The Flash #167 is an issue of the series The Flash (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1967. It was published on December 6, 1966.
Synopsis for "The Real Origin of the Flash!"
The Flash is on the Central City waterfront as he apprehends a pair of jewel smugglers. He is in the middle of engaging them in action when his uniform suddenly catches fire due to the friction caused by his superspeed. Flash is puzzled because he should have a protective aura guarding him from friction. He jumps into the water to douse the flames and emerges to the surface to find a short wizard like character standing over him. He identifies himself as Mopee, initiate tenth class of the Heavenly Helpmates. Mopee reveals that is was he who removed Flashes protective aura since it was he that granted the Flash his super speed to begin with. Mopee explains that he had qualified for Initiate Tenth Class and appeared before his superiors. He was assigned to bestow the gift of speed to a person on Earth. He then selects Barry Allen and sends a lightning bolt towards him as he is working with a batch of chemicals. The event causes Allen to gain his super speed powers. Mopee is then summoned once more by his superiors and he is informed that he made a serious error. Apparently they had a rule that states that any object used by the initiate to confer powers must be owned by the giftee. Barry did not own the chemicals he was working with, they belonged to the police station. Mopee concludes that if Barry purchased the chemicals that contributed to his superspeed then he would be entitled to the return of his powers. Flash calculates that he would need $94.36 to purchase the required chemicals. He then places an ad in the paper offering his superhero services for rent. He is then hired by a plastics manufacturer to make deliveries across the country. The Flash completes his tasks while apprehending the same group of jewel smugglers that he had been tangling with earlier. He earns the money required to purchase his chemicals and regains his super speed. Flash is then left wondering his nephew Wally West acquired his super powers in the same way.
Appearing in "The Real Origin of the Flash!"
Featured Characters:
- The Flash (Barry Allen) (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Unnamed crooks
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Hypnotic Super-Speedster"
Wally West is watching a hypnotist as he performs at Blue Valley High School. The hypnotist calls for volunteers to demonstrated his powers. He convinces one boy that his chair is extremely hot and he cannot get up. He then hypnotizes another boy into making him think that he is a real crow. The hypnotist then comes to the third volunteer whose name is chubby. The audience members shout out to the hypnotist to make him as fast as the Flash. The hypnotist replies that this would be beyond his hypnotic powers. Wally stands closeby and decides to give his pal Chubby a thrill by giving him a moment of glory. The hypnotist decides to give it a try and kid flash stuns the crowd by pushing Chubby as a super speed while remaining unseen. The Flash returns Chubby back on stage in moments but the he notices that the school custodian is being attacked by a group of thugs. One of the thugs manages to hit Kid Flash across the head with a crowbar which knocks him out. The crooks then steal a number of tools and make their escape. When Kid Flash comes to, he and the custodian study what has been stolen and they deduce that the crooks need the tools to pull of some sort of crime. The custodian then adds that they probably need the tools to remove iron bars from a window. He then surmises that there is a warehouse on Spencer and Fifth with iron bars on the window as Flash heads there with his super speed. He arrives to find the thieves trying to steal a batch of valuable furs. He quickly apprehends the thieves with his amazing powers and turns them over to the law. Later that night kid Flash finds the bewildered Hypnotist as he wonders how his volunteer could have gained super powers. Kid Flash reveals that he was in the audience and it was he that simulated Chubby's super powers.
Appearing in "The Hypnotic Super-Speedster"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Unnamed crooks
Other Characters:
- Dr. Erik Darren
- Charles Coe
- James Crow
- Chubby Jones
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- Both stories were reprinted in Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 4.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Compendium stated "The Real Origin of The Flash" took place on Earth-Thirty-Two.
- This issue contains a letter section, "Flash-Grams". Published letters were sent by Irene Vartanoff, Bob Butts, Frank Klein and Alan Trahern.
- A second letter section called "Flash-Grams - Extra" started to be published in this issue. AS explained by editor Julius Schwartz, this new section would publish letters "above and beyond the sphere of critical comments usually presented in Flash-Grams". In this extra, Schwartz exemplified, a fan could tell why he reads the magazine or which is his favorite Flash story. Published letters were sent by Peter Sanderson Jr. and Greg Sanchez.
Trivia
- This cover may have been part of the "Stump the Editor Game" Carmine played sometimes (mentioned in 50 Years of Flash).