When comic book superheroes ushered in a modern sort of mythology, it was only fitting that one them resembled a figure from ancient mythology. As comics' first super-speedster, the most distinctive feature of the Flash's costume was the winged, wide-brimmed helmet that evoked Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the Greek gods, later renamed "Mercury" when the Romans co-opted the Greek deities.
However, there was one feature of Jay Garrick's original costume that definitely wasn't based on ancient images of Hermes. Appearing on the cover of Flash Comics #1 (1940), check out the snazzy yellow lightning bolts adorning Jay's blue pants!
(click on the image for a larger view)
The "leg lighting" only stuck around for two issues...or, to be more precise, one and a half issues. By the middle of Flash Comics #2, the leg lightning started popping in and out, until finally disappearing for good by the story's end.
From that point forward, the leg lightning was history...with only a few random exceptions over the next year or so. Sometimes a tiny icon of a lightning-legged Flash would appear on covers that featured other characters from the anthology title (such as Hawkman), yet the interior stories stuck with the lightning-free blue pants (click on the icon art to the left for a closer look).
When the cover icon was discontinued after issue #7, the last remnant of the leg lightning had faded away. That is, until it inexplicably returned on the covers of Flash Comics #8 and #10... as well as in an utterly random single panel in issue #13! (click to enlarge)
Were there any additional appearances of Flash's infamous lightning legs? I'm not sure...but maybe my pals over at the Flash-centric Speed Force website have more to add.
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I can't think of any specific examples myself, but I'll flip through some archives & back issues when I get a chance.
The article on E.E. Hibbard in The Flash Companion suggests it was a change he made in the costume when he took over the series, but that doesn't fit with the later appearances. Unless someone else was doing the art on those?
Posted by: Kelson | April 22, 2009 at 02:00 AM
Roy Thomas *must* have written a story that both explains the disappearance of the lightning bolts *and* their cameo in #13. Right?
Posted by: suedenim | April 24, 2009 at 03:12 PM
LOL! I wouldn't put it past ol' Roy to do just that.
Posted by: Mark Engblom | April 24, 2009 at 03:37 PM