Posted in: Comics, Heritage Sponsored, Vintage Paper | Tagged: dc comics, flash, golden age

The Atomic Secrets of Flash Comics #3, Up for Auction

Flash co-creator Gardner Fox was well known for his attention to detail throughout his extensive career.  "Knowledge is kind of a hobby with me," he once said, adding that, "Everything about science, nature, or unusual facts, I can go to my files or the at least 2,000 books that I have."  Going along with that, the early World War II was a heavy early influence on the character, as it was on the entire American comic book industry of the time.  Fox's trademark style made Flash a unique blend of science, fantasy and its moment in time, particularly in its earliest issues — and Flash Comics #3 is a great example of that mix of influences.  While that issue has a cover featuring the character Cliff Cornwall rather than the Flash or Hawkman, that serves to make it a more affordable early example of this important series.  There's a Flash Comics #3 (DC, 1940) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Off-white to white pages up for auction in this week's 2022 February 20-21 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122208 at Heritage Auctions.

From issue one, Flash was heavily influenced by the science of its era.  And as confirmed by other clues from Golden Age issues of Flash Comics, the "hard water" that gave Flash his power was certainly inspired by heavy water — a form of water with a unique atomic structure and properties useful for the production of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. The substance was first isolated by a chemist at U.C. Berkeley in 1933, likely giving rise to that part of Jay Garrick's background story. Heavy water was popularly (and wildly) speculated to have a wide range of effects on living beings by the time that Flash Comics #1 was written in 1939 — including newspaper headlines claiming that "Heavy Water May Speed Up Human Life".  Given this in combination with its actual use in nuclear processes, it was a short leap for the scientifically-minded Gardner Fox to transmute such inspirations into super-speed abilities after Jay Garrick's accident at "Midwestern University".

Such influences continued throughout the early issues of the series.  By issue #3, for example, the plot hangs on the secret plans for neutronic bombardment of uranium.  This again was influenced by scientific breakthroughs being announced and discussed for their military applications just as this issue was likely being written.  There's even a clever Fox historic reference made in passing in the story, to the Great Blizzard of 1888, one of the worst blizzards in American history which dumped 55 inches of snow on the East Coast that winter, and was still widely remembered and discussed in the 1930s.  A great early issue of one of a historically important comic book series, there's a Flash Comics #3 (DC, 1940) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Off-white to white pages up for auction in this week's 2022 February 20-21 Sunday & Monday Comic Books Select Auction #122208 at Heritage Auctions.

Flash Comics #3 (DC, 1940) CGC VG/FN 5.0 Off-white to white pages. King Standish run begins with his first appearance here. E. E. Hibbard art on the Flash begins. Sheldon Moldoff cover and art. Overstreet 2021 VG 4.0 value = $962; FN 6.0 value = $1,443. CGC census 2/22: 2 in 5.0, 6 higher.

View the certification for CGC Certification ID 1165382005 and purchase grader's notes if available.

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