Flash Rogues Question

[DrNewGod]

Back in the day, I only read Flash sporadically, except during the first two or three years of the Post-Crisis run. I remember Flash's lineup of baddies being collectively called his "Rouges Gallery" in the Silver-Bronze Age and it seemed like several of them would periodically associate, but no more so than Batman's or Superman's steady dance partners of the same era. There was certainly no sense that they were particularly closely affiliated.

So, when did this whole thing of The Rogues being some sort of organization become a thing?

[Tzigone]

Back in the day, I only read Flash sporadically, except during the first two or three years of the Post-Crisis run. I remember Flash's lineup of baddies being collectively called his "Rouges Gallery" in the Silver-Bronze Age and it seemed like several of them would periodically associate, but no more so than Batman's or Superman's steady dance partners of the same era. There was certainly no sense that they were particularly closely affiliated.

So, when did this whole thing of The Rogues being some sort of organization become a thing?

Comic Vine tells me they made their first appearance as a team in The Flash #155 (the the 1959 title started with number 105, picking up where numbering on the old Flash Comics left off). But, of course, one team up is not an organization. I know Captain Cold and Heat Wave first teamed up in 140. And they were actual pals, there, too, not just allies. Now, he didn't appear nearly as often as some, but every single one of his first 10 appearances (which take place over about a decade), Captain Cold was there, too.

Just judging by the appearances in DC wiki, it looks like the early-to-mid 1970s is when they started teaming up more often. By issue 242 (June 1976 cover date) we have this
Rogues.jpg

By/in post-COIE, they get retconned into "not that bad" in a poking-fun-silver-age-CCA way, and Wally takes a date to their Rogues' party.