Capt. Cold's Cold, Cold Flame!
Professor Henry and Nora Allen are en route to Central City, to visit their son, police forensics scientist, Barry Allen. The Allens are run off the rode, narrowly avoiding a collision with another car. A trio of thieves commit a brazen daytime robbery. The thieves flee on their super-charged motorcycles. While the Flash takes down two of the thieves, the third man is stopped by Captain Cold. Though this is the tenth crime Captain Cold has thwarted, since earning his parole, the Flash still doesn't buy Captain Cold's conversion to good. The Flash, as Allen, is informed of his parent's car accident. At the hospital, Allen is told that his father will recover, but his mother has slipped into a coma.
Captain Cold, as Leonard Snart, spends time with the new love of his life, supermodel Myrna Troy. Allen's father blames himself for the accident. "Captain Cold" robs the Central City Jewelry Exchange. Upon returning home, "Captain Cold" is angrily confronted by Snart. Snart pulls back the hood on his uniform, revealing Troy. Snart has been betrayed. Troy committed the crimes, knowing Snart would take the fall. Dragging Troy by her hair, Snart makes plans to even the score. Allen learns of the jewel robbery. Allen, as the Flash, races over to Troy's estate, already surrounded by the S.W.A.T. team.
The Flash discovers Captain Cold and Troy, suspended in one of Captain Cold's death traps. A suicide note tells the Flash everything he needs to know. Unable to break through the bands of Captain Cold's "Cold Fire", the Flash vibrates, at super-human speed, deep into the Earth. Striking a pocket of magma, the molten rock is forced up to the surface, melting the "Cold-Fire" deathtrap. The Flash rushes Captain Cold, and Troy, to the hospital. Allen's father is released from the hospital. As Allen prepares his guest room for his father, he is unaware that his very own father is planning to murder him.
"Multiplex X Means Multiple-Choice...Death!"
Ronald Raymond is caught sketching in his notebook, during a lecture in English class. Raymond is asked to hand the notebook over, by his teacher. As Raymond reluctantly walks up to the front of the class, he is tripped by his classmate, Cliff Carmichael. The teacher intervenes to keep the two students from brawling. While all parties are distracted by the near altercation, Raymond's notebook disappears. The bell rings before the matter can be pursued further.
Out in the corridor, Doreen Day gives Raymond back his notebook. The two make plans to meet later, after Raymond's basketball practice. Professor Martin Stein works late, at Concordance Research Inc., to analyze the changes to his metabolism, since becoming one half of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man. Stein is assaulted by Multiplex. Stein has only recently become aware that Multiplex gained his powers in the same explosion that turned Stein, and Raymond, into Firestorm.
Multiplex has come to Concordance Research, Inc. to steal the prototype model of a new radar system. With Multiplex distracted, Stein initiates the transformation into Firestorm. At that moment, Raymond knocks himself unconscious, during basketball practice. This time when Firestorm forms, it is Stein who is in control, with Raymond acting as his subconscious. Stein is wholly unfamiliar with what action he should take as Firestorm. A problem he needs to resolve quickly, as Mulitplex moves in for the kill.
Notes:
- This issue contains the Hostess Superhero Ad, Batman in "Hearts of Darkness"
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