Flash Comics #7 is an issue of the series Flash Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1940.
Synopsis for Flash: "The Metal Disintegrator"
While driving near Duluth, Jay Garrick's car is disintegrated. He invisibly investigates and learns of an invention created by Henry Smith which causes metal to disintegrate. The Flash invisibly sabotages the machine until he can learn more about it. The Flash soon invisibly learns that Smith is being forced to use the machine for criminal purposes by a racketeer, Black Mike. The Flash stops the gangster from carrying out his plan of sabotaging a car race, then has Black Mike arrested. Smith sells his invention to the government and retires.
Appearing in Flash: "The Metal Disintegrator"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jimmie Dolan
Antagonists:
- Black Mike
Other Characters:
- Henry Smith
- Belle Smith
Locations:
- Minnesota
- Duluth
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for The King: "The Witch and the Lawyer"
The Witch plans to steal valuable securities from the home of a lawyer named Graves. The King poses as a janitor to thwart her robbery. During the heist, out-of-town gangster (Andy Carpon) has a plan of his own. He kidnaps the Witch and steals the securities himself. The King disguises himself as one of Carpon's men and rescues his friendly adversary, for the third time, and they briefly team up. King leaves Carpon for the police and returns the stolen securities.
Appearing in The King: "The Witch and the Lawyer"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Witch
- Andy Carpon
Other Characters:
- Graves
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hawkman: "Czar, the Unkillable Man"
Using a special "plasm clay," Boris Nickaloff creates a life-like man, inside a cave. He is then able to bring his sculpture to life and use it for crime. The sculpture, which Nickaloff names Czar, is invulnerable to normal weapons, with "pseudo-flesh" of marble. The next morning, Carter Hall reads of a strange heist, and mistakenly (from the story of the statue man's indestructability) believes the thief to be a vampire, so he prepares a silver bullet. That night, Czar strikes again at another bank. He's interrupted first by riot police, then by Hawkman, who hurtles down the elevator shaft to confront the Unkillable Man. He gets his shot, but the silver bullet bounces right off, as the monster hurls himself at Hawkman. Grappling free, Hawkman makes a connection between the man of marble and the strange sculptor, and heads to the cave where he last saw Nickaloff, only to find it deserted.
The next night, there is another brutal robbery, then Czar is ferried to a house by Nickaloff, in preparation for the duo sailing to South America. However, Hawkman has trailed the car, and overhears enough of Nickaloff's gloating to discern Czar's weakness - he needs to breathe. Hawkman selects a bola from his weapons collection, and flies away to prepare for battle. Just then, by unfortunate coincidence, Shiera Sanders (en route to visit Carter Hall) takes a shortcut across the park, only to encounter Czar and be abducted. Meanwhile, Nickaloff plans to create an army of unkillable Czars. As Czar arrives with his female trophy, Hawkman has already entered Nickaloff's house, and has commenced beating some information out of the sculptor. Just then, Czar enters, and is enraged at the sight of his master's mistreatment. There is a fight and a chase, in which first Nickaloff then Czar are strangled by Hawkman with his bolas.
Appearing in Hawkman: "Czar, the Unkillable Man"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Boris Nickaloff (Dies)
- Czar (Destroyed)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Rod Rian of the Sky Police: "The Gorilla"
Rod's friend, a Unicor, is kidnapped by talking gorillas. Rod goes to rescue him, but is menaced by a tri-horned buffalo.
Appearing in Rod Rian of the Sky Police: "The Gorilla"
Featured Characters:
- Rod Rian of the Sky Police
Supporting Characters:
- a Unicor
Antagonists:
- gorilla men
Other Characters:
- talking skeletons
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Johnny Thunder: "The Mystery Woman"
Johnny Thunder protects a girl on the street from four men who are chasing her. After she gets away, the men reveal that they are government agents, and the girl is a spy known as La Belle Tartes. Johnny is fired from his job as a G-Man for letting the spy escape, and gets dumped by Daisy Darling, who sees the bad girl thanking Johnny with a kiss. Johnny returns home and asks his mother (Mildred Thunder) to sew a costume for him. Donning the outfit and a mask, Johnny becomes a super-hero, or at least adopts the identity of "the Thunderbolt." Aided by the power of his Thunderbolt, Johnny tracks down the spy and turns her over to authorities. Johnny then tries to impress Daisy with his powers, but by then the effects of the Thunderbolt have worn off.
Appearing in Johnny Thunder: "The Mystery Woman"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- La Belle Tartes
Other Characters:
- Daisy Darling
- Herman Darling
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Cliff Cornwall: "The Clue Criminal"
Cliff Cornwall, Special Agent goes up against the Clue Criminal, an art thief who likes to send the FBI clues to his future crimes, but then he decides to blow up a zeppelin for no apparent reason.
Appearing in Cliff Cornwall: "The Clue Criminal"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- the Clue Criminal
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for The Whip: "The San Creso Mine" part 1
In 1845, Don Basilo Seldon Carlomango Mercenas flees from Texas with a load of gold. The gold is stolen by bandits, but they are unable to carry all the gold. The bandits bury the gold and draw a map to its location. However, all but one of the crooks is killed in an Indian raid a short time later.
The surviving bandit is nursed back to health by a pair of kindly ranchers (Jim and Sairy Shiner). In gratitude he leaves a clue to the location of the treasure. After he has left the ranch months later, he is attacked and killed by highwaymen after the gold. The highwaymen trace the gold to Jim and Sairy's ranch.
El Castigo, (Don Fernando Suarez, the original Whip), spots the highwaymen and protects the Shiners. The couple locate the clue left behind by their visitor and plan to locate the gold. However, despite the involvement of El Castigo, the highwaymen have not given up their own pursuit of the treasure.
Appearing in The Whip: "The San Creso Mine" part 1
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Ike Coffey
Other Characters:
- Jim Shiner
- Sairy Shiner
- Don Basilo Seldon Carlomango Mercenas (Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- The Flash: The Metal Disintegrator is reprinted in Golden Age Flash Archives 1.
- The Flash relies very much on his speedy invisibility in this story.
- The U.S.Government on Earth-Two had owned a metal disintegrator weapon since 1940. It hardly got any use during WWII, for some reason.
- Hawkman: Czar, the Unkillable Man is reprinted in Golden Age Hawkman Archives 1.
- So far in his career, Hawkman has killed Anton Hastor, Alexander the Great, Una Cathay and Count Torgoff, at least three of the Assassin cultists, Sheik Abdullah and one of his hench-slavers, the sorcerer Trygg and Beldame Gaffey, plus now Boris Nickaloff, and Czar, that's thirteen, that we know of.
- Johnny Thunder: The Mystery Woman
- There is a one-hour limitation on Johnny's powers.
- Rod Rian of the Sky Police:
- Unicors are green-skinned men with horns on their heads.
- Also appearing in this issue of Flash Comics were:
- "Planet of the Metal Men" (text story), by Evelyn Gaines
- ""Circus Curse." A Flash "picture novelette"" by Ed Wheelan
See Also
Links and References
