Issue Description

"Run Flash--Run For Your Wife!"

On board the Justice League of America satellite, Firestorm, the Nuclear Man, expresses his incredulity over the Flash's upcoming wedding, to Wonder Woman. The Flash, as police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, meets with his parents, Doctor Henry and Nora Allen. Allen shows his parents the ring, then prepares to get ready for the wedding. A Guardian of The Universe appears before Allen. The Guardian informs Allen that Professor Zoom, the notorious Reverse Flash, has escaped. Allen resolves to take down Professor Zoom, once and for all. Allen's parents are startled to find Allen has left, without getting dressed for the wedding. Allen reflects on his last encounter with Professor Zoom.

The Reverse Flash had murdered Allen's then wife, Iris West Allen. At the end of their inevitable conflict, Professor Zoom had been left marooned in a timeless limbo, seemingly for all eternity. Now, four years later, Professor Zoom was back. His first act, to murder the protege of the master assassin, Sabre-Tooth, in effect declaring that only he, Professor Zoom, had the right to slay the Flash. Allen, as the Flash begins his manhunt for Professor Zoom at the Flash Museum. There, Professor Zoom has left a recorded message for the Flash, teasing his whereabouts. Ralph Dibny, the world famous Elongated Man, arrives at the wedding ceremony, in his own inimitable style. Dibny is introduced to the other wedding guests.

The Bride-To-Be, Fiona Webb, can hardly believe how happy she is. After scouring all the obvious places, the Flash finally realizes where Professor Zoom must be hiding. The wedding guests begin to wonder why the proceedings are starting so late, The Flash catches up with Professor Zoom, at the Flash's old house, the one he shared with his wife, Iris. The house is literally torn asunder by the battle between the Flash and his nemesis, Professor Zoom. Webb is in tears, believing that Allen has left her at the alter. Allen's parents attempt to convince Webb that Allen will be there. Meanwhile, the Flash continues his pitched battle with Professor Zoom.

All Demons, Adieu!

Ligget, a giant thug, has the drop on the Creeper. Ligget's shadow, however, gives him away, allowing the Creeper to elude Ligget's blow. The Creeper fights back, knocking Ligget over a stair railing, presumably to his death. A pair of television producers spy crime boss, Wesley Winterborn III, arriving at the Kraken Institute. Winterborn III, horribly mutated, has come for a cure to his condition, before his body, literally, dissolves. The producers are found, and taken captive by Winterborn III's henchmen.

The administrator of the Kraken Institute, Kris Kraken, himself horribly mutated, decides to end his association with Winterborn III. One of the thugs guns down Kraken. The Creeper bursts into the room, and beats down the henchmen. A dying Kraken presses the button on a detonator, that destroys the Kraken Institute, killing all within. Only the Creeper survives the devastation.

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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