Issue Description

The Flash calls it quits! Luckily, Kid Flash rushes in.

The Flash's Final Fling!

On Earth-2, police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, and Kid Flash pay a visit to Doctor Charles McNider. Feeling that Central City no longer gives him the accolades and appreciation he deserves, Allen has foresworn his career as the Flash. As Allen was preparing to leave Central City forever, Kid Flash abducted him, and brought Allen to Earth-2. Under hypnosis, Allen reveals that chronal officer Petar Thrant, from the year 3780, came to him, and mesmerized him into retiring his Flash identity. It seems a criminal from Thrant's time, Frand Mattar, had planted an explosive device in Central City.

Fearing the Flash's super-speed vibrations might trigger the bomb,Thrant came back in time to "convince" Allen not to use his powers anymore. McNider's offer to assist the Scarlet Speedsters, in his guise as Doctor Mid-Nite, is rebuffed. Allen wants to handle this case personally, with only Kid Flash at his side. As the two speedsters cross the dimensional gulf, between Earth-1 and Earth-2, they accelerate to the point that they break the time barrier, arriving on Earth-1 in the year 3780. Despite Thrant's warnings, the Scarlet Speedsters immediately head off to confront Mattar. They discover Mattar in the process of stealing an entire bank. Mattar activates the detonator for the bomb.

The Scarlet Speedsters have only three minutes to defeat Mattar, and his gang, then return to their time, to deal with the bomb. Despite the deadline, the Flash purposely takes more then two minutes to beat down Mattar, and his gang, to teach them a lesson. Returning to present day Central City, the Scarlet Speedsters match their internal vibratory frequency to that of Mattar's detonator signal. Following the signal to the bomb's location, they arrive just as it begins to explode. Racing around the blast site at super-human speed, the Scarlet Speedsters are able to contain the force of the explosion within a powerful whilrlwind. The Flash's latest adventure makes all the headlines, and the Flash, himself, is presented with the key to the city.

Big Blast In Rocket City!

Police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, and his girlfriend, Picture News reporter, Iris West, have joined her father, on vacation, in Florida. Professor West lingers at the restaurant, insisting that his daughter, and Allen, head off to have some fun. West is waiting for his colleagues in the Space Agency, to unveil his latest inventions. Overhearing Allen call West "Professor", three thugs in an adjoining booth, mistakenly believe West to be a criminal genius, known only as "The Brain". The three thugs introduce themselves to West, who, in his absent-mindedness, believes them to be his colleagues. West accompanies them to their hideout, then provides them with his first invention, a formula for overcoming vertigo in space.

The crooks instead use the formula to cause vertigo in the security guards, when they rob the richest department store in Rocket City. West grows concerned over her father's long absence. Overhearing a news report on the robbery, Allen prepares to swing into action, as the Flash. West, though, insists that Allen help her look for her father. West excuses herself to the powder room to get ready. Allen determines that he has exactly 10 minutes to capture the crooks, before West returns. Allen, as the Flash, runs down the crooks who, nonetheless, escape him when they activate the rocket engine in their car. Another contribution from Professor West, being repurposed for criminal use. The Flash tracks the car by following the luminous molecules of the rocket fuel left in it's wake.

The Flash discovers that the crooks are holding the professor. Using another of the professor inventions, a force field designed to aid with re-entry, the crooks are able to keep the Flash at bay. The Flash tunnels under the force field, and burrows up into the house. West stops one of the gunmen from shooting the Flash. After defeating the three criminals, the Flash races back to his hotel room. As West emerges from the powder room, Allen informs her that they won't have to search for her father afterall. A news bulletin informs West of the Flash's latest adventure, and that her father is safe and sound at the Space Agency.

The Flash (1959)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

The Flash Volume 1, (continued from Flash Comics).

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Starring Barry Allen as the Flash and Wally West as Kid Flash. After 4 try-out issues of "Show case" - the first being #4, which is widely accepted as being the comic that launched the Silver Age - the Flash returned to star in his own title with #105 in 1959. The numbering of the title continued from the Golden Age "Flash Comics," which had come to an end as Super Heroes went out of fashion in the early 1950's. When Police scientist Barry Allen was doused with a variety of chemicals along with a bolt of lightning, the accident endowed him with Super Speed, and he donned the famous red Flash uniform we are all familiar with. Barry was seeing reporter Iris Allen, and to ensure he kept his identity as the Flash a secret from his girlfriend, he always turned up late for their dates. During his Showcase appearances, the Flash had battled the first of what was to become his rogues gallery when he clashed with Captain Cold, and his range of costumed opponents was about expand almost as rapidly as his uniform expanded from his ring when it came into contact with air. In his opening issue, the Flash battled the Mirror Master, and in the following issue, readers were introduced to Gorilla Grodd, Solovar, and the inhabitants of Gorilla City in a trilogy of tales that ran through issues #106 - 108. Also starring in #106 was another costumed villain, the Pied Piper. The Mirror Master obviously proved a hit with fans as he was back in #109 for a re-match and in #110 the Flash encountered the Weather Wizard for the first time. The Trickster brought his tricks to Central City in Flash #113, while Captain Cold returned in #114 and another Captain - this time Captain Boomerang debuted in #117.

However, it wasn't just super villains the Flash was encountering in the early issues of his own series. In #110, Kid Flash made his debut, when Wally West was caught in a freak duplicate of the accident that had given Barry his super speed. Wally's original costume was a duplicate of Barry's (only smaller of course) but sidekicks were "in" at the time and Wally would often feature in back up stories in the Flash as well as sometimes teaming up with his mentor - such as in #120. Later (#135) Wally would receive his more familiar yellow and red costume, which would serve him for the best part of two decades. Shortly after the introduction of Kid Flash, the Flash encountered Ralph Dibny, the Elongated Man in #112. At first, Barry thought the Elongated Man was a criminal, but by the end of the lead story in this issue, Ralph was exonerated, and the two men became firm friends. Editor Julius Schwartz was developing a number of friendships across the books he edited and chief among them was a friendship between Green Lantern and the Flash. The two first teamed up in Green Lantern #13 and the friendship was cemented during several shared adventures including the ones in Flash #131 and #143.

The most far reaching team -up of Barry's career was to come about in the classic Flash #123, "Flash of Two Worlds" in which the Scarlet Speedster met his "hero" Jay Garrick, the original Flash from the Golden Age of comics, and the concept of Earth Two was launched. Subsequent team ups between the two Flashes included the reintroduction of the Justice Society of America in #137's "Vengeance of the Immortal Villain," as the heroes pitted their wits against Vandal Savage. In the meantime, the villains just kept coming, as Abra Kadabra - a magician from the future made his debut in #128, Heat Wave made things hot for the Flash in #140, and the Top put him in a spin in # 141. However, it was the introduction of Eobard Thawne - the Reverse Flash (or Professor Zoom) in #140 that would have the most far reaching and long lasting effect upon Barry Allen's future.

When Barry and Iris finally got around to tying the knot, (#165), the Reverse Flash tried to take his place at the altar. Although Barry foiled his arch -foe on this occasion, history would repeat itself later in the series. After the death of Iris (accidentally shot at a costume ball), Barry was about to get re-married. Thawne was about to kill his fiance, but in order to prevent that happening, Barry snapped the neck of his enemy - an event which led to the two-year plus "Trial of the Flash," which concluded the series and led to the seeming demise of Barry Allen in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

With science-based stories by the likes of Gardner Fox, John Broome, and Robert Kanigher, and the sleek angular artistic lines provided by Carmine Infantino, the Flash became one of the most popular and attractive books in the DC line throughout the Silver Age and indeed its impressive 246 issue run. The series ended with issue 350 and was continued a little more over a year into The Flash Volume 2.

Collected EditionsFlash Archives Vol. 1 (#105-108)Flash Omnibus (#105-132)Showcase Presents: The Flash vol. 1 (#105-111)Flash Archives Vol. 2 (#109-116)Flash Archives Vol. 3 (#117-124)Showcase Presents: The Flash vol. 2 (#120-140)Flash Archives Vol. 4 (#125-132)Flash Archives Vol. 5 (#133-141)Showcase Presents: The Flash vol. 3 (#141-161)Flash Archives Vol. 6 (#142-150)Showcase Presents: The Flash vol. 4 (#162-184)Absolute Green Lantern/Green Arrow (#217-219 & 226)Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash (#323-7, 329-336, 340-350)

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