The Rogues have a night out circa 1989...

[icon_uk]

We start with lesson one in "Why you shouldn't take menu advice from Wally West"



YUCK!

But that's not why we're here.

This is by the request of jelly_ace , from Flash Volume 2, #19 (in 1989)

As shown in the preview pic, we start with Wally having a night in with his friend Chunk, a rather odd character, a physics genius who accidentally absorbed a sort of black hole and gained unfortunate teleportation powers, including making people vanish, apparently forever. Not an evil man by any means, but he had had some problems in his past, from what I recall. He and Wally had become friends, whilst Chunk tried to work out a way to get the people he's disappeared to UNdisappear. It was a slow process (I also have to assume that Chunk is partly distorted by the effects of the black hole, because I've never met anyone, no matter how obese, who looks like that)

They;re watching Laurel and Hardy, and Chunk wonders what they must have been like to know. Wally offers to introduce Chunk to some Hollywood people he knows if Chunk is ever in California. Chunk demurs and this leads into this little anecdote.






All of which strikes me as complete hogwash. Barry could easily survive such a thing, simply by vibrating through the debris, and creating a powerful updraft below himself by spinning himself at superspeed, he might even be able to save others that way. I'm sure I've seen him survive such a thing before. But anyway, that's not the plot here...

Wally's then current date, Connie Noleski (a model) shows up and, after having a (presumably superspeed) quickie (I kid you not, we cut from them fully clothed holding hands to Chunk leaving to go on a walk and when we cut back, they're in the bedroom, Wally is minus his shirt and Connie is brushing her hair) wants an exciting night out, and as luck would have it, Wally might have just the thing.

Meanwhile... elsewhere in Central City... And remember that this is still very, very early in Wally's career as the publicly known Flash, Barry's death is still quite fresh.



Ah Boomerang, always the mercenary.

The evenings gathering includes; Captain Boomerang, Gentleman Ghost, Rainbow Raider, Weather Wizard, Heatwave, Professor TO Morrow, Trickster, Doctor Alchemy and Golden Glider. (The Pied Piper isn't in attendance)

The guest of honour at the evening festivities is Captain Cold, newly pardoned after doing some work for the Suicide Squad. But they are not just here to celebrate, but also those there to remember "Absent friends"



Golden Glider was  the lover of the deceased supervillain known as the Top, and she never really got over it.

This is also clearly about 20 years before Dr Light's being retconned into rapist. I can't imagine the Rogues as they are presented now having much time for someone like that, even scumbags have standards.



Its worth noting that at this point in time, the Glaswegian Mirror Master hadn't debuted, and the guy running around using his costumes and gimmicks was actually Boomerang, who still wanted to commit crimes, but couldn't as Boomerang because Amanda Waller would have torn him a new orifice, so used Sam Scudder's old weapons. It's a suitably skeevy thing for him to do.

A fight breaks out between the Rogues nothing much, but enough to cost them their security deposit, and just as things are starting to calm down, who would walk in but Wally and his date! At this point the Rogues REALLY don't like Wally, not just as the Flash, but as a person...



I love that it was Jesse's idea of a joke



I like the interaction here

And now one of my favourite lines EVER from a supervillain.





Yeah, SHE's a stable one, isn't she? I still kinda miss Golden Glider though.

I also adore this scene with Connie and Doctor Alchemy.



Heh! :)

Another fight breaks out, with Boomerang randomly throwing boomerangs around because no on respects him...



Wise words there Jimmy...

At this point Chunk materialises, with the news that he's worked out how to bring people back from his limbo dimension, unfortunately for everyone else, Chunk tended to make deeply unpleasant people disappear, so it's deeply unpleasant and narked people who suddenly appear... Imagine, as an analogy, and in part literally, two hundred Hells Angels arriving on your doorstep having spent the last three weeks cooped up in a bus together... It doesn't end well... it's doesn't start that well either...



I really like the Rogues and Wally here, they're blue collar guys at heart, not maniacal (for the most part), not psychotic (for the most part), just working stiffs who happen to be superpowered crooks.

BTW I haven't included all the character moments, so that's why there's almost no TO Morrow bits, though he is on the cover.



Suggested tags; creator: william messner-loebs, creator: jim mooney, char: flash/kid flash/wally west, char: captain cold/leonard snart. char: doctor alchemy/alvin desmond, char: golden glider/lisa snart, char: captain boomerang/digger harkness, char: gentleman ghost/jim craddock, char: heat wave/mick rory, char: t.o. morrow/thomas oscar morrow, char: rainbow raider/roy g bivolo, char: trickster/james jesse, char: weather wizard/mark mardon, title: the flash,

Comments

[thandrak]

God, I loved that era. Wally growing up, becoming a man. Becoming worthy of being the Flash.

It's almost a shame Barry's back. But, well, we'll see.

[scenesaroundjackson.wordpress.com]

i remember reading this issue as a kid and it just blowing my mind

i think this was the first time DC villains actually seemed like real people to me

(marvel villains always had that going for them IMO)

[iskander]

Great post. Gentleman Ghost was a Flash villian ????

[icon_uk]

He was something of a stretch to include here IMHO, he's primarily a Hawkman foe, but also fought Batman a time or two, back in the days when him being a ghost was still a debatable issue. (I like him as a ghost, but I miss the ambiguity he used to have)

[iskander]

My eldest brother showed me an episode of the superfriends with GO in it. I was scared to death.:)

[psychopathicus_rex]

I was kind of inferring that there were several party-crashers here - they ARE villains, after all, and it seems like the sort of thing a villain would do if they're passing through town and have nothing else to do:

"I am DESPERATELY bored. What the deuce is there to do in this wretched town?"

"Yeah, Central City gets pretty dull this time of... Whoa! Hey, look at this! A Rogue's Gallery convention! Hey, we could slip into that! I've fought the Flash a couple of times; how 'bout you?"

"Capital! Yes, indeed, I tangled with him during that business with the museum robbery last year, and in the Justice League before that. Yes, splendid suggestion! Let's make a go of it, shall we?"

"Oh, whoa - hang on. It says 'invitations only'."

"Not to worry, old bean - I have it covered. *twiddles his fingers, there are brief sounds of ominous, otherworldly chanting, and two pieces of paper materialize in his palm* Voila! Invitations!"

"Ghost, I like your style!"

[icon_uk]

Well, I'm sold on it as an explanation! :)

[psychopathicus_rex]

I hoped you might be.

[buttler]

Yeah, that threw me too. He's not particularly identified with the Flash at all. But then neither is T.O. Morrow, except through the JLA.

[icon_uk]

Actually TO Morrow DID start as a Flash villain, which surprised me. First appearance was in Flash #143 in 1964.

[buttler]

Wow, I had no idea. He's just such an iconic JLA villain, if not exactly a top-tier one.

[morgana006]

I actually found this issue in a used bookstore for a buck.

I wanted to find out more about the rogues and it sure delivered. I really like how the Rogues interact with Wally.

And now I feel like watching the Justice League episode "Flash and Substance" again.

[icon_uk]

Awesome episode

Flash: James, you're off your meds, aren't you?
Trickster: I'm better off without them. Take 'em if I start feeling down.
Flash: You know that's not how the medicine works. You're not well.
Trickster: I'm fine! You want to throw some darts?
Flash: No. Listen, James, you're wearing the suit again.
Trickster: I am? [looks at himself] Well, what do you know?

[morgana006]

Personally I always liked the beginning bits.

Captain Cold: We're the toughest men in town...
Waitress: What'll it be boys?
- orders for diet coke, decaf coffee, and milk -
Cold: We're the toughest men in town...

[ultimatecharm]

The ending of the bar scene was the best part!

Flash: Hey, dude, soon as you finish your drink, turn yourself in.
Trickster: Got me again, Flash!

[jelly_ace]

So Wally didn't have a secret identity as the Flash?

A rogues gallery convention in a hotel, rogues sending letters on why they couldn't come, toasting to their departed colleagues, managing to hold civil conversations with their nemesis--I'd have to say I'm disappointed no hijinks between the gallery and Flash, but that was really good characterization on the rogues' parts. And you just can't see them as villains anymore.

Someone should definitely get a hint from Supernatural and get a modern convention issue out. Just for the lulz.

[thokstar]

Wally unmasked early in his career as Flash, then later had the Spectre remove the fact that he was Flash from everybody's memories.

This led to a story line where Wally had to figure out that he was the Flash again, since the Spectre removed that information from his memory.

[jelly_ace]

Oooooohhhh. That's convenient. But did the public identity thing last long?

[cricharddavies]

Well, lessee ... this was 1986-7, right? And the reversal was in the early years of this decade.

So, fifteen plus years.

[icon_uk]

Wow, I just checked and it was September 2003, I would have thought it was more recent than that.

[silverzeo]

BESTEST ENEMIES 4LIFE!

[goblinthebamf]

re Flash on a plane: DLB "THE F*@% YEAH FILES #1: Flash's Mid-Air Rescue"

[retro_nouveau]

So Flashes can't fly, but they can wait until they get close to the ground and whip up a quick cyclone to break the fall. How many times have we seen them run down the side of a building and take a 90 degree turn at street level. They sure don't like falling, though - spoiler alert - happens to Wally twice in Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths.

Gold underwear? Did Alchemy go through her bedroom dresser, or did he change what she was wearing? Kinda hinky either way. Seems like he could have made a decent living without crime.

Too cool. I never thought I'd see either of the Snarts smiling so warmly.

Add me to the list of "What the hell is Gentleman Jim doing here?" and not a perfect party without Piper. Trickster looks sexy on that cover.

[thanekos]

Luthor-in-Wally's-body in Great Brain Robbery did a variant of flight, by spinning his arms really fast... of course, the satellite gravity'd been turned off.

.. I suppose that means he'd have to spin harder and faster.

... oh, Luthor!Flash. It's like he read that " The Flash is made of goes fast, motherfucker " page that tends to turn up on /co.

[tacobob]

Another classic. :)

Luthor-in-Flash: "If nothing else, I can at least learn the Flash's secret identity." (unmasks) "I have no idea who this is."


Dr. Polaris: "Are you gonna wash your hands?"
Flash-in-Lex: "No... 'Cuz I'm evil!"

Flash-in-Lex: My fellow bad guys, I, Lex Luthor, your leader, will speak now about my, Lex Luthor's plan. My... villainous, villainous plan. Question the plan at your peril. Uh... Any questions?
Angle Man: We all get a cut, right?
Flash-in-Lex: Watch your step, my evil minion. You presume too much! One of these days, you'll go too far.

[swingbound.livejournal.com]

I don't know who I love more in that "villainous plan" scene: the writers who wrote it or Clancy Brown for delivering it so perfectly.

[jlroberson]

>>So Flashes can't fly, but they can wait until they get close to the ground and whip up a quick cyclone to break the fall. How many times have we seen them run down the side of a building and take a 90 degree turn at street level.

He could do that, sure. After letting everyone on the plane die. I have a hard time imagining Barry would do that.

[retro_nouveau]

Agreed, everyone has to face at some point that they can't save everyone all the time. I was going along with icon_uk that for Barry to have to sit and wait to die as part of his nightmare is hogwash.

[yaseen101]

This was awesome and real helpful! I am doing a webcomic about villains and this was very helpful.

[salamangkiero]

I was thinking about how Barry Allen would have a problem with a plane..and I realized...given his character, the idea of only saving himself is not an option. I can think of at least three ways where he can use his powrs, or the effects of his powers to save himself...but inh all of them, I can imagine at least some people dying, or rendered unsaveable.

[grazzt]

(The Pied Piper isn't in attendance)

I can't remember, had he started his social crusader schtick by this point in Flash history?

[liabrown]

The issue after this one is when he's first shown doing that.

[shanejayell]

I loved the final Captain Cold/Wally conversation. :)

[pyrotwilight]

Hehe, I really loved when Linda got tired of the group at one point in the issue.

"Wally, where'd you take me?! One of these guys became a villain because he was color blind!"

[pyrotwilight]

Oh, I mean Connie, it's easy to forget Wally wasn't always with Linda.

[halloweenjack]

The thing with the plane: wasn't this still in the era pre-Speed Force, where Wally can't break the speed of sound, needs to fuel his running with real calories, etc.? Byrne had also retconned away Superman's Silver Age power levels, so maybe Messner-Loebs assumed that the same thing had been done to Barry Allen.

This is full of neat little moments. I'm imagining someone trying to cash in solid gold underwear--used solid gold underwear. (Sure, 24K gold is soft enough for her to just crumple it into a little ball, but where's the fun in that?)

[icon_uk]

Pre-Speed Force, but Barry's powers were never retro-downgraded., it was a constant annoyance to Wally that his powers when he started as Flash had fallen so low even from his days as Kid Flash.

He could only run at a couple of MACH, had a desperately fast metabolism which he needed to keep constantly stoked, and none of the molecular control powers that he and Barry had had, so no vibrating through walls etc.

[jlroberson]

This is really good character work. Bill did awesome stuff with this book.

[thehefner]

Oh, I love this issue! I was considering posting it myself, one of these days. Thankya!

Man, was the rest of Loebs' run this strong?