The Flash #106
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Flash #106 is the second issue of Barry Allen's self-titled Silver Age series — the direct follow-up to #105, which itself had launched only months after four landmark try-out appearances in Showcase — and it doubled down on that momentum by debuting two of the most consequential villains in the Flash's entire Rogues Gallery in a single issue. The first story, 'Pied Piper of Peril!', introduced Hartley Rathaway, a wealthy deaf prodigy who weaponizes sonic technology to become the Pied Piper; decades later he would be retroactively revealed as one of DC's first openly gay costumed characters, a creative decision that set an important precedent for long-running characters being allowed to evolve. The second story, 'Menace of the Super-Gorilla!', launched the entire Gorilla City mythology in a single issue — introducing not only the telepathic tyrant Gorilla Grodd but also the benevolent ruler Solovar and the hidden city of hyper-intelligent apes itself — a self-contained world-building achievement rarely matched so efficiently in Silver Age comics. Both villains went on to sustained careers across comics, animation, and live-action television, cementing this issue as one of the true cornerstones of Flash mythology.
In "Menace of the Super-Gorilla!", Barry Allen races to unravel a mystery that ties his friend Fred Pearson’s strange blackouts to a terrifying gorilla terrorizing Central City—while dodging a super-sonic vehicle that moves faster than he can track. With the help of Solovar, a gorilla from another world, Flash must stop the cunning Gorilla Grodd from stealing the mind-force that could reshape Gorilla City. Written by John Broome and brought to life by Carmine Infantino’s dynamic art and Joe Giella’s sharp inks, this 1959 classic features a pivotal moment in the Flash’s rogues’ gallery—cover by Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella.
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The issue was written by John Broome, who scripted the majority of Silver Age Flash tales beginning with Showcase #4, and penciled by Carmine Infantino, with inks by Joe Giella — the core creative team that defined Barry Allen's early run. It was published under the DC imprint National Comics Publications, carrying an April–May 1959 cover date, and the series' numbering deliberately continued from the Golden Age Flash Comics title, a numbering legacy that placed this only the second issue of the relaunched volume. Editor Julius Schwartz oversaw the line during this period, and the rapid introduction of recurring, concept-rich villains like Grodd and the Pied Piper reflects the editorial ambition of that Silver Age moment to build a durable, interconnected mythology around the new Flash from almost the very first issues.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Gorilla Grodd — a super-intelligent, telepathic gorilla whose powers derive from exposure to an alien meteorite — created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino (The Flash #106, cover date May 1959).
- First appearance of the Pied Piper (Hartley Rathaway), a wealthy-born deaf man who restored his own hearing and became obsessed with sound, using hypnotic sonic flutes to commit crimes; created by the same Broome/Infantino team.
- First appearance of Solovar, the wise and benevolent ruler of Gorilla City, who recruits Barry Allen to help stop Grodd's coup — also created by Broome and Infantino in this issue.
- First appearance of Gorilla City itself, the hidden African civilization of hyper-intelligent apes, with most of its foundational mythology — the Force of Mind, the secret location, the governing structure — established within this single issue.
- The issue is only the second published under the relaunched Flash title (Vol. 1), whose numbering continued from the Golden Age Flash Comics series; both stories were scripted by Broome and penciled by Infantino with inks by Joe Giella.
- The Pied Piper was later established, in The Flash (vol. 2) #53 (1991), as one of DC's first openly gay costumed characters — a development built upon his origin in this issue and noted as a landmark in superhero comics representation.
- The 'Menace of the Super-Gorilla!' story was reprinted in The Flash Annual #1, The Flash Annual Replica Edition #1, and The Flash: 80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive – The Deluxe Edition; 'The Pied Piper of Peril!' was reprinted in 80-Page Giant #9 and Countdown Special: The Flash #1; the entire issue was collected in The Flash Archives Vol. 1, The Flash Chronicles Vol. 1, Showcase Presents: The Flash #1, The Flash Omnibus Vol. 1, and DC Finest: The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt (2024).
- Both Gorilla Grodd and the Pied Piper have been portrayed in live-action television: Grodd is a recurring antagonist on The CW's The Flash series, while the Pied Piper (portrayed by Andy Mientus) appeared in multiple seasons of the same show.
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Barry Allen's friend Fred Pearson, star of the Central City Theatre's "The Great Gorilla," has been having blackouts at the same time that a mysterious gorilla has been seen roaming the city. Flash must solve this mystery and that of a super-sonic vehicle that passes him like he's standing still. Its pilot, Gorilla Grodd, has come to find Solovar, who is being held at the Central City Zoo. Grodd steals Solovar's "force of mind," and begins his plan to take over Gorilla City. But Solovar finds Barry Allen, explains the situation, and the two of them head to Gorilla City to confront Grodd.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
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