Funky Flashman is a fictional character, an entrepreneur in the DC Universe. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the pages of ‘Mister Miracle’ during the early 1970s. He has no superhuman powers, but is very charismatic, charming, and a cunning businessman.
The character is popularly considered a satiric caricature of Stan Lee, Kirby’s former artistic collaborator at Marvel Comics with whom he had a falling-out, but this claim has no substantial evidence to back it up. Flashman’s attempts to rip off ‘Mister Miracle’ potentially reflect Kirby’s view that Lee exploited his work at Marvel in the 1960s.
Nothing is known about Funky’s past except that he and his sidekick Houseroy (popularly considered to be a caricature of Roy Thomas, Stan Lee’s first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics) were business associates of a Colonel Mockingbird. After Mockingbird’s death, Funky and Houseroy lived on monthly allowances (most likely their inheritance from Mockingbird) that were automatically doled out. Noticing that the monthly allowances were getting smaller, Funky decided that he needed a new source of income.
In Funky Flashman’s first appearance, he unsuccessfully attempts to cash in on the talents of Mister Miracle. Donning a wig and a beard, he meets with Mr. Miracle to interview for the position of his tour manager. Miracle accepts, despite the fact that his associates Big Barda and Oberon object to Flashman’s demeanor and tactics.
The next day, Mr. Miracle performs several of his escape acts, much to Flashman’s delight. Flashman asks for Miracle’s secret, and Miracle reveals the mother box (a device that holds cosmic powers) he keeps on his shoulder. From around the corner, the two men see Big Barda and the supervillainess Female Fury Lashina engaged in a struggle. Miracle jumps in to help Barda but Lashina vanishes with the power of her phasing circuits. The two realize the Female Furies have been tracking their whereabouts through the mother box signal.
During the skirmish, Flashman decides to leave with the mother box in hand. He takes it back to his residence but cannot make heads or tails of it. He discards the box and decides the gift of Mr. Miracle is too risky. The mother box begins to let out an ‘eeeeee’ sound which summons all the Female Furies of Apokolips (a planet ruled by the villain Darkseid). Funky cowardly tosses his assistant at the attackers and jumps out the window. His inherited house explodes behind him, but Flashman walks off to live another day.
The Daily Omnivore 
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