A bold, new direction for Throwback Thursday begins here in the first installment of The New Adventures of Throwback Thursday!!!

This week’s episode: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #8- “A Flash of Lightning”

It was November of 1985. DC Comics was nearing the finale of their 12 part continuity fixing maxi-series. Though there were already plenty of bodies in the wake of this first Crisis, the greatest loss was yet to come.

Held captive by the Anti-Monitor, the Flash is helpless as he learns of the Monitor’s plan to destroy all multiple universes with a giant cannon. Little did we know the Flash wasn’t helpless, but biding his time for the right moment to strike.
Capitalizing on a moment when the Anti-Monitor is distracted, the Flash frees himself from his bindings, and quickly gets to work on dismantling the cannon.

It isn’t until he realizes the only way to stop the cannon is to run so fast he can catch the tachyon beam as it leaves the barrel, technically stopping it from firing, that the full scope of the Flash’s heroism is realized. In these most memorable and harrowing panels, bear witness to what a true hero is.

Knowing full well what had to be done, and the terrible outcome should he fail, the Flash sacrifices himself so that the multi-verse will live.

No issue ever meant so much to me as a child as this one did. I loved the Flash growing up. The way he went out was like nothing I’d ever seen before. And those last, dying words, “There is always hope,” will be with me forever.

You are missed, Barry Allen. You are missed.