Flash #156

The triptych cover of Flash #156 lays out the stakes in vivid, unsettling fashion: the Scarlet Speedster is shown bound in heavy chains and plunging helplessly in the center panel, ensnared by mechanical tentacles on the right, and menaced by a dark, armored figure on the left — three distinct perils captured in one striking design by cover artist Steve Lightle. Written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn with interior art by Paul Pelletier and José Marzán Jr., this January 2000 issue promises a story as ambitious as its cover title, "Three Ways for the Flash to Die!" suggests. If you've ever wanted to see Wally West pushed to his absolute limits across multiple fronts at once, this is a compelling place to start.