It is time to address the first story that leads DC Comics to the inevitable Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline which truly does change everything for the DC characters.

Barry Allen is late meeting Iris West (soon to be Iris Allen) which is a fairly standard way to start a Flash comic in this era.  Iris is at a benefit concert for orphans and the magician she has hired has failed to show up (wouldn’t it be interesting if that was supposed to be Flash’s foe Abra Kadabra?).  Seeing the problem, Barry excuses himself lamely and then comes back as The Flash to entertain the kids with some speed tricks.

While the Flash is climbing a suspended rope he starts to spin so fast that when he stops he finds himself no longer on a stage but in the middle of a field.  As Flash runs towards the nearest city, he sees it is a city known as Keystone City.  If this is Keystone City, Flash knows exactly who to go to for assistance.  The Flash.

But, he is the Flash.  Right?

Jay Garrick, the Flash of Earth-Two

Well, yes and no.  As we have established in the past, the DC Universe is made up of a group of multiple universes or Multiverse.  When Flash (Barry Allen) did his speed trick he managed to match the vibratory setting of another Earth and traveled to that Earth, now known as Earth-Two, where another man, in this case Jay Garrick, calls himself The Flash.

Barry goes to the address of Jay Garrick who lives in an apartment at 5252 78th Street (keep this address in mind for a MUCH later huge DC story).  Inside Barry meets Jay and his girlfriend Joan Williams who is now Joan Garrick as Jay and Joan married after Jay retired from super heroics.

Barry reveals he knows all about Jay from the comics that Barry read as a child.  Apparently the Flash Comics were canceled in 1949 and that happened to be the same year Jay stopped being The Flash.  Barry theorizes that the writer who wrote Jay’s adventures had a dream state that allowed him to connect with Jay in order to write about his adventures as The Flash.

Barry Allen, the Flash of Earth-One

Jay informs Barry that he is having a bit of a problem with three rogues of his, The Fiddler, the Thinker, and The Shade and while Barry is there if he can help him with this terrible trio.  Barry agrees and the super-speedster alliance is born.  The heroes make quick work of the villains and Barry transports himself back to Earth-One using the very same spinning trick, but it wouldn’t be long before Barry would invent The Cosmic Treadmill which enabled him to travel through time and between worlds with some frequency.

Golden Age Villains by George Perez Top to Bottom; Left to Right
Solomon Grundy, Brain Wave, Sportsmaster, Huntress, Gambler, Per Degaton, Thinker, Vandal Savage, Harlequin, Fiddler, Wizard, Icicle, and The Shade.

Once the Flashes hit it off and the ground work was laid for other team-ups, it was only a matter of time before the first big Crisis story would occur.

Next Up:  Crisis On Two Earths!  The first JLA/JSA Team-Up!