Flash Facts: Giant Flash Foes And More

It's a "Collector's Item Special", 80 Page Giant #9 Magazine (April, 1965) featuring the first classic meeting of Flashes Barry Allen and Jay Garrick...


...as well as the fantastic first appearances of Pied Piper, Dr. Alchemy and Captain Boomerang, as well as the end of the first trilogy of Flash's epic opening battle with Gorilla Grodd!



All this Silver Age goodness under a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson to dig into, so let's get to it fast!

Flash #123

"Flash of Two Worlds" from Flash #123 (September, 1961) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella is the first tale up....and it's a doozy, as well as being the foundation of the DC Multiverse!   Barry Allen is helping at a Central City community center when he vanishes while performing a trick to impress the kids there.  Barry ends up on a parallel world, where Jay Garrick had been the Flash for years (though not since Flash Comics #104 of February, 1949....our time, at least, which Barry knows thanks to Flash Comics he has read since he was a kid).  Barry tracks down Jay in Keystone City, they swap origin stories, readers learn Jay married longtime girlfriend, Joan, before this story, and the two heroes face off against Jay's old foes of the Thinker, the Fiddler and the Shade....with Jay being convinced to permanently come out of retirement, and helps Barry get home. 

Flash #106

Next up is "The Pied Piper Of Peril" from Flash #106 (April-May, 1959) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, which introduces readers to Flash's foe for the first time. 

Robberies are happening all over Central City, and Pied Piper is responsible, using his special flute to control criminals....yet nothing is being stolen. 

Barry has to work fast to defeat the noisy villain, and, does so after a few fast tries! 

More facts on the Pied Piper are here. 

This issue is also important, as it reveals that reporter Iris West is Barry's fiancee for the first time...

Showcase #14

Showcase #14 (May-June, 1958) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia, features the story of "The Man Who Changed The Earth". 

This is the first appearance of Dr. Alchemy (though not cover featured), but not the first appearance of this Flash foe.  The doctor had appeared in the previous issue of Showcase as Mr. Element, and while in jail, learned of the Philosopher's Stone, which allows its user to manipulate elements, which the newly named Dr. Alchemy uses to rob banks. 

This pulls him into a battle with the Flash, who Dr. Alchemy is able to thwart for a time using the stone, but eventually Flash is able to capture Dr. Alchemy, with Flash supposedly ending Alchemy's threat forever, by throwing the stone into space (though this does not stop both Dr. Alchemy and Mr. Element from returning!).

Flash #117

"Here Comes Captain Boomerang" is the title of the story from Flash #117 (December, 1960) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson that introduces the Australian born villain.

W.W. Wiggins, the head of a large toy manufacturing company, decides to start marketing boomerangs in America, coming up with the idea of having a mascot to advertise boomerangs, with small time thief "Digger" Harkness answering the ad.

"Digger" uses his new identity as Captain Boomerang to disguise robberies that he performs, with Flash quickly figuring out the plan...at least until Flash meets an elderly couple that seemed to be Boomerang's parents who clear the man.  This works until Captain Boomerang tries another robbery....and to send Flash into space tied to a giant boomerang!  Flash escapes, and captures Boomerang (and his criminal cohorts who were pretending to be his parents....but, Captain Boomerang, like his namesake, continues to return, both facing the Flash and later, as a member of the Suicide Squad!).

Flash #108

Last, but not least, is the story from Flash #108 (August-September, 1959) of "The Super Gorilla's Secret Identity" by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, the last issue of the trilogy of Gorilla Grodd (though DC monkeyed around, not featuring Grodd on the covers).

Grodd escapes Gorilla City again, this time using an evolution-accelerator to become a man (with a super-evolved brain), adopting the identity of Drew Drowden, who is up for the man of the year award, having made a great deal of money in the stock market.  As Drowden, Grodd built a factory to make a pill that would give him the control of mind over matter, but Flash, investigating Drowden, finds him....and Drowden reverts to Grodd to face his foe, but is defeated, and returned to Gorilla City.  Grodd would return, many times!

This was the second of two 80 Page Giants featuring the Flash, all stemming back from the first Flash Annual (which includes Mr. Element's and Grodd's first appearance) and Flash continues oversized reprints in his own title as well after the 80 Page Giants end as a separate entity...

...and you can take a look at Jay's stories in them here!

Flash Facts: The Early Days of Dr. Alchemy

A Flash foe that wasn't really a part of the rogues, and barely appeared in Flash comics of the Silver Age, Dr. Alchemy was still a deadly mix to any Flash story, and quite the threat to Barry Allen and his friends.


Here's a showcase of his early history....

Master Of The Elements

Al Desmond first appeared in Showcase #13 (March-April, 1958 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia) taking on the Flash with his henchmen, robbing jewelry stores as Mr. Element, using his knowledge of the elements to throw obstacles in the way of the super-speedster, even sending Flash into space....giving Barry time to figure out a way to defeat his elemental foe.


But, what does this tale (reprinted in the Flash Annual #1 of 1963, Flash Archives #1 of 1996, Flash Annual Replica of 2001, Flash Chronicles #1 of 2009, Flash Omnibus #1 of 2014 and the Flash: The Silver Age of 2016) to do with Dr. Alchemy?

The Man Who Changed The Earth

Dr. Alchemy premiered in Showcase #14 (May-June, 1958 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia), as Al Desmond escaped prison, armed with the knowledge of the Philosopher's Stone from his cellmate, Ben Sniper, which allowed the owner of it to transmute elements.  Taking on the new identity of Dr. Alchemy, Al embarked on another crime spree, with the Flash (alerted by reporter Iris West), but it took some time and a few little battles for Barry to finally figure out a way to take down the newly powered villain, and Flash throws the stone into space.


This tale was reprinted in 80 Page Giant #9 of 1965, , Flash Archives #1 of 1996, Flash Chronicles #1 of 2009, Flash Omnibus #1 of 2014 and the Flash: The Silver Age of 2016.  

A Little Crisis

Dr. Alchemy must have found a way to get his stone back, maybe with some help from his new friends of the Crime Champions (like Felix Faust or the Wizard) in Justice League of America #21 and #22 (August and September, 1963).

More on the Crime Champions can be read here, but it took the heroes of two worlds to defeat these villains (including Flashes Barry Allen and Jay Garrick, as members of the Justice League and Justice Society), all in their first Crisis together!

Our Enemy, The Flash

Al Desmond returned again in Flash #147 (September, 1964 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella), this time reformed, with no plans to restart his criminal career (planning instead to marry the lovely Rita)....until Al gets hypnotized by the Reverse-Flash, and reset as an evil man, as part of a plan to have Desmond stabilize an "Element Z", to give Professor Zoom his super-speed powers again.  This leads Mr. Element into conflict with the Flash, in which Al is successful, makes an amulet of "Element Z" to power Eobard Thawne, who escapes back to the 25th Century, leaving Mr. Element to hang for his crimes (but Flash follows him there, defeats Reverse-Flash, and comes back home to clear Al's name, and prevent Thawne from having the amulet as well).

This tale was reprinted in Flash Archives #6 of 2012.

The Mightiest Punch Of All Time

Reverse-Flash finds a way out of prison by fooling an examination machine in the 25th Century in Flash #153 (June, 1965 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella), and plans to come back to the 20th Century to enact revenge on Barry Allen, by turning Al Desmond evil again, and getting the mayor of Central City to outlaw super speed!  This makes it touch for Barry to defeat Eobard Thawne, but he does, hitting Professor Zoom so hard he loses his vibrations which sends the time traveler back to the 25th Century.  Flash also takes the newly criminalized Mr. Element there, where scientists are able to cure Al Desmond of his criminal tendencies (and Al Desmond is able to marry Rita sometime after this, as revealed in Al's next appearance, not as a villain, in Flash #165 of 1966, but that tale does involve the Reverse Flash, so read more on it here!).

This tale is reprinted in Flash #196 of 1970.  

The Curse Of The Dragon's Eye

Al Desmond returns as Mr. Element in Flash #216 (June, 1972 by Cary Bates, Irv Novick, Frank McLaughlin and Dick Giordano), turned back into a criminal and using a gun which can transmute elements.  It was a ring that Al wears which turned him evil again, where this ring has had influence from the stars (and that Al has had this hanging over him his whole life, with a flashback to his parents, Professor and Mrs. Peter Desmond), and if Barry wasn't able to stop him, Mr. Element could have become a human nova, ending all life on Earth in a fiery blaze!  Thankfully, Barry was able to save Rita's husband in time.  Al and Rita even have time for a peaceful meeting with Barry (at least for them) in Flash #221 of 1973.
 
Sadly, this tale has yet to have been reprinted. 

The Fury Of The Fire-Demon

Dr. Alchemy returns in Flash #230 (November-December, 1974 by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin), with Al being possessed by a demon named Vadtara, resuming his evil identity and battling the Flash with a slightly more magical use of his alchemical powers...at least until Barry finds a way to save the day, freeing Al from the demon's influence, and pretty much ending the criminal career of Al Desmond for a time, and being a good place to stop the issue by issue look at the life of Al Desmond as Mr. Element and Dr. Alchemy.



This tale has not yet been reprinted.

Dr. Alchemy vs. Mr. Element

Dr. Alchemy returned later in Flash's life as well, and even faced off against Mr. Element?  This odd tale took some time, and is something to be looked at later as Al Desmond and the life of Dr. Alchemy take an odd turn, turning into something else....the basic idea of alchemy!

JLA Foes Crime Champions 1

The villains known as the Crime Champions had beginnings on two Earths, and started working together in Justice League of America #21 (August, 1963) with the "Crisis On Earth-One" by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs.

First up, the foes of the Justice League of America....Felix Faust, Dr. Alchemy and Chronos, the villains from Earth-1 (where the Justice League of America lived).

Felix Faust

Felix Faust premiered in Justice League of America #10 (March, 1962) by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky and Bernard Sachs, wielding "The Fantastic Fingers Of Felix Faust" (basically, a magic user).  The sorcerer used the Justice League to gather 3 mystic items (the Red Jar of Calythos, the Green Bell of Uthool, and the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath) to free the demons Abnegazar, Rath and Ghast.  Though Faust failed here, Felix Faust continued to vex the JLA over the years (first in Justice League of America #49 of November, 1966), as well as the Outsiders, later.

Dr. Alchemy

Dr. Alchemy first appeared in Showcase #14 (May-June, 1958 by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Frank Giacoia), facing off against the Flash using his Philosopher's Stone to magically transmute elements as "The Man Who Changed The Earth".  But, Albert Desmond had faced the Flash in Showcase #13 (March-April, 1958) as Mr. Element, who used scientific knowledge of chemicals to battle the Flash.  Albert returned a few times to fight the Flash over the years, sometimes mostly as Mr. Element (starting with Flash #147 of September, 1964), but a few times as Dr. Alchemy, at least until a new Dr. Alchemy took over for a time (Alvin Desmond, not Albert; and Albert's Dr. Alchemy faced Flash as well, and was a member of the Crime Champions during their later return, then faced Blue Beetle as well).

 

Chronos

David Clinton started his criminal career as Chronos, a foe of the Atom with a clock motif in Atom #3 (October-November, 1962 by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson) fighting with the mighty mite in his home of Ivy Town.  These battles continue on and off over the years (after the first meeting with the Crime Champions, starting in the Atom #13 of June-July, 1964), and Chronos also perfects time travel technology, fighting with many other members of the Justice League and more, as a member of the Injustice Gang of the World, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, the Suicide Squad and more.

The Crime Champions continued their battles against the combined forces of the Justice League of America and Justice Society of America in Justice League of America #22 (September, 1963), and later returned for 2 issues of the Justice League of America....with the help of JSA villains, the Wizard, the Fiddler and the Icicle...of which there will be more coming soon!