Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84 chuqui version 1.7 9/23/84; site nsc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!ihnp4!nsc!chuqui
From: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Laurie Sefton, C/O chuqui)
Newsgroups: net.comics
Subject: Flash, a remembrance
Message-ID: <2933@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 21:13:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: nsc.2933
Posted: Mon Jul  1 21:13:11 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 07:23:49 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: The Warlocks Cave
Lines: 63

Well, what do you say about a comic that died?

I've finished Flash #350, and perhaps a short eulogy is in order.

I've been reading the Flash since #200 or so, and I've watched a good
comic, and a fun comic, drift steadily toward oblivion.  The Flash, while
being a comic with more of its share of villians (the Rogues Gallery being
one of the great bits of brilliance from Gardner Fox/ Carmine Infantino)
was one always comforting, because you knew that things were never going to
go *that* wrong.

Also, the Flash was the first Silver Age hero, with a completely different
background.  He made the clean break between the Golden Age heroes, and
help usher in the new heroes.  He was the first to discover Earth-II, and
while some have blamed him for the mess that the current DC universe is in,
you'd also have to thank him for introducing the Golden Age heroes to the
newer readers.  His use of both worlds brought about the best of both
worlds, with the fresh new characters of Earth-I, and the deeper characters
of Earth-II.  The current Earth-II comics, Infinity Inc. and All-Star
Squadron, owe a debt to the Flash, for allowing their world to come into
the hearts and minds of fans.

The Flash also allowed us insight into Earth-Prime, where the stories are
written.  The stories worked both ways, with Cary Bates visiting the Flash
while on his way to an Earth-Prime class reunion; and the Flash visiting
the offices of DC comics.  This was also used later, when Earth-Prime
denizens (Ultraa, and Cary Bates, once again) visited both the JSA and the
JLA.

When did the Flash start on its downward spiral toward oblivion?  Many
would say with the death of Iris.  Some would say with the events that lead
up to the death of Iris, that the writers had written themselves into a
corner that they couldn't get out of.  Nevertheless, when Iris was "killed"
it hurt.  And the Flash was one of those characters who you didn't want to
see hurt.  Then the Flash slowly turned into a whipping boy for the
writers.  Whatever could happen that would hurt a character, would happen
to the Flash.  He then found himself charged with the murder of one of his
greatest foes, the Reverse-Flash, who he killed inadvertantly, while trying
to protect the life of his fiancee.  Times continued to get worse for the
Flash, as the JLA attempted (and failed) to have him removed from the JLA.
His lawyer, and friend was grieviously injured.  Wally West, the Kid Flash,
found that he was dying from the same  effects that gave him his speed.
His face was destroyed, and he had it completely reconstructed, as to keep
his fiancee (now totally insane from her abandonment at the altar) from
further hurt.  The second lawyer assigned to his case turned out to have a
deep-seated hatred of the Flash, due to her belief that the Flash had
inadvertantly caused her father's death.  Even as we knew that the Flash
*was* going to be convicted, we also knew that his comic was going to be
done away with.

Which brings us to the present.  The Flash, as a comic, is gone, and
supposedly the character is soon to follow.  But one can't dwell on the
sorrow, and remember the Flash as he was meant to be remembered--a good
character, who made us feel good, also.

Laurie Sefton

-- 
:From the misfiring synapses of:                  Chuq Von Rospach
{cbosgd,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!chuqui   nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA

The offices were very nice, and the clients were only raping the land, and
then, of course, there was the money...