King of Spades

A Bronze Age creation of Gerry Conway and Don Heck, the King of Spades first turned up in the pages of Justice League of America #203 in 1982 — right in the thick of DC's most ambitious era of ensemble storytelling. With a name that evokes the darkest card in the deck, this figure has crossed paths with the likes of Robin, the Ace of Spades, and other colorfully named company, suggesting a world of high-stakes intrigue. Rare enough to carry genuine collector curiosity across a surprisingly long publishing footprint stretching into 2012, the King of Spades is one of those compact mysteries that rewards the deep-diving fan who loves discovering what lurks in the corners of DC's richly populated universe.