The Flips were a trio of teenage rock 'n roll musicians who became instant heartthrob successes.
History
In addition to their popular style of music, the Flips distinguished themselves for their showmanship and on-stage performances.
Many years ago, a youth movement from the suburban town of Clarkston petitioned the Flips to play in their city at a benefit concert to raise money for a college scholarship fund. As soon as the Flips arrived in Clarkston however, they encountered more trouble than they were ready to deal with. A group of thieves captured them, knocked them out and left them in a field. Taking possession of their individual equipment and gimmicks, they donned costumes to disguise themselves as the Flips and began committing crimes in their name.
Initially, Clarkston's Mayor Turner welcomed the Flips to their town, but when police officers witnessed them committing a string of daring robberies, he had little choice but to have them arrested. When word spread that the Flips were actually criminals, the teens of Clarkston were broken-hearted. A few of them contacted the Teen Titans in the hopes that the young super-heroes might be able to get to the bottom of all this. The Titans (themselves fans of the Flips) came to Clarkston eager to help out. Mayor Turner told Titans leader Robin that the concert would be canceled unless he could find evidence to clear the musicians' names.
Robin had the Flips confined to a secret room in City Hall, while their equipment was stowed away in a store front window in easy view of anyone patrolling the city. He then sent Kid Flash and Wonder Girl to conduct routine patrols throughout the city, to make sure that nobody tried to assist the alleged criminals.
On the night of the concert however, the Flips appeared to escape from confinement. Furthermore, their equipment likewise disappeared from its location and the teen criminals seemed to be at it again. Wonder Girl caught sight of the Flips and tried to stop them, but Jill tripped her up with her baton. Joe lobbed a grenade at a bank wall and Jack raced in on his jet-powered surfboard to steal the money. Kid Flash took after Joe, but he rode his cycle up the side of a pre-treated oil-slicked Cliffside to get away. Kid Flash tried to follow him, but couldn't maintain his traction on the greasy rock. Jack veered off towards a lake and though Aqualad dove into the lake after him, his skill with the surfboard easily allowed him to avoid capture.
Although the Flips succeeded in eluding the police and the Teen Titans, they turned up shortly thereafter when Wonder Girl found them all asleep in a field. She brought them back to police headquarters where they were interrogated. The Flips were astonished to hear the charges levied against them and insisted that they were asleep in a field. The police chief didn't believe their feeble alibi, but Robin did.
Suspecting that someone had been framing the Flips, Robin decided to hatch a plan of his own. He had Aqualad, Kid Flash and Wonder Girl disguise themselves as the Flips and pretend to commit crimes in order to draw the first group of impostors out into the open. The tactic worked and the Teen Titans were able to publicly expose the costumed criminals and exonerate the Flips. Cleared of all charges, the Flips were able to perform at the benefit concert.
Members
Jack
Jack was the front man of the group and wore black sunglasses and bathing trunks. He used a jet-propelled surfboard that ran on a compressed air jet cushion that enabled him to use it on both land and water. Jack's impostor (as well as Joe's) had a penchant for singing songs while committing crimes.
Jill
Jill was the centerpiece performer of the group even though she did not play an instrument. Donning a red, heart-shaped mask, she wowed audiences with acrobatic stunts and the use of her special baton which was equipped with a special gyro-balance. Jill's impostor was also adept at using the baton as a throwing weapon and was even able to spoil Wonder Girl's trajectory during a chase.
Joe
Like Jack, Joe also played guitar. He wore a leather jacket, an ascot and a pair of goggles. He rode a custom-designed Honda motorcycle with magno-grip tires that enabled it to climb nearly any surface including steep embankments or the sides of buildings. Joe's motorcycle could also project volumes of oil to confound pursuers.
Paraphernalia
Equipment: Jill used a special baton equipped with a gyro-balance.
Transportation: Joe rode a custom-made Honda motorcycle while Jack used a gas-powered surfboard.
Notes
Although this organization was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985-86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the organization's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal. Although they are rarely referenced anymore, the Flips do exist in modern, Post-Crisis continuity. Even retroactive stories such as that told in Teen Titans: Year One #1 give evidence to the Flips' continued survival.
See Also
Links
- None.