that he has a wonderfully licensing-friendly take on DC’s heroes that recalls the JLGL Style Guide and John Romita’s ’70s work, with this Aquaman being a prime example. No disrespect to the Alex Saviuk fans out there, but imagine Chuck Patton doing all the card/merchandising art for the Super Powers Collection. The DC Comics tie-in would have held parity with Secret Wars if Chuck had drawn it. The combination of my buying the Martian Manhunter figure and the sweet house ad for Justice League of America #230 (another pairing with Dick Giordano) planted the seed for my noted Alien Atlas affection. I never encountered any Patton issues of JLofA growing up, only the Tuska stuff, and the trajectory of my fandom may have been altered if things had played out differently. Prior to this, I’d associated tridents with Sub-Mariner, but if I’m being honest, Aquaman needed the accessory more. Thanks to the cartoon, my Aquaman will always ride a giant seahorse, so the addition here levels the piece up from the Stormy paucity of most comics.
3) I’m really happy with all the Mike Sekowsky love expressed in this episode. While I’ve never had the pleasure of the B’wana Beast experience, most of my favorite Silver Age comics involved Sekowsky (Diana Prince Wonder Woman; T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, etc.) If you only know Sekowsky from his wonky JLofA stuff, you’re doing him and yourself a disservice for sleeping on his various Showcase features, especially Manhunter 2070. Imagine Lee Marvin as a space-faring bounty hunter, as rendered in the style of ’60s pulp detective book covers. It’s a blast, and Gabriel Hardman is another fan who’s attempts to pitch a revival has fallen of deaf ears at DC. Anyway, I like the Rick Magyar inks here, and I still think he was Denys Cowan’s best inker (on The Question.)
4) Nice shout-outs to fellow ’80s DC traveler Paris Cullins, who also never got the appreciation he deserved from the company. Obviously, Shag & I love him, given that we have an irregular Blue Devil podcast where we’ve already started to cry over his absence (Gil Kane is, somehow, no Paris Cullins.) I tend to have positive associations with Alan Gold because of his shepherding the run of Blue Devil (plus The Shadow War of Hawkman,) but it’s hard not to ask questions when he managed to lose both Paris and Chuck in relatively short order. He also helped feed Wonder Woman and Omega Men into the woodchipper.
5) Everybody loves Gerry Conway here, but I also figure we can acknowledge that he was not in the best place in his time working with Chuck. Their work together certainly revitalized Gerry for a time, but when the decision was made to make the League DC’s third or fourth answer to X-Men, it simply didn’t play to their strengths. I liked the design of Overmaster, much more here than the Galactus knock-off of later hands, but Shatterfist was the clear breakout of The Cadre (that never actually happened.) Mike Machlan’s inks here are fine, but I felt like he usually flattened out artists, rather than add dimension.
6) Cannon & Saber were clearly too cool to kill off in Vigilante comics, so it’s good that they didn’t, but it’s too bad that they also never broke out of that book to get on the utility villain circuit. They should have gone on to fight guys like Nightwing or Deathstroke, and given that they were Marv Wolfman characters, there’s really no excuse. Did Todd McFarlane rip off Cannon’s design for Solo? Bruce Patterson was maybe the flashiest inker DC had at the time, and I think perhaps the best pairing with Patton presented.
7) It took me too many years to connect Gypsy to Stevie Nicks/Madonna/Cyndi Lauper. I’m fond of the character, and I like the Bob Smith inks here, but agree that it took a long time for her to click (to the degree that she ever did.) I think DeMatteis (and then more so Christopher Priest) figured out her voice, and Sal Velluto refined the design. The poor girl needed shoes, at minimum.
8) Jinx has an excellent design, and perfectly captured the Perezian quality that was sought. This is a cool profile, and I hope Chuck gets some kind of compensation for her use in animation.
9) If this is an older, pauchier Mal Duncan, I must be on the verge of melting into a puddle of fat. That Hornblower $#!+ pretty much buried any potential the guy ever had, but I do like the gray action suit. Marv had such a subjective handling on the passage of time, because how the hell could some Teen Titans have aged into their early 20s and others be pushing 40 across a decade or so of publishing? Romeo Tanghal worked well on occasion, but I tend to lump him in the Vinnie Colletta school of butchers, especially when it comes to George Perez. I think Mal turned out well, but can also see the departures from the Patton style.
10) Another reminder of the parallel trajectory with Paris Cullins, where the slow shift toward hyper-rendering in the later ’80s impacts on a usually cleaner style. I respect the effort here though, with Robert Campanella seeming to lean toward a Terry Austin staccato. I’d have definitely liked to see more Patton Legion work, though I’d also hate to displace the LaRocque/DeCarlo team. Actually, Chuck would have been a better fit on The Flash than LaRocque. In defense of the “let Chuck draw the Black Legionnaire” editorial call, as a collector of commissions, a disappointingly large number of comic artists have a “drawing Black people” problem. For starters, they’re skittish and averse, but even the ones who’ll agree to it seem to struggle with authentic features. Given my druthers, I usually try to get Black artists to draw Black characters, unless they have established bona fides in that department.
11) Larry Mahlstedt is clearly one of Chuck’s best inkers, so I’m glad that he was tapped for so many of these pieces. You can tell Chuck has a greater enthusiasm for the Silver Age characters, as evidenced by how hard he goes on Multi-Man. It’s too bad he only got the one pass at the Challengers, but I also don’t think the market would support anybody doing the Challengers in the Post-Crisis era. The Nightwing & Speedy team-up serial was probably the better call, but a proper Nightwing ongoing would have been even better (especially if it kept Chuck in the field.)
12) Karl Kesel is another natural fit over Patton, and it makes me consider what having him in the Superman group would have looked like. I don’t envy anyone following Perez on New Teen Titans, not even JLGL, but I think the choice to go with the late great Ed Barreto over Patton was in retrospect a broadly acknowledged mistake. I struggled with Barreto for years as too much in the Curt Swan mold for modern super-heroes, and only began to appreciate his talents when I started seeing him on other genres and time periods. You needed a slick super-hero guy on NTT, and I think Patton fit better than anyone. I’m looking at where DC was in 1988, and books like Batman and Power of the Atom could have really used that Patton polish. Post-Perez Wonder Woman really needed him, and as someone who has (mostly) quietly hated Mark Badger’s art for nearly forty years, I’m very biased toward Patton on m’Manhunter from Mars.
13) Maybe it’s my own brain protecting me, but if I ever knew Psimon was gay, I’d been made to forget ever picturing him in a romantic context. As for the Royal Flush Gang, obviously Chuck deserved a longer run on the classic Justice League. He’s such a natural. Oh man– I’m thinking about that were-gladiators arc and thinking a Patton Hawkman book could have saved Katar Hol getting Hawkworld’d.
14) I can also see the Nichelle Nichols in that Shimmer headshot. The profile reminds me what a great job Chuck did on Cyborg during his Tales run, and how he could have gotten out in front of DC’s many fumbled attempts to put Vic over as an A-lister. I never took issue with Chuck doing Star Hunters, because that was such a great looking book, the profile needed a top tier talent to reflect that. If not for the DC Implosion, it might have had more of a Warlord longevity, and helped allow for more of that genre variety Chuck longed for.
15) After Aquaman, Steel II is my favorite of Chuck’s Who’s Who pages, despite Hank’s being the least interesting character of the Detroit era. I’ve read most of the ’70s series, and I never saw the point of this concept, beyond Gerry wanting to have a WWII hero on Earth-1. On the other hand, I may be among the biggest fans of Dale Gunn around. I’m not wild about the paramilitarization of Alfred Pennyworth, but it perfectly suited Gunn as the aging security expert father figure and right hand man to the Heywoods. I would 100% find a role for Gunn if I ever got to write a DC book (like everyone here, I have more than a few in mind.) It was also nice that he was included in the New 52 Vibe series, even if he lost his “daddy” aura there (and would have had a slightly different relationship with Zatanna and Gypsy as a gay man.) I’m really looking forward to seeing that Xum’s Who piece! Hopefully in the tan battle suit from the Amazo cover? I’m not as into the armor. Hope it gets an awesome inker. Brett Breeding embellished a Kyle Hotz drawing for me, and Norm Rapmund (once again) inked a Brett Booth, if you want an excellent Brett-adjacent job.
16) I’m two hours into a second listen of this episode as I’ve drafted these comments, so I’m about out of gas for Tamaran. Swell presentation, and a painful reminder of what woulda/coulda/shoulda been. Chuck Patton was among DC’s top artists of the ’80s, and instead of fostering that talent, he was done dirty. He deserved this showcase, and a lot more comics with his name in the credits.
Great discussion gents. Chuck was a delight, and even as kid, I was wowed by his art, and the much-needed shot in the arm it gave the JLA. I was really sad to see him leave the book, as it was only his art that was really keeping me interested in the way the Detroit-era storyline was playing out. Like others have said, his insight into the production and selection process of Who’s Who was fascinating. I can’t wait to see the Dale Gunn piece he’s creating for our favorite nephew!
Another feather in the cap of Who’s Who. This is one of the best episodes of an already great series that obviously means a lot to the folks in and around the network.
What an amazing episode! Justice League of America #241-243 were some of the very first comics that were MINE (as opposed to being my dad’s that I was allowed to read at certain times). At that age, I didn’t quite grasp the concept of different artists on covers vs interiors, so I couldn’t understand why the characters looked so… different inside. I have three indelible images of Aquaman that are the mold by which all others are judged: The package art of the Super Powers figure, the Who’s Who entry, and the cover of Justice League of America 242.
In art school, I apprenticed with a comic inker, and so I totally understand how much inks can make or break the pencils on the final page. It really is interesting to hear his passion about how his art was presented. Sadly, inkers are becoming a thing of the past. Digital art has mostly removed that step. More and more creative teams are now Writer, Artist, Colorist, and Letterer.
It is so cool to hear how much of a fan he is of all the classic non-superhero DC properties. Even though DC isn’t as big on their other genres, I hope he is heartened by how much they have blossomed at the other publishers – particularly horror.
Just a point of clarification to something Rob said: Who’s Who IS current continuity (more or less). They’ve just added an additional 40 years onto it.
Whatever Happened To…? The Chuck Patton Interview Edition
• Aquaman: He was one of the champions in the recent DC KO event and he now has some universal insight into how to stop Darkseid. Now, along with Justice League Blue (Mera, Tempest, Aqualad, Lori Lemaris, The Lady of the Lake, Arion, Titanus, Captain Nemo, & Zan), he is on a mission to link together all oceans in the cosmos through the Blue.
• B’wana Beast: B’wana Beast was last seen presiding over The Red’s Wild Games of animal-kings to see what species would preside over the Earth for the next 10,000 years. During that tournament, all combatants – as well as B’wana Beast – were bathed in the Well of Evolution. No one is really sure what that means.
o Freedom Beast: Freedom Beast was last seen in Absolute Power, fighting alongside other depowered heroes to stop Amanda Waller.
• The Cadre: Most of the Cadre (Overmaster, Nightfall, Shrike, Black Mass, and Shatterfist) were seen fighting for Byth against Justice League and the Legion of Super-Heroes. They disappeared in the middle of the conflict. Meanwhile, Crowbar died on a Suicide Squad mission (leaving his crowbar behind), and Fastball was taken out by Cyborg on his first crime spree back in Detroit.
• Cannon & Saber: They were last seen fighting against Cat-Man and Ghost-Maker in the DC Pride 2023. In the (current) DC movie universe, they made life difficult for Vigilante while Peacemaker was on vacation.
• Congo Bill & Congorilla: It has been revealed that Congo Bill/Congorilla is the warden of Monster Rock, an island where the Justice League sends many of the unintentionally dangerous creatures they encounter like the Beast of Belmora, The Shaggy Man, Oggro, and Death Dog. There they can live in relative peace. It was also revealed in the New History of the DC Universe that after the JSA retired, Bill was part of the short-lived Justice Alliance led by Captain Comet (with Prince Ra-Man, Automan, and Tiger-Man).
• Gypsy: Cynthia Reynolds is an alias for Cynthia Mordeth, a princess from a parallel earth known as Piradell. But she was only born to be a pawn for her sociopathic mother. Her father, a parallel-hopping hero known as Breacher saved her from her mother and hidden on Earth as a young child. Breacher did not know that he unwittingly helped his ex, because she used Cynthia to gather energy that could be used to open a rift large enough to send an entire army through. Along with Vibe (Cisco Ramone), she was able to stop her mother before it happened, and they were able to free Piradell as well. She returned to Earth, where she and Vibe agreed to help A.R.G.U.S. on select missions in exchange for help with their goals of saving lives and parallel worlds.
• Jinx: During the DC KO event, Jinx attempted to take advantage of the chaos to take over Gemworld. However, she was defeated by Nightwing and Raven with help from Terra – who had a natural advantage in a world dedicated to stones.
• Mal Duncan: Mal is now a part-time hero, spending more of his time as a dad.
• Mon-El: Mon-El is the warden of the Phantom Zone and a member of Justice League Unlimited in that capacity. He recently helped Superman contain a Kryptonian criminal outbreak that threatened to destroy the Zone, and he oversaw the criminals who were shunted to the Zone during DC KO.
• Multi-Man: Duncan has not been seen in a few years. At one point, he was used by the Joker to escape prison – he kept killing Pramble until he resurrected with powers that would get them out.
• Phobia: Angela was last seen as a prisoner of Amanda Waller in Absolute Power, being conscripted into building a portal to Earth-3.
• Psimon: Although Psimon himself hasn’t been seen since Dark Crisis (where he was enslaved by the Anti-Life Equation), a prison for Nightwing, Starfire, and Terra used copies of Psimon and the other members of the Fearsome Five to act as constant annoyances so the three would not realized the larger situation they were in.
• The Royal Flush Gang: Over the years, multiple gangs have taken on the moniker of the Royal Flush Gang, with at least 6 distinct versions. Over the years, the Royal Flush Gang has become much larger organization that has 4 different branches (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) and hundreds of recruits vying to gain a numbered spot on the henchmen crew (Two through Nine).
• Shimmer: Manipulated into fighting the Titans by Deathstroke and Clock King, she was put in a memory loop by them so that they could manipulate her brother, Mammoth, into fighting the Titans with them. However, the Titans freed Shimmer and cleared her of wrongdoing and in return she helped them calm her brother down and surrender.
• Star Hunters: They have not been seen since a one-panel cameo as Batman was going through the time stream in 2007.
• Steel: Through unknown circumstances (likely because of Dr. Manhattan’s manipulations), Hank was revived. He was at Sanctuary when Wally West was blamed for his death along with a dozen other heroes (It was really Savitar). But when time travelling Gold Beatle was later told by Wally to use her powers to “save everyone” she took it literally and used time manipulation and clone bodies of the heroes to swap them out before they died. Gold Beetle promised to take them anywhen they wanted to go. Where Hank was dropped off remains a mystery.
o Dale Gunn: Dale was last seen assisting Vibe (Cisco) & Gypsy as their A.R.G.U.S. liaison. He has roped his husband into joining him in A.R.G.U.S. as a field operative.
• Tamaran: Although it has been destroyed and restored several times throughout the years, at present it is whole and reigned over by Blackfire. The Green Lantern Corps recently recruited a new member from there: Vexar’u.