Posts tagged The Flash

For this week and next week, I’ll be doing some DC Geography instead of the weekly DC History. Don’t worry the History lesson will continue in May. Source for the Geography Lessons is Atlas of the DC Universe. Check it out because I’m only covering about 9 states.

• Kansas- Smallville (Superman), Keystone City (The Flash, Jay & Wally)
• Delaware- Metropolis (Superman)
• New Jersey- Gotham City (Batman)
• Indiana- Fawcett City (Captain Marvel)
• Missouri- Central City (The Flash, Barry)

This Month in DC History

Solomon Grundy got his own book during the month long Faces of Evil take over in 2009. Although this wasn’t when he was introduced (breaking from my normal set up) which was in November 1944. 2009 was a year where the dead came back to life and who’s the king of the undead? Well I would argue that it’s Solomon because his whole thing is being a zombie.

What else happened in 2009?

• The Night got very Black when the dead rose in Blackest Night. Now you may be like my roommate and think this was stupid (but let’s be honest, his inner child is dead), but this was my entry into the DCU and I read every comic that came out under this heading. It was a nice smorgasbord that allowed me to get a taste of heroes I’d never heard before, like the Outsiders, but also see what it’s like to read about heroes I’d known for years, Superman. So good on ya, Blackest Night. Without you I wouldn’t be writing this up every week.
• Batman and Robin began a new with Dick Grayson under the cowl and Damien Wayne as his boy wonder. The two would fight the likes of Professor Pyg and even went toe to toe with Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Scarlet, the dark and twisted dynamic duo.
• Coming back into the DCU during the events of Final Crisis was Barry Allen. Time came to reintroduce him to the DCU which was done through The Flash: Rebirth. It had been 23 years since Barry died during Crisis on Infinite Earths and so much had changed. In the story Barry couldn’t stop wondering why he had come back to life but then gained a mystery when his touch killed a villain named Savitar. This would be the lynch pin that would eventually cause Flashpoint.

christopherjonesart:

DC Lego art. Lineart by Christopher Jones.

This is pretty awesome

This Month in DC History

Wally West was introduced in the same comic that the Weather Wizard was introduced in, The Flash #110. The nephew of Barry Allen, Wally found himself covering a chemicals when lightening struck his Uncle’s laboratory. He took the mantle Kid Flash until he became the 3rd person to be called The Flash.

Now because of a typo in the DC Comics Super Heroes and Villains Fandex, I though Wally was introduced in January 1959 and not 1960. Thanks to Darkseidr for reposting last week’s and pointing this out, causing me to check into this because I was planning on writing about Wally today anyway, and now I don’t look half a stupid as I feel about almost making that mistake. So enjoy the cover of The Flash #111 and…

Here are some more things that happened in 1960:

• Professor Ivo attacked the Justice League with his pet android Amazo. Amazo could absorb the JLA powers making him a one “man” Justice League but also got the weaknesses, making yellow fire particularly frightful for him.
• Captain Boomerang was introduced to cause trouble for The Flash. Although The Flash continually beat his foe, the villain just proved that no matter how many times you throw him into jail, he’ll just come right back.
• Hal Jordan got his own title. The first issue found the Green Lantern on a planet called Calor, a planet filled only with men, being terrorized by the Dryg, a creature that zapped the will out of people with his fire bolts. The problem came to the Guardians attention when they noticed the planets overgrown lawns, because no one had the will to go mow it. 

This month in DC History

Jay Garrick ran onto the comic scene in 1940. His powers were given to him through inhaling the vapors of “hard water” and he dressed up in a costume inspired by the roman god Mercury under the name of The Flash. Unlike other superheroes, he shared his identity with his girlfriend, Joan Williams. 

What else happened in 1940?

• So many characters were introduced! So many that you’ll be hearing about 1940 again later this year. Among those who were introduced were Lex Luthor, Clayface, and Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern.
• All Star comics was introduced as a comic where characters from DC four titles (Adventure Comics, More Fun Comics, All-American Comics, and Flash Comics) would have stories side by side. Readers were asked to send in a coupon to say which three characters they’d like to see added and which would they want to get the boot for the next issue. This however changed by issue #3.
• Issue #3 of All Star comics introduced us to the Justice Society of America. This marked the first team of superheroes DC had. The first issue was more introductory as the members of the JSA sat around a table and shared stories about their previous adventures making it pretty much like the clip episode of Community.

Last, but not least, you can’t go wrong by watching the Justice League episode Comfort and Joy before Christmas. It hits all the right notes for the holiday season.

This Month in DC History
The world ends, well if the Mayans have there way. So what better time to talk about the appearance of Darkseid in December 1970. He was in the second-to-last panel of Jimmy Oslen’s comic on a monitor and set the “Forth World” opus fully into motion. So tomorrow celebrate the coming of Apokolips and our new dark lord. This is Gordon Godfrey signing off.

What else happend in 1970?

• In the 200th issue of The Flash, Berry is hypnotized into thinking Dr. Lu was his wife Iris and that he’s just picking up a can of hairspray for Iris when he was really trying to assassinate the President of the US. Thanks to Dr. Lu’s lipstick, Berry snapped out of it and then ran around her island 200 times to attract missiles Lu has launched. So next time your in a Walgreens ask yourself if it’s not really the White House.
• The Teen Titans accidentally got a man killed and then joined a cult. Well maybe not a cult, they were criticized by the Justice League causing them to find a supportive hand in Mr. Jupiter, who asked them to forgo their powers and costumes to join a government teenage training program. Sounds like a cult to me.
• Green Lantern and Green Arrow got political. They tackled racism and class issues and when the Guardians of the Universe got on Green Lantern’s back for handling an issue in a way that Lanterns should, Green Arrow challenged them to come to Earth and see what was what. One of them went and the three over them went on a cross country trip. About 10% sure that is what Forrest Gump was based on.

(Editor’s Note: Sorry for the lateness of this, forgot to prepare it before and then I had work all day.)

Heroes | Anthony Taysub

These are all brilliant and beautiful!

This Month in DC History
Arthur Curry, the King of the Sea, was introduced in 1941. He’d spend over two decades as a bachelor before he’d get his Queen Mera in October of 1963 (Sorry I forgot about her last month). His powers included super strength, breathing underwater, the ability to talk to sea life and the ability to be mocked by people with the slightest knowledge of his existence. (He’s still my favorite so Shut Up!)

What else happened in 1941?

• Let’s see who wan’t introduced in 1941? Green Arrow and Speedy were introduced in the same issue Aquaman was introduced in. Jimmy Olsen went from radio to print also in November. Wonder Woman and The Penguin were introduced in December of that year. Thanks DC for introducing all these guys in the same year making this article even harder to write.
• World’s Best Comics issue 1 came out and then changed it’s name to World’s Finest Comics by issue 2. With Superman, Batman, and Robin on the cover, it contained a large array of stories including stories about Punch Parker and Lando, Man of Magic. Yeah I don’t know who they are either. We’ll save that for another article.
• Green Lantern also got his own series while Flash picked up his second entitled All-Flash. The Flash would have had a couple more titles but he messed up the time stream and they ceased to exist.

This Month in DC History

Barry Allen and Iris West ran onto the comic book scene in 1956. Barry remained The Flash for thirty years retiring after Iris has been murdered by Doctor Zoom and Barry killing him. You’d retire too if you had villains like Turtle Man, the slowest man on Earth. 

What else happened in 1956?

• Batman got competition as Kathy Kane donned a cowl and became the first Batwoman. Of course, Batman tried to dissuade her thinking she was going to get into trouble she couldn’t handle, it was the 1950’s after all. However Kathy wouldn’t back down until she was got killed in the 1970s.
• Tales of the Unexpected began offering science fiction adventures under the thumb of the Comics Code Authority. The first story was titled “The Cartoon that Came to Life” and was about a Martian Dragon-Man springing from a cartoonist’s page. From that we learned the valuable lesson be careful what you drawn. I’m looking at you tentacle porn enthusiasts.
• A mystery-suspence anthology also appeared titled House of Secrets. It contained recurring characters Mark Merlin, a supernatural sleuth, and the super-villian Eclipso. It wouldn’t be until 1971 that The Swamp Thing would appear on the cover of a revamped form of the title.

This Month in DC History
DC cornered the market on death while trapezing, by introducing Deadman in 1967. While Boston Brand got shot by a sniper and didn’t fall to his death through some malfuntioning trapeze gear, it is believed that people in the DCU brought their children to the circus to keep them from thinking about running way.

What else was going on in 1967?

• The question “Who’s faster The Flash or Superman?” was asked. The race ended without conclusion given it was hard to tell the outcome. This also the argument on playgrounds to be unresolved as well.
• Ted Kord got his own title which was short lived. However the first issued also introduced that blank faced detective, The Question.
• Black Manta was also introduced in Aquaman 35. Although it was his first issue, Aquaman considered him to be one of his fiercest enemies securing his seat in the Legion of Doom over the sea king’s half brother, Ocean Master. Ocean Master was pissed.