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In the mid-1950s, editorial director Irwin Donenfeld and publisher Liebowitz directed editor Julius Schwartz ( whose roots lay in the science-fiction book market ) to produce a one-shot Flash story in the try-out title Showcase.

Instead of reviving the old character, Schwartz had writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome, penciler Carmine Infantino, and inker Joe Kubert create an entirely new super-speedster, updating and modernizing the Flash's civilian identity, costume, and origin with a science-fiction bent.

The Flash's reimagining in Showcase # 4 ( October 1956 ) proved sufficiently popular that it soon led to a similar revamping of the Green Lantern character, the introduction of the modern all-star team Justice League of America ( JLA ), and many more superheroes, heralding what historians and fans call the Silver Age of comic books.