Issue Description

The villainous Abra Kadabra casts a spell on Flash!

Police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, and his wife, Picture News reporter, Iris West, attend a performance of "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court". Afterwards, West rekindles her friendship with Margot Tyler, one of the performers in the play. Allen is introduced to John Cardine, the actor who played Merlin. Allen hears a loud voice, which reveals his secret identity as the Flash. As no one else reacts to the revelation, Allen realizes that he, alone, heard the words, as if by magic. Allen immediately suspects Cardine. West and Tyler head out to get caught up on one another's lives. Allen, as the Flash, invisibly follows Cardine to Ceramics Castle. Upon entry, the Flash loses Cardine, but discovers a gang of thieves robbing Ceramics Castle. The Flash quickly takes down the entire gang, and escorts them to the nearest police precinct.

Outside the station house, the owner of Ceramics Castle hands the Flash a curious medallion as a reward. The Flash momentarily glances at the medallion, then turns to hand it back. The Ceramics Castle owner, however, has vanished. Once inside the police precinct, the Flash is at a loss as to why he brought the group of thieves in. Apologizing for his mistake, the Flash departs. Unbeknownst to the Flash, his actions are under observation by three mysterious strangers. En route home, the Flash fails to notice a mugging, an armored car robbery, a mob war, and a jewelry store robbery. The three mysterious strangers are deeply troubled by the Flash's lack of action. Unbeknownst to all parties, the Flash is also being watched by the owner of Ceramics Castle. The owner's features blur into those of Cardine, before finally revealing that he is really Abra Kadabra.

The 64th Century native had been stewing in a prison cell. His only companion, an escape-proof robot, that monitored his every action. Abra Kadabra was able to trick the robot into providing the necessary material to build a "Psychonizer". The device suppresses those areas of the brain that allows it's victims to see, hear, or speak of evil. Using the "Psychonizer" to incapacitate the robot, Abra Kadabra escaped from prison and traveled back in time, to the 20th Century. As Cardine, Abra Kadabra revealed his knowledge of the Flash's secret identity, ensuring that the Flash would follow him to Ceramics Castle. As the owner of Ceramics Castle, Abra Kadabra placed the "Psychonizer" in the Flash's hand, removing the Flash's ability to see, hear or speak of evil.

Upon returning home, the Flash, as Allen, is stunned to see the Golden Age Flash, Doctor Fate, and Doctor Mid-Nite waiting for him, in his living room. Allen is informed about all the crimes he walked right past, without lifting a finger to stop. In his Tower, Doctor Fate became aware of a sinister force, originating in the future, that settled in Central City. Rendezvousing with the Golden Age Flash and Doctor Mid-Nite, the three Justice Society of America members traveled to Earth-1 to warn the Flash. Doctor Fate is unable to remove Abra Kadabra's "spell" from Allen. Doctor Fate reveals Abra Kadabra's next criminal enterprise. The Flash teams up with the Justice Society of America members to bring down Abra Kadabra. Though the Flash cannot perceive the criminals robbing the museum, the Justice Society of America, acting invisibly, aid him in the take down.

Doctor Mid-Nite detonates one of his patented blackout bombs, plunging the room into darkness. The Golden Age Flash steers his counterpart into the criminals. Doctor Fate animates the statues into combatants. With the Justice Society of Amercia's presence invisible to the naked eye, Abra Kadabra erroneously believes that the"Psychonizer" has, somehow, given the Flash an array of new powers. Abra Kadabra immobilizes the Flash by conjuring clutching hands, up from the wooden floor. Doctor Fate commandeers the hands, and has them swing the Flash at, and into, Abra Kadabra. Abra Kadabra levitates the Flash, and sets him to spinning like a top. Doctor Fate is unable to counter Abra Kadabra's magic, as it is actually super-science. Doctor Mid-Nite uses a device, called a "Cryotuber", to cushion the Flash's impact with the far wall.

Doctor Fate divides the Flash into multiple Flashs, surrounding Abra Kadabra. In desperartion, Abra Kadabra removes the effects of the "Psychonizer" on the Flash, in the hopes of erasing all of his new powers. Able to finally see Abra Kadabra, the Flash bombards him with the bodies of the fallen thieves. Abra Kadabra causes the Flash's uniform to constrict about him. The Flash vibrates out of his uniform, and beats Abra Kadabra unconscious. The Flash uses his Cosmic Treadmill to return Abra Kadabra to the 64th century. The Justice Society of America return to Earth-2. West, finally returning home from her night out with Tyler, spies Allen returning home late as well. Allen says he ran into some old friends, too, who were only in town for a short time. When West asks to meet them some day, Allen says she will. Provided, of course, that he can work up the courage to tell his wife that he is the Flash.

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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