The Flash #166

“THE LAST STAND OF THE THREE-TIME LOSERS!”

Barry battles seemingly routine crooks, but then feels compelled to tell Iris that he is secretly the Flash!

The Last Stand Of The Three-Time Losers!

Police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, is working late in his laboratory. Walking home, Allen feels a slight vibration in his hand, and accidentally releases his Flash costume, from it's housing, within in his ring. Allen determines that the vibratory effect is coming from a nearby building, and investigates, as the Flash. There, a five man crew of thieves is working their way inside a vault. Each of these men are looking at a lifetime in prison, should they ever be arrested again. The arrival of the Flash fills them with dread and desperation. The Flash is seconds away from taking down the whole gang, when he suddenly bolts from the room. The Flash races to the offices of Picture News where, as Allen, he approaches his wife, reporter Iris West, intent on revealing his secret identity to her.

West puts Allen off, lest she blow her deadline. The overwhelming compulsion to expose his identity to West passes. Allen, as the Flash, resumes his pursuit of the criminal gang. Running down their getaway car, the Flash is, once again seconds aways from defeating them, when he, again, bolts away. The Flash, as Allen, returns to the offices of Picture News, intent on revealing his secret identity to West. Again, West rebuffs him to finish writing her article. When the compulsion fades again, Allen realizes that he is suffering from the delayed reaction, of an experimental truth serum, he had been working on in his laboratory. Each time the cigar-smoking criminal, "Chompers", blew smoke in the Flash's face, it triggered a chemical reaction activating the dormant truth serum in Allen's system.

Downing an antidote, the Flash tracks the criminals down, by following the trail of exhaust molecules left by their getaway car. The five criminals have also guessed that Chompers' cigar smoke was somehow causing the Flash to flee from them. When the Flash arrives to arrest them, Chompers, "Profile", and "The Mole", are all smoking cigars. Despite their breathing smoke on him, the Flash mops up the floor with the five criminals. Only their strongman, the former wrestler "Ek Ek", gives the Flash even a moment's trouble. At home, the Flash, as Allen doses West with the truth serum, and confirms that the serum is a failure. It only affected Allen due to his unique body chemistry, brought about by his super-human speed powers.

Tempting Target For The Temperature Twins!

Police Forensics scientist, Barry Allen, discovers the Real Cool Refrigeration Company is on fire. Allen, as the Flash, races inside to rescue any trapped workers. Grabbing up two people, the Flash is racing out of the building, when the floor collapse. The added weight of the two workers throws the Flash off-balance, causing him to sprain his ankle upon landing. After receiving medical attention, the Flash is photographed leaving the scene, clearly injured, potentially jeopardizing his secret identity.

Across town, Captain Cold and Heat Wave have teamed up on a crime spree. Looting a jewelry store, the hot and cold felons encounter Miss Fashion Gem Of Central City. Both men declare their love for her. Out of jealously, the two super-criminals are about to come to blows, when they decide on a contest to decide who gets the girl. Their contest, of course, is to see which of them can put the Flash permanently out of action. Encountering their foe on the street, as he hobbles by on crutches, Captian Cold and Heat Wave open up on the Flash, with their signature weapons.

Unable to dodge, the Flash quickly discovers that the two temperature extremes, combined, are rapidly speeding up the healing process on his ankle. With his ankle fully restored, the Flash maneuvers around his opponents, at super-human speed, causing them to blast each other into unconsciousness. After dropping the two crooks off at the nearest police station, the Flash, as Allen, meets up with his wife, Picture News reporter, Iris West, to celebrate their one month anniversary.