Issue Description

A fearful Flash investigates strange goings-on at an amusement park.

Walt Dempsey conducts one final inspection tour, of the Tunnel Of Terrors, before the grand opening of his newest theme park. Approaching the exit to the Tunnel Of Terrors, Dempsey is transformed into an "Ornitho-Man", an extinct creature that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. Dempsey goes on a rampage, and begins to destroy his own theme park. The Flash responds to the trouble. The Flash engages Dempsey in pitched combat. Ultimately, in the Penny Arcade, the Flash triumphs over Dempsey. The blinding lights of a giant score board transform Dempsey back into a human being.

The Flash is all set to investigate the Tunnel Of Terrors when he is suddenly gripped by an all-consuming fear. Despite the insistence of the park's security personnel, the Flash refuses to enter the attraction. Undeterred by the Flash's sudden streak of cowardice, Picture News reporter, Iris West, enters the Tunnel Of Terrors. West begins snapping a series of photographs, documenting the attraction's interior. Unbeknownst to West, one of the attraction's monstrous plastic figures begins stalking her. Shaking off the grip of fear, the Flash enters the Tunnel of Terrors.

The Flash rescues West before she can be attacked. More of the attraction's plastic creature replicas come to life. The Flash carries West out of the attraction, then heads back in to confront the animated horrors. Believing that the flash of West's camera broke the spell of fear that had hold of him, the Flash uses West's camera on the animated creatures. The flash has no effect, however, and soon the Scarlet Speedster finds himself overwhelmed by the unliving monstrous figures. In a desperate, pitched battle, the Flash finally triumphs over his attackers.

Continuing to fire the flash of West's camera, the Flash encounters the culprit behind the shenanigans in the Tunnel of Terrors. Vardarr Varr, a scientist from the planet Koomool, had, millennia ago, established contact with the Ornitho-Men of Earth. Journeying to Earth to share their civilization's wisdom, Varr's ship was caught in a nuclear explosion. Varr's ship crashes on Earth, and was then encased in molten rock, as it solidified around the ship. There it lay for millennia, until the day Dempsey excavated the crash site. Varr's ship appeared as a strange gem, embedded in the rocks, that gave off an eerie glow.

Dempsey decided to build the Tunnel of Terrors around the gem, taking advantage of it's unworldly aura. Believing that it was the human race that waged nuclear war upon the Ornitho-Men, wiping them out, and destroying their civilization, Varr vowed revenge. The Flash uses his Cosmic Treadmill to travels millions of years into the past to learn the truth. Using West's camera, the Flash records the destruction of the Ornitho-Men's society, at their own hands. Opposing factions of Ornitho-Men waged a continental nuclear war upon each other, destroying themselves and their civilization.

It was this nuclear holocaust that brought about Varr's imprisonment. Having seen the error of his ways, Varr returns to Koomool, with an offer to resume communications with humanity. Dempsey's new theme park finally has it's grand opening, with West and the Flash his guests of honor.

The Flash (1959)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

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

House Ad

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)

Please first Sign In before leaving a review.

Status: Not in Collection