FLASH, THE 219
styled after that of the Greek God Hermes. Garrick was also a charter member of the
Justice Society of America (fi rst seen in All-Star Comics #3).
Like many Golden Age heroes, Jay Garrick’s solo adventures were unremarkable as
the character was initially relegated to fi ghting petty thugs, spies, and the occasional
jewel thief or mad scientist. Later adventures would feature villains such as the Fiddler,
the Shade, and Vandal Savage. It was with the Justice Society that some of the Flash’s
villains began to take shape. With the success of Flash Comics , Jay Garrick’s role in the
JSA began to diminish. Flash Comics lasted to issue #104 (February 1949), then became
a victim of the postwar Superhero downturn.
Less than a decade later the Silver Age revival of comics began, and a second Flash
was introduced in Showcase #4 (September–October 1956). Th is Flash is police sci-
entist Barry Allen who, while working in his chemical lab, is struck by lightning. Th e
combination of chemicals and lightening imbues Allen with super speed abilities. Tak-
ing inspiration from comic book character Jay Garrick (later revealed to be living on a
parallel Earth), Allen takes on the role of the Flash. Th e initial reception of Barry Allen
in Showcase led to the revival of Flash Comics , now titled Th e Flash , with issue #105
dated February–March 1959. Five issues later, Kid Flash, Wally West (who somehow
received his abilities in an accident similar to Allen’s) was introduced to readers. Th e
Silver Age Flash adventures would showcase the artistic talents of Carmine Infantino,
who had also worked on the later Flash Comics adventures.
It was with Flash #123 (September 1961) that the concept of the multiverse was
introduced to DC readers. “Th e Flash of Two Worlds” featured the Golden Age and
Silver Age Flashes meeting for the fi rst time. Allen, while performing a magic trick,
vibrates into the dimensional reality of “Earth-Two”, the reality where Garrick and other
Golden Age DC heroes exist. Th e multiverse concept would quickly become a mainstay
in DC continuity, as a means for crossover appearance and team-ups not yet realized.
Th e multiverse was seen in many issues of Justice League of America and was a means
for not only creative storytelling but in introducing established properties from other
comic companies (such as Quality and Fawcett) to a larger mythos.
Th e Barry Allen adventures continued through the Silver Age with innovative plot
lines involving time and multi-dimensional travel. Th e Barry Allen Flash also had an
extensive Rogues Gallery of villains, including: Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Mir-
ror Master, Pied Piper, and the Trickster (among others). By the mid 1980s, as the DC
universe continuity began to confuse more than clarify, and the decision was made to do
away with the multiverse concept, with the Barry Allen Flash playing a key role in the
revamp. Th e Flash ended its run with issue #350 (October 1985), in which Allen trav-
els to the near future to live with wife, Iris. Shortly thereafter, Allen would be featured
in Crisis on Infi nite Earths. As one of the few individuals with the ability to traverse
the multiverse under his own power, Allen is captured by the Anti-Monitor. Th e Flash
would soon sacrifi ce his life to weaken the Anti-Monitor in Crisis #8 (November 1985).
Although the character would appear in various forms time and again (in one case as
the very bolt of lightning that imbued both himself and Wally West with abilities),
