Issue Description

Heat Wave's Blaze Of Glory!

Having overcome his crippling cryophobia, Heat Wave has finally gotten the best of the Flash. Heat Wave places the Flash into a cryogenic deep freeze, where the Flash will remain, undisturbed, for the next century. Heat Wave video tapes his victory, for posterity, leaving the tape to be discovered when the Flash is, finally, thawed out. Regaining consciousness, the Flash has only seconds to act before he succumbs to the numbing cold of suspended animation. Vibrating at super-human speed, the Flash sloughs off stray molecules into the cryogenic chamber. The impact of the Flash's high velocity molecules, with the chamber's molecules, begins a chain reaction resulting in a powerful vibratory wave.

The tremors spread out across the floor, up the walls, to the ceiling. A ceiling fragment shatters the cryogenic chamber, freeing the Flash. The vibratory wave continues to spread throughout the house, eventually causing the entire structure to collapse. The Flash barely has time to get the servants out of the house, before it crumbles into debris. Young Barney Sands, the next door neighbor of Picture News reporter, Iris West, and her husband, police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, pays a call on Allen. West rebuffs Sands' visit, stating that Allen is busy working on his collection. Curious, Sands peeps through the den window, and sees Allen filing away a large Golden Age comic book collection. Sands realizes that he and Allen are kindred spirits.

The cryogenic chamber's effect, coupled with the rapid thaw, has affected the Flash's molecular structure, causing his body to convert into energy, whenever he uses his super-human speed. As he patrols the streets of Central City, in search of Heat Wave, citizens are startled to see a literal crimson comet pass by them. The Flash catches up with Heat Wave, at a jewelry expo, within the Central City coliseum. The Flash dodges Heat Wave's first volley, by splitting his mass in twain. Upon reforming, Heat Wave catches the Flash with the highest setting of his Hot Rod. The Flash loses control of his molecular structure, launching into the air, a runaway comet heading into space.

The Flash manages to shift his energy form into one of pure light. Altering his trajectory, the Flash strikes the mirrored surface of a solar panel, and is reflected back towards the Earth. Heat Wave's blast of intense heat counters the effects of the cryogenic chamber on the Flash's molecular structure, returning him to normal. The Flash mercilessly beats Heat Wave into unconsciousness. In his cell, Heat Wave, as Mick Rory, takes solace in the notion that he has seen the Flash's unmasked face. The Flash, as Allen, faces an uncertain future, as he worries over what Rory plans to do with that knowledge.

"Origin Of The Flash's Uniform!"

Police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, is simultaneously struck by lightning, while being doused with chemicals. The combination results in Allen developing the power to move at super-human speed. Taking inspiration from his favorite comic book character, Allen decides to embark on a crime fighting career, as the Flash. Allen, though, finds the Golden Age Flash's costume impractical. While Allen is pondering the matter, he receives a phone call from his girl friend, Picture News reporter, Iris West. Distracted by all that has happened to him, Allen has stood West up, for a date, and she is furious. West breaks up with Allen over the phone.

Allen, though, is more concerned with how he's going to get his costume made. Allen approaches West's father, Ira, a brilliant scientist. Allen revels his newfound powers to Professor West, by playing a game of table tennis, with himself. Allen hands Professor West the design he's drawn for the costume. Unbeknownst to the two men, a pair of thugs are outside, waiting for the opportunity to steal Professor West's valuable stamp collection. Professor West use his skills as a tailor to sew Allen's Flash costume. Professor West also uses his inventive brilliance to create a special gas that expands or contracts the uniform, so that it may be stored in, or released from, a ring.

Allen receives a call from Professor West, who fears that prowlers may have broken into his home. Professor West is violently struck from behind, and the phone line goes dead. Allen immediately races over, as the Flash. After beating the two thugs into unconsciousness, the Flash races Professor West to the hospital. Upon recovery, Professor West has no recollection that Allen is the Flash. The blow to the head has also resulted in an acute absent-mindedness, which will plague the professor to the end of his days. Allen decides that it's for the best that Professor West is no longer privy to his secret identity.

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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