(Wanted to post a pic of the first Injustice Gang here, but this forum does not allow IMG code. Thinking this might be candidate for "Article/Original Content" forum, but don't know who to contact to post something there.)

99% of the time, I will play Theme Teams with keywords, usually named teams. Simply put, that is how my family, friends, and I like to play. I know some of you reading this may play in a similar fashion at times.

Sometimes that means comics-accurate teams, which occasionally means that some figures included will be common sense houseruled keyword additions that Wiz Kids screwed up on. (e.g. Man-Ape was the first character ever seen in the Lethal Legion... no Lethal Legion keyword when we probably never see another Man-Ape clix again?)

Other times, we just use the properly keyworded figures to make our own theme team lineups for fun and/or competitiveness, regardless of comics accuracy.

This article looks at one of the lesser known DC super-villain teams, the Injustice Gang. The first question to ask yourself when making a Heroclix theme team is -

Why play the Injustice Gang?

Three reasons spring to mind.

1) Comics Accuracy - If you are a fan of the Injustice Gang as they appeared in the comics or in the DC Animated Universe, you may want to run those teams.

2) Chance to play certain characters on a named theme team - The Injustice Gang is the only named team that Circe, Prometheus, The General, and Collateral Damage set veteran Dr. Light have keywords for. They are all solid, interesting figures worth playing.

3) Fun Factor - Hey, the Injustice Gang once had their own satellite headquarters! I could see running a scenario on a satellite or spacecraft map. Also, it is one of the few supervillain teams to use the "gang" moniker, so feel free to adopt your own ethnic or big city accents amid references from gang-themed movies or music. (Edward G. Robinson, Warriors Movie, Eazy E,... endless possibilities)

1)

Comics Accuracy

There have been four different team formations of the Injustice Gang over the years within DC Comics. There has also been a different formation in the DC Animated Universe; thus, there are potentially 5 comics-accurate theme teams you could play:

Injustice Gang of the World I

Libra
Chronos
Mirror Master
Poison Ivy
Scarecrow
Shadow Thief
Tattooed Man (Abel Tarrant)

The first five characters have figures with the Injustice Gang keyword. As par for the course with WizKids/NECA, Shadow Thief and Tattooed Man don't. To run this team at an even 500 points, you could use the Veteran Shadow Thief from the Origins set and the Tattooed Man from the Joker's Wild set. (That Tattooed Man has a dial clearly representing Abel Tarrant but was somehow given the real name Mark Richards.)

Force Build 8905728 0
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
SM	037	Libra		92	$0.75
JL	024	Chronos		77	$0.63
FL	020	Mirror Master		80	SELL
WF	007B	Poison Ivy		90	SELL
UN	022	Scarecrow		36	$0.27
OR	027	Shadow Thief		65	$1.29
JW	020	Tattooed Man		60	SELL
Force Total:				500	$2.94

Pros: None of the characters are a complete waste of points, except perhaps the Scarecrow who is at least the cheapest of the bunch and a long-lived cheap figure.
The Poison Ivy Prime is powerful, and fun to play with her Enthralled tokens. Libra gets a bonus when he is the highest point member, and he will always be so on this one.

Cons: Some of these figures are from older sets, and their combat values show it. There is not a whole lot of synergy among powers and team abilities.

Alternatives: If you are an absolute stickler for only using Wiz Kids provided keywords, you could substitute in Mirror Master's 30 point mirror images, 40 point Henchmen generics from the Arkham Asylum set, or 40 point Hired Henchmen from the Batman set to fill the points for Shadow Thief and Tattooed Man (all those generics have the Injustice Gang keyword). You could also add those generics to increase the team level to over 500 for higher point games.

Good Opponents:

- Appropriate Justice League lineups from that era or others. Ones with figures from older eras or Trinity-less versions of the JLA woulld make more of a competitive match. The Justice League were their arch-foes.

- It might be fun to pit all the different versions of the Injustice Gang against each other at 500 or 600 points! See who is most worthy of the name. Having just thought of this, I want to try it with my son in the near future.


Injustice Gang of the World 2nd formation


Captain Boomerang
Floronic Man
I.Q.
Shark (Karshon)
Ocean Master
Abra Kadabra

Abra Kadabra reformed the gang with a new lineup at a much later date. This lineup featured the unclixed I.Q. and Shark, as well as Floronic Man, whom Wiz Kids did not give the keyword to. With all the Captain Boomerangs out there now, none have this Injustice Gang keyword either.

Houseruling the keyword for Floronic Man and Digger Harkness produces this 300 point team:

Force Build 8905728 1
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
FL	054	Abra Kadabra		110	SELL
AN	027	Ocean Master		65	$0.25
JL	026	Captain Boomerang		78	$0.59
AA	005	Floronic Man		47	$0.25
Force Total:				300	$1.09

Pros: Abra Kadabra is a strong figure. Captain Boomerang is fun to play.

Cons: Three of these figures are from older sets, and their combat values show it. There is not a whole lot of synergy among powers and team abilities.

Alternatives: If you want to up the team total, add 40 point Henchmen generics from the Arkham Asylum set, or 40 point Hired Henchmen from the Batman set, who all have the Injustice Gang keyword. Feel free to sub in other similar-themed figures for the unclixed I.Q. and Shark.

Good Opponents: Same as previously mentioned.


Injustice Gang II


Lex Luthor
Joker
Circe
Doctor Light
Mirror Master
Ocean Master
Jemm

Lex Luthor formed his own version of the Injustice gang.

All of these characters have figures with the keyword, except for Jemm, who is still unclixed. Somehow, with umpteen Lex Luthor clix out there, only ONE has ever been given the Injustice gang keyword! ... despite him forming versions of it twice in the comics. Here is a 600 point team, with some room for feats or bystanders, all with the proper keywords:

Force Build 8905728 2
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
JL	008	Lex Luthor		161	$0.59
SMWW	024	Circe		115	SELL
CD	066	Dr. Light		84	$1.25
IO	039	The Joker		107	$1.25
LG	F001	Armor Piercing		10	SELL
AN	027	Ocean Master		65	$0.25
OR	049	Mirror Master		40	$0.49
Force Total:				582	$3.83

Pros: The big 4 figures are all interesting. There are two wild cards with Mystics and Batman Enemy to be shared. Circe can give the team fodder (the two Masters) the traits of beasts!

Cons: Most of these figures are from older sets, and their combat values show it. Some good weapons, but no steamroller characters on a 600 point build.

Alternatives: There are many Jokers with this keyword to choose from. You could substitute a cheaper Joker and put a better Mirror Master figure in if desired.

Good Opponents: Same as previously mentioned.


Luthor's Injustice Gang 2nd formation

Lex Luthor
Queen Bee
The General
Prometheus

Prometheus and the General have long top-heavy dials, and Injustice Gang is their only named keyword. None of the Queen Bee REV clix has the keyword, though. (She is LONG overdue to be remade.) As mentioned, only 1 of the zillion Luthors has this keyword somehow.

A 500 point team looks like

Force Build 8905728 3
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
JL	008	Lex Luthor		161	$0.59
UN	086	The General		176	$4.99
LG	091	Prometheus		107	$7.99
UN	055	Queen Bee		45	$0.27
Force Total:				489	$13.84

Pros: Outside of Queen Bee, the dials are all long and interesting, at least.

Cons: All of the figures show their age.

Alternatives: If you want to up the team total, add 40 point Henchmen generics from the Arkham Asylum set, or 40 point Hired Henchmen from the Batman set, who all have the Injustice Gang keyword. They can give the wild cards Batman Enemy or Underworld TAs also.

Good Opponents: Same as previously mentioned.


DCAU Injustice Gang

Lex Luthor
Cheetah
Solomon Grundy
The Shade
Star Sapphire
Ultra-Humanite
Copperhead

Luthor forms this group in the animated Justice League show. Later, the Joker replaces Copperhead. The problem with this team is that only one figure each of Lex Luthor, Cheetah, and Grundy have been given the keyword. None of the other characters' clix have the keyword.

If you are houseruling the keyword to four figures anyway, you might as well houserule the keyword to another Lex Luthor, just for variety. The Injustice Gang keyworded Cheetah and Grundy both come from the Legion of Doom Fast Forces set, so it seems fitting the Lex Luthor from that Fast Forces should get the keyword too.

Force Build 8905728 4
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
FFLOD	001	Lex Luthor		100	$2.99
FFLOD	003	Cheetah		50	$2.99
FFLOD	005	Solomon Grundy		150	$3.99
FFWOL	006	Star Sapphire		75	$1.49
UN	089	Ultrahumanite		80	$3.76
JLTW	015	Copperhead		70	SELL
UN	063	Shade		73	$1.49
Force Total:				598	$16.71

Pros: Some newer dials and interesting powers in the mix.

Cons: Not extremely high on synergy.

Alternatives: You can choose a Joker to replace the Copperhead at an appropriate point cost for the Joker-added version of the team. You can use the amazingly effective 27 point UN rookie Shade instead of the 73 point Veteran to add a better Joker, for Copperhead or else add a 40 point Henchmen generics from the Arkham Asylum set or a 40 point Hired Henchman from the Batman set, who have the Injustice Gang keyword.

Good Opponents: Same as previously mentioned. Making a DCAU Justice League lineup from that episode would be great.


2)

Chance to play certain characters on a named theme team

Almost every figure with the Injustice Gang keyword also has at least one much more common villain keyword, such as Society, Injustice league, Gotham City Underworld, Legion of Doom, etc.

There are only four figures that have Injustice Gang as their only non-generic keyword:

TK, Leadership, Mastermind, PC, flight, Mystics, and she can give lesser characters bestial powers! She is no joke.

10 Range, RCE with printed 3 damage, wild card. Pretty impressive for an old school figure!

Long top-heavy dial

Long top-heavy dial as well


Circe and this Dr. Light are well worth putting on an Injustice Gang team looking to be relatively competitive.

Abra Kadabra is another strong keyworded figure, with Mystics, flight, and a Pick a Power ability based on "selling the souls" of his minions.


The only Poison Ivy with the keyword is a fun and potent prime figure.


These Hired Henchmen work great with either Circe or Abra Kadabra as their boss, copying Mystics and providing fodder for their special powers.


My last thought is a decent Injustice Gang team that makes good use of the keyword.

Force Build 8905728 5
Set	#	Name	Team	Pts	Value
SMWW	024	Circe		115	SELL
FL	054	Abra Kadabra		110	SELL
WF	007B	Poison Ivy		90	SELL
CD	066	Dr. Light		84	$1.25
BM	006	Hired Henchman		40	$0.74
BM	006	Hired Henchman		40	$0.74
Force Total:				479	$2.73

Add feats, objects, bystanders or ATA to Ivy or Kadabra to fill in pts to 500. Going to 600 points could let you add 3 more Hired Henchmen or remove a Hired Henchman to add a very-hard-to-kill Solomon Grundy. This team is very easy to scale back to 400 as well.


Hope this gave some of you a few ideas or food for thought. Please share your stories of Injustice Gang teams past, if you have any.

As I go through my DC teams, I may look at some other obscure lineups in a similar vein.