Tom versus the Flash number 303 or alas, flash turns to pseudoscience.

Welcome back for the Flash number 303 in November 1981 issue featuring a cover pencil by Carmine Infantino, inked by Bob Smith, with the issue being edited by Mike W. Barr.

Our first story in this issue is The Top is Alive and well in Henry Allen. You couldn't really do that title these days being solicits and maybe months out of time. You'd be like, oh, I guess it's the top that's inside Henry Allen. The title gives it away this time. Written by Carrie Bates, art by Carmen Anfantino and Bob Smith, Castanza, letter, that's all it says, Costanza.

Gene DiAngelo, Colors, that's right, the top is inside Henry Allen, but we don't begin there.

We begin at the tranquil Saturday afternoon on the grounds of the Central City Clinic,

where Nora Allen is recovering, of course, from the horrible car accident.

We see Barry visiting her.

And we see Nora bring up something interesting, the fact that she thinks something is very seriously wrong with her husband, Henry. Ever since she's woken up and she's talked to him,

he just seems like a totally different person. Perhaps something in the accident affected him.

I mean, he looks the same and sounds the same, but there's just something a little different about him. She's very intuitive. Barry goes, oh, he's been staying with me for a couple weeks. Trust me, it's the same dad we've always known. We've become very close. Barry, this is an indictment of your relationship with your father. He's, but take it over by a villain, and you think he's still the same person, and you've grown closer to him. At this point, the conversation's interrupted by a nurse who says that there's a detective Curtis waiting for Barry at the front desk. Oh, that's nice. It's, uh, Barry's ride home. It's great that Frank's just giving him rides home, you know, all the time. Barry, where is your car?

Maybe his dad is using it.

I shouldn't indict that section.

I said indict twice.

It's a wacky morning.

So they get to the car and things turn awkward immediately because Frank Curtis breaks out

some photos of Henry Allen wearing a fake O.T.

Canoodling with an attractive red-headed woman. We saw this last time. Even Barry says if this was someone else, I'd punch them in the face. But because it's Frank Curtis, he's going to listen to it. It sounds so creepy that Frank's been following around his dad for the last couple of days, taking photos of him. Berries just seemed slightly disgusted by everything that's going on.

I'm very strange. Explain, listen, this is what I do. I'm up front. That's a better nickname. Upfront Curtis.

That's what everyone calls him. He's a straight shooter, man. He shoots from the hip. He calls it as it is.

He's an asshole. That's what he does. Which Barry's like, sure, whatever, whatever. It gets out of the car, kind of pissed off. Frank tries to make a lunch date, which Barry just ignores. We see Barry inside Utopia towers, singles and term in camp, just annoyed, thinking he's annoyed that Frank has invaded his father's privacy. And his father's going to have a perfectly rational explanation for what's going on. He's just got to ask him about it. We see Barry open the door walking to his darkened apartment. No one's there, which is kind of suspicious because his dad's supposed to be there. Now he's worrying about his dad. He didn't leave a note or call or anything. We see hanging in the air like a saw, like a blade with a handle on it. Poisoned ready to shoot at Barry Allen.

It releases, it flies at Barry. Barry relays him squam with super speed reflexes. He allows it to vibrate

right through him into the wall, turns on the lights to notice a bunch of different weapons.

...