#deviltricks

Courtney Whitmore/Cindy Burman:

Courtney and Cindy are such interesting foils for each other!!! They're both fairly impulsive and brash, both mean in their own ways, both have issues with their fathers, and yet they're so different and their stories go so differently. Cindy is a villain, but would she be one if not for her desire for her father's approval? If he didn't abuse her? Courtney is a hero but would she be one if didn't want to prove something to her step-dad ("If you're a superhero playing dad, then I'm a daughter playing superhero")? If she wasn't an asshole teen? Neither of them are really likeable and neither of them necessarily have an independent desire to be a hero/villain—that character development comes later on for both of them!! They're so so interesting together because of how they reflect each other's flaws and motivations!!!!! Plus, their civilian identities in my opinion are very mean girl/loser girl high school tropes in a really interesting way. And that's not even getting into later comics like JSA where Cindy becomes like specifically "Courtney's" villain every time the Injustice League shows up!!!!!!!!!! A vote for StarShiv is a vote for toxic loser yuri.

James Jesse/Dan Cassidy:

"I still think Cassidy's a jerk" - James Jesse approximately one issue before having the entire course of his life changed by him. They are the sillies ever, and so funny, but more importantly during a period where the Rogues were getting darker and darker, James had ONE adventure with Dan Cassidy and decided he liked himself better with him and reformed to be with him. Barry Allen didn't manage to make James do that in 24 years AND IT LASTED 20! James' dynamic with Dan influenced his character for the better part of two decades!

Everything DC says about them is so intensely gay, "James found a kindred spirit in the hero and their fights turned from menacing to playful" "Dan helped James find legit work after he reformed and introduced him to his civilian friend group", "James had a picture of Dan in his office that he looked at every time he considered unreforming". They defeated Neron TOGETHER in Underworld Unleashed! James even trained Eddie! Training another man's sidekick is the most two dads thing you can do! And all three of them are tied irreversibly to Neron now! Devilfam is real!

Also, after the Top resets James' personality back to before he met Dan (Geoff Johns did it don't worry about it), James suddenly has an internalized homophobia problem he never had before? I'm not sure what this means?

James Jesse/Dan Cassidy:

"I still think Cassidy's a jerk" - James Jesse approximately one issue before having the entire course of his life changed by him. They are the sillies ever, and so funny, but more importantly during a period where the Rogues were getting darker and darker, James had ONE adventure with Dan Cassidy and decided he liked himself better with him and reformed to be with him. Barry Allen didn't manage to make James do that in 24 years AND IT LASTED 20! James' dynamic with Dan influenced his character for the better part of two decades!

Everything DC says about them is so intensely gay, "James found a kindred spirit in the hero and their fights turned from menacing to playful" "Dan helped James find legit work after he reformed and introduced him to his civilian friend group", "James had a picture of Dan in his office that he looked at every time he considered unreforming". They defeated Neron TOGETHER in Underworld Unleashed! James even trained Eddie! Training another man's sidekick is the most two dads thing you can do! And all three of them are tied irreversibly to Neron now! Devilfam is real!

Also, after the Top resets James' personality back to before he met Dan (Geoff Johns did it don't worry about it), James suddenly has an internalized homophobia problem he never had before? I'm not sure what this means?

Anyway if you're a James is gay believer Dan Cassidy should be huge evidence for that. One of the three pillars if you will. Let's all read Blue Devil #21 to see them at their cutest!

Ted Grant/Al Pratt: