The Flash #261

High above Central City's rooftops, the Scarlet Speedster races in hot pursuit of a mysterious figure called the Ringmaster, who carries off a struggling woman while glowing energy crackles at his fists — and the Flash's determined thought bubble makes his feelings perfectly clear: "He won't get away with stealing my wife!" The cover, penciled by Al Milgrom and inked by Jack Abel, pulls off a terrific visual trick by showing multiple speed-blur images of the Flash charging up a ramp toward the confrontation, conveying every bit of his urgency. With the banner teasing the sensational secret behind the Ringmaster, this May 1978 issue promises a personal, high-stakes adventure for Barry Allen that goes well beyond a typical super-villain showdown.