The Flash #122

Featuring the first appearance of the Top! Fashion designer Anton Previn gives Iris a makeover while Flash battles a new villain.

Beware The Atomic Grenade!

Arriving in Central City, world famous fashion designer, Anton Previn. contacts his old friend, police forensics scientist, Barry Allen. After Allen secures Previn's latest designs, in a safe at police headquarters, the two men spend the day together, rekindling their friendship. Allen is excited to introduce Previn to his girlfriend, reporter Iris West. Before Allen gets the chance to introduce Previn, West tells Allen about Central City's newest super-criminal, the Top. After robbing the Wimbell's Department Store payroll, the Top had found himself being pursued by a crowd of law-abiding citizens. Hurling a top that entangled his pursuers with confetti-like steel streamers, the Top escaped.

After Allen introduces Previn to West, Allen decides to go after the Top, as the Flash. West and Previn become fast friends. Previn even offers to give West a makeover, to make her more desirable to Allen. Intercepting a police radio bulletin, the Flash races to the site of a robbery in progress. A robbery being pulled off by the Top. The Flash hangs back to allow Central City's Police Department to arrest the Top. The Top covers his escape with a top-shaped smoke grenade. The Flash races through the smoke, but the Top is ready for him. Spinning at incredible velocity, the Top proves impossible to grab. When the Flash tries, he is flung down, hard, to the ground.

With the Flash unconscious, the Top makes good his escape. Back in his secret lair, the Top reflects on his origin. As a young boy, Roscoe Dillon discovered some wooden tops, in an old box, tucked away in the attic. Dillon became fascinated by tops, eschewing all other activities in favor of spinning tops. As an adult, Dillon drifted into a life of crime. After his second arrest, Dillon decided to seek out a new modus operandi. Returning to his boyhood obsession, Dillon began researching tops. After learning how to spin as fast as a top, Dillon found that, inexplicably, the high velocity spinning expanded his intellect. After the success of his smaller crimes, the Top decides to go for his big score.

Interrupting the television and radio broadcasts across the entire world, the Top threatens to destroy half the planet, with an atomic grenade top, unless his is recognized as the sole ruler of the Earth. Vibrating at super-human speed, the Flash tracks the Top's broadcast frequency back to his secret lair. The Top incapacitates the Flash with a bolo top. The Top spins his atomic grenade, giving the world a mere 10 hours to comply with his demands. The Flash awakes to find himself trapped inside the atomic grenade, pinned to it's walls by centrifugal force. Vibrating his molecules into intangibility, the Flash escapes from within the top.

To keep the top from slowing down, the Flash races around it at super-speed. Increasing his speed, the Flash builds up a mass of compressed air beneath the top, ultimately launching it into orbit. The Flash catches up with the Top on the northern coast of Africa. The Flash upends the Top, and spins him so fast that he begins to drill down into the Earth. After hitting oil, the Top is thrown back to the surface, The Flash carries the Top back to Central City, and jail. West unveils her new look to Allen, who is struck speechless by her beauty. Misinterpreting his silence for disapproval, West resumes her former hair style, and overall look.

The Face Behind The Mask!

Pop idol Silver Mask is mobbed by his adoring fans, at a train station in Blue Valley. Kid Flash comes to his rescue, and whisks the teen heartthrob to his hotel. The two teens are exchanging autographs, when Silver Mask's manager, Harry, enters the room. All at once, Silver Mask's mood seems to change. Though Kid Flash departs, he is troubled by Silver Mask's seeming fear of his manager. Harry tells Silver Mask that he's planning a robbery, Silver Mask threatens to go to the police, but Harry pulls a gun on him. Harry reminds Silver Mask that they are both members of the criminal gang, the Zulu Kings.

Though Silver Mask had joined their ranks reluctantly, once in there was no getting out. Silver Mask thought he had escaped the Zulu Kings, when he began his career as a pop singer. Harry, though, had pulled a heist in a club Silver Mask was performing in. Harry saw Silver Mask's unveiled face, and recognized him as Eddie Fisher, a fellow Zulu King. From that moment onward, Harry blackmailed his way into becoming Silver Mask's manager. In the hopes that some one will come to his aid, Silver Mask changes the lyrics of one of his songs, and emphasizes certain key words while singing it.

Kid Flash, as Wally West, is in the audience, and picks up on the lyric alteration. At home, West decodes Silver Mask's secret plea. West races out to help Silver Mask, as Kid Flash. Silver Mask is set to perform at the estate of the very wealthy Mrs. Carter Wright. Harry has called in the other Zulu Kings to serve as Silver Mask's band, and to assist with the robbery. The moment the Zulu Kings make their move, Kid Flash arrives. Dodging a hail of bullets, the Fastest Boy On Earth quickly takes down the gang. Silver Mask comes clean about his criminal past, and learns that his fans love him all the same.