TRICKSTER I

Real Name: Giovanni Guiseppe

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: F.B.I. agent, formerly criminal, special effects designer

Group Affiliation: Flash's Rogues Gallery, formerly Secret Society of Super-Villains, Justice League of Anarchy

Known Relatives: Billy Hong (son), unnamed parents

Aliases: James Jesse

Base of Operations: Chicago, Illinois, formerly Central City, Missouri, Los Angeles, California, Keystone City, Kansas

First Appearance: Flash I #113 (July, 1960)

Powers: Trickster had a keen mind and was a skilled inventor. His greatest invention was his air-walker shoes which enabled him to walk, run, or hover in mid-air. His original shoes worked by releasing jets of compressed air, while the current models create an anti-gravity effect. He used other gimmicked weapons such as exploding rubber chickens, ring-toss hoops made of razor-sharp steel and a tricycle that emitted high-frequency sonic blasts. Trickster was a superb acrobat and aerialist, but a poor fighter.

History: (Flash I #113, Secret Origins II #41) - Giovanni Guiseppe's family moved from Napoli to America and made a name for themselves as circus acrobats, the Flying Jesses. Giovanni was given the stage name James Jesse, and soon became obsessed with the exploits of wild west outlaw Jesse James. His heart was never in the circus act, mainly because he was scared of heights. In a flash of inspiration he invented his air-walker shoes, allowing him to safely walk the high wire. His trickery earned him fame, but he still craved more, and inspired by Jesse James he became a criminal. He created the identity of Trickster and invented a number of unique gimmicks that gave him the edge over normal law enforcement officers. Trickster went on a daring crime spree, using his air-walker shoes to hijack planes in Central City. He soon came into conflict with Flash II, who soundly defeated him.

Trickster became obsessed with beating the Flash, fighting him numerous times on his own and as a member of Flash's Rogues Gallery.

(Flash I #243, 244) - Trickster and the Rogue's Gallery mourned the death of the Top. They listened to a tape he made shortly before his death, detailing a plan of vengeance on Central City. The Top had planted bombs in six locations he robbed in the past week, and it was up to the Rogue's Gallery to break into those places and retrieve the explosives. Trickster recovered one of the bombs from the Ace Fur Company with the help of Flash II, who had figured out the Top's plot. Once all the bombs were collected the Rogue's Gallery still couldn't figure out how to disarm them. Flash II saved the day and apprehended the Rogue's Gallery.

(Flash II #215 (fb)) - The reincarnated Top went berserk an attacked Trickster and other members of Flash’s Rogues Gallery. He planted a mental suggestion in Trickster and the others to eventually bring them to the side of good.  Flash subdued him, and Top once again passed away.

(Flash I #325) - Trickster and the Rogues stole Reverse-Flash's body from Central City Morgue. Outraged at Reverse-Flash for being the only Flash villain to die at the hero's hands, they blew up his corpse.

(Flash I #338, 339) - Deeming Flash II to be out of control the Rogues kidnapped Dufus. P. Ratchet from a mental institution and outfitted him with a battle-suit provided by the Monitor. They tricked this Big Sir into believing that Flash II was his mortal enemy.

When Flash II sacrificed his life during the Crisis, Trickster lost interest in Central City and moved to the west coast. He met the superhero Blue Devil, and the quickly developed a friendly rivalry. Eventually Blue Devil convinced him to go straight and sign a consultancy contract with the Institute for Hyper-Normal Conflict Studies, where he set up shop as a special effects designer.

(Underworld Unleashed #1-3)-The demon Neron took an interest in Trickster and made him his servant. When Trickster realized the extent of Neron's evil he turned against him, and helped Earth's superheroes send Neron back to Hell.

(Impulse #14, 15) - Lord Manny the Third charged Trickster with stealing the legendary Eye of God cross, currently on display at Manchester University Library. Trickster was still trying to accumulate good karma so he wouldn't go to Hell when he died and refused, but Manny threatened to frame him for a crime or have his goons hurt him. Trickster posed as Father Gutierrez of the Chevano Order and had documents to prove the Eye was stolen from his monastery. White Lightning arrived at the Library to steal the cross as well. Trickster actually placed it in curator Bobby's briefcase so no one would find it. Trickster told Impulse Lord Manny had forced him to steal the eye and needed Impulse's help to take Manny down. Trickster gave Manny the Eye, and then Trickster used Weather Wizard's wand and Impulse used his speed to convince Manny that God was angry at him for stealing the eye. Manny was soon apprehended by the police, and Trickster hoped Manny wouldn't come after him since he saw his downfall as an act of God. Trickster had White Lightning pose as a police officer and steal the Eye again. Together they returned the Eye to the Chevano Monastery, and Trickster admitted it was he that stole the Eye from them years ago, and he wanted to make amends.

(Impulse #39) - Max Mercury knew Manchester needed to dispose of the toxic waste Gerald Dunsany buried in Cook Park, but that the cost would bankrupt the town. He teamed with the Trickster, and concocted a story to tell Gerald about Dr. Herkimer Rasmussen, who invented a formula to turn any metal into gold. Trickster told him the World Bank feared this would undermine the economy and had the batches of the formula Rasmussen made classified as toxic waste and sent to Dunsany's company to dispose of. Max posed as Rasmussen to further the con, and they played Gerald and his father Edward against each other until Gerald dug up all the toxic waste he'd dumped in Manchester to find the formula. Edward stole the barrels of waste from his son, and Max and Trickster were pleased with themselves for pulling off their con.

(Rogues #1) - Trickster’s old girlfriend Mindy asked for help in rescuing her son Billy Hong, who was being help captive in the kingdom of Zhutan by Warlord Khurda. Trickster persuaded the Rogues into helping him under the pretense that they could protect their souls from Neron by stealing the Sun Disk of Meshta, a precious artifact located in Zhutan. The Rogues and Billy Hong defeated Khurda, as well as Neron, who was waiting for the Rogues. Trickster made Neron promise to never again go after the Rogue’s souls. At the end of the adventure Mindy revealed that Billy was Trickster’s son.

(Catwoman II #69-71) - Selina Kyle started making underworld contacts to tighten her grip on the city during her mayoral campaign, and mob boss Carlino, was none too pleased. He hired Trickster, who set up surveillance equipment on Selina's rooftop. Catwoman spotted him, and he explained that after defeating Neron he had to work on the side of the angels, at least some of the time, and intended to discredit Selina and use his paycheck to fund charities. He really did fear Hell, especially after having met a devil that now hated him. She disarmed him by flirting, saying they could work together, and that she's get the surveillance equipment inside Selina's apartment to help him out. He soon realized he was duped when she dumped the equipment in Times Square. Trickster was peeved at Catwoman, so he spread word to the press that Selina was Catwoman, not really believing what he said, but knowing the media would run with it. Catwoman angrily confronted Trickster, who feared a beating, and admitted that he had no evidence to back his assertions. Catwoman met with Carlino to prove she wasn't Selina, and promised she'd be the one to kill Selina Kyle. Trickster was following Catwoman, and she told him Selina was now her target. Trickster didn't much care because he'd stolen forms from the SEC agent who froze Selina's bank accounts for insider trading, and could transfer the money to his own Swiss bank account before he found out. Catwoman demanded the forms from him, but he eluded her grasp. To keep an eye on him she had him accompany her in her search for Selina. She attacked the mob crew that she'd had contact with as Selina, hoping one of them would injure Trickster, but he came out of it unscathed. She then produced info on the aliases she'd been using since coming to NYC and suggested they split up. Trickster went to Giglioni's restaurant and met "Alina" who would not admit to being Selina Kyle. The restaurant's owner and his son scuffled with Trickster before he was kicked out. The whole scene was a scheme by Catwoman, who managed to steal Trickster's envelope that she thought contained the SEC papers. She prepared to transfer her funds when she realized the envelope contained nothing but a note saying "bad kitty." Catwoman tried to get Trickster to give her the SEC funds but failed, and he warned her that Carlino was going to show up at the bank as soon as it opened, knowing Selina would want to keep her funs from being liquidated by the SEC, and Carlino was ready to ruin Catwoman's reputation because she didn't come through in the hit. Catwoman got a body from the morgue, dressed it up in her civvies, and tossed it from a rooftop. Carlino panicked, but she'd already called the cops on him. Trickster had figured out that Catwoman was Selina because of all her subtle tells. He was growing fond of her, and promsied not to reveal her secret. He'd also managed to use the SEC forms to funnel Selina's money into a Gotham relief charity, because he thought she'd approve. Catwoman was honestly touched, and said she'd see him around.

(Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1, Justice Leagues: JLA #1 (BTS) - When the Advance Man made the world forgot that the JLA ever existed the individual members still had a vague memory of the team and formed their own Justice Leagues. Trickster was recruited to be in Plastic Man’s Justice League of Anarchy. The League of Anarchy went on a mission to track down a radioactive wetsuit and a bucket of soapy frogs. The Justice League of Anarchy disbanded following the reformation of the Justice League of America.

(Flash II #189, 190) - Chicago; James Jesse took a job as an F.B.I. agent. Pied Piper, who had been accused of murdering his own parents, came to his office looking for help in clearing his name. Jesse refused, and this led to a brief scuffle because Jesse wanted to take him into custody. Piper escaped, but Jesse managed to slip a tracer onto Piper’s costume. After Jesse learned from Flash III that there was proof Piper was innocent Jesse and a number of other FBI agents tracked Piper down. They found him in the company of Heat Wave, and offered them both a position in a new F.B.I. program.

(Flash II #208) - Jesse monitored the return of the Flash to action after bring M.I.A. for several months.

(Flash II #210, 211) - Jesse told Heat Wave his first F.B.I. assignment would be to capture the murderous Murmur.

(Flash II #212) - Jesse sent F.B.I. agents to Keystone City to recover Mirror Master II’s suit and weaponry, which were all government property. Mirror Master trapped the agents inside a mirror and sent it to Trickster’s office as a warning for him to back off.

(Flash II #216) - Jesse informed Pied Piper, Heat Wave and Magenta that their end goal as F.B.I. agents was to take down the Rogues once and for all. The Rogues made the F.B.I. nervous because they were a rare example of organized supercrime, and Jesse wanted them gone before any other supervillains decided to follow suite.

(Flash II #217) - James Jesse and Piper both wished they could have attended Captain Boomerang’s funeral, but the Rogues weren’t aout to share its location with them. Under orders from higher up, James had Boomerang’s body brought to his F.B.I. program, because he planned to use it to take down the Rogues.

(Flash II #218) - Heat Wave failed to capture Murmur thanks to Captain Cold’s interference, but Jesse told him he still acquitted himself well.

(Flash II #1/2) - James, in full Trickster costume, alongside Heat Wave, Magenta and Pied Piper apprehended Replicant. Flash talked to Jesse, and hinted that it was the Top that was responsible for his reformation.

(Flash II #220-223, 225) - Trickster kidnapped Rogue profiler Ashley Zoloman. He told her F.B.I. tech could bring Captain Boomerang back to life long enough for her to question him and learn everything she could about the Rogues. Trickster and his reformed Rogues confronted Flash’s Rogues Gallery in their hq after the villains broke into F.B.I. hq and slaughtered a number of guards in an attempt to find Boomerang’s body. The two groups battled across Central City, with Trickster focused on Trickster II, who he felt had no right to the name, and Flash showed up to battle the villains. Top interrupted the battle to undo the mental programming he’d used to turn some of the Rogues to the side of good. He turned Trickster and Heat Wave back to the side of evil. Trickster thrashed his usurper and then led Cold and the Rogues to Captain Boomerang’s body. The Rogues went after Flash again, but Zoom interfered, because he was ready for a private battle with Flash. Mirror Master helped the Rogues escape capture, and after they buried Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold forgave Trickster and Heat Wave for their time as heroes and told them they were invited to join the Rogues in hooking up with the Society.

Comments: Created by Carmine Infantino & John Broome

Trickster received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #24, Who's Who in the DC Universe #5 and Flash Secret Files #1. He received a profile in Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #20 under the Secret Society of Super-Villains entry.

Flash II #186 showed a picture of Trickster in the Flash Museum.

Aquaman Secret Files #1 recounted Aquaman's history from the Atlantis Chronicles, and featured Trickster.

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