The Flash scours the streets of Central City, searching for his friend, Al Desmond. Captain Darryl Frye brings the officers of the Central City Police Department up to date on Desmond's criminal alter-ego, Doctor Alchemy. The Flash, as police forensics scientist, Barry Allen, joins them to discuss Doctor Alchemy's weapon, the Philosopher's Stone. After work, Allen calls on his neighbor, the mysterious beauty, Fiona Webb. Refusing to open the door for Allen, Webb informs him that she has filed a formal complaint with the police, regarding his continued harassment. Allen is called away from Webb's door by Troy Nathan, the son of another of Allen's neighbors, Mack Nathan.
Troy draws Allen's attention to a television newscast. The S.T.A.R Labs facility that Troy's father works at has undergone a terrifying transformation. Allen investigates, as the Flash. Arriving on the scene, the Flash batters down the sealed doors, allowing the scientists to evacuate the building. The Flash aids in the evacuation, clearing the skyscraper, floor by floor. Finally, the Flash comes across Nathan, and his laboratory assistant, on the top floor. Nathan informs the Flash that the building's steel skeleton has been transformed into industrial rubber. With the building clear, the Flash races around and around the facility, creating a powerful updraft, that keeps the structure erect.
After over a quarter of an hour has passed, the building's infrastructure reverts to normal. An exhausted Flash learns that Doctor Alchemy conducted a robbery, a mere three blocks away, during the crisis. In a cave on the outskirts of Central City, a paralyzed Desmond listens to the words of the new Doctor Alchemy. This man, too, is also named Al Desmond. Astonishingly, the two Desmonds are astral twins. Though thousands of miles apart, both men were born on the same day, at the same time, to parents with the exact same names. Both men grew up with a deep fascination for chemistry. Both men were plagued by powerful criminal urges.
While Desmond channeled his criminal desires into two costumed alter-egos, first as Mister Element, then later as Doctor Alchemy, Desmond's twin sought therapy. The two Desmonds were also strangely connected by their criminal impulses. When Desmond was acting as either Mister Element, or Doctor Alchemy, his twin found it easy to walk the straight and narrow. During the periods of time when Desmond was considered to be rehabilitated, his twin was overwhelmed with the need to commit criminal acts. When at last the therapy and pharmaceuticals failed to keep his criminal urges in check, Desmond's twin used their psychic link to unearth the Philosopher Stone's hiding place.
Donning the guise of Doctor Alchemy, Desmond's twin set out to frame him for the new crimes of Doctor Alchemy. Even going so far as to hypnotize Desmond's wife, Rita, so that she would not back up Desmond's alibi. A mound of sulfur appears in Central City Park. The Flash arrives to investigate the situation. Having drawn the Flash out, Doctor Alchemy uses the Philosopher's Stone to transform the water molecules making up the Flash's body into water vapor. As the Flash begins to rapidly evaporate, Doctor Alchemy reveals his true face to the Flash. Using his complete molecular control of his body, the Flash begins agitating his molecules to generate heat.
The Flash collides with another cloud. The Flash's warm mass coupled with the cold mass of the cloud, generates a storm cloud, that pulls the Flash's molecules together. Then, astoundingly, it literally rains the Flash. Now knowing that his friend is actually innocent, the Flash sets out to track down Doctor Alchemy. Doctor Alchemy returns to his hidden cave lair to find Desmond gone. In a seedy hotel, Desmond suits up in his old Mister Element costume. His intentions... unknown.
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