| Doubleup | |
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First Appearance: |
June 4th, 2011 |
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Real Name: |
Unrevealed, last name possibly "Arson" |
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Known Relatives: |
Boris Arson, Uncle |
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Known Associates: |
Ponytail I (Deceased) |
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Can Be Found: |
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Created By: |
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Doubleup (real name unrevealed) was a criminal and extortionist who operated in Dick Tracy's city. He was a large, imposing man with a fierce temper. He had dark hair that he wore swept up in the front.
Doubleup had the verbal habit of repeating the last few words of his sentences (as in "I need you for a object lesson! Object lesson!"). He was also very skilled in the use of a whip as an offensive weapon, and could wield one with deadly effectiveness (similar to Mrs. Pruneface).
Early Life
Doubleup claimed that he had been bullied as a child because of his unusual speech pattern, and he took solace in reading Scarlet Sting comics.
The Scarlet Sting inspired Doubleup to train himself to use a whip as a weapon. As a result, he was able to seriously injure some of the children who were bullying him, but he avoided legal repercussions thanks to legal representation that was provided by his uncle, Boris Arson.
The Scarlet Sting
Years later, after he had begun his criminal career, Doubleup was excited to discover that a feature film based on The Scarlet Sting was being filmed in the city. He had his young associate Ponytail infiltrate the set posing as a stunt woman. He then used her as a go-between to arrange payoffs from people working on the film, claiming that he would disrupt shooting unless funds were directed to him.
The extortion attempt attracted the attention of Haku Kou, a Hawaiian police officer who had been hired as a consultant on the film (also an expert whip handler). Haku Kou notified his friend Dick Tracy, and Lizz was sent to the set to provide additional surveillance and security. Lizz replaced Ponytail, who reported back to Doubleup. Fearing the police, Ponytail announced her intention to leave Doubleup's organization, and he killed her.
Doubleup then went to film set, disguising himself as a stuntman in the Scarlet Sting costume. He encountered Lizz (in costume as Ponytail) and decided to cause a scene to emphasize his threats to the production. He was then confronted by Haku Kou (also in costume as the Scarlet Sting) and the two men engaged in a whip fight. Doubleup was defeated and taken into custody.
New Allies
Doubleup was held at the local jail, where he was placed in the same cell as Mumbles. The two men argued and fought over their respective speech habits.
Doubleup with Davey Mylar (center) and Blaze Rize (right)
Doubleup's release was arranged by the attorney Mr. Kleen, who was secretly employed by the new Mr. Crime. Doubleup's case was dismissed due to the main witness against him (his former associate Levitz) disappearing and being unable to testify. It was implied that Levitz had been murdered by others acting on Doubleup's behalf.
Doubleup (along with several other known criminals) joined Mr. Crime's organization and challenged the Apparatus. As a show of force, Doubleup killed a member of the Apparatus' executive board with his whip.
Doubleup attempted to recruit Blaze Rize to be his new "Ponytail", but she refused him. When she brought Davey Mylar (who was secretly Mr. Crime) to the gang's hideout at the Panda Talent Agency, Doubleup bonded with him over their mutual fondness for the Scarlet Sting character. Shortly thereafter, the hideout was raided by the combined forces of the Major Crimes Unit and the Tracy Agency.
Davey and Blaze attempted to flee, but Doubleup stopped them. He hoped to use Davey as a shield to make an escape, believing that the police would not shoot at an "innocent civilian". Blaze Rize shot Doubleup and fled with Davey. Doubleup was wearing a bulletproof vest, and joined forces with Mumbles (who was similarly protected) to make a stand-off against the authorities. Doubleup assaulted Sam Catchem with his whip and was shot several times by FBI agent Fritz Ann Dietrich. Doubleup (who was wearing a bullet-proof vest) survived and was again arrested once again.
Shifting Loyalties
Once again, Mr. Kleen was able to secure Doubleup's release from jail. Along with Mumbles and B-B Eyes, Doubleup arrived one night at bar in the city that was a known haven for criminals. They were joined by Blackjack and Stiletta Jones (aka Mrs. Flattop), and the group reflected on their recent setbacks.
With the disappearance of Mr. Crime, the Apparatus again returned to prominence, with Doubleup joining Mumbles as an enforcer under B-B Eyes. The men were present at the showdown on the Wheaten family farm in support of the Appartus agent Hy Pressure, but they were unable to prevent Pressure being killed during a violent storm.
When B-B Eyes was recruited into the criminal organization The Black Hearts, he brought his confederates with him, including Doubleup. Doubleup has since been seen in the company of a new Ponytail, but her identity (and the circumstances of their meeting) have not been revealed.
Doubleup was paired with Blaze Rize again during the case of Jimmy Choo Shooz. He encountered Dick Tracy and engaged in a brief skirmish, after which he was taken into police custody. His release was arranged by Mr. Kleen.
When the police and FBI raided the Black Hearts' headquarters, Doubleup refused B-B Eyes' offer to use a gun, preferring to use only his whip. Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem stormed the floor that Doubleup was waiting on, and Doubleup surrendered to the officers (after B-B Eyes was shot and Mumbles fled). Under questioning, Doubleup denied any knowledge of Blaze Rize's existence.
Doubleup was later seen working with the mysterious Ms. Flammel as her bodyguard.
Notes
- Doubleup's habit of repeating himself is reminiscent of the character Jimmy Two-Times from the film Goodfellas.
- It was implied that Doubleup has had several "Ponytails" over the years. He apparently seeks out desperate young women and offers them shelter and support in exchange for engaging in this fantasy of his. It is unclear what level of physical involvement he has with them.
- Despite her initial distaste for him, Doubleup seems to enjoy a certain camaraderie with Blaze Rize.
- Doubleup claimed that his uncle was the notorious criminal Boris Arson, though he did not specify whether Arson was related on his mother's side or his father's. This means that Doubleup's real last name COULD be "Arson", but this has not been confirmed.
- Additionally, Zora Arson (Boris' sister) must therefore either have been Doubleup's mother or his aunt. Their relationship (and Doubleup's exact parentage) has not been established.
- Since Doubleup has repeatedly been seen out of jail (apparently with no outstanding warrants), he may well qualify as one of the few villains in the strip to have committed murder and "gotten away with it" (see also Pouch and Dr. Beau Tox).