Our comic book heroes (whether they are superheroes, or are villains) have transformed from paper to the big screen and now even to slots games. Obviously combining your love of comics with the thrill of playing slots is a sure-fire win (check out Paddy Power Games for the latest games). But did you know that as well as possessing a superpower, all of the following have an affiliation with gambling? Read on to find out more about your favourite comic book superheroes and villains.

Black Jack

We had to start with a classic comic character – okay so he might not be as well-known as some of the others on this list and certainly won’t be starring in a Hollywood blockbuster any time soon. However, he is coincidently named after one of the most popular casino games of all-time: blackjack. 

Police Detective Jack Jones was a lover of blackjack and the story goes that he was lured into a small room by some mobsters and left (to probably die!) – but luckily, he had the ace of spades in his pocket. He used the card to escape and it then became his alter-ego. Of course, in true superhero style, he brought the crooks to justice in the end.

Roulette

Another character with an alter-ego which coincidentally is a much-loved casino game is Roulette, also known as Veronica Sinclair who is a super-villainess. She is the granddaughter of Golden Age, who runs a casino. 

Roulette runs a casino of sorts herself; however, ‘The House’ is used as an arena to stage fights between the superheroes which are captured, with the villains placing their bets on the outcome of each fight. Roulette was well-known for capturing most of the Justice Society and she is a genius when it comes to calculating odds and gambling winnings.

The Joker

Batman’s nemesis may not be into gambling per se, but he had to be included given the fact he takes his name from one of the most iconic playing cards in the deck – the joker. He is also surely the greatest villain in comic book history, made even more legendary by Heath Ledger’s re-enactment in the 2008 hit The Dark Knight.

The way his mind works and the way he acts could be compared to several casino games, including roulette or poker, as he’s very unpredictable. He also commits his crimes in various intriguing ways – for example, his weapons of choice include razor-tipped playing cards and Joker Venom. The villain also adopted his name after his face was disfigured, causing him to resemble the intriguing playing card. 

Chance

Another super-villain and this time the enemy of Spider-Man, Chance’s alter-ego is Nicholas Powell, a professional gambler. The name Chance came about as he enjoys leaving everything to chance and is a massive risk-taker. 

He used his love of gambling to complete missions in order to receive payment –meaning if he was unsuccessful, he’d lose the bet and then need to pay the people who have hired him. Chance’s first run-in with Spidey saw him in a double-or-nothing bet to kill his target and the web-slinger.

Gambler

Most of the names we’ve featured are of villains and Gambler is of no exception. He first appeared against Green Lantern and was one of the founding members of the original Injustice Society. He comes from a long line of gamblers and his alter-egos include Stephen Sharpe III and Stephen Sharpe V. 

He adopted his name in memory of his grandfather and went on to become a criminal mastermind, robbing trains and banks. He also teamed up with Amos Fortune who’s the next and final name on our list.

Amos Fortune & Royal Flush Gang

Amos Fortune was obsessed with luck and he discovered the ‘luck glands’ which supposedly indicate the good and bad luck an individual possesses. He created the Royal Flush Gang, who battled the Justice League.

A reference to poker, the gang consisted of playing card villains under the names of King, Queen, Jack and Ten – and Amos Fortune as leader was Ace. The first gang was made up of clubs; the second set-up by Green Lantern was spades; and gradually the gang expanded to cover all four of the suits.