“THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TOO LATE“ WHAT THE FLASH TEACHES US ABOUT TRUST

Chris Buse (RIP)

5 years ago

The joke with The Silver Age Flash was that he was always late. He was the Fastest Man Alive, the Scarlet Speedster, the Monarch of Motion. Yet in his civilian identity as police scientist, Barry Allen was always late. To every appointment. And he showed up late to every date with his fiancÃ©e Iris West. This was the point of contention between the couple for the entire time of their courtship. And even after, once the two got married to each other. But Iris treated his lateness differently now. It still mattered, but she no longer associated it with “weak-mindedness and lack of drive and energy”“, nor did she think of him as “lazy and ambitionless”“ like she had done when they were engaged. Iris definitely thought of him as a different man. She knew that he was The Flash. But the thing was, Barry had not trusted her with his secret, neither before the couple tied the knot, or after. And she nearly married a different man. When Iris said yes to a life with Barry, she was aware of his shortcomings. His tardiness or his lack of attention to her didn“t stop Iris West from wanting to marry this guy. Despite her knowing full well how easily he broke his commitments. Though she would never know that Barry just as easily broke his promises. In The Flash No. 161 (1966), we had seen their failed attempt at getting married, their subsequent break-up, and their reconciliation. In one story. Their wedding followed only four issues later. There would be no cop out this time, nor was their wedding intended as an imaginary tale, the type of story DC Comics was wont to publish in which the writers played out story ideas never to be viewed as part of the canon or the ever so important continuity of an imagined universe. But why would they want to get married at all? For the entire run of the series up to this point, all we had seen them do, was treating each other in a manner that was not based on respect or on trust, with their relationship coming off as toxic even. Maybe we can find our answer in the second story of the issue that had featured their attempt at getting hitched. This story by Gardner Fox doesn“t end with Iris talking to Barry about The Flash. With her being distant towards him or her running down his shortcomings. The couple is in perfect harmony. They kiss. Their romance was depended on one thing though. She did not know that he didn“t trust her at all. One page earlier she is shown doing her reporter“s job with The Flash giving her his account how he defeated the villain of the month. If she is flirting with the hero at all, this is only shown as an attempt to obtain more information about the events for her newspaper. There is no romantic interest on display. Iris is committed to Barry at this point. Thus, with issue No. 165 (1966) we got the wedding of Barry and Iris. “One Bridgegroom Too Many!”“ (by John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Joe Giella) shows us how Barry spends his last hours as bachelor and then, on the wedding day, he shows up on time. All seems perfect. But we know how superhero comics work, and even if we did not, the story title and the opening splash page clue us in. Not only is the image on the cover real, The Flash, of all people, appearing in church to prevent this wedding from taking place, the secret behind the bizarre twist gets revealed right away. It is not Barry with whom Iris is about to exchange the wedding vows on page 6, but once again, this is an imposter who has taken Barry“s place. The Reverse-Flash to be precise, introduced in The Flash No. 139 just three years earlier. So, the initial secret gets spoiled right on the splash page. We know right away that the Reverse-Flash has returned. We know he and our Flash will battle over whose bride Iris will be. Both men, who will fight over Iris in the story, don“t even bother to tell her about this, nor does it occur to either of them, that she might have a word to offer on this subject. In their violent confrontation, Iris is not more than a prize to be won, a trophy to be possessed. Of course, Barry wins the day, and we get the wedding back on track. But there is a second secret still. A secret that would large loom over Barry“s mind for the next nine issues. He had not told Iris that he was The Flash. Barry did not trust his wife.

At the end of this issue, we find Barry Allen once again contemplating the dilemma of his secret identity: “The truth is I“m still not sure whether or not to tell Iris that I“m The Flash! I still haven“t reached a final decision on that very important matter!”“ Then, by breaking the fourth wall like many years later writers like Grant Morrison, who even interacted with his characters on occasion, would have their heroes do, he does not ask a character in his universe for advice, but the readers: “I guess what I could use is some good advice! Yes, I sure could! Tell me, reader”¦ what would you do if you were in my place? Yes, what would you do?”“ Luckily, we can see how some of the readers answered Barry“s plea. Other than Barry, we the readers, even today, can go and have a look at the reaction to the story, since these were printed in the letters page in The Flash No. 168 (1967). The first letter, from reader Robert Jennings, reads like this: “I want to compliment you on the gigantic step forward you have taken by daring to allow one of your super-heroes to marry”¦ Flash has always been one of the stoutest and truest of lone wolf heroes. More than any other single character he has adhered to the time-established stereotypes of comic mag champions. He has no friends, no real past, no family that enter into the story. He doesn“t have partners, confidential secrets or any real emotions to interfere with his action-plotted story lines. His ”˜contacts“ are so few as to be virtually non-existent. He is in fact better known and remembered by his enemies than the few friends he“s made. The injection of a real love interest, a bit of human emotion and other elements of conventional realism have gone a long way to improve your character, and this final step should certainly do much to turn a rather cardboard creation into something we readers can appreciate far more than an action-packed story.”“ Guy H. Lillian III from Walnut Creek, California viewed The Flash in a different light: “Barry is different from most, if not all, of the civilian alter egos of the other super-heroes in that he is human. He is lazy, sort of lethargic, unambitious… we get enough of a glance into his personal life to find out that Allen is no superhuman out of uniform… And for this, he is by far the most realistic and most likeable of super-endowed character…”“ Female Flash Fan O. Kay Bungard from St. Petersburg took the editor to task regarding Iris. Kay was clearly dismayed by how little thought was given to the idea that Iris would not demand a better explanation from Barry why her wedding day got interrupted, than the excuse he“d offered her: “Iris“ whole future was very nearly blown to shreds, the most important day of her life shattered, and she simply believes anything that Barry throws together? Sure she does! Ask your wife about that reaction, Editor, because you obviously don“t know us gals very well.”“ Not everybody liked the idea of a married hero however. Reader Loren Lieberthal from New York wrote this comment: “So you really did it”¦ but I am not glad to see it happen. There was no romantic build-up in the past few issues, and I deem the marriage uncalled for and unnecessary”¦ But it is never too late to remedy such an error. Iris can be killed in a dramatic two-parter or something.”“ According to the editor, there were so many letters coming in, that they devoted an extra page just to print those letters from fans who wanted to help Barry with the dilemma he saw himself in when asking the readers for help. Of course, what letters got printed was determined by editorial, but the second page offers an interesting look into what the readers thought back then, with both sides being presented. “Tell her!”“, demanded Don Akers from Texas City. A sentiment shared by Paul Plasky who was afraid that “or else she“ll be continually snooping and testing him.”“ Rick Conley saw this likewise, albeit with a more positive attitude towards Mrs. Barry Allen: “Iris is a bright gal, at times downright cunning; and so I can promise you that, should you withhold your decision too long, she may decide for you.”“ Reader Barry Whitaker voiced this concern: “”¦ don“t let Barry tell Iris! She might make him promise to give up his crime-fighting career”¦”“ Robert Mendell and Elizabeth Kane both were very much in favor of Barry revealing his secret identity to his wife. The former wrote in to say this: “My answer to Flash“s problem is to tell Iris he“s the Flash. I believe no husband or wife should withhold any secrets that could influence their future lives.”“ Elizabeth was a bit more direct in her letter: “Barry Allen is a no-good, miserable low rat-fink. You show me a happy marriage with the husband keeping secrets from his wife”¦ He better tell her. But fast!”“ And reader M.C. from Richmond, Virginia who obviously read several DC books a month or at least all books that featured the Scarlet Speedster, remembered Green Lantern No. 43 (1966), when he (or she) wrote this: “I think Barry should tell Iris because in ”˜The Catastrophic Crimes of Major Disaster“ she found out his double identity and nothing happened as result, though she lost that knowledge. Iris commented correctly, ”˜It“s the man I love ”“ not the uniform!“ This should give Barry the confidence he needs to trust Iris with his dual identity secret.”“ About that story. Cover dated a few months before the wedding and written by Gardner Fox with art by Gil Kane and Sid Greene, this story sees a common crook learning the secret identity of both The Flash and Green Lantern. Once he has adopted the persona of a cloaked super-villain (what else), he sends this information to the girlfriends of both heroes, Iris West and Carol Ferris in order to keep the superhero friends occupied with having to answer a lot of questions. Both of the women are surprisingly cool with their boyfriends withholding their superhero identities from them. But then, at the end of the story, we find the heroes discussing what to do with Iris and Carol now that they know their secret. We get this from Barry: “I“d just as soon they didn“t know our secret identities, not for the present.”“ Since everybody in Green Lantern“s hometown had lost their memories during the attack by Major Disaster, there is a solution Hal figures with a smirk on his face. He“ll use his power ring to restore the memories of every citizen, “But when it comes to Carol and Iris, I“ll omit all reference to our other identities and since Major Disaster is dead, our dual identities will once again be secret.”“ This happened once you might think. The heroes didn“t think this through properly. But remember, it was Barry who approached Hal, feeling uncomfortable with Iris (and Carol) knowing his secret. Earlier in the story, when he and Hal had found out that the method by which Major Disaster had learned their secret identities, was him discovering a secret book in which Green Lantern“s former sidekick Thomas Kalmuku had written about their adventures, The Flash was not happy to learn that Green Lantern had confided his secret identity to Thomas like that. “But you had no right to”¦.”“, The Flash protests. And it was then that his friend told him about this thing his power ring could do: “I took care of that”¦ I blocked out [his] memory of your secret identity.”“ Maybe, at this point, Barry had already had this idea, knowing full well that if he talked Hal into it, Green Lantern could do the same with Iris, that a de facto mindwipe was in her best interest. Something they would never have to do to his fiancÃ©e again. But Barry had done this to her before. Maybe, he thought she would be fine with it. Again. Only he didn“t ask her. This time.

Exactly one year before Barry“s second and this time around successful attempt at getting married took place (in publication history that is), in The Flash No. 156, we encounter an alien who demands that The Flash is handed over to him at once. He is a member of a warring alien race who wants to use his powers to turn back time to before they lost a decisive battle (with him using a machine they created), you see. And how quickly the entire population of Earth turns against our hero, makes for an interesting look at how writer John Broome viewed mankind and our selfishness. Anyway, in order to move things ahead and make it easier for his fellow men and women of Earth to apprehend the hero who refuses to turn himself over to this alien, and thus is branded a traitor, “Earth-Enemy No. 1”“ even, the man from outer space reveals his secret identity to the world at large, Iris West included. But what about The Flash? He has gone into hiding. As Kid Flash is looking for him, he instead comes upon a distraught Iris who has of course learned the news. Once she is alone, we are let in on her thoughts: “Aside from anything else I“ll never forgive Barry Allen”¦ my own fiancÃ©e”¦ for fooling me all these years”¦”“ But once Barry shows up at her apartment, the first thing she does is to hug him. “But then”¦ a change in attitude”¦”“ as a hurt Iris cuts loose and lets him know how she feels: “You listen to me, Barry Allen! When I think of all the times I called you slow and lazy”¦ and you let me go on thinking it! And all those stories you made up”¦ every time you had to go somewhere as The Flash! To think I trusted you”¦ but you never trusted me enough to tell me the truth! That“s what hurts!”“ And Barry? He gets distracted and races off, but not before he asks Iris to have faith in him. Right in the next panel we learn that the only reason why he went over to Iris“ place was to find Kid Flash (secretly Iris“ own nephew). While the two speedsters meet up to discuss strategy, Barry does not think about the feelings his fiancÃ©e has just expressed. Thirteen pages later he is back with Iris. This time in his costume and unmasked. But is he discussing their relationship or what amounts to a lack of trust and a betrayal? No. He tells her how he solved this crisis, like in oh so many stories before, the difference being that she now knows his secret identity as does the entire population of Earth. There is a way how to rectify this, of course. Barry has learned how to turn back time “that all memory of the last few days”¦ and my secret identity would be wiped from their minds including yours! But I want you to decide”¦ whether I make the attempt or not!”“ After some reflection, Iris lets him have her answer: “Well, Barry, we“ll be married some day and then I“ll know your secret! You won“t keep it from me after that, will you?”“ To which Barry replies (with a raised right hand, mind you): “Iris, that“s a promise! Our wedding day will be Flash revealing day!”“ We even get more on Iris“ thoughts courtesy of John Broome, who finds words for Iris“ emotions that feel real and insightful, and on par with what Stan Lee was doing at that time in books like The Amazing Spider-Man: “On the other hand, I“m condemning myself to play a role I hate”¦ believing Barry is just a slowpoke! Yet I can“t see any way out”¦ if I want to keep him safe as possible with his dual identity a secret.”“ So she agrees to what amounts to a mindwipe. Now if only the readers had forgotten about this story as well! Because seemingly, on his wedding day, when Barry asks the readers for their help with making the decision to tell Iris his secret or not, he does not recall the promise he“d given her. But readers remembered. Hence, in reaction to the wedding issue we got this letter from Irene Vartanoff in The Flash No. 168 (1967): “What“s going on? Did I or did I not hear Barry (Flash) Allen solemnly promise to reveal his secret identity to Iris on their wedding day, way back in Flash issue 156? Does Flash speak with forked tongue, or something?”“ Irene went on to assume that perhaps John Broome had not read the other issue. This was rebuked by the editor who explained: “John Broome wrote both this story and the wedding one ”“ and believe us, he knows exactly what he“s doing ”“ and will do!”“ Firstly, in Irene“s defense, there are no credits for issue No. 156, and secondly, she does raise an interesting point. And the response by the editor feels more defensive than enlightening.

We pride ourselves that we are more sophisticated when it comes to our fiction, that we have come to expect more from our storytellers than simple stories of good versus evil. But are we? And have we? If you look at these letters and how editorial did not react too kindly to any such claims, and to those who weren“t convinced that the writers “had a plan”“, that they simply made it up “as they go along”“, or that writers couldn“t be bothered with reading each other“s stories, or worse, that a new writer would just do his (or her) own thing and contradict what had been built in the continuity of this series, the universe itself, you would be remiss not to give these readers of a generation or two ago proper credit. They too took the characters very seriously. This was serious business. If you were a writer on these books, even back then, at the dawn of the Space Age, readers demanded that you did not mess up these characters. Had there ever been simpler times in which continuity did not matter that much? If so, not when Barry and Iris began their courtship. As these and other fan letters show, readers of The Flash got invested in the relationship of Barry and Iris. They followed the ups and downs like the adults followed the intricate plotting of a relationship drama. This was Peyton Place, only with superheroes and rogues. Fans were all in on these going-ons. They wanted the writers to be likewise. They demanded that they had a plan.

So let“s find out how this played out in The Flash. In No. 166 and 168 we get snippets of how Barry“s life has changed now that he was a married man. First up, Barry realizes that Iris still has a career. She won“t be following his every whim at the say-so, but then again, we see Iris serving Barry brunch and later she has coffee ready (while wearing a comfortable outfit) for some together time in front of the TV. And in No. 171, we get a very fashionable Iris. She“s dressed to the ninth, but for work mind you. And once her work as a reporter is done for the day? She is back in the kitchen, getting dinner ready. And what about Barry and his big reveal, still pending? What about the promise he had given Iris before he turned back time, the one, he seemingly couldn“t remember on their wedding day? In No. 166, John Broome lets us in on Barry“s thoughts. Now Barry does recall his promise, but clearly that wasn“t a thing, at least not a big thing: “Sigh, here I“m married almost a month”¦ and I still can“t decide whether or not to tell Iris that I“m The Flash! I sort of promised I would tell her the day we became married”¦ but”¦”“ As a scientist, he“d been working on a truth serum. Being the Kennedy Man of the Space Age that he was, of course, he“d test it on himself. Compelled by his potion, now Barry simply had to tell Iris his secret. But Iris was too busy with her work to listen. Later, once he“d solved the riddle to the effect this serum had on him, and how his need to be truthful had made him less effective as a superhero during the story, he would just as easily concoct an antidote, keeping himself from exposing his secret identity involuntarily. Thus, we see him pondering his dilemma once more: “I still haven“t told her I“m The Flash! Sigh! I suppose one of these days she“ll have to know! I won“t be able to keep it my secret forever”¦ or will I?”“ Instead we find him making up excuses once again whenever he had to change into his superhero persona. But back in The Flash No. 123 (1961), DC editor Julius Schwartz had established that yes, the older versions of many of the heroes were still around and that those superheroes and superheroines of the 1940s, The Golden Age of Comics, all lived on a parallel Earth, on Earth-2 in fact. Having married his longtime girlfriend, Jay Garrick, The Flash of the 1940s, confided in his wife Joan, that The Flash of Earth-1 had not trusted his wife with his secret identity so far. And thus, in The Flash No. 173 (1967), we get an in-story perspective of a female on the matter: “No doubt Barry thinks he“s protecting Iris by not telling her! But he“s wrong! Above all, a wife wants to be trusted!”“ To which Jay quickly replies: “You mean like I“ve trusted you!”“ Way to go, Jay! The couple from an alternative Earth travels to Earth-1, where they even get Kid Flash involved in their attempt to get Barry Allen to reveal himself to his wife. And thus, Barry makes another promise, this time to Joan, to “”¦to reveal his secret identity to Iris for their anniversary”¦ which comes up next month!”“ So, while he had not trusted Iris enough to keep his promise the first time around, to reveal his secret identity to her on their wedding day, this time he wanted to give it a go. And with the next issue, once again written by John Broome, we learn that he very much intends to keep it this way: “To fit this momentous occasion, I“ve decided to tell Iris at the exact hour of our marriage”¦ 11 am! So this is once I“m going to surprise her”¦ and really be home early. The latter point gets forgotten quickly, since Barry, as The Flash, gets involved in an adventure with some of his enemies. For the former point, he comes in after the fact. On the final story page of The Flash No. 174 (1967) we just get three panels. The first panel is really curious. We see Iris“ reaction after Barry“s big reveal (which happened off panel). She is calm and collected and not in the least surprise. While putting on her earrings, she casually tells him: “And now I have a surprise for you, Barry, Darling! I“ve known all along that you were The Flash”¦ from the very first day of marriage.”“ Iris face is very large in the foreground of the panel, but we do get Barry“s reaction, and he is not very pleased with this announcement it seems, as Iris goes on to explain: “Yes, you talk in your sleep. You“ve revealed the truth to me scores of times during the past year”¦ but I thought it best not to mention it”¦ since you seemed so intent on keeping it a secret! So I pretended not to know!”“ And, once again, we the readers are let in on what Barry“s reactions are, as he is thinking: “Odd”¦ in a way then I kept my vow”¦ our wedding day was indeed Flash Revealing Day!”“ Odd, indeed.

So, was this something Broome had just made up as an easy way out? After Barry had not revealed his secret identity to Iris as he had promised in The Flash No. 156, with the writer being called out for it in the letter column by reader Irene Vartanoff after Broome had had Barry ask the readers in the wedding issue how to handle his dual identity? Or was this his plan all along? Had the writer, who Grant Morrison would call an elegant stoner many years later, so much trust in our ability to pick up on the Edgar Allan Poe-esque twist of the subconscious? Barry Allen had not revealed his dual identity to his new wife on their wedding day as he had promised Iris, with his right hand raised, when she was his fiancÃ©e, before Barry, as The Flash, mindwiped the entire population of Earth by turning back time. But in his sleep, on the first night of their marriage, he had told her anyway. His promise, a feeling of guilt by then, knocking this knowledge to the surface until his resting brain full of unrest gave it voice. What“s more, when later, under the pen of a different writer (Robert Kanigher, once again), Barry Allen remembered how Iris had learned his secret, they (the writer and Barry as the in-story narrator) focused entirely on the first part of the reveal (not shown in No. 174). In The Flash No. 203 (1971) and from Barry“s perspective, not only is the reveal that Iris already knew his secret, when a year later he chose to let her in on his dual identity, not mentioned, but in Barry“s mind and on panel, she is surprised, shocked even, while before we were led to believe, there was none of that since she already knew. Was this by intent? Was the writer telling us, that Barry, with his promise to Iris and by extension to Joan on his mind, now misremembered how the reveal had actually happened? Or were our fears proven true, was this new writer not familiar with how this had played out? A quick check of the letters pages of the following issues doesn“t provide any answer whatsoever. Among the many letters of praise for the writer and what can only be described as a radical change to Iris“ backstory (something publisher today would promote tirelessly well in advance as “This will change everything about Iris Allen!”“, or “Everything you thought you knew about Iris Allen is wrong!”“), there is not one letter referencing this apparent breakdown of the story“s continuity. Either readers did not catch it, thought this unimportant or arrived at the conclusion, that this was something that would be addressed later. Or editorial simply did not print these letters. We might never know. If we follow the in-story logic however (provided Kanigher had intended this, or if not, it was still how the issue saw print), there is an underlying element at play her. Since Barry now remembered it this way, was this not his mind telling him, that yes, he had trusted her enough to finally reveal his secret to her? And that she was genuinely surprised when he did so on their wedding anniversary? That in fact it was his decision and his decision alone, that he was the protagonist of the story, of this series, and that Iris was not. But if Barry, in his mind had accepted this version, and we the readers as well, there can be no doubt that he“d broken the promise he“d given to Iris to reveal his dual identity to her on their wedding day, both, on a subconscious and a conscious level, meaning, his reveal came too late. And by extension, that he was the husband who was too late. And that at the core of their relationship, there was a failure of trust that still had not been resolved. Iris could not rely on Barry to be on time, ever. And Barry would carry a feeling of uneasiness forward that betrayed his good-natured attitude as the Scarlet Speedster. Yet Iris wanted to believe that Barry“s lack of attention towards her feelings, expressed in his lateness, did not matter to her as much as it had during their troubled courtship. And as if sensing Barry“s anxiety with him now knowing that she knew his secret identity, she addressed this right away in the final panel they share in The Flash No. 174 in an attempt to alleviate his fears: “No need to worry, dear! Your secret is safe with me!”“ But despite this, trust, or the lack thereof on Barry“s part, would still very much remain an issue. Maybe remembering things differently was his way of convincing himself that he did trust her. But this seeming inconsistency between how the reveal had happened and how he remembered it, was but another step towards their undoing. In their universe, these two characters carried on with their romance as they were being burdened with conflicting memories, inflicted on them by their creative fathers, who according to editor Julius Schwarz lived on yet another parallel Earth. Writers, who hailed from our very own Earth, and who, like a powerful, all-knowing Iago, would keep whispering innuendos into the couple“s ears. Barry would never be on time. Iris could not be trusted. For The Flash and us, the readers, things would start getting dark very soon. And then, ultimately, deadly. So, come back in seven days when we will find out that Barry was indeed married to a two-timing wife. See you back in a flash!

Author Profile

Chris Buse (RIP)

A comic book reader since 1972. When he is not reading or writing about the books he loves or is listening to The Twilight Sad, you can find Chris at his consulting company in Germany... drinking damn good coffee. Also a proud member of the ICC (International Comics Collective) Podcast with Al Mega and Dave Elliott.