The Flash's First Origin Was So Stupid, DC Agreed To Forget It - Screen Rant

In a rare editorial lapse, DC Comics once tweaked the Flash’s origin, attributing the accident that gave him his powers to an extradimensional imp—but this retcon proved so stupid that the publisher hardly ever spoke of it again. In 1967’s The Flash #167, writer Gardener Fox and artists Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene made a shocking revelation about the Flash’s origin, introducing the imp Mopee—who accidentally gave Barry Allen his speed powers.

The Flash’s origin is simple: police scientist Barry Allen was standing next to a shelf of chemicals when lightning struck. The mixing of the lightning and chemicals gave Barry a connection to the Speed Force, allowing him to run at speeds exceeding light; it also gave him the ability to travel the multiverse. This science-fiction oriented explanation for the Flash’s powers worked for fans, but DC decided to take it a step further, adding a curious layer to the origin, introducing a magical element that ran counter to the character.

The story opens with the Flash busting up a jewel smuggling ring. During the fight, the Flash’s protective aura shorts out, causing his costume to catch on fire. He dives into the water to put the flames out and when he comes back to the surface, he is face-to-face with a small, glasses-wearing imp calling himself Mopee. Mopee informs the Flash that his speed powers are the result of a clerical error; Mopee wanted to give Barry speed powers, but flubbed the procedure and as a result, he had to now take them back. The Flash briefly contemplated life without them, but after realizing all the good he had accomplished, decided to keep them. Mopee understood it was his error that caused the situation and resolved to find a way to help Flash keep his speed powers. Mopee and Flash read through Mopee’s rulebook and learned of a loophole in the contract that ultimately allowed Flash to keep his powers.

Mopee returned to his home dimension and was promptly forgotten. While the imp did indeed add another layer to the Flash’s origin, it was one that was unnecessary. The Flash, and many other of his Silver Age brethren featured more science-fiction oriented origins, and adding a magical imp contradicts that. DC must have quickly realized this, because Mopee never appeared in a Flash story again—it was as if the story never happened. While the character has appeared in a few scant out-of-continuity books, Mopee has been completely scrubbed from the DC Universe. It is telling that DC has brought back many obscure characters over the years, but Mopee remains firmly buried in oblivion.

However, DC did revisit the story—sort of. In 1988’s Secret Origin Annual #2, it was revealed that as Barry Allen traveled back through time to save reality in Crisis on Infinite Earths, he turned into the lightning bolt that struck the chemicals he was standing next to; the canonicity of this story is debatable as well. The Flash’s origin is simple and streamlined and helped set the tone for the character’s adventures. For one issue, however, they changed it up, adding a magical layer. This retcon however was forgotten quickly and has never been spoken of again.

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Shaun Corley (1147 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he's turned his attention to writing about comic books--his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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The Flash's First Origin Was So Stupid, DC Agreed To Forget It - Screen Rant

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