WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Flash #79, by Joshua Williamson, Rafa Sandoval, Arif Prianto and Steve Wands, on sale now.
One of the most notable supervillain ensembles in the DC Universe is the Rogues, a motley crew comprised of the colorful villains battling the Flash for the fate of Central City. United by their unique code of honor among thieves, the criminal team has largely operated separately from the other villains within the DCU. And they even have a begrudging respect for the Scarlet Speedster as they continually confront him.
Many of the classic rogues had been upgraded by Apex Lex, a resurrected Lex Luthor who has been steadily recruiting villains across the entire DCU to carry out the bidding of the omnipotent villain Perpetua. However, the latest issue of The Flash reveals that the Rogues may not be completely playing for Luthor's team, with their own sinister machinations secretly at work.
As Barry Allen deals with the return of the Black Flash and hunts the various avatars of the elemental Forces unleashed on the DCU for the past year, the Rogues return. They approach former member Lisa Snart, better known as her villainous alter ego Golden Glider.
With her older brother Leonard Snart leading the Rogues as the longtime villain Captain Cold and the original Mirror Master, Sam Scudder, as an on-again/off-again love interest, Lisa certainly has a lengthy personal history with the antagonistic ensemble. However, she initially rebuffs the offer to rejoin them, visibly more concerned with caring for her child. It's when they go ice-skating together that the Rogues appear to Lisa through Mirror Master's ability to project through the reflective surface provided by the ice.
Lisa is well aware of Luthor's recent activities in the various Year of the Villain tie-in specials. Yet, when Captain Cold mentions that he and his associates are secretly planning to move against Luthor, Lisa is visibly intrigued by her brother's offer. The next time the Rogues are seen in the issue, Lisa is among them, having reclaimed her villainous mantle as Golden Glider and potentially upgraded like the rest of the Central City criminals.
While Barry is preoccupied by other threats, his typical enemies are more powerful than ever and teamed up once again, consolidating their resources as they bide their time in the shadows. With Golden Glider now among the Rogues' ranks and Luthor presumably focused on defeating the Justice League once and for all, Captain Cold and his allies appear poised to strike to meet their own ends.
The Central City-based villains have long had their own agenda apart from the evil machinations taking place across the wider DCU. Whenever Cold and his associates have thrown in their lot with Luthor and other supervillain teams, they have usually paid dearly for it, whether they've been exiled to a faraway planet during Salvation Run or been targeted by the Crime Syndicate and Secret Society of Supervillains in Forever Evil. Newly empowered by Apex Lex, the Rogues appear to have grown wise as they actively plot to stop Luthor before he inevitably turns on them once again.
How this planned rebellion will impact the Rogues' never-ending conflict with the Flash has yet to be seen. As will whether they will lose their upgraded powers due to their betrayal. Yet, the Legion of Doom's defeat may come from within, with the Rogues following their own goals apart from Luthor.
The Flash #79 is in stores now.