Trickster (DC Comics)

James Jesse first appeared in The Flash #113 (June–July 1960) and was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.^[1] Infantino originally designed the character for the issue's cover, which became the basis of its plot and the character's history.^[2]

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

The original Trickster (real name Giovanni Giuseppe) 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 derived from outlaw Jesse James.^[3]

After Barry Allen is killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Trickster relocates from Central City to Hollywood, where he spends time working in special effects. He attempts to steal Dan Cassidy's Blue Devil suit, but is defeated. When Cassidy is trapped in the suit, Jesse befriends him and relies on Cassidy to help with his sporadic efforts to give up villainy.

After defeating Neron in Underworld Unleashed, Trickster reforms and joins the FBI.

In Countdown to Final Crisis, Trickster and Pied Piper are accused of murdering Bart Allen and go on the run.^[4] They are later attacked by Deadshot, and Trickster sacrifices himself to protect Piper.^[5][6] Piper is later transported to Apokolips, leaving Trickster's body on Earth.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Trickster later returns as a Black Lantern in Blackest Night and is permanently resurrected following The New 52 and DC Rebirth relaunches.^[13]

 

While James Jesse is working for the FBI, teenager Axel Walker steals his gadgets and succeeds him as the Trickster. ^{[12][14][15][16]}

In The New 52, Walker loses his right arm to Gorilla Grodd and obtains a prosthetic replacement.^{[17][18][19][20]}

A third Trickster, Kaiyo, is introduced in Batman/Superman. She is a New God from Apokolips and an agent of Darkseid who can travel between worlds at will.^[21][22]

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.

• An alternate timeline variant of Axel Walker / Trickster called the Trixter appears in the Flashpoint tie-in Citizen Cold. This version is an ally of the eponymous Citizen Cold and successor to an unnamed Trickster. Initially imprisoned in Iron Heights Penitentiary, Trixter takes advantage of a mass breakout to join Mirror Master's Rogues despite not being invited to join them to secretly sabotage them while they attempt to seek revenge on Citizen Cold. After revealing his ruse however, Mirror Master kills Trixter.^[23][24][25]
• A heroic, futuristic incarnation of the Trickster called the Trixster appears in The Flash (vol. 3) as a police officer and member of the Renegades from the 25th century.^[16]

• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in The Flash (1990), portrayed by Mark Hamill. This version, also known as James Montgomery Jesse, is a wanted criminal psychopath who has committed mass killings in various states. In his self-titled episode, Jesse develops a psychotic obsession with and kidnaps private investigator Megan Lockhart (portrayed by Joyce Hyser), and labels her as his sidekick "Prank" and that the Flash brainwashed her. Despite successfully countering the speedster several times, Jesse is ultimately apprehended by the Flash with Lockhart's help. In the series finale, "The Trial of the Trickster", Jesse escapes from his trial with help from Zoey Clark (portrayed by Corinne Bohrer), the wealthy owner of Clarx Toys and fan of his who disguised herself as the court stenographer to help him escape during his trial. Arriving at her toy store, Clark reveals she wants to become Prank and seduces Jesse into believing she was always Prank. After kidnapping the Flash and brainwashing him to serve them however, Clark is set aside. While helping him escape, the Trickster abandons her to the police, though the he is ultimately apprehended by the Flash after he regains his identity. In 1995, the two episodes were edited together into a movie and released on VHS as The Flash II: Revenge of the Trickster. Had the show been renewed for a second season, the producers had plans for a team-up episode with Captain Cold and Mirror Master.^[26]
• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Flash and Substance", voiced by Mark Hamill.^[27] This version is designed to resemble Hamill's previous portrayal and is depicted as being aware of his psychosis. He attempts to aid the Rogues in their vendetta against the Flash, but they disagree with his outlandish plan and abandon him. Disgruntled by this, Trickster heads to a supervillain bar, where the Flash, Batman, and Orion arrive to interrogate him for information on the speedster's assassins. Batman and Orion attempt to use force, but the Flash takes over and politely convinces Trickster to tell them about the Rogues' plans in exchange for Trickster turning himself in and returning to the hospital.
• The James Jesse and the Axel Walker incarnations of the Trickster appear in The Flash (2014), portrayed again by Mark Hamill and Devon Graye respectively.^[28][29] Introduced in the episode "Tricksters", Jesse terrorized Central City twenty years prior before he was imprisoned in Iron Heights Penitentiary. In the present, Walker surfaces as an apparent copycat terrorist. Feigning anger towards Walker for seemingly stealing his tricks and equipment, Jesse helps the Central City Police Department apprehend him before revealing himself as Walker's mentor and father after Walker breaks Jesse out of prison, taking Barry Allen's father Henry as a hostage. They subdue the Flash by attaching a bomb rigged to explode should he try to remove it or decelerate to his wrist. However, the Flash learns to phase through objects and safely leave the bomb behind before apprehending both Tricksters. In the episode "The Elongated Knight Rises", Walker is broken out of prison by his mother Zoey Clark / Prank (portrayed again by Corinne Bohrer), who joins him in capturing Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow before they are defeated by Ralph Dibny.
  • An Earth-3 incarnation of James Jesse / Trickster makes a cameo appearance in the episode "The Present", portrayed by Hamill.
• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in the Justice League Action short "Missing the Mark", voiced again by Mark Hamill.^[30]
• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? episode "One Minute Mysteries!", voiced again by Mark Hamill.^[27]

• The Axel Walker incarnation of the Trickster appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom, voiced by Mark Hamill.^[27]
• The Axel Walker incarnation of the Trickster makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash.^[27]
• An unidentified Trickster makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.^[27]
• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Injustice.^[27]

• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in The Flash (1993).
• The James Jesse incarnation of the Trickster appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Paul Wensley.^[31]
• The James Jesse and Axel Walker incarnations of Trickster appear as character summons in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[32]
• The Axel Walker incarnation of the Trickster appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, voiced by Troy Baker.
• The Axel Walker incarnation of the Trickster appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced again by Mark Hamill.

• 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 Archived 2021-03-29 at the Wayback Machine - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.