Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

Some threats are too big for one hero to handle. Some crises encompass more than one world in the multiverse. Certain epic adventures call for a crossover! Prepare yourself for the great DC Challenge!

If you've made your way to Crimson Lightning from another blog, congratulations on your quick thinking! You're on the right track! The fastest man alive would be proud. Keep your wits about you as you face the next obstacle in you quest.

For our most recent Crisis on Earth-Blog crossover event, a formidable collective of superhero blogs from across the known multiverse have banded together to present our readers with a plethora of interconnected puzzles, quizzes, and interactive stories. This elaborate game is, without a doubt, our most ambitious crossover event to date! Knowledge concerning the various heroes and villains of the DC Universe is a must, of course, but the solutions to these trials can be easily found in each blog's archives. (And you thought that all of that obscure trivia concerning the monarch of motion that you've picked up at Crimson Lightning would never come in handy.) The individual challenges will prove both creative and formidable but there will be virtual prizes to encourage your efforts. Each participating blog will feature a fragment from a piece of classic comic book artwork--take a look at that dynamic portrait of the scarlet speedster at the top of the page!--and each correct answer will bring you one step closer to the bigger picture! As our fearless leader Frank Lee Delano explains, "Each blog contributes to a meta-challenge, helping you get closer to scans of obscure art and even more blogging fun than most folks can handle!"

Are you game? Try your hand at one of the Flash-themed puzzles posted below and see if you can complete the DC Challenge!

1. Speedster Crossword: Barry Allen and Wally West are but two of the DC Universe's many astonishing speedsters. The crossword puzzle below has been compiled using clues associated with fourteen characters possessing super-speed powers, figures from classical mythology as well as the pages of both classic and recent issues of the scarlet speedster's own comic book. The objective is simple. Complete the crossword using the clues provided. Once you've affirmed your extensive knowledge of the science of super-speed, select the letters that fall within those boxes highlighted with a yellow dot and unscramble them to reveal the surprising solution to the challenge!


The name of an illustrious comic book hero has been concealed in the crisscrossed puzzle above. Now that you've broken the code, you can proceed to the next phase of the challenge. Who is the legendary hero whose name appears scattered in this crossword?

A) Wonder Woman
B) Adam Strange
C) Black Canary
D) Johnny Quick

2. Rogue Scramble: The names of eight prominent members of the scarlet speedster's infamous Rogues Gallery have been scrambled below. Unscramble each of the names. But wait, there's more! Once your deciphering is complete, pick out the letters that appear in those boxes marked by a yellow dot and unscramble them to reveal the solution to this perplexing challenge!


In the above puzzle, the scarlet speedster's supervillains have tried to obscure the name of one of the DC Universe's great champions. Who is the hero whose legendary name has been hidden here?

A) Plastic Man
B) Doctor Fate
C) Green Arrow
D) Max Mercury

Good luck to all. And, most importantly of all, have fun! We hope you enjoy the DC Challenge!

Crisis on Earth-Blog: Super Powers 25th Anniversary

Our colossal comic blog crossover celebrating a quarter-century of the Kenner Super Powers Collection continues here at Crimson Lightning! Fifteen superhero blogs--banded together from remote galaxies--have joined forces to commemorate this anniversary and bask in a little well-deserved nostalgia for one of the greatest action figure lines of all time!

Previously on "Crisis on Earth-Blog," we reviewed the remarkable marketing contrivance that is the four-inch mini-comics packaged with Super Powers brand action figures. I don't know about you but, after reading about the Flash's run-in with one of Superman's great arch-nemeses, I was ready to log on eBay and seek out a Super Powers Brainiac! Thus, today we're going to remember the toys themselves. Beginning twenty-five years ago, Kenner released a line of DC Comics-inspired products that soon came to encompass thirty-four action figures, eight vehicles, and one super-cool playset. Neither Kenner nor DC Comics could have predicted the precise impact these toys would have on comic fandom. The Super Powers Collection was quickly recognized as the line of superhero action figures and has earned a cherished place in a superhero history.

The Super Powers Collection is celebrated to this day and the reasons for its success are many yet also quite simple. Kenner's range of action figures was extensive, mixing famous comic icons with lesser known heroes and villains. It also debuted at a pivotal moment in the marketing of DC Comics's characters. Rob of the Aquaman Shrine astutely observes the importance of Kenner's fortuitous timing, noting that "by 1984, the debut of the line, the long-running Hanna-Barbera Super Friends cartoon show was wrapping up its run." Truly, as in so many great successes stories, Super Powers offered a well-produced product marketed and distributed at just the right cultural moment. Bee of Love Dat Joker succinctly describes the genius inherent to the line's design: "The Super Powers Collection were marked out by a hidden mechanism they featured that would trigger a particular 'trademark' action when the arms or legs were squeezed--that they were hidden meant that the figures themselves remained unmarred by visible levers or buttons, retaining a purity of resemblance to the characters they were based on."

As a result, Kenner's collection allowed young comic book fans to interact with the characters they knew and loved and, on some imaginative level, to approximate the sort of storytelling they had learned from the pages of their favorite books. The titular "Super Powers" offered an added incentive but, crucially, it was a gimmick that did not interfere with the all-important aesthetics of the sculpts. In the case of the Flash's figurine, squeezing Barry Allen's biceps activated the toy's "Power Action Lightning Legs," simulating a mad dash at super-speed. At the same time, however, the figure's design beautifully approximated the character being drawn by the likes of Carmine Infantino, right down to the scarlet speedster's disarming smile. The success of the line soon led to merchandising mayhem and, as some of the items on display at Tommy's Bat-Blog will show, the signature Super Powers shooting star logo became ubiquitous for a time. Check out the Aquaman Shrine's look at the Super Powers Give-a-Show Projector, for example!

Take it from a boy who remembers, these toys were irresistible. The value associated with the figures and accessories today can be directly correlated to the cherished memories the children of the 1980s have for the Super Powers toys. I still own a sizable sampling of the collection. Tucked away in a box in my closet are Superman, Batman, Robin, Aquaman, Firestorm, the Joker, the Penguin, and others--though, quite tragically, I seem to have lost my Hall of Justice playset at some point during the last two decades! As I noted yetsterday, the Hawkman figure was a particular favorite of mine. Carter Hall's broad "Power Action Flight Wings" were just so awe-inspiring and majestic, even at four inches!

Of course, each of the toys is showing their age. My own beloved Flash figurine, pictured to the right, is evidence enough. The paint job has been worn right off poor Barry's nose and his chin, revealing the bright red plastic beneath. There are deep scratch marks along both legs. The mechanism of those "Power Action Lightning Legs" is just about completely worn out; squeezing his arms to active the advertised super powers barely causes his left leg to tremble at this stage. All of this, of course, is to say that I had more than my share of fun with the Super Powers Flash back in the day. As any appraiser would tell you, this is one well-loved action figure! Clearly, as a child I had not even the faintest inkling or care that this would one day be a valuable collector's item--I was having entirely too much fun with it!--and, honestly, that's as it should be.


As Kelson explains over at Speed Force, a proposed fourth wave of action figures would have added the crimson comet's friends and allies to the mix. "Among the proposed figures were Kid Flash and the Reverse Flash, which would have rounded out the major Earth-One speedsters." Even though the line boasted an impressive sampling of characters, fans can't help but imagine what might have been if the famous line had continued. Truly, the Super Powers Collection from Kenner will not be soon forgotten.

Comic Blog Crossover: Blogs will live! Blogs will die! The latest "Crisis on Earth-Blog" continues elswehere in this multiverse of blogospheres. I've offered my memories of the Super Powers Collection toys here but to learn more about this legendary line of action figures and its countless tie-ins you'll have to visit the fourteen other outstanding blogs involved in this crossover. Be astounded by anecdotes on action figure acquisition! Thrill to the tales of those marvellous mini-comics! Bask in the glory of those innocent, bygone, halcyon days of 1984. Choose a comic character and click a link...

• The Aquaman Shrine
• Bat-Blog
• Being Carter Hall
• Dispatches from the Arrow Cave
• Doom Patrol
• Firestorm Fan
• The Fortress of Baileytude
• The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Justice League Detroit
• The Legion Omnicom
  
• Love Dat Joker
• ...nurgh...
• Once Upon a Geek
• Speed Force

Crisis on Earth-Blog: Super Powers 25th Anniversary

Some threats are too big for one hero to handle. Some crises encompass more than one world in the multiverse. Certain epic adventures call for a crossover!

That's right, boys and girls, it's time for another comic blog crossover! And, in true comic book fashion, these events continue to build in size and scope. This particular "Crisis on Earth-Blog" is undeniably epic! In order to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Kenner Toys's fondly remembered Super Powers Collection line of action figures featuring the heroes and villains of DC Comics, Crimson Lightning is teaming-up with over a dozen other superhero blogs!

The Super Powers Collection encompassed thirty-four figures, eight vehicles, and one playset released during a three-year period in the mid 1980s. The Flash was a key component in the first of three waves, launched by Kenner in 1984, but, truly, one of the great joys of the Super Powers line was the way in which the sheer number and variety of its figures represented the vastness and intricacy of the great DC Universe itself. Imaginative kids playing with the Super Powers toys in bedrooms and backyards had a chance to put all of their favorite heroes and villains together and participate in epic comic-style storytelling.

This celebratory anniversary crossover intends to achieve a similar effect. Crimson Lightning and Speed Force will be covering the crimson comet's part in the Super Powers line-up but, to learn more, you'll be able to link to a veritable multiverse of blogs, from Bat-Blog to Justice League Detroit to Love Dat Joker, with a dozen sites in between. This particular crossover event is so big, in fact, that it's going to take up several days this week here at Crimson Lightning. Today we'll review The Flash mini-comic packaged with its corresponding action figure. Tomorrow we'll reminisce about those wonderful Super Powers toys themselves. The end of the week will bring a few associated surprises. Do you remember the halcyon days of the Super Powers Collection? Whether you once owned one of these legendary action figures or not, I and the others hope that you enjoy the latest "Crisis on Earth-Blog!"


Super Powers Collection #4: The Flash

Title: N/A
Date: 1984

Synopsis: One sunny afternoon, Superman disappears from the skies above Metropolis after unexpectedly encountering Brainiac's ominous skull ship. Soon, other key members of the Justice League are disappearing from their hometowns as well: Hawkman from Midway City, Wonder Woman from Washington, D.C., and Batman from Gotham. Zeroing in on Central City's fleet-footed defender proves a challenge for the alien android, however. Moving at super-speed, the Flash is not only able to avoid the dangerous beams being emitted by Brainiac's starship but also manages to rescue a number of innocent civilians caught up in several unrelated disasters. The scarlet speedster's humanitarian efforts to save the survivors of a shipwreck, however, slow him down just enough to be captured at last. As the Flash takes his place in Brainiac's menagerie of super-powered heroes, the true extent of the extraterrestrial menace's evil scheme is revealed. Only the quick thinking of the fastest man alive can save his teammates from certain doom!

Commentary: Produced as a tie-in packaged with Kenner's celebrated Super Powers Collection of action figures, the fourth of twenty-three Super Powers mini-comics stars none other than the Flash. Let's make one thing clear up front: this pocket-sized book is little more than a flagrant marketing gimmick, a comic book story written and illustrated in order to encourage kids to both purchase and play with Kenner's extensive line of toys. That being said, the story is masterfully crafted to achieve that effect, thematically echoing and exploring the very acts children would come to associate with the action figures themselves. The story stars the scarlet speedster but, like all other mini-comics in the series, makes sure to include a number of his superfriends as well. If they didn't already own them, any child reading this mini-comic was sure to want to add the likes of Superman, Batman, Hawkman, and Wonder Woman to his or her collection. (I'm living proof. I had them all, though I was particularly fond of the Hawkman figure with its majestic, flapping wings!) In fact, the story's chief villain, the recently redesigned Brainiac, has assumed the role of a collector himself in the pursuance of his evil plans. The alien supervillain is desperate to collect a complete set of superheroes, as is evident when he exclaims upon spying the scarlet speedster, "There is the Flash! He shall be my next prize!" In their glass suspension tubes, the captured members of the Justice League clearly resemble action figures in mint-condition blister packs. Each scene, each individual panel of the adventure imaginatively simulates the sort of play we'd associate with the toys. From a marketing perspective, at least, this is an impressively presented scenario.

Though compact, the story also covers a lot of ground, too. The narrative not only sets-up Brainiac's (admittedly simplistic) scheme but also shows us the scarlet speedster saving lives during not one but two full-scale disasters and makes an effort to showcase a variety of his usual super-speed tricks. As regular readers know, I'm always appreciative of any tale that takes steps to creatively convey the true extent of the Flash's abilities; regardless of the fact that the goal here is simply to make the action figure's "Power Action Lightning Legs" more enticing, I appreciate an adventure that shows the scarlet speedster isn't simply a superhero who "runs fast." The art is detailed, dynamic, and colorful enough for this sort of thing and it's wonderful to see our hero granted the opportunity to face off against Brainiac, one of the man of steel's classic foes. The skeletal, Ed Hannigan-designed Brainiac seen in this book is visually terrifying, a wonderfully horrific creature. I've always loved Brainiac and I particularly appreciate Hannigan's distinctive pre-Crisis design. With a grim visage like this, Brainiac is an impressive villain, even when he's being senselessly tossed about in silly little stories like this. (Could that metallic, tentacled skull ship of his be any more imposing? It outright dominates any story it appears in!)

This Super Powers Collection mini-comic tie-in is slight but it's entertaining in a childish sort of way and, even more amusingly, it cleverly incorporates its marketing ploys into the narrative at just about every level. If you've managed to put down your Super Powers Flash long enough to read this mini-comic, you're sure to snatch the toy right back up following its denouement.

High-Speed Highlight: Demonstrating one of his trademark high-speed stunts whilst striving to save the victims of a maritime disaster, the monarch of motion dashes across the surface of a lake, skipping like a stone, much to the amazement of Brainiac, who covets such a wonderful super power.

Quotable: "What? The Flash runs faster than my light beam! I've missed him!" --Brainiac, despite all of his supposedly superior computational powers, is inexplicably stupefied upon witnessing the Flash's distinctive and well-known super powers and describes them for us quite concisely

Credits: Over at the Aquaman Shrine, Paul Kupperberg offered the following notes regarding the Super Powers Collection mini-comic credits (or lack thereof): "I wrote only one of the Kenner minis, for Steppenwolf (#13). Alas, I have no real memory of having done it. Art looks to be Jose Delbo. The rest were probably written by the likes of Jack Harris, Rozakis, and the like. Wish I could remember more about them: I don't even recall who the project editor was... probably Barry Marx, who worked under Joe Orlando in Special Projects."

Comic Blog Crossover: Wait, there's more! The multiverse-shattering "Crisis on Earth-Blog" doesn't end here! Special thanks go out to the irredeemable Shag Matthews of Firestorm Fan and Once Upon a Geek for making this remarkable event possible. Thanks to Shag's direction, this crossover connects no less than fifteen comic book blogs. Each blog is dedicated to a different character represented in the Super Powers Collection. (Fans should take note that Barry Allen participates in at least two other mini-comics. In Aquaman's tie-in, the fastest man alive and the sea king team-up to defeat the Penguin. In Green Arrow's book, the Flash and Martian Manhunter assist Oliver Queen in fending off the New God Kalibak. Additionally, the Flash has a cameo in the Hawkman mini.) Now that you've heard the thrilling tale of the Flash's Super Powers mini-adventure be sure to visit our team-up partners for their own heart-stopping stories of superheroism, prime merchandising, and terrific toys...

• The Aquaman Shrine
• Bat-Blog
• Being Carter Hall
• Dispatches from the Arrow Cave
• Doom Patrol
• Firestorm Fan
• The Fortress of Baileytude
• The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Justice League Detroit
• The Legion Omnicom
  
• Love Dat Joker
• ...nurgh...
• Once Upon a Geek
• Speed Force

Vibe: Rebirth

With The Flash: Rebirth hitting comic stores everywhere today, the scarlet speedster's triumphant return has been unexpectedly overshadowed by a development offering tantalizing hints regarding the future shape of the DC Universe. DC Comics has announced that the next chapter in the continuing rebirth cycle will resurrect Paco Ramone, the sonic superhero known as Vibe! Vibe: Rebirth, a five-part mini-series launching at the end of this year, will reunite the now familiar creative team of Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver and reinvent one of the DC Universe's forgotten heroes.

In a Newsarama interview Johns explained, "We want to turn Vibe into a pillar of the DC Universe... Our goal is to elevate the Vibe Universe... As a character, he's different because of his intrinsic values and what he believes in and how he approaches crime and how he approaches criminals and how he approaches the guilty and the not guilty. There are very specific details to his character and personality that we'll be exploring on a completely new level."

Unfortunately, although Paco Ramone's resurrection will undoubtedly have far-reaching ramifications for the Justice League and its associated heroes, this ambitious project does not bode well for fans of the fastest man alive. DC Executive Editor Dan Didio has revealed that the mini-series' fast-approaching December 2009 release date will ensure that writer Geoff Johns will not be guiding Barry Allen's adventures once the five-issue Flash: Rebirth comes to an end. The future, it would seem, belongs to Vibe.

The net is, naturally, buzzing with the news. Once Upon a Geek has posted further details on this epic event, including an extensive interview with Johns and Van Sciver. Speed Force considers the potential impact Vibe's return may have on the Flash. The Justice League Detroit blog looks at the unlikelihood of this particular creative development. Additionally, Fortress of Baileytude has posted a more enthusiastic commentary on what this means for DC Comics's publishing plan and fan base.

Update: Happy April Fools' Day from the Irredeemable Shag, Frank, Michael, Kelson, and myself! You can read about this and other comic book-themed April Fools' Day pranks at Publishers Weekly's The Beat. Vibe: Rebirth will be available, of course, only on the Bizarro World. Instead, boys and girls, enjoy The Flash: Rebirth!

Crisis on Earth-Blog: The Flash (v.2) #66

Some threats are too big for one hero to handle. Some crises encompass more than one world in the multiverse. Certain epic adventures call for a crossover!

Today, for the first time, Crimson Lightning is teaming up with the Aquaman Shrine for a comic blog crossover! Both Rob Kelly and I will be reviewing the same book, The Flash (v.2) #66, and each of our reviews will inevitably examine this twist-filled tale featuring the Flash and Aquaman from a unique fan perspective. Once you've finished reading the Crimson Lightning commentary, race on over to the Aquaman Shrine for another in-depth review. This may provide the launching point for a new feature reviewing the crimson comet's comic book appearances, and I certainly hope that it will prove to be the first in a long line of celebratory comic blog crossovers. In any case, Rob and I hope that you enjoy what we're calling "Crisis on Earth-Blog!"

The Flash (v.2) #66

Title: "Fish Story"
Cover Blurb: "The Race You Demanded! Flash vs. Aquaman. Warning! This Scene Does Not Appear in This Issue!"
Cover Price: $1.25
Date: July 1992

Writer: Mark Waid
Penciller: Michael Collins
Inker: Roy Richardson
Letterer: Ken Holewczynski
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Editor: Brian Augustyn
Cover: Michael Collins & José Marzan Jr.

Synopsis: A vacation shared by Wally West and Linda Park turns into a nightmare when their cruise ship is unexpectedly forced onto the reefs surrounding a mysterious island by a pod of sperm whales! A villainess calling herself the Marine Marauder has been using her ability to command sea life to prompt shipwrecks so that she may enslave the castaways. Her goal is the unearthing of a legendary Babylonian artifact known as the Crown of Enlil. Concerned only with the safety of the enslaved men and women around him, the Flash agrees to help the Marauder recover the crown and learns that Aquaman has been brainwashed into compliance as well! Working underwater with the king of the seven seas, the fastest man alive soon discovers a vast palace concealed beneath the island. The secrets contained therein were better left hidden, however. Both the Flash and the Marine Marauder are forced to contend with an ancient evil of unimaginable power when it becomes apparent that the Crown of Enlil has taken possession of Aquaman!

Commentary: There's nothing better than discovering a comic book in which your two favorite characters join forces. Ask any kid, they'll tell you. As my all-time favorite superheroes have always been the Flash and Aquaman, it's a joy to see any story featuring both characters in the roll call, let alone a proper team-up. In "Fish Story," written by Mark Waid, pencilled by Michael Collins, and inked by Roy Richardson, the scarlet speedster finds himself fighting both with and against the sea king in a self-contained story that's fast-paced and filled with plot twists. As a team-up tale, this issue is downright frustrating and ultimately disappointing, primarily because Arthur spends the entire story possessed by the malevolent spirit of Enlil, an ancient, vengeful god! It isn't until the issue's final page, in fact, that we're able to see Aquaman acting in character. There is some consolation to be found in the fact that the story repeatedly emphasizes his raw power as a superhero. When the Crown of Enlil takes possession of the King of Atlantis on a mysterious tropical island, even though he's being manipulated, there's a sense of tension and terror that accompanies the invoked understanding that this aquatic hero is one of the DC Universe's most uniquely empowered characters. With Arthur acting as a possessed puppet, there's never a moment in which the Flash shares the heroic spotlight. This serves to compliment the construction of Wally West, who was at this time an outright self-absorbed superhero. As always, the Mark Waid-penned narrative entertainingly explores the Flash's personality and provides him with a distinctive voice. Sadly, there are also missed opportunities aplenty in this tale. The story's villain is the Marine Marauder--a substandard supervillainess who first appeared in the pages of Adventures of the Outsiders--despite the fact that the script just screams for the presence of a more recognizable and formidable foe, perhaps the Ocean Master or Black Manta. As Wally comments snarkily, the Marine Marauder comes across "about as threatening as a Valley girl." She is capable of controlling sea life in the same manner as Aquaman, though, and this leads to a number of exciting sequences involving our finny friends. As in all of the sea king's many illustrious adventures, it's a delight to see undersea life--legions of sperm whales, swordfish, sharks, and octopi--taking part in the action. The issue's artwork is at times beautifully detailed, especially in the underwater scenes, and nicely represents our two iconic heroes. This cover has long been a favorite of mine, in part because it is easily the funniest cover of The Flash's second volume. There's some remarkable use of coloring in the issue as well, specifically in those tense moments during which Aquaman is possessed by the angry Enlil and his costume's traditional orange and green color-scheme is replaced with darker, more threatening browns and blues. Ultimately, this issue's stand-out highlights are those brief, atmospheric scenes in which we're able to watch the Flash modify his costume with scuba gear, find his sea legs, and join Aquaman in his watery realm, that beautiful but dangerous world that lies beneath the ocean waves. It's not often that the fastest man alive and the king of the seven seas are able to team-up and it's undeniably exciting to see them dive into the depths side-by-side.

High-Speed Highlight: Aboard the cruise ship S.S. Metropolis Spirit, Wally West tries to instruct the lovely Linda Park on the tennis court but is quickly caught-up in his own show of bravado, playing a fast-paced round of tennis against himself at superspeed!

Quotable: "We were a shipwreck waiting to happen... I started to black out, but not before catching a glimpse of the guy responsible for this catastrophe--as I was about to tell Linda, the only man I know who's fluent in whalespeak." --The Flash discovers that the one and only Aquaman may be involved in the shipwrecks surrounding a mysterious island

Comic Blog Crossover: On the occassion of our first comic blog crossover, special thanks go out to our good friend Rob Kelly. I've long been waiting for the chance to join forces with Rob and his blog. To read more about this uncommon team-up between two of the DC Universe's greatest heroes, don't forget to visit the Aquaman Shrine!