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    The Flash #198

    The Flash » The Flash #198 - No Sad Songs For A Scarlet Speedster!/Call It... Magic! released by DC Comics on June 1, 1970.

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    While trying to help some teenaged orphans, Flash receives a blow to the head and believes he's eight years old again and not The Flash. "Call It...Magic"!

    No Sad Songs For A Scarlet Speedster!

    Three teens, Rod Haines, Betty Foster, and Frankie Smith, keep a watchful eye on the Flash. The Scarlet Speedster spends his days hiding out in a cave, mending a bird's wing. To the teenagers' sorrow, the Flash is still an amnesiac with the mind of an 8 year old. Despite their best efforts to convince the Flash of who he really is, the teens can't get through to his damaged mind.

    When the Flash actually tries to move at super-speed, at the teens' urgings, he fails. Hearing a noise in the underbrush, the teens close ranks around the Flash, to protect him from the coming threat. The "threat" turns out to merely be a squirrel, who the Flash quickly adopts as a pet. The teens take their leave of the Flash, convincing him to stay hidden away in the cave, as part of a game.

    Two days ago, the Flash had been performing at a local orphanage. The Headmaster asked the Flash to try to get through to a trio of troubled teenagers. At first, the teens treated the Flash with scorn, and rebuffed all of his offers of adventure. Finally, though, they did ask for something... to return to their old neighborhood. Carrying the teens in his slipstream, the Flash brought them to a particularly destitute part of Central City.

    At the teens' request, the Flash began building them a clubhouse. During his super-speed construction efforts, the Flash dug up the missing loot from a recent robbery. Suddenly, armed thugs began firing on the Flash, and the teens. Though the Flash was able to escape, and carry the teens to safety, a stray bullet creased his temple. When he regained consciousness, the Flash's mind, and memories, had regressed to that of a child.

    The gunmen follow the teens back to the cave, hurling in smoke grenades to flush them out. Finding faith in the teenagers' belief in him, the Flash is able to access his super-speed abilities. Taking the crooks down, in an uncontrolled fashion, leads to a cave-in. The Flash takes another blow to the head, from a falling rock, and regains his memories. With the crooks in jail, and the clubhouse finished, an exhausted Flash, finally, returns home, and collapses into bed.

    Call It... Magic!

    Zatanna performs in Central City. Using her magic to draw police forensic scientist, Barry Allen, to the stage. Zatanna passionately kisses Allen, as the prelude to her disappearing act. Zatanna, though, is the one who vanishes, not Allen. Zatanna is drawn to another realm, called to the aid of a powerful sorcerer, Namba. Zatanna sees Namba beset by the demon, Xarkon. Before she can act, Xarkon possesses Namba's body.

    Zatanna tries to exorcise Xarkon from Namba, to no avail. Using his Cosmic Treadmill, Allen, as the Flash, is able to follow Zatanna into the other realm. Xarkon's corruption has already spread throughout the realm, thus the Flash is immediately attacked upon arrival. After defeating his attackers, the Flash races along, faster than the eye can see, to avoid further conflicts.

    Finding Zatanna, the Flash closes on Xarkon, only to be immobilized by the demons' magics. Zatanna finally realizes how to break Xarkon's hold over Namba. Passionately kissing Xarkon, drives the demon out of Namba's body. Namba returns the passion of Zatanna's kiss, then sends her back to her own realm. The Flash follows. Reappearing on the stage, as if they had never left, the Flash, as Allen, uses his super-human speed, to complete Zatanna's trick.

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    Gone to waste 0

    The stories contained within this episode are very typical of the silver age. The first refers to a fairly common plot device, that of a hero losing their memory in some capacity, in this case, Barry Allen thinks he is eight years old again, as a group of teenagers try to help him to safety. The second story is a bit more bizarre, as it involves Barry at a magic show with Zatanna. The plot here is a bit muddled, as is its resolution. It is good to see Zatanna, even though it is a bit waste...

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