Issue Description

The Ringmaster grants an exclusive interview to Picture News reporter, Iris West. Unbeknownst to the Ringmaster, and West, they are being tailed by the Flash. Overcoming his bout of jealousy, the Flash breaks off his pursuit, and returns to police headquarters. The captain of the precinct house escorts Doctor Soames to the holding cell. There, Doctor Soames begins her interview/analysis of Lisa Snart, the notorious Golden Glider. Snart uses a diamond-shaped ice cube to mesmerize Soames.

With Soames thus entranced, Snart reveals the details of her latest revenge scheme against the Flash. Snart had outfoxed the Flash in their last encounter. Snart then hypnotized a young writer, Beau Baer, into becoming her pawn, the Ringmaster. Snart staged a very public confrontation with the Ringmaster, allowing Central City's newest champion to apprehend her. The captain of the precinct house, also mesmerized, returns with Snart's Golden Glider costume, and weaponry.

Leaving Soames entranced, Snart breaks jail. Police forensic scientist, Barry Allen, responds to the alarm, as the Flash. In a matter of seconds, the Flash has searched every floor of police headquarters, until he comes face-to-face with the Golden Glider. The Flash charges the Golden Glider, only to lose traction on the pearls she has strewn across the floor. The Flash skids right out the window. So fast is the Flash, he is able to literally run across the falling shards of glass, back up to the window.

He stops short, however, when he sees West in an amorous embrace with the Ringmaster, passionately kissing him. The Flash begins to fall. Realizing he's just fallen for one of the Golden Glider's illusions, the Flash skids to a halt along the wall, then runs back up to the window. The Flash leaps onto the Golden Glider's ice-trail, in hot pursuit of his quarry. The ice-trail, however, is being generated by a pair of remote controlled skates. The Golden Glider has made good her escape, and outfoxed the Flash again.

Realizing he's lost the faith of the populace of Central City, the Flash begins a vigorous campaign of super-speed rescues, and crime fighting. The Ringmaster holds a press conference, with West by his side, offering to team-up with the Flash, to bring the Golden Glider to justice. West returns home to a very jealous husband. The Flash, as Allen, all but accuses West of infidelity. West doesn't deny his accusations. Adding fuel to Allen's anger, and fears, is the fact that West has stopped wearing her wedding ring.

In it's place on her finger is a ring given to her by the Ringmaster. Abruptly, West storms out, declaring her intention to resume her unmarried life. Allen is left in a state of shock and despair. The Ringmaster escorts West around Central City. Suddenly, their attention is drawn to the falling body of the Flash. The Ringmaster snags the Flash's ankles, and wrist, with his levitating rings. The "Flash", though, turns out to simply be a dummy, with a note taped to it, declaring that "Flash Is Finished!" The real Flash arrives to accept the Ringmaster's offer of a partnership.

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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