Marvel and DC Comics have always made it their advocacy to take on several social issues. Many of the superheroes and super-villains we idolize were, at some point, conceptualized according to certain debatable topics, one of which is poker. The card game has even been vital in the character development, and even story progression, of some of our favorite heroes or foes. Poker had also been inculcated in the identity or history of some Marvel and DC Comics characters.
Here are a few characters in the Marvel and DC Comics Multiverses who had poker involved either in their creation or in the development of their stories:
These superheroes are known for playing poker.
Gambit
If you have been an avid follower of the X-Men series, just the mention of playing cards would already have you thinking of Gambit. With his own deck of playing cards as his main choice of weaponry (aside from a Bo staff), it would be quite illogical not to think of Gambit as a knowledgeable poker player. Gambit’s initial personality also seems to be inspired by how you should approach professional poker players, with reservation and alertness. In a Marvel forum over at ComicVine.com, Gambit was mentioned several times after someone asked who would be Marvel’s best poker player.
Iron Man
Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, is truly one pompous and extravagant character especially in recent movie adaptations. If ever there will be a character who you should expect to see in the Bellagio Las Vegas for the Partypoker World Poker Tour or in Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino for the World Series of Poker, it would most probably be Mr.Stark. He has the financial capabilities to be a daring professional card player. Even in the 2008 Iron Man movie, Stark missed an awarding ceremony as he was playing poker over at Ceasar’s Palace.
The Thing
It may not be obvious at first, but the strongest member of the Fantastic Four loves playing poker. Ben Grimm’s gentle giant stereotype is perfect for maintaining a great ruse when playing. In one of the issues of the series Thing v2, Grimm even organized a poker tournament amongst other superheroes of the Marvel Universe in celebration of his Bar Mitzvah. His Bar Mitzvah version is for his 13 years of existence after being transformed into The Thing.
Batman
Just like Iron Man, Bruce Wayne is not someone who turns down a challenge especially when someone questions his (financial?) powers. However, what really includes Batman in this list is his arch-rival, The Joker. It’s his and Joker’s interactions that are very symbolic of how poker rounds operate. It’s always about “who-outsmarts-who.”And as ComicBooked.com opinionates in one of their articles, the Dark Knight has faced so many criminal geniuses and deranged psychopaths that it instilled in him the skill to determine even the most minute of emotions. This skill set also helped him achieve his almost-catatonic expressions, an almost perfect poker face.
On many occasions, comic book artists have something deeper to convey when they embed simple activities like poker into their panels. It can be their way of expressing social awareness or understanding. At times, it can also be representations of bigger issues. Simply put, just keep an open mind when reading comics.
