Tom versus the Flash number 144 or quick, empty those crates of whiskey.

We can use the empty bottles.

Welcome back for the Flash number 144, the May 1964 issue featuring a cover penciled by

Carmine Infantino and inked by Murphy Anderson.

Our creative teams for both stories are the same.

Gardner Fox writes both stories.

Penciled by Carmen and Fantino, inked by Joe Giella, edited by Julie Schwartz.

Our first story is the menace of the man missile.

Menace of the man missile.

A lot of alliteration in that, sometimes hard to say.

We start in the middle of nowhere

in some sort of desert, and there's cactuses, and there's a convict running through the desert, having

just abandoned a car that ran out of gas. It is escaped convict Luke Elred, who's looking for some

sort of shelter in the desert, finds a cave, jumps in, bad luck. It happens to be near a nuclear testing site,

which is about to test a nuclear bomb, as we see all the scientists inside their little room getting

ready. I do have to say the scientists inside the room look like a new wave fan from the 90s,

all wearing orange jumpsuits, black sunglasses, one of them has a

mustache. I think they go on to become, when their nuclear careers are over, they go on to

become a very popular new wave band in the DC universe. Well, they test the bomb. It goes off.

The cave caves in on Mr. Elrod.

Not only does it cave in, though, but some sort of strange radioactive fluid starts leaking throughout the cavern covering him in it.

He's soaked and he's trapped inside this cave and he can't get out. He's frustrated. He's trying to dig his way out.

...