Issue Description

"How Do You Kill A Legend?"

A time traveler, Kryad, confirms his presence in the proper era, by visiting the headquarters of several members of the Justice League of America. Police Captain, Darryl Frye, and police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, are running in the park. Allen shoves Frye out of the way, when Kryad's ship nearly collides with them. Kryad abducts Allen, while altering Frye's memories of the morning's events. Allen, as the Flash, brings Kryad's ship to a full stop. Kryad reveals himself, and his origins as a time traveler. Kryad had come back in time to steal the Green Lantern's Power Ring, but was unable to make contact with the Emerald Gladiator. Kryad has now decided to steal the Flash's super-human speed, a process that will kill the Flash.

The Flash suddenly finds himself paralyzed, allowing Kryad the opportunity to begin the power stealing process. The Flash concentrates on speeding up his heart rate, accelerating his blood cells, setting off a chain reaction, that frees him from the paralysis field. Kryad is quickly subdued. Having glimpsed Kryad's motivation for coming back in time, while in telepathic contact with him, the Flash offers his aid. The Flash, and Kryad, head back further in time, to the night an incredible laboratory accident created the Flash. After watching history repeat itself, the Flash and Kryad collect Allen's chemical-drenched lab coat. Kryad extracts the necessary molecules from the lab coat, to endow himself with super-human speed.

The Flash gives Kryad a spare costume, so that Kryad may become the Flash of his century. Kryad returns to his time, to confront the threat of an alien creature that is feeding off the psychic energy of Kryad's people. Kryad attempts to vibrate the creature into the ground, but the alien horror is able to counter Kryad's vibrations with it's own. Having stowed away aboard Kryad's ship, the Flash appears, begging Kryad to change tactics. Kryad, though, is resolute in his actions. Kryad gyrates his molecule to a lethal frequency, disintegrating himself and the creature. Having glimpsed the scarlet blur of the Flash, racing about at super-human speed, the people of Kryad's time recognize their savior. A statue of the Flash is erected, in memory of the hero who saved their world.

Tomorrow Is Forever

Kent Nelson discovers the dead body of his wife, Inza, in the ruins of California. Inza's astral form makes contact with Nelson, apprising him of the current crisis. A Lord Of Chaos, Malferrazae, is intent on ushering in the apocalypse, in order to remake the world in his image. The only thing standing in Malferrazae's way... Doctor Fate. To deal with Doctor Fate, Malferrazae gave form to Inza's jealousy, creating a spiteful horror.

Doctor Fate was trying to merge Inza with her jealousy, when the creature stole the Helmet of Fate, severing Nabu's connection to Nelson. Malferrazae believes that Inza's death will spur Nelson to shun Nabu, thus ensuring Malferrazae's victory, The opposite proves to be true, when Inza pleads with her husband to continue the fight. Inza's jealousy blends with Inza's desire for Nelson. The creature throws itself at Nelson, who responds by kissing it passionately.

The creature is suddenly torn between it's jealousy and desire. In that moment of internal conflict, Nelson strikes, and reclaims the Helmet of Fate. Miles away, in Mexico City, Malferrazae knows that he is undone. Doctor Fate restores Inza to life. Growing to truly epic proportions, Doctor Fate literally straddles the Earth, then casts a spell that reverses all the chaos and damage Malferrazae has wrought. The Lord of Chaos is destroyed. Inza is happily reunited with her husband. The couple return to Salem, to await the next, inevitable crisis.

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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