Mopee

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Mopee is a fictional character from DC Comics, an imp-like creature from the "Heavenly Helpmates" who was stated, in a story not generally considered in-continuity, to have been responsible for the origin of the Silver Age Flash. He was created by Gardner Fox.

[edit] Publication History and Significance

The origin of the Flash is that he was struck by a bolt of lightning and splashed with chemicals, which gave him his powers in a freak accident. In Mopee's only in-story appearance, in The Flash #167 (February 1967), it was revealed that the Flash had been deliberately created by Mopee, rather than receiving his powers by accident. The story was based around the idea that Mopee had to use something owned by Barry to provide his powers, but the chemicals that affected Barry belonged to the police department, not him, so he had to replace them.

The story was never referred to as part of continuity again. In fact, it is famous among comic book fans as the definitive example of a story which conflicts with the fundamental idea behind a series so much that it had to be quietly ignored. Even 18 years later, Mopee was remembered in Ambush Bug #3 (August 1985), an issue devoted to embarassingly bad parts of the DC Universe. Who's Who (1985) specifically stated that Mopee did not create the Flash, and The Life Story of the Flash (1997) obliquely referred to Barry Allen analyzing a drug nicknamed "Mopee" on the night he received his powers.