Comic Title: Flash #123
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: September 1961
On Sale Date: July 18, 1961 Copyright Date July 18, 1961
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1961

Frequency: Monthly, with the exception of January, April, July and October
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Title: "Flash of Two Worlds"
Pages: 25

Feature(s):
Flash (Barry Allen of Earth-1)

Writer: Gardner F. Fox
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Giella

Reprinted In:
80 Page Giant Magazine #9 (1965)
Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told HC (1990)
Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told TPB (1990)
Millennium Edition:Flash 123 (#21) (2000)
Flash Archives Vol. 3 HC (2002)
Crisis on Multiple Earths the Team Ups Vol. 1 TPB (2006)
Flash:The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB (2007)
Showcase Presents:The Flash Vol. 2 TPB (2008)
Flash of Two Worlds HC (2009)
Flash Chronicles Vol. 4 TPB (2013)
Flash Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2014)
Flash:A Celebration of 75 Years HC (2015)
Flash:The Silver Age Vol. 2 TPB (2017)
Flash:80 Years of the Fastest Man Alive the Deluxe Edition HC (2020)
Flash (Facsimile Edition) #123 (2020)
Flash of Two Worlds Deluxe Edition HC (2020)
Flash (Facsimile Edition) #123 [Second Printing] (2023)
Legends of the DC Universe:Carmine Infantino HC (2023)

Feature Character(s)

• Flash of Earth-1 (last appearance in Justice League of America #6; next appearance in Justice League of America #7)

Guest Star(s)

• Flash of Earth-2 (Jay Garrick; last appearance in Adventure Comics #466; next appearance in Flash #129)

Supporting Character(s)

• Iris West (last appearance in Flash #122; next appearance in Justice League of America #7)

Villain(s)

• Shade (last appearance in Flash Comics #33; next appearance in Flash #151)
• Fiddler (last appearance in Comic Cavalcade #28; next appearance in Justice League of America #21)
• Thinker (last appearance in All-Flash #32; next appearance in Atom #29)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Joan Garrick (last appearance in Flash Comics #104; next appearance in Flash #129)

Comments:
The origins of both the Flash and the Flash of Earth-2 are recapped in this story.

This story introduces the concept of parallel Earths to the DC Universe. While only two Earths are mentioned in this story, it is later revealed that an entire multiverse of parallel Earth’s exist. The multiverse is eventually destroyed by the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The Earths are designated as Earth-1 and Earth-2 in Justice League of America #21. Earth-1 would be so-named because it’s Flash was the first to travel between Earths as shown here. Earth-2 received it’s name because it was the second known parallel Earth.

With the discovery of multiple Earths, Flash and his Earth-2 counterpart would team-up several more times. Eventually, the Justice Society and Justice League would begin teaming up annually for over 20 years.

The events on Earth-2 are depicted in the comic books on Earth-1. Gardner Fox has dreams which enable him to know events from that universe. The adventures of the Flash of Earth-2 were told in Flash Comics from 1940 to 1949. In 1949 the comics was discontinued. It is revealed in this story that that was the same time the Flash of Earth-2 retired from action.

Jay Garrick’s marriage to his long time girlfriend Joan Williams is revealed in this story. Jay comes out of retirement to defeat three of his old foes.

Synopsis:
In order to assist Iris West, Flash performs at a fundraiser in the Central City community center. During the performance Flash is using his super-speed powers to achieve amazing feats. During one such trick, of rope climbing, he disappears.

When Flash reappears, he is outside the city. As he heads back into town, he notices that it is not Central City at all. It is Keystone city, a fictional city from comic books, which serves as the home of Jay Garrick, the Golden-Age Flash.

Flash looks up Garrick in the phone book and arrives at his door as Barry Allen. Barry reveals his knowledge of Jay’s origin and history. He also reveals his secret identity to Jay. It seems that the two worlds occupy the same space but vibrate at different speeds. Things evolved slightly different on each Earth. Barry is aware of Jay from reading the comic books of his Earth, which were written from Gardner Fox’s dreams. Jay, who has been retired for over a decade, comes out of retirement, and together the two Flashes set out to solve a series of crimes that have struck Keystone City.

Garrick’s old foes the Fiddler, the Shade, and the Thinker have joined forces in an attempt to draw Flash out of retirement. The Flashes split up to look for the criminals responsible for the crimes. Jay encounters the Thinker, but he is outwitted by his old foe. Barry encounters the Shade, who is puzzled by Flash’s changed appearance. Shade is able to escape as well. When the two crooks meet up they compare notes and realize there are two Flashes.

The Fiddler is committing a third crime across town. Shade and Thinker arrive to warn their partner about the Flashes. They discover that Fiddler has already caught them using his musical spell. He forces the duo to steal jewels for him. When he is about to escape with his partners, he commands the Flashes to stay behind. The Flashes capture the villains anyway. They put the jewels in their ears which blocked Fiddler’s musical commands.

Barry and Jay part company, with Jay permanently out of retirement. Barry returns back to his own world.