Tom versus the Flash number 223 or I've never been held so tenderly by an insect.

Welcome back to the Flash number 223, the September, October 1973 issue featuring a cover by Nick Cardi with the entire issue being edited by Julie Schwartz.

The first story in this issue is Make Way for the Speed Demons, written by

Curry Bates, penciled by Irv Novick, and inked by Dick Gerardana. We start with the flash running

through the mountainous region outside Central City, exercising, getting a morning jog in. Mountains

outside Central City? Yes. I mean, we've seen him in mountainous regions nearby. It's hilly,

at least. We're going to learn a little bit about Central City's geography in this issue, and some of the idiosyncrasies

of it. And never really thought the Flash having to jog to keep in shape, but a message to the

kids, jog, get out there, get fit, the Flash has already run 23,654 miles that morning.

As he's running along the road, a car comes from the opposite direction, going extremely fast.

One of the benefits of being extremely fast is you can have something called speed-geared eyesight,

which the Flash has, which allows him to see that the car is going at 125 miles per hour. Would the trick work if you slam down your brakes when you saw the flash on the side of the road? Or maybe this guy wasn't expecting the flash to pull him over, but that's what the flash is going to do. He's got nothing else going on. Barry Allen's off duty, but a citizen's arrest might be in order, so the flash turns around, chases down the car to pull it over.

Twirling his arms, creates a section effect, pulling it backwards until it finally pulls over.

Flash tells the guy to get out and bring out his license when three men step out of this fine sedan.

And they're dressed oddly. It's a race car driver, a scuba man, and a jet pilot.

I know it sounds like the beginning of a joke,

and you might be wondering,

would three men dress like this right in a car together?

Probably not that strange in the DC universe,

but in this case, you know, the Flash seems a little shocked.

All three of these men in unison starts saying,

we've been hypnotized against our will flash,

...