The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive – The Deluxe Edition (Collected)

The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive – The Deluxe Edition
Cover
November, 2019
Rated T for Teen (12+)
ISBN	978-1401298135
Credits
Executive Editor	Pat McCallum
Cover Artists	Jim Lee Scott Williams Alex Sinclair
Writers	Gardner Fox Robert Kanigher John Broome Cary Bates William Messner-Loebs Mark Waid Mark Millar Grant Morrison Geoff Johns Francis Manapul Brian Buccellato Joshua Williamson Gail Simone
Pencilers	Harry Lampert Joe Kubert Carmine Infantino Alex Saviuk Greg LaRocque Mike Wieringo Paul Ryan Scott Kolins Francis Manapul Neil Googe Clayton Henry
Inkers	Harry Lampert Joe Kubert Joe Giella Frank Chiaramonte Bob Smith José Marzan, Jr. John Nyberg Dan Panosian Francis Manapul Neil Googe Clayton Henry
Colorists	Gene D'Angelo Carl Gafford Glenn Whitmore Gina Going Tom McCraw James Sinclair Brian Buccellato Ian Herring Ivan Plascencia Marcelo Maiolo
Letterers	Todd Klein John Costanza Tim Harkins Gaspar Saladino Wes Abbott Tom Napolitano Simon Bowland Steve Wands
Editors	M.C. Gaines Julius Schwartz Sheldon Mayer Ross Andru Len Wein Brian Augustyn Ruben Diaz Ross Andru Paul Kupperberg Jason Hernandez-Rosenblatt Joey Cavalieri Matt Idelson Chris Conroy Alex Antone Dave Wielgosz Jeb Woodard Robin Wildman

The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive – The Deluxe Edition is a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the superhero "The Flash". It collects his stories throughout various eras, in addition to containing all the pages of Robert Kanigher's unpublished story "Strange Confession!".

Issues

• Flash Comics #1 ("Origin of the Flash")
• Flash Comics #89 ("Introducing the Thorn: The Flash's Newest Opponent")
• Flash Comics #96 ("The Flash and the Thorn-Stalk")
• "Strange Confession!"
• Showcase #4 ("Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!")
• The Flash #106 ("Menace of the Super-Gorilla")
• The Flash #110 ("Meet Kid Flash!")
• The Flash #123
• The Flash #155
• The Flash #275
• The Flash #300
• The Flash (Volume 2) #54
• The Flash (Volume 2) #91
• The Flash (Volume 2) #133
• The Flash (Volume 2) #182
• The Flash (Volume 4) #0
• DC Holiday Special 2017 #1 ("Hope for the Holidays.")
• The Flash Giant #2 ("Get Out of the Kitchen")

"Strange Confession!"

Synopsis

As bank guards put a million dollars in an armored truck whose destination is a bank of the United States Treasury, a money bag is hit by a thorn. The guards notice a piece of paper attached to the thorn and show it to Jay Garrick, who finds that it's a boast from the Thorn about robbing the money. Making an excuse to Joan about not being able to walk her home, Jay changes into his costume and decides to follow the truck.

Later on the guards think the Thorn was bluffing as they reach Keystone Square, but are soon forced to halt by giant thorns and are knocked out by thorn-grenades after they get out of the truck. Thorn however upon opening the door finds that the Flash had sneaked inside without her looking and lays thorns around him to avoid being caught. Vibrating his body however, the speedster catches up to her and she pretends to surrender, only for her to become a thorny cyclone.

After the Flash is hit by the Thorn's cyclone, she transforms back into Rose and states that she regrets she couldn't stop her sister from hurting him in time. Flash tells her she's lucky as she might even attack her, with Rose replying she worries about not knowing when the Thorn might come out in public again. Back in his laboratory, Jay worries about Rose's mental balance being affected due to the stress from the situation with Thorn and thinks he should ask Joan to look after her.

Rose however soon turns up at his lab and claims she is the Thorn herself, having made her up in childhood to find someone else to blame for her faults. She however started believing in her more and more as she grew older, leading her to busy herself in research of plants. In her work, she came across a wild root which allowed her to create a whirlwind and the Thorn soon came out to attack the native hunters with her thorns while spinning. Quickly, Rose lost control of herself and transformed into Thorn despite her resistance.

Jay feels baffled and states to Rose that she's under the delusion of being Thorn and tells Joan to look after her. Later in the evening, Jay is attacked by the Thorn and realizes she is Rose. Thorn has decided to eliminate everyone who knows her secret which include him, Joan and the Flash. After showering him with her thorns and presuming he's dead, she leaves a message with burning thorns on the side of the Grimes Square building, telling him to reach Stony Point in a minute if he wants to save Joan. Jay recovers from her attacks and rushes to save Joan.

At Stony Point, Thorn tells Joan that she had her placed in a contact bomb so the Flash dies as soon as he touches it. She drops her off a cliff as he arrives, but Joan informs him to leave her as the ball she is in is a bomb that'll explode upon contact. Flash decides to create a cyclone before jumping headfirst towards it from the top of the cliff, thus saving her. The exploding bomb however destroys the cliff and Thorn falls into the water, but is rescued by him while having turned back into Rose.

Rose tells Flash and Joan to lock her up to make sure she doesn't hurt anyone again and he decides to contact the Justice Society of America for help. Green Lantern later arrives and tells him that Wonder Woman can heal her on Transformation Island using the Amazonian ways. As Lantern takes Rose away, Jay tells Joan that he hopes to never see Thorn again for Rose's own well-being.

Appearances

Featured Characters:

• The Flash

Supporting Characters:

• Joan Williams

Antagonists:

• Rose and Thorn (Flashback and main story)

Other Characters:

• Amazons of Paradise Island (Mentioned only)
• Justice Society of America
  • Green Lantern
  • Wonder Woman (Mentioned only)

Locations:

• Keystone City
  • Garrick Laboratories
  • Grimes Square
• Stony Point
• Tashmi Island (Flashback only)
• Transformation Island (Mentioned only)

Notes

• The collection contains an introduction by Dan DiDio, plus commentaries from Mark Waid, Roy Thomas, Francis Manapul, Paul Kupperberg, William Messner-Loebs and Todd Helbing.
• All the pages of the story "Strange Confession!" contained in the collection are uncolored.
• Contains biographies of many people who have worked on the Flash's comics and highlights of covers of the Flash's comics throughout various eras.
  

Related

• The Flash