This is the intro for the Flash segments that ran during the Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967-1968). Filmation produced three Flash cartoons in which the Flash and Kid Flash battled original evildoers including a giant mutated bug (The Chemo Creature, seen here), a mad scientist in a robot suit (Professor Crag), and an alien speedster (The Blue Bolt). Sadly, he didn’t actually “conquer the barriers of time and space” in any of the segments they produced.
Warner Bros. released all the non-Superman/Aquaman sequences on DVD a few years back, and I reviewed the set a couple of months after this blog went online.
Even setting aside the image quality, you can see that it’s a very different style from modern shows like Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice, or even Super-Friends.
Incidentally, one of the Green Lantern shorts is the one where Hal Jordan gets hit in the head by an angry bird.
Update: I couldn’t help it: I posted a second video.
If you’re interested in super-hero cartoon intros, you’re in for a treat. Fifteen blogs are getting together for Animated Anthem Day. Check out the rest of these superhero title sequences!
- Aquaman @ The Aquaman Shrine
- The Atom @ Power of the Atom
- Booster Gold @ BOO$TERRIFIC
- Doctor Fate @ Tower of Fate
- Firestorm @ Firestorm Fan
- Green Lantern @ The Indigo Tribe
- Hawkman @ Being Carter Hall
- Martian Manhunter @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
- Swamp Thing @ The BLOG from the BOG
- Supergirl @ Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
- Superman @ Fortress of Baileytude
- The Vixen @ Justice League Detroit
- Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince
- Plastic Man & Shazam @ DC Bloodlines
Thanks to Diabolu Frank for organizing the event and The Irredeemable Shag of Firestorm Fan for inviting Speed Force to participate.
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I honestly can’t believe Flash has never had his own series aside from those three episodes. Think about how awesome a Flash family series could be. I would even be down for a return of the Blue Bolt!
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The lighting bolts, ring costume and twirling all figure into a few seconds of cheap animation, but get across so much of the Flash cannon succinctly. I also dig how the Scarlet Speedster never stops moving after the 11 second mark, especially when he rushes the bug-man immediately after a dead drop. The narration and effects suffocate the music to death, though.
Barry isn’t the only thing flashing…those flashing/blinking backgrounds nearly gave me a seizure (and I don’t even have epilepsy).
Kind of funny to have such a long intro sequence when the episodes themselves were so short.
Cheesy as it is, everything in this animated intro does a great job of showing why the Flash is as fantastic as Superman. Flash could vibrate through walls and run through time and space? Sold. I saw this as a kid and immediately started buying the comic. Loved the running around the globe multiple times–that was taken from a Carmine Infantino cover.