First appearance: Flash Comics#21 (September 1941)
Abilities: Counterfeiter
Worst act: Rigging a lottery
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
So we end our Bring on the Bad Guys for 2021 and the Fastest Man Alive comes to a stop.
This one opens with Joan being announced as winning a lottery. She isn't in the theater, so she won't win. Jay Garrick is and this insult to his lady won't stand! So he rushes her to the theater at top speed to claim the prize.
She gets the money, but Jay quickly notices the bill is fake. The Flash follows the crooks back to their lair and confronts their boss Tuffy. The fight ends as fast as you think and Joan gets the real money.
Not terrible, but as we've seen this month, so many guys in suits. Next time we'll focus on some more colorful characters.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
The Flash's gal pal Joan takes a more direct approach here. Deciding to take in an auction, she bids on a lot and wins. What does she win?
A utility company! Former owner Jim Coleman is reluctant to sell, but he has to as his uncle (the owner on paper) deliberately bankrupted the company to line his own pockets. The Flash gets involved and harasses the old man until he returns the money, at which point Joan gives the company back to Coleman.
Not the best yarn or bad guy. Sure he gets bothered but he really doesn't get that much of a comeuppance.
First appearance: All-Flash Quarterly#1 (Summer 1941)
Abilities: Gangsters
Worst act: Kidnapping, sabotaging hockey games
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Evert E. Hibbard (art)
Yeah, this one has a hockey theme to it. Joe Vickers has saved his money and bought into the Red Shirts hockey team. Problem is that gangster Gunner Parker owns the other half and he's currently feuding with fellow gang lord Dagger Daniels.
Daniels hates Parker so much he's willing to destroy the Red Shirts to do it. Naturally the Flash has to get involved so he becomes a hockey player and very quickly leads the team to the Manley Cup finals. They hit a snag before the final game when Daniels kidnaps the rest of the team. The Flash isn't bothered, so he throws together a new team of rag tag misfits.
Daniels loses and gives up, but he confess-it's really Parker who's been calling the shots. Yup, Parker just wanted Vickers to sell out cheap.
First appearance: All-Flash Quarterly#1 (Summer 1941)
Abilities: Gangster
Worst act: Attempted murder, arson
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Evert E. Hibbard (art)
Here we open with Jay and Joan taking in a show at the local rodeo. They see bull rider Jack Crofts get thrown from his saddle, but the Flash saves him. He also learns that the saddle was greased and the bull's horns were poisoned, so clearly not an accident.
It is soon learned that the Crofts have struck oil at their ranch and Benton plus his gang are trying to run them off. When Mr. Crofts makes it clear he won't sell, Benton sets fire to the oil but thankfully the Flash manages to put the fire out and turn Benton over to the sheriff.
First appearance: All-Flash Quarterly#1 (Summer 1941)
Abilities: Thief
Worst act: Theft, attempted murder, kidnapping
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Evert E. Hibbard (art)
Sadly not related to the Hawkman foe. Again, just another typical gangster. This time the Monocle hits a fashion show where Joan Williams is working (guess she quit being a reporter?) The Flash somehow loses the gang when they split but he finds their hideout when the Monocle issues a challenge.
Of course it's a trap and the Flash gets captured. He escapes but the Monocle counters by kidnapping Joan. The Monocle tries to flee via plane but the Flash snags him and busts up the gang and rescues Joan.
First appearance: All-Flash Quarterly#1 (Summer 1941)
Abilities: Gangster
Worst act: Theft, attempted murder, kidnapping
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Evert E. Hibbard (art)
A pretty cut and dry gangster. He learns that Mr. Norris has invented a formula that can turn living things to stone, so naturally he tries to get his hands on it. They manage to kidnap Jay Garrick but he manages to escape.
Thankfully there's an antidote in the form of an 'experimental plasma' which Jay takes before he and Joan get kidnapped again and turned to stone. The antidote kicks in and the Flash brings the gang in without issue.
First appearance: Flash Comics#33 (September 1942)
Abilities: Thief, shadow manipulation
Worst act: Theft, murder
Quotes: "By now the entire city is clothed in blackness! See that no cop remains in this city for the next two hours!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
Much like Two-Face, Lex Luthor, the Cheetah, and Solomon Grundy (and to a lesser extent the Sportsmaster), we'll take a special look back one particular member of our featured hero's rouges gallery that caught my fancy.
Now, endless parade of guys in suits and mad scientists aside Jay Garrick did tackle a few costumed villains, but I figured we'd look at the one member who's still be used to this age-The SHADE!
Which, looking back is honestly surprising. Two-Face had quite a few appearances in the 1940s before being brought back in the Silver Age. The Shade? He appeared a grand total of once.
Going from Flash Comics#33, we see the Shade as yet another guy in a suit. The only thing that sticks out is the giant machine he has that can vacuum up light.
Don't ya just love golden age science? Yeah, something must have stuck in Fox's mind because the next time we see the Shade would be the Flash#123 where we see the first meeting of Jay Garrick and Barry Allen. From there what would be a generic thief would be changed to a more themed character before James Robinson would totally reinvent the character in the 90's to the suave character we know today.
I'll give Fox and Robinson credit. The Golden age version was just a plain thief but Fox reworked him into an oddly dressed fellow who stole entire city but kept him as a generic villain. Robinson stepped in and gave him a backstory and so many moments of pure cool I could probably do a year of just him.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
A lawyer named Gypper Zilch? Was Al Capp ghostwriting this one?
Jay is out for a nice drive (begging the question why he'd have a car...again) when he has a near collision. When the man complains of being horribly mangled, this gets Jay on the case. Trailing the man to his lawyer, the Flash learns of an insurance racket. He trolls them good and exposes Zilch's scheme.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
Here we see the Flash tackling a restaurant extortion racket. Joan's gal pal Brenda runs a small eatery along with her manager Fred. Someone's been leaning on the place to get them to pay. The Flash investigates but the gangsters abduct Joan and Brenda. Trailing the crooks, we discover that the gang's leader is actually Fred!
Not terrible but yet another doughy guy in a suit.
Quote: "Get wise, Joan, and put a couple of hundred on the Beavers. You'll make five hundred easy!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harold Wilson Sharp (art)
Another sports story. Just when I thought I was out...
The ball team the Redskins have a problem besides their name. Seems their owner Mr. Clark is making them throw games while he bets on the other team. He's working in league with gangster Bouge. So, Jay Garrick joins the team and proceeds to leave everyone in the dust, but at least this time he admits that's a bit unfair for him to be playing pro ball and leaves the team.
Clark gets the troll treatment but he swears to live within his means and Jay leaves the team. Joan covers for him, saying that he thinks he's almost as fast as the Flash and thus it wouldn't be fair.
Quote: "The Flash! We-we didn't keel him! He-he's still alive! and-my moustaches!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Not as racist as it could be? Damning with faint praise I know. We begin with Joan and Jay seeing a friend off to Mexico to mine for silver. Somehow Jose's agents are also at the docks and decide to kidnap Joan and knockout Jay. Even Jay points out how ridiculous this is.
He gets to Mexico and proceeds to troll Jose good until he captures him and rescues Joan. Not the worse story to come out of the 1940's, but Jose is pretty much your run of a mill bandito.
Quote: "Hold still, dingbust ya! How can I clip ya when ya're always moving around?"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
These two hoods are going after circus owner Nellie Craft when Jay Garrick takes notice. He then proceeds to troll the two thugs to the point where he forces them to become clowns.
Yeah, another circus episode. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and now the Flash. Was the circus really that popular in the 40's?
Quote: "I keep an acid vat downstairs to dissolve the bodies of people I kill...it leaves no clue for the police..."
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
This one opens with Jay Garrick walking by a construction project when the tunnel collapses. Jay rushes in and saves the workers and Joan (who's covering the project for work). After saving everyone, Jay changes into the Flash and investigates. The owner of the company is cleared and the culprit is the man's rival, Joe Donley, who's trying to sabotage the owner's mayoral run.
After that a pretty much standard Flash by this point and Joe gets exposed and arrested.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Quite a few bad hombres this time out, but Tex is the only one with a name. Jay Garrick's best pal Jim heads out West and mines silver. He strikes it rich and Tex and his unnamed buddy try to strike him dead. Word reaches Jay and soon the Flash is on the case!
He captures the two without too much issue but trouble continues when it turns out the local sheriff is part of the gang. He lets the two escape and sends for a Texas gunfighter.
How does Jay defeat these desperados? Hardcore nudity (by 1941's standards anyway).
Yup, he keeps running the bandits out to the sands and ripping their clothes off in the process before leaving them in the heat before they confess.
Quote: "To think that one man-armed with rubber bands and paper bags-beat my submarine navy!!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Pretty straight forward and utterly of its time. Two nations are locked in war, Kurtavia and Nural. Kurtavia calls for aide, specifically the Flash. He answers and utterly crushes the Nural Army and Navy without a loss of life and thus peace is declared.
Quote: "Her sudden disappearance can only mean one thing-THE FLASH!! He's after me!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
The Chief here runs a gang. His latest obsession is glamour girl Natalie Nixon, who gets saved by the arriving Flash. The Chief is pretty generic, more so than the previous gangsters we've seen, but he does have one thing that sets him apart: Googly eyed glasses!
Yup, seems he spent a fortune on red lensed specs that enable him to see fast moving objects. This does him no good what so ever and he's soon captured.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Focusing on newspapers this time, as the Boss doesn't care for the newspaper owner John Baxter writing stories about him, so he kidnaps John and his daughter Anne. They get word to the Flash, who decides to help the paper first, mostly by writing/printing/publishing the morning edition and hand delivering it before going after the crooks.
Worst act: Diverting money from school board, attempted murder
Quote: "My men-helpless! And I can't even see who did it!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Here we have Killer Kelly. There's no quotations around Killer, so I'm guessing that's his name. He's been buying politicians and using them to divert money from the city to his phony corporations. The Flash gets involved when the previous school commissioner is almost mugged. From there he harasses the gang until they finally turn on Kelly and agree to testify.
Worst act: Kidnapping, bank robbery, attempted use of giant Gila monsters
Quote: "Go Chase Yourself!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Mostly taking place in Canada, here the Flash gets involved when an old pal of his calls for help from Canada. Seems strange goings on are happing in his remote area of the woods and he needs some help.
He also knows Jay Garrick is the Flash too but there's no time for that at the moment.
So the Flash checks out the Great White North and finds Yad. Seems Mr. Yad overheard old Doc Tyler talking about a new fancy chemical. So he kidnaps the old scientist and forces him to grow Gila monsters to giant size so he can rob banks.
Golden age comics everybody. One call to the RAF later and the Great Northern Woods are alit, Doc's been rescued and Yad's been spun around.
Quote: "This is awful! My mind is cracking! I'll tell him anything!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Odd finish to this one. When the Flash saves a bunch of people from a collapsing building, he finds that construction companies are being forced to buy substandard material while the sellers make a hug profit. The Flash manages to trace the material to Mr. Jenkins.
That's when Jenkins flees to the world of professional wrestling. Yup, he's going to wait out the manhunt by catching a few matches at (not quite) Madison Square Garden. So the Flash chucks one of the scheduled wrestlers out of the locker room window and takes his place.
From there he spots the one person trying to leave the arena, so he drags him back into the ring and tosses him up and down until he confesses.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
At least we don't have anyone fixing a race. No, Mr. Widdles is a murder. Old Mrs. Jones is offed and the Flash is on the case!
Mostly to show up the commish. Flash figures out the murder's identity and harasses both him and the cops so much Widdles turns himself in and the cops make Jay Garrick an unofficial deputy, mostly to get him to leave them alone.
Not the best motive for solving a crime, I have to admit.
Worst act: Kidnapping, destroying cars, attempted fixing of races
Quote: "I'll break you Smith! For not telling me about your latest invention-"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
This one opens with an interesting question, namely what would Jay Garrick need with a car?
Jay's out for a drive when a ray disintegrates the roadster. Peeved and perplexed, he investigates and finds the ray's origin; namely a scientist being forced to use his ray by gangster Black Mike. Yeah, Mike is forcing the doc to use a ray that melts metal without a trace to stack odds in an upcoming road race.
Quote: "I'm a...a fool, but if I don't you'll start to work on me, I suppose, like you did on Jonesy!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Another story focusing on gambling. This time Jay Garrick and his best gal pal Joan head back to their alma mater, Westin University, to check out the Olympic trials being held there. Sounds like a great outing, right?
It is, except that every single favored athletes end up losing all their races. One or two could be excused, but all? Suspecting something fishy, Jay enters the race as himself and makes it pretty clear he's the Flash. Seems a bit unfair but while in the race he discovers the plot-namely that Westin assistant commissioner Dorn, gambler Maloney, and trainer Jonesy have been drugging the runners and fixing the races.
He's not called on the cheating bit but he does remove himself from the trials so I guess everything works out. Also, kind of odd they're doing the Olympic things now (as or 1940). The last were in 1936 and the next wouldn't be held until 1948 but then again I guess they couldn't predict everything.
Quote: "Oh! This is not Delacy's work...I've been tricked!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
For this time out, we see the first proper super villain, or at least someone in a costume. His shtick is buying up artworks from various artists and then murdering them thus driving up the value.
He's been successful for a bit, at least until he tries the same thing on the artist Boleau, who happens to know the Flash. Despite the man's guns and thugs he's easily arrested.
Pretty good story, although I would ask why is this calling himself 'the Vandal'? He's not vandalizing the work but driving up the value. Plus his robes make him look like an understudy to the Monk.
Quote: "What are these people, ghosts-magicians-or what?"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
This time out, the Flash plunges into action, literally, when he plucks socialite Marcia Von Doorn out of the ocean. Her tale intrigues our speedy hero, as it seems she ended up in the drink when the owners of a floating casino tossed her overboard. Why?
She was there to rescue her finance Jimmy Norton and it seems the owners took some exception to that. Mostly due to Jimmy's dad trying to outlaw gambling. They're on a boat though, so couldn't they just sail a few miles out?
In any event, the Flash sneaks on board. After causing some mischief, he rescues Jimmy and brings the casino owners to justice. Not terrible but the owners are a tad bit generic, with the main owner even looking like Goll.
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Everett E. Hibbard (art)
Bit of a round about yarn. Major Williams comes back and he's in trouble again. Seems he's been accused of selling his latest invention to a hostile power. The Town Cackle, and its ace reporter Mr. Eddens seem convinced that Williams did it.
So the Flash has no choice but to forcibly strip Eddens to his underwear and leave him stranded on a rooftop. Back in the 40's there was no way to access a building's roof you know. After he gets borderline frostbite he confesses and directs the Flash to Mr. Berstoff. He passes himself off as a reporter and gets the spy to confess.
Berstoff also figures out the Flash is Jay Garrick, but that never comes up again. He tries to flee in a car and the Flash freaks him out by keeping pace with the car. Jay caps the caper off by making out with Joan in front of her father. Don't worry, he spins them around so fast they're invisible to the older man, which seems physically dangerous, but what do I know?
Quote: "But these girls...it's tough on them Goll!"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harry Lampert (art)
Moving into the second issue, we open with the Flash's gal pal Joan watching an opera when a shot rings out. This kicks off a panic and Joan tells Jay when he catches up with her taxi. Seems someone has been sniping opera singers all over town and people are starting to freak out. The only connection Joan can find is that the girls all knew Lord Donelin, so this sets off the Flash to Donelin's rooms where he finds the lord taking to his silent partner, Goll.
Seems the shooting of the singers is Goll's idea. Step ONE: Shoot Opera Singers. Step TWO: Cause panic. Step THREE: PROFIT!
Yeah, not seeing how gunning down singers is going to let you corner all entertainment in the world, but the two quickly run afoul of the Flash and go to jail.
Worst act: Attempted theft of the Atomic Bombarder, murder
Quote: "I can see that...you fool! The questions is...where?"
Created by: Gardner Fox (script) and Harry Lampert (art)
So, for this year of 2021, we'll be taking a look back at the Rogues of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. And who better than the first group?
The Faultless Four consisted of Sieur Satan, Serge Orloff, Duriel, and Smythe.
All scientists, they decided to steal the newly developed atomic bombarder by kidnapping the inventor, Major Williams. They failed to count on the major's daughter calling her old college friend Jay Garrick, AKA the Flash!
Satan turns out to be aptly named though, as when the Flash finds their hideout Satan electrocutes the other three and tries to flee... in a car.
Against the Fastest Man Alive. Can't say he lacks for confidence.
Not terrible and the story does help establish the Flash, but again the sight of lumpy guys in suits is going to be one that sticks with us for a while.
