Comic book characters pretty much shaped pop culture during the last decade. We’ve seen two major publishing companies racing to deliver as many superheroes and villains as they could to a worldwide audience in their pursuit of box office domination. Through dozens of superhero flicks, we came to understand the hidden depths of popular characters and even get a glimpse of their hobbies and interests.
Our current article deals with those comic book originals that share a passion for casino games and the ways in which each of them respectively displays their affection towards the games of chance. We based our research on both comic books and movies that depict superheroes and bad guys as they enjoy gambling.
Iron Man
In 2008, Marvel Studios made a huge bet and placed everything on a single superhero – Iron Man. Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy philanthropist genius who created the Iron Man suit is such a driven gambler that we had to be introduced with his habit right after the opening credits scene of the first Iron Man movie. Instead of receiving a flattering reward, Tony decides to spend time at a Craps table of the Caesar’s Palace. With all his tech devices, billionaire genius could simply log in to an Australian online casino website during the award ceremony, however, the Iron Man seems to be more into a crowded table with lots of pretty ladies to blow on his dices for good luck.
Even though Tony Stark ended up throwing “snake eyes” and losing a lot of money at the craps table in that scene, Marvel won the Jackpot with the first in the series of Avengers movies. Stark’s gambling personality is later portrayed through his adventurous and whimsical actions in numerous crisis situations.
Penguin
One of the most notorious DC villains and long-lasting Batman’s nemesis, Penguin is not only interested in gambling but also runs his own casino. Oswald Cobblepot decided to create a front for his criminal activities and a place where he could gather valuable info regarding Gotham’s thriving criminal establishment and ongoing activities. Iceberg Casino became the hottest nightclub/casino venue where Gothamites from both sides of the law come to enjoy themselves and buy or sell information.
Iceberg Casino or Iceberg Lounge is featured in a wide range of comic book editions including the Batman series, Batwoman, and a large number of animated DC films and series.
Chance
Nicholas Powell, also known as Chance, is another Marvel superhero with affection for gambling. In fact, Chance’s origin story shows that he was a successful professional gambler before turning into a mercenary as a result of his quest for thrills greater than risking his entire fortune at the Zodiac casino or some other venue. Still, Powell’s mercenary lifestyle was heavily painted by his gambling skills and natural drive to take risks, even his initial clash with Spiderman was a result of a “double or nothing” wager.
Chance is often presented as a compulsive gambler; he bets on his mercenary tasks all the time which only shows that his interest is not so much in money as in the rush of adrenaline that comes with the risk. Therefore, Nicholas Powell is one of the best examples that gambling can become a serious problem unless we approach this pastime responsibly.
Roulette
Veronica Sinclair is another DC character deeply infatuated with games of fortune. She runs a casino called “The House” which offers more than your usual dice or card games. The main attraction of the House is the evening gladiatorial fight that Roulette throws every night using captured superheroes. Extremely intelligent and a master of deciding the most favorable odds, Veronica uses her casino to gather DC villains for an evening of gambling and excitement that comes with seeing their enemies fight each other to the death.
Roulette is so good at what she does that she captured most of the Justice Society of America members and staged fights where JSA representatives battled each other while the audience wagered on the outcome.
Conclusion
The comic books world is full of colorful characters that share the interests and affections of regular people. Gambling is an exciting hobby that people enjoy mainly because of the adrenaline rush that comes with every bet. However, no matter how inspired you are by the adventures of superhero gamblers, it’s important to always gamble responsibly and never wager more than you are comfortable losing.
