History
The False Face Society is an organization of criminals who are commonly known to operate in Gotham City. Their modus operandi consisted on commiting crimes of all sorts, but with the condition that all the members of the organization must wear masks, to hide their real faces.
The first incarnation of the False Face Society was created by the Joker as part of a plan to trick several members of the criminal underworld. The second and most important incarnation of the Society was created by the gang leader, Roman Sionis after he adopted the masked criminal identity of Black Mask and became the leader of the False Face Society.[1]
Earth-One
The Joker, notorious criminal in Gotham, arranged a criminal tournament in which several criminals from Gotham were required to perform criminal activities while wearing a costume, but most importantly, they had to wear masks. The participants became known as the False Face Society, but Joker's identity was never revealed to the criminals and all the loot from the different crimes was gathered until a winner was declared. The loot would be given to the winner and a part of it would go to the Joker for arranging the whole event. Batman managed to infiltrate the Society as there was a criminal who posed as Batman for his crimes. Batman was eventually taken to the Society's hideout, where he learned about Joker's scheme and how he tried to trick all the criminals, as he was in cahoots with the Batman crook. Moments later after Batman's shocking reveal, Robin and the Gotham City Police Department arrived at the Society's hideout and arrested all the criminals involved, including the Joker.[2]
Shortly after the Society's stint, some random criminals decided to emulate their M.O. and started wearing masks on their crimes, but they were not as nearly as successful as the first team.[3]
New Earth
- First Appearance: Batman #386
The False Face Society was an organization of masked henchmen who worked for notorious Gotham City crime boss Black Mask. The False Face Society was started when Black Mask started recruiting low-profile criminals and turned them into part of their gang with the promise of great riches and loot. Using his own vast private collection of masks, Black Mask provided the members of the gang with a fitting mask for their personalities.[1] The False Face Society worked as Black Mask's enforcers and were, for the most part, loyal to their boss. Over the years, some members of the Society have sought more loftier endeavors than merely playing the role of hooded henchmen.[citation needed]
After setting their first base of operations on the Sionis Family Crypt, the False Face Society started their crimes and killed various executives from Wayne Enterprises as part of Black Mask's vendetta against Bruce Wayne.[4] The False Face Society went on a "hiatus" after their leader, Black Mask, was captured and taken to Arkham Asylum and most of the members were captured by the Gotham City Police Department.[5]
During this hiatus, some members of the FFS were hypnotized and by the Mirror Master and forced to attack Captain Boomerang. This attack caused Batman to capture some of the remaining members of the gang.[6] Without their leader, the False Facers continued their crimes on their own and they were killed by the Night-Slayer, who believed they were working for Nocturna.[7] Eventually, the False Facers were contacted by Nocturna and started following her orders for a short time.[8][9] When Nocturna dismissed them from working for her, she instructed them to give away the location of her hideout to the Night-Slayer. Following her orders, the Falce Facers were slaughtered by the assassin, who then planned to kill Nocturna.[10]
After escaping Arkham Asylum, Black Mask gathered the False Face Society and continued his attack on Wayne Enterprises.[11] The gang was captured by the GCPD after they were informed of the gang's activities by Batman, who was working as an undercover member of the gang. However, Black Mask managed to escape.[12]
Years later, when Black Mask became undisputed crime lord of Gotham, he sent the False Face Society to a bank heist and he also sent Killer Croc along to help them. Croc was being mind controlled by Black Mask and after he managed to break free from the mind control, he devoured the members of the False Face Society inside the bank's vault, leaving dismembered bodies and blood all over the place.[13]
Another faction of the team tried to capture Croc back with the same outcome as the group who tried to steal the bank.[14]
Prime Earth
The False Face Society was first created by mob boss and mask enthusiast Richard Sionis. His son became involved in the gang as a young adult, however, due to their strained relationship, never quite saw eye-to-eye with the way the the group was run. [15]
After meeting Selina Kyle and David Franco when they were first beginning their careers as thieves, Richard propositioned David to join his gang and colonize a European empire in the name of the Society. Faking his death, Franco accpeted, becoming "the White Mask".
Many years later, the group had splintered into two divisions: those loyal to the dying, bedridden founder Richard Sionis and those loyal to his more violent but successful son Roman Sionis, now the Black Mask. A third splinter cell emerged, following under the leadership of the White Mask who had returned from Europe to usurp the Sionises. After Roman killed his father in the hospital, he hunted down the White Mask. With White Mask's apparent demise, the False Face Society was whole once more. [16]
Paraphernalia
Equipment: * Masks
See Also
- 51 Appearances of False Face Society (New Earth)
- 2 Images that include False Face Society (New Earth)
- Organization Gallery: False Face Society (New Earth)
Links
- None.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Batman #386
- ↑ Batman #152 - False Face Society
- ↑ Batman #152 - Memorial to an Astronaut
- ↑ Detective Comics #553
- ↑ Batman #387
- ↑ Batman #388
- ↑ Batman #389
- ↑ Detective Comics #556
- ↑ Batman #390
- ↑ Detective Comics #557
- ↑ Batman #484
- ↑ Batman #485
- ↑ Batman #642
- ↑ Detective Comics #808
- ↑ Catwoman (Volume 4) #51
- ↑ Catwoman (Volume 4) #52
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