Issue Description

Black Hand watches a film reel of the Flash burning to death. Police officers, on the scene, find the Flash's still smoldering yellow boots, at the end of a mile long scorch mark, which is still afire. Black Hand is puzzled that the top story, on the evening news, does not concern the Flash's horrific demise. There is also no mention of it in the newspaper. The only possibility for such a telling omission is that the Flash is, somehow, still alive. Black Hand had stolen the Flash's protective aura, which kept the Flash from bursting into flame due to super-speed generated heat friction. As Black Hand's power-light absorbed the last of the Flash's protective aura, the Scarlet Speedster was consumed in flames.

Too late to slow down, the Flash vibrated his molecules to insubstantiality, while also activating the compression trigger in his Flash costume ring. The Flash was absorbed into his ring. A stray cat accidentally activates the release trigger, releasing the Flash from his ring. Moving at a much slower pace, though still super-humanly fast, the Flash headed home. Donning a new uniform, the Flash informed the police that he was, in fact, still very much alive. Back at home, the Flash, as police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, updates his wife, PIcture News reporter Iris West, on the current situation. By combining the fortified molecules of the Flash's protective aura, with the energy beam of the Green Lantern's power ring, Black Hand sheathes himself within an impenetrable force field.

To test his new invincibility, Black Hand heads out to a nuclear bomb test site, in Nevada, and stands at ground zero of a nuclear explosion. Allen offers to drive his next-door neighbor, Barney Sands, out on some errands. While they're out, they pass by the Centro-Dome, which a movie crew has rented out to recreate a section of the moon, for filming. For the sake of authenticity, they've even sealed the Centro-Dome, then pumped all the air out. Allen receives word, from a radio bulletin, that an unidentified flying object is robbing a bank. Allen investigates, as the Flash. Taking care not to run so fast he'll burst into flame, the Flash arrives on the scene. A power-light constructed flying saucer is vacuuming up the bank's money, right through the bank's roof.

Black Hand reveals himself. The Flash is quick to attack, but his super-speed blows are completely ineffectual against Black Hand's force field. Worse, the Flash's hands begin smoking as he presses his attack. Black Hand counters with a dozen power-light constructed fists, that mercilessly pummel the Flash. Vibrating his molecules into intangibility, the Flash attempts to flee through the ground. Black Hand stops the Flash, with a power-light constructed grapple hook. Black Hand offers the Flash a choice of dooms. An instant death from a power-light laser, or the slow burn of super-speed generated friction heat. Seemingly choosing the latter, the Flash takes off running. Black Hand pursues, following the Flash into the Centro-Dome.

Inside of his force field, Black Hand is unaware of the airless void within the dome. The Flash, though, is quite aware of it. No air means no friction-heat. Black Hand projects power-light holograms of himself, to fool the Flash into attacking the wrong "Black Hand". Black Hand is surprised that the Flash's super-speed exertions have yet to incinerate him. Black Hand fires a power-light constructed heat seeking missile at the Flash. The Flash runs straight at Black Hand, vibrating through him, so that the missile strikes Black Hand. As the missile is composed of the same energy as Black Hand's force field, it easily penetrates the shield, rendering Black Hand unconscious. The Flash uses Black Hand's power-light to restore his protective aura.

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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