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CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Flash (Barry Allen)

12 votes

Adam Strange

2 votes

Edgy MD Nov 27 2014 06:49 AM

Our tournament gives us our second The Flash --- a man of two dimensions vs. and a man of two planets. This matchup comes from the Gold/Silver-Age Superheroes Bracket of the DC/Indie Conference. [fimg=300]http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110612052047/theflash/images/8/8a/The_Flash_Vol_4-1_Cover-1_Teaser.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=300]http://www.classicmarvelforever.com/cms/assets/images/profiles/comic_book/Adam_Strange.png[/fimg] Name: Flash Name: Adam Strange AKA: Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen, The Crimson Comet AKA: Warrior of Two Worlds, Savior of Rann Creator(s): Robert Kanigher, John Broome, Carmine Infantino Creator(s): Julius Schwartz Origin: Central City, OH; Central City, MO Origin: Earth, somewhere. Some say Canada. Base of Operations: Central City, OH; Central City, MO Base of Operations: Mobile, Earth and Rann Teams: Justice League Teams: Justice League, Seven Soldiers of Victory, R.E.B.E.L.S. Signature Lines: "I can never be late again!" Signature Lines: "Am I the hero of Rann, dreaming he is an old man on Earth? Or is it the other way around?" Arch-Enemy: Professor Zoom Arch-Enemy: Kanjar Ro Paramour(s): Iris West Paramour Alanna Strange Once Played By: Grant Gustin Once Played By: Michael Truocco Could Have Been Played By: Usain Bolt Could Have Been Played By: Um, Joaquin Phoenix Song I Think Of: "Flash Song I Think Of: "Strange Magic Powers: Capable of running really fast, then really really fast, then faster than the speed of light, eventually 10 times faster than the speed of light. That's fast. He can vibrate his molecules so as to pass through solid matter, travel through time, and somehow vibrate through dimensions. That's a pretty good exptrapolation of a fast dude's powers, huh? He's so fast, he can resist telepathic mind control, by thinking too fast for foreign thoughts to catch up with his own. FAST! Barry Allen was pretty smart before becoming The Flash, and he can store huge amounts of data in his short-term memory by speed reading. Powerful dude. Powers: Travels back and forth between two planets on zeta beams. Has a jet pack-equipped space suit that allows him to fly, including interstallar flight. Has some energy blast guns, and sort of like Green Lantern (but less so), his suit can help him generate solid objects made of light. He can also see the whole electromagnetic spectrum, which is nice. Weaknesses: If you're able to get the drop on him when he's not at high speed, he's human and vulnerable. You can shoot him or gas him. Sometimes he has trouble slowing down and coming out of his dimensional warps. I bet an oil slick or banana peel is a good thing to have around. Living at a higher speed than everybody makes him feel alienated and sometimes depressed. Weaknesses: He's a dude in a suit. Get him out of the suit. Like, when he's sleeping or something. Also, his zeta beams are an unstable technology, and sometimes mess him up in transit. Lastly, the alien planet he loves is toxic to him, and is fatal if he remains there more than a year.

MFS62 Nov 27 2014 07:00 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Real Super heroes shouldn't need no steenking suit to get their powers. Flash it is. Later

Benjamin Grimm Nov 27 2014 07:16 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

I'm definitely more familiar with the Flash than I am with Adam Strange, but Strange has always been a more intriguing character for some reason, so I'm going to vote for him. (He's not related to Stephen Strange, is he?)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 27 2014 09:54 PM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Almost from conception, Adam Strange has pretty much been a gimmick character, used for drop-ins/novel intergalactic crises/ramping up the peril for the benefit of other heroes' tales. That said... it's one hell of a gimmick, and an interesting central character conflict, and it's been mined for some interesting stories and surprisingly-touching pathos. THAT said... he's no ur-Flash.

Edgy MD Nov 28 2014 05:00 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

His backstory seems rather similar to John Carter of Mars. Was Carter a direct influence?

Vic Sage Nov 28 2014 06:22 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 28 2014 09:44 AM

it was never reported as such (as far as i can tell), but the character was created by Julie Schwartz, who was a major SF/pulp literary agent and publisher in the 1930s before going to work for DC, so i'm sure his pulp background included familiarity with Mr. Carter, and the accidental teleporting to another world and becoming a champion of that world is a quite similar notion, obviously. But the theme of a character thrown out of his own time and place, who falls in love and fights for his newly adopted world, was not unique to JC. Buck Rodgers may have been an equally influential forebearer, or even Tarzan himself, for that matter. As for me, i especially liked the ret-con that Alan Moore gave the character in the 1980s, darkening Strange's backstory considerably. The Zeta beam was no longer some random occurrence that Strange stumbled upon, but the result of the residents of Rann searching for a breeding stud to repopulate their sterile and dying civilization. That being said, Barry Allen is the Flash, and the Flash is the silver age.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Nov 28 2014 09:01 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

That's great. I'd be curious/terrified to see Alan Moore's take on the Archie gang. Adam Strange always brought Flash Gordon to mind for me, but John Carter does seem a nearer match.

RealityChuck Nov 28 2014 09:41 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Adam Strange was a favorite, but the Flash even more so.

Ceetar Nov 28 2014 11:03 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

enjoying the tv show, so I'll go with the Flash. plus Adam Strange is a stupid name

Edgy MD Nov 28 2014 07:03 PM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

And even more true is the fact that Adam Stupid is a strange name. Funny that we've already had two guys named Adam and two guys named strange, and one of those guys is in both those sets.

Vic Sage Nov 29 2014 07:19 AM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Adam Warlock Adam Strange Dr. Strange Doc Savage Captain Savage & his Leatherneck Raiders Captain Marvel (shazam) Marvel Man Man-Thing Swampthing The Thing Wild Thing Wild Pack Power Pack Power Girl Super Girl Superman Batman Batgirl Marvel Girl (Rachel Grey) Captain Marvel (Mar-vell) Marvel Boy Superboy Superwoman Wonder Woman Wonder Man Man-Wolf Red Wolf Red Tornado Red Hulk She-Hulk Grey Hulk Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) Ms. Marvel Miss America Captain America Captain Atom The Atom Atom-Smasher Smasher Smash (team) ... ok, i'm stuck now. oh, wait... "Hulk Smash!", says The Hulk Hulk 2099 Spider-man 2099 Spider-Man Spider-Woman ... i'm too tired to continue...

Edgy MD Dec 09 2014 06:13 PM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

Barry Allen kicks some ass, 12-2 over Adam Strangelove.

Vic Sage Dec 10 2014 02:42 PM Re: CPF WotS, Rd. 1: Flash (Barry Allen) vs. Adam Strange

And Adam's wife, Alanna, is saddened: