Issue Description

The police commissioner receives the Flash's uniform, along with a cassette tape. On the tape is a recorded message from the Flash, declaring his retirement from crime fighting. The commissioner asks police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, to authenticate the recording. Allen removes any doubt as to the authenticity of the recording. Meanwhile, the Golden Glider comes to grips with her newborn adoration of the Ringmaster, the new champion of Central City. Unbeknownst to the Ringmaster, he is also a pawn in the Golden Glider's latest revenge scheme against the Flash. More to the point, the Ringmaster was actually created by the Golden Glider.

The Golden Glider realizes that the man she selected to be the Ringmaster, Beau Baer, bears haunting similarities to the long dead love of her life, Roscoe Dillon, the notorious Top. Even the Ringmaster's costume design is reminiscent of the Top's. As part of her scheme to sow misery into the Flash's life, the Golden Glider had mesmerized the Flash's wife, Picture News reporter, Iris West, into falling in love with the Ringmaster. Now West had become a rival for the Golden Glider's own affections for Baer. To rid herself of West, the Golden Glider hits upon a scheme to manipulate Allen into murdering West.

Allen awakens to find an atomizer of perfume on his night table, with a note to his wife attached. Though he has no recollection of making the purchase, Allen chalks it up to the absent-mindedness he has been experiencing, since West walked out on him. Allen delivers the atomizer to West, at the Picture News offices. West is at a loss for words, upon receipt of the gift, but nonetheless holds true to her new love for Baer. Suddenly the atomizer explodes, incinerating West. Allen falls down to his knees in despair over his wife's death. West's co-workers contact the authorities, who arrest Allen for the murder of his wife.

In truth, Allen, moving faster than the eye could see, spirited West away to a safe haven, while leaving evidence of her "death" behind, then returned before anyone could notice that he had moved. The Ringmaster takes down two would-be bank robbers. After departing the scene, the Golden Glider appears in the Ringmaster's arms, dropping her screen of invisibility. As the Golden Glider had mesmerized the Ringmaster into loving West, his affections have now been hypnotically redirected to the Golden Glider. Allen fakes his death, in the manner he faked West's, and escapes from his jail cell. Before leaving police headquarters, Allen, running faster than the eye can see, collects his Flash uniform, and resumes his costumed identity.

Upon hearing the news of Allen's "death", the Golden Glider readies herself for her inevitable showdown with the Flash. West finds herself tied up, in the Flash Museum, watched over by the museum's curator, Dexter Myles. The ring which held hypnotic sway over West has slipped off her finger, restoring her feelings for Allen. To draw the Flash out, the Golden Glider envelops the Flash Museum in a giant emerald of pure force. One the Flash cannot penetrate. With the Flash distracted by the Golden Glider, the Ringmaster is able to snag the Flash with one of his special rings. As soon as the Flash attempts to vibrate his way free, the ring locks onto his molecular structure, stretching, and flattening the Flash out, until he fills the ring.

Using his booster rings to enhance his strength, the Ringmaster hurls the Flash out of the city. The Flash exercises his complete control over his body's molecular structure to bend the ring into a boomerang, which swings back into the Golden Glider, and the Ringmaster. The Flash dodges the Ringmaster's attack, then spins his former rival around, at great velocity, until centrifugal force has completely disarmed the Ringmaster. The Flash turns to confront the Golden Glider, only to find her frozen, encased in a block of ice. West has used Captain Cold's Cold Gun, taken from the Flash Museum, to end the threat of the Golden Glider.

The Flash announces the end of his retirement. Baer, finally back in command of his mental faculties, announces his retirement as the Ringmaster. Allen and West enjoy a long overdue, and very happy, reunion.

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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