Today’s the birthday of Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash.
(Art by Dario Brizuela, Carmine Infantino, Eduardo Barreto, and Howard Bender.)
The three guys the Fiddler’s knocking down with his violin music are the “Three Dimwits”, a Three Stooges-like trio that hung out with Jay in some 40s stories. An early Barry Allen Flash story tried bringing them back, but it didn’t stick (comics by then not having room for humorous sidekicks?).
The aforementioned villains: the Fiddler was capable of creating odd effects with his violin music (hypnosis, vibrations, etc). The Thinker = a smart guy who used a “Thinking Cap” (creating some effects). The Shade has darkness related powers, and went on in the 90s to become popular on his own (as more of an anti-hero/with ties to the Starman comic).
Vandal Savage is an immortal caveman who uses science and various schemes to try to conquer the world. Also has the cliched “I was (insert various unrelated historical figures that look nothing alike)” gimmick. Yes, “comics.”
Jay’s amazing “secret origin,” as shown: he knocked over a hard water experiment while smoking, the fumes knocked him out, and he woke up with super-speed powers.
Can see why they’re called “secret origins.” 😉
@dtgeek Yes! I should have been more clear: seeing the entire thread placed it in the 40s and it all made sense. But my *initial* thought still amused me.
@pwinn if wondering, this site shows an 80s retelling at least acknowledged cigarettes are bad for you, with some 90s retelling ditching the cigarette reference entirely:
@dtgeek Fascinating!
@pwinn he was smoking cigarettes, like everyone else in 1940? 🙂