Characters : Flash Thompson

 
 

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Attributes

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 185 lbs

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Reddish Blond

Features: Confined to wheelchair, does not interact with outside world

Summary

Created By: Stan Lee, Steve Ditko

Real Name: Eugene Thompson

Current Aliases: None

Former Aliases: None

Dual Identity: None

Current Occupation: Unemployed

Former Occupation: Former High School and College Football Star, Soldier, High School Gym Coach, Oscorp Employee

Citizenship: U.S. Citizen

Legal Status: Hunted as Hobgoblin suspect, later cleared

Place of Birth: Queens, New York

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Harrison Thompson (Father, former policeman, alcoholic), Rosie Thompson (Mother), Jessie Thompson (Older Sister).

Known Confidants: Spider-Man, Sha Shan

Known Allies: Spider-Man

Major Enemies: Hobgoblin

Usual Bases: New York City

Former Bases: None

Current Groups: None

Former Groups: None

Education: College (science major, incomplete)

 

Powers & Paraphenalia

Strength Level: Strong human, but normal.

Powers: None

Abilities: None

Equipment: None

Weapons: None

Limitations: Being a jerk.

 
 

Background

Flash was the Big Man On Campus at Midtown High, and he delighted in leading the torment of bookworm Peter Parker with the likes of Seymour O'Reilly, Sally Avril, Jason Ionello, Tiny McKeever, Carl King and Arnie Gunderson. Flash was a football jock with confidence to spare, and plenty of friends with which to share his life. Chief among them was his number one girl, Liz Allan. Eventually, Liz began to see that there was more to Parker than met the eye, and she began to develop an interest in Peter. This irritated Flash, and fueled his hatred of Puny Parker, the Science Geek.

But that was High School. When Flash and Peter found themselves at the same college, they did some rapid growing up, and soon became good friends. Flash, Harry Osborn, Peter and Gwen Stacy formed a tight-knit group, although they soon made room for Mary Jane Watson. Sadly, these Halycon days were to be short-lived for Flash, and he was drafted into the army. Flash cut a dashing figure in his uniform, but eventually his training was completed, and he was shipped off to the army.

Flash did return to the U.S. in the middle of his tour of duty, bringing back some serious trouble, in the shape of an emnity he had developed with a band of mystic monks from a secret Eastern temple. The monks mistakenly believed Flash was responsible for their temple being shelled and thier priest being killed, and they hunted Flash back to New York to exact their vengeance. Fortunately Spidey was there to sort things out. The priest hadnt died, he had survived the shelling by using some kind of mystical energy that saved him, but also put him to sleep. Doctor Strange helped the priest out of his magic coma.

Flash eventually returned to the U.S. for good. He was a single man for a while, until he eventually hooked up with Sha Shan, who was actually the daughter of "The Holy One" (the leader of the temple which Flash had previously encountered). Sha Shan had her own problems, having been forced by her father to marry Achmed Korba (Brother Power) in order to moderate his evil ambitions. Eventually, Spider-Man helped defeat Korba, and Sha Shan was free to hook up with Flash, as she always wanted to.

For whatever reason, however, things didn't really work out with Sha Shan, and she quietly vanished from the scene. Flash got a job as a part-time PE teacher, a big step down from his days as a college football star. Flash was at a loose end, and when Peter's friend Betty Brant started running into problems with her own marriage to Ned Leeds, Flash and Betty started having an affair.

Flash then managed to get into trouble with Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley), when he made a rash comment on live TV - claiming that "The Hobgoblin is a Creep and a Coward". As a result, Flash was framed as the Hobgoblin as punishment, and spent some time on the run, until he was finally cleared. Flash had one last encounter with the Hobgoblin, one that would keep him on the sidelines and never realize his dream of being a pro football star. Immediately after Jason Macendale became the Hobgoblin, he was involved in a battle with Spider-Man, in which Spidey seemed to be on the losing side. Catching a pumpkin bomb meant for the dazed webslinger, Flash threw it back at Macendale. Hobgoblin had his body armor and Peter was protected by his spider strength but Flash had nothing. He suffered a near fatal injury from the explosion. Spider-Man performed CPR and saved his life, but Flash's injury destroyed his sports career.

Ned was killed, Betty went kind of nuts and Flash's life was going nowhere. Then Flash met Felicia Hardy (The Black Cat) some time after Peter and MJ got married. Felicia reckoned that going out with Flash would serve to make Peter jealous but she never planned on actually falling in love with him. Instead, Felicia fell so hard that she actually proposed to him. Flash turned her down, unable to actually believe that he could ever be part of her high-flying lifestyle.

Flash went way downhill after that, becoming an alcoholic - just like his father, who was publically the friendly neighbourhood cop, and privately a violant tyrant. Flash tried to get back together with Betty Brant, but she wasn't prepared to prop him up. Norman Osborn then stepped in, and made Flash his personal assistnat at the Daily Bugle, which he had forced out of the hands of J. Jonah Jameson. Of course, Norman just wanted to taunt Spider-Man. Eventually tiring of Flash, Norman arranged for him to be framed in a drunk-driving accident, which left Thompson in a coma.

Flash eventually regained consciousness - of a sort. While his face was untouched, his mind and body were a wreck. Liz Osborn, who was now the widow of Harry Osborn, arranged for a full-time nurse, and for Flash to live in an apartment very close to Peter and many of Flash's friends. Flash was in a wheelchair, and never spoke.

Flash somehow came out of his coma and has gone back to teaching gym at Midtown High. He was back to his original obnoxious self and had forgotten that he and Peter were ever friends. He doubted that Peter was really Spider-Man after Pete revealed to the world his double identity, as part of the Superhuman Registration Act. Trying to prove it, Flash threw a medicine ball at Parker, expecting the clumsy guy to get knocked on his butt. Instead, Peter kicked the ball right back at him, hitting him in the head. Flash woke up in the nurses office and met Miss Arrow, the school nurse.

Flash flirted with her, but she didnt show a real interest in him until he was kissed by Betty Brant. That proved to be very bad for him, as Arrow was Spider- Man's Other, his polar opposite. She realized that Flash had a great deal of tantric energy (unused life force) after being in the coma and she decided to make him the host of her children: potentially thousands of spiders that she would force down his throat until they hatched, eating him alive. Naturally, he wasnt crazy about this idea.

 

 
 

Character Appearances

Jul 1997 App: Flashback - Spectacular Spider-Man
  "Flashback - Spectacular Spider-Man"
Aug 1962 App: Amazing Fantasy #15
May 1989 App: Spider-Man: Parallel Lives
  "Spider-Man: Parallel Lives"
Dec 1995 App: Amazing Fantasy #16
Jan 1996 App: Amazing Fantasy #17
... Here is the Full Appearance List (256 Apps)
 

By Dave Sippel (E-Mail)


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