Issue Description

A serum makes Flash appear dead. "The Explosive Heart of America."

"Flash?--Death Calling!"

Fast asleep on a park bench, the Flash is awakened by a beat cop. The Flash's death is plastered across the headline of every newspaper covering the Flash. Lost in his grief, the Flash slowly walks away, only to encounter a fleeing thief. The Flash fails to defeat the thief in combat. The thief is, ultimately, apprehended by a pair of baseball players. Forced off a bus for lack of exact change, the Flash continues to wander the street. Picture News reporter, Iris West, spies the Flash on the street, touching off a wave of memories.

Her husband, police forensic scientist, Barry Allen, had a busy day ahead of him, as the Flash. After attending a meeting of the Justice League of America, the Flash was to be interviewed, alongside Doctor Hollister, on the Davis Goodkind Show. Later that evening, West received a call from the city coroner, informing her that the Flash was dead. His fellow members of the Justice League of America served as pall bearers at the Flash's funeral. West wrenches the mask from the Flash, revealing the face of Doctor Hollister.

The good doctor, blaming himself for the Flash's death, has taken up the Scarlet Speedster's mantle. Hollister had met the Flash on the Davis Goodkind Show. After the Flash recounted a tale of his rescuing the nuclear submarine, Phaeton, trapped beneath the polar ice, Hollister revealed his progress in the field of suspended animation. That night, Hollister was accosted by a gang of criminals, in his laboratory. Their leader, Keech, demanded to be placed in suspended animation.

Hollister, having not progressed to human trials yet, refused. The Flash intervened on Hollister's behalf, accidentally being exposed to Hollister's suspended animation formula. Though the Flash was able to round up the criminal gang, immediately afterwards, he collapsed. Finding no pulse, Hollister pronounced him dead on the scene. In the court of public opinion, Hollister is held accountable for the Flash's death. Paying a visit to the Flash Museum, Hollister stole a Flash costume, tearfully donated by West, and donned it himself.

Hollister, though, proves a sorry substitute for the real Flash. Stooping to grave robbery, Hollister collects the Flash's corpse from it's tomb, and brings it back to his laboratory. Feverishly, he attempts to find a way to bring the Flash back to life. Keech, and his gang, return for the suspended animation formula. A stray bolt of lightning ricochets off Keech's gun, striking the Flash in the chest. Instantly revived, the Flash beats the criminals into unconsciousness. The Flash, as Allen, returns home, to a happy reunion with West.

The Explosive Heart Of America!

Police forensic scientist, Barry Allen, is surprised, in his laboratory, by the mysterious Colonel K, of the U.S. IN-T Agency. Colonel K needs the Flash to take on a top secret mission. When Allen waffles about, regarding contacting the Flash, Colonel K activates the hidden spring in Allen's ring, releasing his compressed Flash costume. Colonel K vanishes, leaving Allen standing there, holding his Flash costume. The Flash scours the Chinese countryside, in search of a hidden missile base. Thanks to a tip from a Chinese youth, the Flash discovers the missile base, hidden inside a mountain.

The moment the Flash enters, the mountain's defenses are triggered, and the missile launches. The Flash leaps onto the missile, and is carried all the way to the continental United States. The missile zeros in on a giant "X", placed in the center of the continent, Smith County, Kansas. The Flash destroys the landing beacon, which causes the missile to dissipate. Returning to his laboratory, the Flash, as Allen, sees a message, from Colonel K, scrawled on a notepad, thanking him for a job well done.

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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