Flash Comics #1

(January 1940)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

All-American Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[Origin of the Flash] (Table of Contents: 2)

The Flash / comic story / 15 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited)

Pencils

Harry Lampert (signed as Harry Lampert)

Inks

Harry Lampert (signed as Harry Lampert)

Colors

?

Letters

Harry Lampert (signed as Harry Lampert)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Faster than the streak of lightning in the sky... swifter than the speed of light itself... fleeter than the rapidity of thought... is the Flash, reincarnation of the winged Mercury...

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Flash [Jay Garrick] (introduction, origin); Joan Williams (introduction); Professor Hughes (introduction); Major Williams (introduction, Joan's father); Bull Tryon (introduction); The Faultless Four [Sieur Satan (villain, introduction, death); Serge Orloff (villain, introduction, surgeon, death); Duriel (villain, introduction, death); Smythe (villain, introduction, death)]

Synopsis

The Scarlet Speedster must face the threat of the Faultless Four, a group of brilliant but deadly scientists who kidnap Joan Williams' father in order to get his invention: the atomic bombarder!

Reprints

• in The Great Comic Book Heroes (Dial Press, 1965 series) (1965)
• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (Crown Publishers, 1976 series) (1976)
• in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (Warner Books, 1976 series) (August 1976)
• in The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told (DC, 1991 series) ([February] 1991)
• in The Greatest Flash Stories Ever Told (DC, 1992 series) ([June] 1992)
• in Golden Age Flash Archives (DC, 1999 series) #1 ([November] 1999)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)
• in Coleção DC 75 Anos (Panini Brasil, 2010 series) #1 - A Era de Ouro (novembro 2010)
• in Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC, 2015 series) ([June] 2015)
• in The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2019 series) (2019 [January 2020])

Keywords

Midwestern University

Indexer Notes

First line is "But before he became known and feared as 'the fastest thing on Earth,' Jay Garrick was an unknown student at Midwestern University..." The Flash has lightning bolts on his belt buckle and trousers.

[The Disappearing Plane] (Table of Contents: 3)

Cliff Cornwall / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Inks

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

A fleet of U.S. bombers wing their way toward Alaska...

Genre

adventure

Characters

Cliff Cornwall; un-named Army General; Lys Valliere

Synopsis

Cliff is on vacation from the FBI, but the Army nabs him for a special assignment in Alaska to put an end to phantom plane attacks on military aircraft.

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)

Indexer Notes

Writer credit by Craig Delich. The Millennium Edition incorrectly credits Sheldon Moldoff for the writer.

[The Origin of Hawkman] (Table of Contents: 4)

Hawkman / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Dennis Neville

Inks

Dennis Neville

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

In the weapon-lined library of Carter Hall, wealthy collector of weapons and research scientist...

Genre

superhero

Characters

The Hawkman [Prince Khufu aka Carter Hall] (introduction, origin, Khufu dies but is reincarnated); Shiera Sanders (introduction, later Hawkgirl] (Shiera dies but is reincarnated); Hath-Set (villain, introduction); Kolar (villain, introduction); Doctor Hastor (villain, introduction, death, reincarnation of Hath-Set)

Synopsis

Young Carter Hall, wealthy collector of weapons and research scientist, discovers that he is the re-incarnation of an anicient Egyptian, Prince Khu-fu. He is further amazed that his lady love, Shiera Sanders, and his murderer, Hath-Set, have been re-incarnated too!

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (Crown Publishers, 1976 series) (1976)
• in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (Warner Books, 1976 series) (August 1976)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)
• in Golden Age Hawkman Archives (DC, 2005 series) #1 (2005 [February 2006])
• in DC Comics Graphic Novel Collection (Eaglemoss Publications, 2015 series) #82 - Hawkman - Endless Flight ([September 2016])

Keywords

Ninth Metal

Indexer Notes

The title here was given in Golden Age Hawkman Archives Vol. 1 where this story was reprinted.

[The Kidnapping of Johnny Thunder] (Table of Contents: 5)

Johnny Thunderbolt / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

John Wentworth

Pencils

Stan Asch

Inks

Stan Asch

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

One night in August, 1918, Simon came home from the bank and found a crowd around his house...

Genre

superhero

Characters

Johnny Thunder (introduction, origin); Thunderbolt (introduction); Simon B. Thunder; Mildred Thunder; Priest of Aissor

Synopsis

Young Johnny Thunder is kidnapped from his home, given Badhnisian sacred rites and would become the most powerful person in the world at age 7. By a weird chance, Johnny is reunited with his parents, but is sought out once again by the Badhnesians, who are on the receiving end of a new, strange power Johnny has by saying the words "Say You."

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)
• in The JSA All Stars Archives (DC, 2007 series) #1 ([December] 2007)

Indexer Notes

Thunderbolt appears as a yellow streak of lightning and as a pink cloud in this story.

Warfare in Space, Part One (Table of Contents: 6)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox (credited as Gardner F. Fox)

Pencils

Sheldon Mayer (spot illustrations)

Inks

Sheldon Mayer (spot illustrations)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

science fiction

Characters

Billy Morton; Keith Morton; Port Commander Worth; Ralph "The Ruthless" Farnham (villain)

Synopsis

Billy's Dad has created a weapon that can be effectively used in interstellar space....and he wants to volunteer to use it against the space pirate, Ralph Farnham!

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)

Indexer Notes

Story continued in Flash Comics (1940 series) #2. There are three small ads for fireworks at the end of page 2 for Baltimore Fireworks Co., Spencer Fireworks Co., and The Brazel Novelty Manufacturing Co.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7)

Flash Stamps / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

non-fiction

Synopsis

Includes a history of Polish postage stamps, as well as classified ads from 6 stamp dealers.

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)

The Demon Dummy, Part 1 (Table of Contents: 8)

"Flash" Picture Novel / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Ed Wheelan (signed)

Pencils

Ed Wheelan (signed)

Inks

Ed Wheelan (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Ed Wheelan (signed)

Genre

crime

Characters

The Great [Harry] Dunstan; Madge Devere; Sam; Red (a dummy); Jim Devlin (villain); Tim (villain); Slim Grimes (villain)

Synopsis

Private detective Devlin, in love with Madge Devere, who in turn is loved by ventriloquist Dunstan, tries to pin a murder on Dunstan in order to get the woman he loves.

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)

Indexer Notes

Story continued in Flash Comics (DC, 1940 series) #2.

[Origin of the Whip] (Table of Contents: 9)

The Whip / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script

John Wentworth (credited as John B. Wentworth)

Pencils

George Storm (signed as George Storm)

Inks

George Storm (signed as George Storm)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

He was known as Don Fernando Suarez, a patrician descended from the Grandees of Spain...

Genre

adventure; western-frontier

Characters

El Castigo [aka The Whip] [Don Fernando Suarez] (introduction, in flashback); group of wealthy rancheros (villains, introduction for all, in flashback); The Whip [Rodney Elwood Gaynor] (introduction); Mr. Dillon (newspaper publisher, father of Marissa, introduction); Marissa Dillon (introduction); unnamed Padre (introduction); Sheriff Todd (villain, introduction); Carlos (villain, introduction); group of vigilantes (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis

Learning of a famed adventurer for justice in the past, El Castigo: The Whip, Rod Gaynor decides to assume that disguise to help the poor, who are being denied jobs and food, as well as being hit by high rents by unscrupulous vigilantes.

Reprints

• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #F-8 (August-September 1975)
• in Millennium Edition: Flash Comics No. 1 (DC, 2000 series) (September 2000)

Keywords

King (The Whip's horse)

Indexer Notes

The Whip is Eastern playboy Rod Ellwood Gaynor. The strip is set in the contemporary Southwest.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 10) (Expand) /

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

Home Recording Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)