The Flash #180

From 1968 comes this visually striking issue of The Flash, where the Scarlet Speedster faces a towering samurai warrior clad in elaborate golden and dark armor — a figure so massive he dwarfs the Flash entirely against a crescent moon night sky. The cover tagline says it all: "Super-Speed Showdown! The Flash vs. The Fastest Sword in the East!", and Ross Andru and Mike Esposito make that promise feel genuinely thrilling, with the samurai's blade already sparking against the ground as the Flash charges in fists raised. It's a wonderfully dramatic setup from writer Frank Robbins for the interior story "The Flying Samurai" — speed versus steel, set above a distant village landscape that adds real atmosphere to the confrontation.