Issue Description

Speeding along through downtown Central City, The Flash notices floating letters that make a message (Halt, Flash!) in which he crashes right into and sees that its made up of ice--which confirms eyewitness reports that Captain Cold is back in town.

Asking where he would like his jail cell facing this time, The Flash goes to take Cold in yet he slides past the criminal for it seems Cold has created a new gun which uses a type of organic ice compound that's friction-proof as well as it won't melt or scrap off for its ammo.

About to finish him off, Cold shoots and Flash gets away by a hair with boots left behind. Moments later, a fishing wire comes to hook the new gun away to the rooftops in which Cold follows as Flash is a bit freezer burned but not worse for wear.

Upon the roof, Cold threatens to blast the woman whom had hooked his new gun--which is indeed is very own sister, Golden Glider. Cold is confused why she didn't allow him to finish off the Flash once and for all, but its due to the fact that Glider wants Flash to suffer like she has due to the Death of her love, The Top in which was Flash's fault.

Trying to convince her that it won't do much against Flash, Gilder doesn't care for it will make her feel better and runs off to Top's grave and vows to avenge him.

Meanwhile, Barry Allen and a co-worker back at the lab study The Flash suit to see exactly what Captain Cold's Gun did to the fabric in which is based on the concept of 'Freeze-Drying'.  Outside the police station, there's a box that seems 'For Flash's Eyes Only.'  A call is given out and Barry changes into a new suit to assess the new situation at hand with this box.

Going to move the box to another locale, the box cracks open and a small ice burg is inside that starts to grow. It takes a bit but Flash zips about the ice burg and melts. Captain Cold sees another opportunity to take out The Flash but is taken out by knockout gas but not before seeing who it was doing this to him. It was sis own Sister yet again and she takes the new gun while leaving Cold there for Flash to take him into custody.

Barry comes home and is met in a deep kiss not by Iris but another woman Daphne Dean; an old childhood sweetheart of his whom is an actress. Somehow getting amnesia, Her shrink comes with and says to get her memories back, staying with Barry and Iris would help. As much as Barry is hopeful that it'll work, Iris isn't convinced that the situation is sound and eventually brings to light that it was all a hoax.

Outside the home, Golden Glider has found the residence of The Flash with one of the many helpful gadgets that The Top created. Iris leaves the house while Barry follows after to try and make up for his nativity but Iris isn't allowing it to slide so easily. Lip-reading from a ways off, Golden Glider comes to a conclusion that the woman with Flash must be his lover. Taking the opportunity to strike, Golden Glider does so with more of Top's Gadgets upon the couple.

Flash saves himself and Iris but then is trapped within a swirling top shaped energy barrier while zipping off so the gadgets couldn't get another chance to attack. Seeing her chance, Golden Glider kneels to takes aim with Cold's new gun. Glider fires upon Iris while stating: 'An eye for an eye--A tooth for a tooth--A lover for a lover.'

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