April Brings Showers With Aquaman And Weather Wizard

Looking out for the people of New York faced with a sudden flood...

....Aquaman has to battle the Weather Wizard in the April drawing for the 1978 DC Calendar Of Super-Spectacular Disasters as drawn by Jim Aparo!

Flash Facts: The Early Days of The Elongated Man

Flash has had quite the collection of villains over the years....

...but equally important is the number of friends he made as well.

One of the earliest of them was the stretchable sleuth known as Elongated Man, who, in his not so secret identity of Ralph Dibny, traveled the country, using his ability to stretch, in mind and body, to solve various little mysteries that he would sniff out as they came to him.

The Mystery Of The Elongated Man

Ralph Dibny was really just an overgrown child as he first met Flash in Flash #112 (April-May, 1960) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.   Not literally, but Ralph had loved Indian Rubber Men from the circus since he was a child, and learned they all favored the soft drink, Gingold, so he made a more powerful version of this drink to really allow him to stretch, and headed out in his purple stretchable costume to solve crimes.  Problem was, Ralph looked like the best suspect in these crimes to the Flash, so the Elongated Man had to contend with Barry Allen's alter ego first, before the two teamed up to bring in the real criminal gang.

This story has been reprinted many times, including in Flash Annual #1 of 1963 (and its replica edition of 2001), DC Special Series #19 of 1979, in the second Flash Archives and Flash Chronicles, and the first Flash Omnibus and Flash: The Silver Age collections.

The Elongated Man's Secret Weapon

Ralph showed his love of the circus in Flash #115 (September, 1960) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, as he was working with one as a performer, and has made quite a bit of money, so takes to traveling the world.  The Elongated Man ends up in the Yucatan, following the trail of the Gingo, the plant which helps give Ralph his powers, and finds an odd red light (and a mystery), so he calls on his pal, the Flash for help.  The two heroes end up being reduced in size by  aliens, preparing to invade Earth, but the heroes stop them, returning to normal size after wrecking their shrinking machine.

This story is reprinted in second Flash Archive, third Flash Chronicle and first Flash Omnibus and Flash: The Silver Age collection.

The Elongated Man's Undersea Trap

Ralph's life changes forever in Flash #119 (March, 1961) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, as before this appearance, it is revealed that he married Sue Dearbon, and the two of them encounter trouble on their honeymoon in the Caribbean.  Ralph had been kidnapped by the alien Bredans, who had been capturing divers to sell into slavery for a while.  They capture the Flash as well, who goes along to find Ralph, who has lost his memory.  Flash helps Ralph recover his memory, and the two defeat the slave masters, free the other divers and let Ralph get back to Sue and his honeymoon, with Ralph basking in the glory (as he also does not keep a secret identity, referring to himself as the world famous Elongated Man).

This story was reprinted in Flash #209 of 1971, the third Flash Archive, the fourth Flash Chronicle, the first Flash Omnibus and the second Flash: The Silver Age Collection. 

Space-Boomerang Trap

Time for the Elongated Man to meet a super-villain (and make another cover appearance), and that happened in Flash #124 (November, 1961) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.  Captain Boomerang had been out on parole, but still using a special boomerang to commit crimes.  Flash calls in Elongated Man in for help, but the time-traveling nature of the boomerang attracts aliens, who Captain Boomerang joins with the heroes to chase off the aliens, with Boomerang then trying to use the alien tech to rid himself of the Flash, but Elongated Man stops that, and then the two work together to put Captain Boomerang back in jail.

This tale is reprinted in Flash #160 of 1966, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #2 of 1980, the Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told, the third Flash Archive, the fourth Flash Chronicle, the first Flash Omnibus and the second Flash: The Silver Age Collection.

Kid Flash Meets Meets The Elongated Man

Kid Flash and the Elongated Man had been alternating back-ups in the Flash for a while, so in Flash #130 (August, 1962) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, it was time for the two heroes to team-up (as Barry was to be busy, working with Green Lantern Hal Jordan).  Elongated Man called Flash for help with a case, but as Barry was going on vacation, Barry went to Kid Flash to recruit him instead.  Oakley County had been snowed in, and isolated from the world, and Kid Flash and Elongated Man figured out that it was Weather Wizard, using his control over the weather to blackmail the town.  The two heroes work together to find and disable the machine the Weather Wizard was using to blanked the town in winter weather.

This story was reprinted in Four Star Spectacular #2 of 1976, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #2 of 1980, the fourth Flash Archives, the first Flash Omnibus and in the second Flash: The Silver Age Collection. 

The Man Who Mastered Absolute Zero

The next Flash/Elongated Man team-up happened in Flash #134 (February, 1963) by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, and pitted the pair against one of the Flash's oldest villains, Captain Cold.  Flash and Elongated Man go to help scientist Dr. Hutson with a malfunctioning computer, but are unable to find any trouble.  Flash then goes to stop Captain Cold from a prison break, but Elongated Man stops Flash.  Flash then tracks Captain Cold down again, but again, Elongated Man works to stop the Flash, so Barry knocks out Ralph, captures Captain Cold, and has to find out what's wrong with his friend.  Turns out the computer had been infected with a radiation which made it work opposite as to how it was suppose to, and somehow that Elongated Man had been infected with that radiation as well.

This story was reprinted in 100-Page Super Spectacular #DC-22 of 1973, and in the fifth Flash Archive.

The Pied Piper's Double Doom

Elongated Man's last appearance in the Flash of the 1960s happened in Flash #138 (August, 1963) by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella, facing off against the Pied Piper.  This time, Pied Piper hypnotizes the Elongated Man into stealing for him, then forgetting what he has done.  While investigating Ralph's unintentional crime, Pied Piper uses his hypnosis on the speedster, then having him commit a crime as well, then forget it too.  Elongated Man figures out Flash was behind the second crime, and the two crimefighters figure out that they were both controlled, track down Pied Piper, and Flash, using Ralph's Gingold, surprise Pied Piper, defeating him.

This story was reprinted in DC Special Series #24 of 1981 and in the fifth Flash Archive.  Elongated Man must have felt dejected being used against the Flash, as he and Sue must have needed a change.

Nothing too terrible happened to the Elongated Man and Sue, they just moved over to Detective Comics, starting with issue #327 as a back-up feature to Batman and Robin, where Ralph's nose twitched whenever he smelled a mystery (much to Sue's chagrin).  Elongated Man even was cover featured in full length team-ups with Batman in Detective Comics #331 and #343 of the 1960s.

During his run in Detective Comics, Elongated Man faced Chronos and Riddler, changed costumes twice (once a yellow one, then a more familiar red and blue)...

...as well as teaming up with Zatanna so he could be there for the end of her quest to find her father in Justice League of America #51 in 1967.  Ralph and Sue's back-ups in Detective Comics ended with issue #383 in 1968, then took a few years for him to return in Flash #206, joining the Justice League soon after in Justice League of America #105 in 1973, where he remained almost to the end of this run of the Justice League of America (even changing to a more purple costume, all without a mask, as Ralph had decided early on not to hide his identity, loving the fame)...

....then returning to Justice League Europe after the Invasion!, even having one four issue limited series in the 1990s, as well as a Showcase Presents Elongated Man reprinting all the early Flash Elongated Man tales, as well as most of his Detective Comics tales in black and white, showcasing Ralph's deductive abilities and love of his wife, Sue.

Stretching things a bit, this is a pretty good run for anyone!

Flash Facts Flash vs. the Rogues

One of the things the Flash was most known for in the Silver Age was his Rogue's Gallery.


You can search far and wide looking for their first appearances....


...or just get the Flash vs. The Rogues tradepaperback from 2009, under this cover by Ethan Van Scriver, with a collection of the first appearances of Flash's most important non-speedster foes.


Collected here are the first appearances of....

Captain Cold

Leonard Snart was a cheap crook who stumbled onto a gold gun in the Flash's second appearance, in Showcase #8 (May-June, 1957, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), with "The Coldest Man On Earth". 

Captain Cold would be a driving force in Flash's life...and appeared next in Flash #114 (August, 1960, NOT in the trade, but mentioned so a cover with Captain Cold could be shown!).

Mirror Master

Sam Scudder used his knowledge of mirrors first to rob a bank, and then to become the Mirror Master, starting with Flash #105 (February-March, 1959) with "The Master of Mirrors" by John Broome and Carmine Infantino. 

Mirror Master was the first villain readers saw in the newly revived Flash comic....and he quickly returned in Flash #109 (October-November, 1959), also not in the trade, but a cool cover, nonetheless! 

Gorilla Grodd

Grodd was never really a rogue, but his first appearance from Flash #106 (April-May, 1959) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in the "Menace of the Super-Gorilla" made it into this collection (though not the next two parts of the Grodd trilogy, where Flash continued to face the gorilla, meet Solovar and find Gorilla City).

Heck, Grodd didn't even make it on a cover of Flash until Flash #127 (March, 1962)....story not included here, but the cover is to get a look at the furry foe of the Flash!

Pied Piper

Hartley Rathaway hadn't been happy in live, so he took his knowledge of sound and made himself into the Pied Piper to take on the Flash in "The Pied Piper of Peril" from Flash #106 (April-May, 1959, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), even making the cover of his first appearance!

Pied Piper even branched out in his second story (not in the trade), being recruited by Mr. Memory as the Flash foe in Justice League of America #14 (September, 1962) along with Green Lantern foe Hector Hammond, Aquaman villain Sea-Thief, Wonder Woman rogue Angle Man, Green Arrow evil-doer Dr. Davis and (behind the scenes) the Joker (to capture Batman), all while dealing with the Atom joining the JLA; though all these villains didn't make the cover!

Weather Wizard

Mark Mardon was an escaped criminal who got his weather wand when he found his brother, Clyde, (noted scientist working on weather control) dead in his lab, and used that technology to create his weather wand to give himself control of the weather...and menace the Flash starting with "The Challenge Of The Weather Wizard" in Flash #110 (December-January, 1959/1960) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.

Weather Wizard didn't make the cover of his second appearance (Flash #130 of August, 1962, facing Kid Flash and the Elongated Man), but did finally in Flash #145 (June, 1964) in a tale not in the trade.

Trickster

Jesse James was a messed up kid, being part of a circus aerialists (but was also afraid of heights).  Jesse came up with some shoes that allowed him to walk on the air, becoming a "Danger In The Air" in Flash #113 (June-July, 1960, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino).

Trickster quickly strikes back after his heist of a plane in mid-air, quickly coming back to play new pranks on the Flash in Flash #121 (June, 1961) in a story not in the collection.

Captain Boomerang

George "Digger" Harkness came into the Flash's life with "Here Comes Captain Boomerang" in Flash #117 (December, 1960 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), when W.W. Higgins recruited him to become his toy company's spokesman of Captain Boomerang to sell boomerang toys.  Captain Boomerang turned the tables and used the identity to rob the area.

This boomerang quickly returned, facing the Flash and the Elongated Man in Flash #124 (November, 1961), in his second appearance (which isn't in the trade).

The Top

Roscoe Dillon was a small time crook getting nowhere, until he came up with a spinning motif based on his love of tops as a child.  This led him into a spin-up with the Flash in Flash #122 (August, 1961 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino) with "Beware The Atomic Grenade" (a much larger threat than a spinning top, indeed!).

The Top spun onto his first cover on his own with Flash #141 (December, 1963), where we also met Peter Gambi, a tailor to super-villains in a stylish story (not in the collection)!

Heat Wave

Mick Rory was a kid who liked fire.  So much so, that he ended up as the super-villain, Heat Wave, and ended up making "The Heat Is On For Captain Cold" in Flash #140 (November, 1963 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), which started a competition between the two temperature opposite villains (starting a rivalry between them...and leading to a gathering of more Flash foes as well....).

Heat Wave's second appearance with with all the Rogues, but his appearance after that was in Flash #166 (December, 1966), still facing off against Captain Cold (but not seen in this trade), and Mick continued to be a thread to the Flash, eventually taking him on on his own!

....and the team-up of the Flash's Rogue's Gallery!  Captain Cold, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Boomerang, the Top and Heat Wave made live hard for the Flash in Flash #155 (September, 1965, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino), making Barry run "The Gauntlet of Super-Villains"...and there was a surprise villain the Rogues faced as well (who tried to make a monkey out of the villains).

The Rogues returned en masse for the second time in Flash #174 (November, 1967), making life hard for the Flash yet again in a story not in the Flash Vs. The Rogues trade, but, like all these stories, proving that sometimes things are better the second time around!

Flash Facts More Rogues Plus

Here's a few more fast facts on later members of the Flash Rogue's Gallery (and one who really wasn't!).

Technically, the first appearance of Flash's Rogue's Gallery was in 80 Page Giant #4 (October, 1964), but there were no new stories in that issue...instead, it contained reprints of earlier Flash tales...and a pin-up of all of Flash's foes by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, and included those who would become the charter Rogue's Gallery (Captain Cold, Mirror Master, the Top, Heat Wave, Captain Boomerang and Pied Piper), as well as a few who were never members of the group, like Mr. Element, Reverse-Flash, Abra Kadabra and future members Weather Wizard and Trickster!

Weather Wizard

Real Name: Mark Mardon

First Appearance: Flash #110 (December-January, 1959/1960)

Created By: John Broome & Carmine Infantino

Origin: Mark Mardon found his Weather Wand in his dead brother Clyde's lab (maybe Mark killed him?), and, after meeting with tailor Paul Gambi, was using the Wand to rain on the Flash's parade for years by making storms, lightning and more!  Weather Wizard also was the first of Flash's foes to branch out, fighting Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman & Plastic Man, Aquaman, Hawkman and more, even updating his costume!

Team Membership: Rogues (started with Flash #231)

Some non-Flash appearances: Justice League of America #41, Detective Comics #353, Action Comics #441, DC Super-Stars #10, Adventure Comics #450, #466, World's Finest Comics #276, Crisis On Infinite Earths #5, 9, Blue Devil #30, Secret Origins #41, Justice League America #43, Underworld Unleashed #1, Rogues (Villains) #1, Adventures of Superman #596, JSA #28, 30, 33, Catwoman #21, Superman/Batman #3, Villains United #3-6, Infinite Crisis #1, Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1, 52 #19, All-New Atom #5, Countdown #50, 47, 46, Salvation Run #1-3, 5-7 

Trickster

Real Name: James Jesse

First Appearance: Flash #113 (June-July, 1960)

Created By: John Broome & Carmine Infantino

Origin:James Jesse Jesse was a trapeze artist with a problem...a fear of heights.  Jesse developed a pair of "air walker shoes" and some other practical joker gimmicks, turning to a life of crime (and battles with the Flash, and was the first of Barry's foes to work with another - Captain Cold - to battle Barry and Jay in Flash #129).  Jesse started to go straight, first working with Blue Devil, and then after the other Rogues lost their souls to Neron, but...it never quite stuck.

Team Membership: Rogues (mentioned in Flash #231, started with Flash #242), Secret Society of Super-Villains

Some non-Flash appearances: Secret Society of Super-Villains #8-10, Black Lightning #10, World's Finest Comics #280, Fury of Firestorm #24, Blue Devil #6-9, 14, 19, Crisis On Infinite Earths #9, Blue Devil #21, 30, Secret Origins #24, 41, Outsiders #9, Underworld Unleashed #1-3, Impulse #14, 15, Rogues (Villains) #1, Impulse #39, Catwoman #69-71, JLA: Foreign Bodies, Justice Leagues: Justice League of Amazons #1, Countdown #51, 50, 49, 47, 46, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 34, 33, 32, 30, 29, 28, 27, Blackest Night: The Flash #1-3

Golden Glider

Real Name: Lisa Snart

First Appearance: Flash #250 (June, 1977)

Created By: Cary Bates & Irv Novick

Origin: Lisa Snart was the sister of Captain Cold, and wanted her never to be near the Rogues.  So, what does she do....but date the Top (who teaches her spinning moves she uses as an ice skater).  After the Top died, Lisa became the Golden Glider (getting ice skates that allowed her to fly and other jewelry and cold related weapons to use against the Flash).  She manipulated other men, like the Ringmaster and Chillblaine (providing cold weapons to a multiple of Chillblaines, until the last one killed her).

Team Membership: Rogues (started working with in Blue Devil #30, but not really a team player)

Some non-Flash appearances: Crisis On Infinite Earths #9, Blue Devil #30, 

Blackest Night: The Flash #1-3

Rainbow Raider

Real Name: Roy G. Bivolo

First Appearance: Flash #286 (June, 1980)

Created By: Cary Bates & Don Heck

Origin: Roy G. Bivolo wanted to be an artist, but...he was color-blind!  That didn't deter him, instead he invented "prisma-goggles" which allowed him to manipulate light to his will, and started to steal art for himself!  Flash stopped him, again again, even when he worked with the Shade and Dr. Double X.  Rainbow Raider then joined the Rogues just as Barry Allen faded away for a time...and then fought Booster Gold, and had this technology given to Captain Atom's foe, Dr. Spectro.  When new Rogues formed, Blacksmith didn't really have a use for Roy... 

Team Membership: Rogues (started with Flash #350)

Some non-Flash appearances: Brave and the Bold #194, Booster Gold #19, 20, Underworld Unleashed #1, JLA #34, JSA #28, Blackest Night #2, 3, Blackest Night: The Flash #2, 3

That sums up the Silver Age Flash's Rogue's Gallery in all it's glory...

...other villains joined, like Blacksmith, Girder, Murmur and more..

...but not until later!