FLASH #128 (1962)
by John Broome & Carmine Infantino
I’ve been waiting to reach this one: Abra Kadabra might just be my favorite Flash villain.
We don’t waste any time with his origin story: he’s a stage magician from the far future, where nobody cares about magicians because technology is pretty much magic.
Kind of impressive that those magicians are still remembered in some form in the 64th century.
Kadabra might be exaggerating the low opinion the future has about magicians, especially since there is still a “Magician’s Hall”.
Worried about newspapers losing readers? Apparently they’re well and good 4,300 years into the future, so things are not THAT bad.
Naturally Kadabra decides to use the time machine to go back to the 20th century. I suppose he’s an enthusiast of the period: newspapers still being a thing in the modern form was quite a stretch, but it was still more believable than a record player!!!
That moment might be ridiculous, but it illustrates one of the reasons I like Kadabra: he’s really, REALLY obsessed about his work, oscillating between pathetic and dangerous.
He manages to steal the time machine by using a hypnotic device, which he’ll use quite extensively in this story.
Time travel really took a decline in quality between the 30th and the 64th century.
Another reason why I’ve always liked Kadabra is that you’re not always sure what exactly he’s doing. Did he create a cat out of nothing? Did he teleport it? Is it an illusion? It helps his mystique that we don’t know!
Like I said he can oscillate between being very dangerous…
…and truly pathetic!!!
But we need to have SOME reason for him to interact with Flash, so now he’s jealous of his fame.
Even his first crime… making a statue disappear… is unsatisfactory because there was no applause.
Kadabra’s fixations make him a Batman-style villain with Superman-level powers. It’s relatively understated in this era, but it’s still noticeable.
Fortunately Flash is on the case…
… and 0.0000000000001 nanoseconds later, the Flash wins.
Yeah, I wish. Of course he gets hit by Kadabra’s “magic”.
Come on, Flash, that was really pathetic! But okay, fine, SOMEHOW he took you by surprise.
It’s not like he’s going to put up his own magic show and hit you with his magic exactly the same way twice even when you have the element of surprise, right?
OH COME ON!!!
Okay, I know I said that I like when Kadabra’s tricks are not explained, but this is so mind-boggingly bonkers that I understand why they HAD to explain it!!!
Yep. Flash was just zapped to another “““planet”””!!!!
Okay, first of all: that is clearly NOT A PLANET.
Second of all, HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE!?!?!??
You know I have the “Ridiculous Flash feat of the day” gag, right?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to THE MOST RIDICULOUS FLASH FEAT OF THE DECADE.
Compared to JUMPING BETWEEN STAR SYSTEMS, tracking the “radiation” left behind by his costume is nothing!!!
So the Flash is able to track down Kadabra, put his costume back on…
…and for once REMEMBERING TO USE HIS POWERS!!!!!!!!!
So we end with the Flash arresting Kadabra, immobilized by his own hypnotic device.
Shouldn’t he do that with ALL his enemies!?
Historical significance: 7/10
Abra Kadabra is one of the classic Flash villains, but he’s somewhat unusual in that he tends to do his own thing and almost never teams up with the other Rogues. It really, REALLY says a lot when the Flash villains consider him too weird!!!
Silver Age-ness: 7/10
Considering what ELSE he’s going to do with his future tech, this Kadabra is pretty mild.
Does it stand the test of time? 5/10
This almost still works. It’s great to focus on Kadabra’s perspective, and I like that he ends up being a criminal almost by accident. But the details of how he ends up being a danger to the Flash are just way, WAY too ridiculous for modern tastes.
Ridiculous Flash feat of the day
Nothing is going to top the covers story, sure, but it’s not like the second story lacks ridiculousness.
How close is this to the modern character?: 7/10
The obsession is there, but like I said it’s understated, and his magic tricks are a little repetitive.
He can definitely be a stereotypical supervillain and something of a joke…
…but when he gets serious, things get dangerous. And very, very, very WEIRD.
And obviously Abra Kadabra is responsible for one of the best covers in the history of comic books.
