The Flash #153
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Flash #153 is the issue in which the Reverse-Flash's full name — Eobard Thawne — is revealed for the first time in print, a disclosure that would anchor the character's identity across every subsequent decade of Flash storytelling, television, and film. Coming just two appearances into Thawne's career, the naming gave the villain the personal specificity that distinguishes a recurring nemesis from a generic gimmick, helping cement him as Barry Allen's definitive archenemy. The issue also continues the Silver Age tradition of pairing two reformed-villain characters — Thawne and Mr. Element / Albert Desmond — against the Flash simultaneously, exploiting Broome's recurring theme of moral relapse and rehabilitation that gave the title unusual emotional texture for its era. As the third overall appearance of Professor Zoom, it represents the moment the character shifted from a novelty to a fixture of the Flash's world.
In "The Mightiest Punch of All Time!", Superboy shares a heartfelt lesson with his friend Frank, showing that creativity isn’t about perfection—it’s about passion and persistence. Written by Jack Schiff and brought to life with expressive art by Win Mortimer, this 1965 classic captures a quiet moment of growth, underscored by Ira Schnapp’s crisp lettering. The cover, by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson, perfectly frames the story’s uplifting spirit.
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The issue was written by John Broome and penciled by Carmine Infantino, with Joe Giella inking the interior story and Murphy Anderson inking the cover over Infantino's pencils — the same core creative team that defined the Silver Age Flash title under editor Julius Schwartz. It carried a cover date of June 1965 and was on sale by mid-April of that year, as confirmed by a date stamp and an advertisement in Green Lantern #27. No sources document any notable production difficulties or editorial controversy surrounding this specific issue, though it fits squarely within Broome's ongoing serialized development of Thawne across Flash #139, #147, and #153.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First issue to reveal the Reverse-Flash's full civilian name: Eobard Thawne — a detail every subsequent Flash writer and adaptation has built upon.
- Third overall appearance of Professor Zoom / the Reverse-Flash, who had debuted in The Flash #139 (September 1963) and returned in #147 (September 1964).
- Story title: 'The Mightiest Punch of All Time!' — a 25-page tale written by John Broome, penciled by Carmine Infantino, and inked by Joe Giella, edited by Julius Schwartz.
- Cover penciled by Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson, with lettering by Ira Schnapp.
- Plot hinges on Thawne using a radiation-emitting machine to manipulate the Central City municipal council into banning super-speed travel within city limits, forcing the Flash to fight without his primary power.
- Al Desmond (Mr. Element) serves as a secondary protagonist whose freedom from Thawne's manipulation is only secured after the Flash transports him to the 25th century for a permanent cure using future technology.
- The story was reprinted in The Flash #196 (DC, 1971) and later collected in Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 3, The Flash: The Silver Age Vol. 4, and The Flash: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2.
- Published by National Periodical Publications, Inc. (DC Comics' corporate identity at the time), approved by the Comics Code Authority.
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Superboy shows Frank that he can be creative, regardless of whether his creations are perfect, and notes an expressive hobby can be life long enjoyment.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
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