Flash Fridays – The Flash #342 February 1985

Behind probably one of the worst covers of the entire run of the Silver Age Flash lies one of my favorite issues of the closing stretch. I’ve written before about how Cary Bates treated the canon he took on with the utmost care and consideration and as a calling, not a job. As the run slowly wound down, her strove to touch base with the elements that had made him a fan as a twelve year old kid living on Sunbeam Avenue in Dayton, Ohio. This is the issue where he basically says goodbye to the tropes that had been an integral part of the Flash’s lore. 

We pick up with the Rogues all toasting the probable demise of the Flash as he heads off to the safest place for him, Gorilla City. Grodd, Solivar and the other denizens of Gorilla City were in the issue that introduced me to the Flash, so the Flash returning there near the end holds a deep nostalgia for me. The Flash has sought out is his friends in that secret sanctuary for the medical care he needs after the battering by Big Sir in the previous issue. While recuperating there, he makes a couple of requests of his friend Solovar and shortly after we see an airship leaving Gorilla City. Later, as the Flash takes his leave, we see Solovar wishing good luck to his old friend. Returning to the trial, the Flash receives some more bad news. Time traveler Rip Hunter testifies that even though the Reverse Flash was from the future, he could indeed die in the past. Meanwhile, we see a gorilla hunting down Big Sir and whisking him off in the airship.

Somewhat later, the Mirror Master gets a call from Big Sir telling the Rouges to meet at a junkyard where he’ll turn over the Flash. Big Sir does indeed turn up with the Flash and in a multipage smackdown they both take down the rogues for one final time. It turns out that the Flash had his gorilla friends enhance Big Sir’s intelligence allowing the two heroes to polish off the Rogues and for Big Sir (Dufus P. Ratchet) to move on to lead a normal life. 

As the Flash is returning to court, the private detective he hired hands him a folder. There’s a shocked look on his face as the Flash reads the contents. Next: revenge and revelations!