The Rogues represent a group of enemies of the comic book superhero the Flash, currently led by Captain Cold including Mirror Master, Heat Wave, Weather Wizard, the Trickster, Pied Piper, the Top, and Captain Boomerang. This loose criminal association refer themselves as the Rogues, disdaining the use of the term "super villain" or "super-criminal".
Contents
- Silver Age Flash enemies
- Modern Age Flash enemies
- The New Rogues
- The Renegades
- Flashpoint
- The New 52
- Injustice Gods Among Us
- Television
- Films
- Video games
- References
The Rogues, compared to similar collections of supervillains in the DC Universe, are an unusually social group, maintaining a code of conduct as well as high standards for acceptance. No Rogue may inherit another Rogue's identity (a "legacy" villain, for example) while the original still lives. Also, simply acquiring a former Rogue's costume, gear, or abilities is not sufficient to become a Rogue, even if the previous member is already dead. They don't kill anybody unless it's necessary. Additionally, the Rogues refrain from drug usage.
Although they tend to lack the wider name recognition of the villains who oppose Batman and Superman, the enemies of the Flash form a distinctive rogues gallery through their unique blend of colorful costumes, diverse powers, and unusual abilities. They lack any one defining element or theme between them, and have no significant ambitions in their criminal enterprises beyond relatively petty robberies.
Silver Age Flash enemies
The enemies of the Flash started to use the name Rogues during the Silver Age of comics. Originally, the Rogues were just the Flash's enemies teaming together after they were all broken out of jail by another Flash foe, the super-intelligent Gorilla Grodd, to distract the Flash during Grodd's attempt at world conquest. After their defeat by the Flash, they formed a lasting group, and usually a Rogue will never commit a crime by himself. The Silver Age Flash enemies who became Rogues were Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Heat Wave, Weather Wizard, the Trickster, Pied Piper, the Top, Captain Boomerang and later, Rainbow Raider. These villains battled the second Flash (Barry Allen), and the third and fourth Flashes after Allen's death.
In chronological order (with issue and date of first appearance):
Modern Age Flash enemies
In the Modern Age, the Flash: Iron Heights graphic novel introduced new characters, many of whom would later become a new band of Rogues under the leadership of crime lord Blacksmith. Some writers revamped classic Rogues, reinventing them through stories such as "Underworld Unleashed", "Rogue War", or solo stories, while others reinvented a Rogue through new characters inheriting the identities. While criminals, the Rogues have been shown to have certain codes of honour about their behaviour, refusing to kill women or children, and even stating that they will not kill speedsters.
The New Rogues
During the events of Final Crisis, the Rogues rejected membership into the Secret Society offered by Libra. With Libra desperate to induct all of the Flash's villains, he recruits the New Rogues, who had first appeared as the Penguin's goons, to force the Rogues to join. The members consisted of: Chill, Burn, Weather Witch, Mirror-Man, and Mr. Magic. The New Rogues had captured Captain Cold's father and were threatening to kill him if the Rogues did not report to Libra. The Rogues then attacked the New Rogues, killing each one.
The Renegades
The Renegades are cops from the 25th century. They are all part of the "Reverse-Flash Task Force". In The Flash vol. 3, #1, a Mirror Master's body is dumped in a public area by a shadowy figure in a Flash suit. Barry Allen arrives in his civilian attire and confirms that the dead man was not the real Mirror Master. The Flash arrives on the top of a building where he is confronted by the Renegades, futuristic versions of the current Rogues. He is charged with the murder of Mirror Monarch by their leader, Commander Cold. The Renegades members include futuristic versions of Captain Cold, Heat Wave, Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, the Trickster, and the Top. It is revealed over the course of the investigation that the Top had actually framed the Flash to prevent Barry from opening up a cold case that would reveal that the Top's ancestor had committed a murder that an innocent man had been locked away for, as having a criminal in his family would prevent the Top from becoming a member of the Renegades.
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, the Rogues are assembled by Mirror Master who asks Weather Wizard, Tar Pit, Trickster, and Fallout to team up against Citizen Cold for seeking revenge.
The New 52
The Rogues are referenced by Barry Allen to have previously been defeated by him and disbanded. Known members (so far) have been Golden Glider, Weather Wizard, Heatwave and Mirror Master. The Rogues appeared in The Flash Annual #1 in a war against Captain Cold, The Flash and The Pied Piper. Confirmed Rogues include Golden Glider (Lisa Snart) as the current leader, Weather Wizard (Marco Mardon), Trickster (Axel Walker), Heatwave (Mick Rory) and Mirror Master (Sam Scudder).
A year prior Captain Cold, Heatwave, Mirror Master (Sam Scudder again), and Weather Wizard underwent a procedure at an unknown facility that would merge them with their weapons, giving them superpowers. The procedure went awry and exploded. Cold's sister Lisa, who was also at the facility was caught in the explosion. The five were given superpowers but each in a twisted manner. Heat Wave gains pyrokinesis but at the cost of his body being burned, Weather Wizard becomes emotionally tied to his weather wand causing constant depression, Lisa becomes an astral projection of herself, and Sam would be forever trapped in Mirror World. The Rogues blame Cold for this and have turned against him. However they are forced to team up with The Flash, Cold and Pied Piper when Gorilla Grodd invades Central City. As of Forever Evil, they seem to be working together again.
Injustice: Gods Among Us
The Rogues consist of Golden Glider, Mirror Master, Heat Wave, and Weather Wizard. After being broken out of prison by Plastic Man, they agree to join Batman's Insurgency to stop Superman's dictatorship. Despite being criminals, Batman accepted them due to how they value their no kill code. It's mentioned that Captain Cold is currently in hiding, while Trickster is revealed to be a former member. After they carry out their precise terrorist attacks against the Regime by destroying several buildings, they are then confronted by Bizarro at the Regime Outpost, while Trickster watches them. With Mirror Master unconscious, Golden Glider tries to use his belt to escape while Heat Wave and Weather Wizard hold off Bizarro. But, when Weather Wizard calls Bizarro a fake, Bizarro becomes enraged and tries to incinerate them all with his heat vision, killing Heat Wave and Weather Wizard. Mirror Master and Golden Glider are revealed to be in a relationship as they hold a memorial for Heat Wave and Weather Wizard at their favorite bar. The Flash visits them, but the 2 of them angrily confront him and accuse him of being here to mock them and turn them over to the Regime, but Flash tells them that he's always respected the Rogues and came by to pay his respects and will not be turning them in. He then shares a drink with Mirror Master and Golden Glider.