JACK OF DIAMONDS

Real Name: Unrevealed

Class: Human

Occupation: Professional criminal

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile, Earth-12

First Appearance: Plastic Man I #7 (November-December, 1967)

Powers: Jack was somewhat skilled at coming up with criminal schemes, and armed with a diamond capped scepter.

History: (Plastic Man I #7) - Three crooks who fancied themselves romantics came up with the identities of the King of Spades, the Queen of Hearts and the Jack of Diamonds and started plotting criminal schemes. They were fairly successful, and managed to never get caught in the act. Retired 1940s crimefighter Plastic Man and his sidekick opened up Plastic Acres, a health resort for the elderly. The resort was a hit, attracting the attention of the criminal King of Spades, Queen of Hearts and Jack of Diamonds, who coveted the resort. The King ended up holding the mortgage to Plastic Acres, and Plas fell behind in payments because Woozy forgot to mail out the money. Plas was determined to expose the King and his crew as criminals, so when King, Queen and Jack pulled an art heist Plastic Man and Woozy went back into action and tried to foil them, but they’d lost a few steps over the years and bungled it. The new Plastic Man and his sidekick Gordy K. Trueblood read about Plastic Man’s return to action, and went to visit him at Plastic Acres. After a fond reunion the original Plas showed his son and Gordy the sulfur springs that brought all the business to Plastic Acres. After their daily drink from the spring the old timers were all fired up and acting like irresponsible youth. Plas took Woozy aside, certain that he’d done something to the spring, because he didn’t buy that his dad had a fountain of youth on his hands. Woozy admitted that business was originally crummy at the resort, and he didn’t want to see his friend’s bushiness go under, so Woozy had started pumping white wine into the springs. Woozy assured Plas that he screened residents so it couldn’t hurt him, but Plas insisted he stop acting like the con man he used to be and turn off the wine going to the springs before he told his father what Woozy had done. The original Plas told his son about the situation with the King, and Woozy wanted to frame him, but Gordy would hear of no such thing. They came up with a plan, and the following night they arrived at a ritzy hotel with the original Plas posing as wealthy sheik Grand Mahfah of Eliakazan, with a large diamond in his turban. His son posed as a camel, Woozy as an attendant, and Gordy as a harem girl. King, Queen and Jack all wanted the diamond, but the King didn’t think it was worth the risk. The Queen said she was sick of waiting for the King to claim Plastic Acres, and the Queen and Jack were both sick of never having food in the fridge and listening to schemes from the King that never came to anything. The broke into the “shiek’s” room, and Plas took a picture of them in the act. The two groups scuffled, but in the battle the camera was destroyed, so the plan was for naught. The original Plas relented, inviting the King and his crew to what would soon be his health resort. The King, Queen and Jack indulged in the springs, but Woozy hadn’t turned off the wine, so they were all soon dead drunk and confessing to numerous crimes before passing out. Plas recorded their conversation and then celebrated with his dad for saving his business.

Comments: Created by Arnold Drake & Win Mortimer.