The Perfect Life of Barry Allen

Still rummaging through old Secret Origins for Memorable Moments when I came across Secret Origins Annual #2 starring the Flash. We all know the story of Barry Allen: Perpetually late police scientist gets hit by lightning and chemicals and becomes the Fastest Man Alive(TM). As it turned out, he would end up fighting a colorful Rogue's Gallery of gimmicky gentlemen thieves, prepare a legacy in Kid Flash, and cosmic treadmill himself to the future with his wife after killing an evil version of himself. And then the Crisis on Infinite Earths happened, in which he gave his life by running after a faster-than-light tachyon powering the Anti-Monitor's cannon trained on Earth-1.

Barry Allen's death is retold in this issue with one important - and memorable - difference. As the Flash goes beyond the speed of light, he starts to go back in time (it's physics, Einstein!) and watches his life unfold in reverse (it's what happens when you die, stupid!). He can't bear to look and screams out:He runs so fast he not only catches the tachyon, but turns into energy (E=yes, that's right).
OH. MY. GOD.
"As a scientist, I should've realized right from the start that electricity always travels in a circuit... and lightning can strike twice in the same place."

This little bit of recursive thinking is a beautiful idea and the reason I couldn't believe they were bringing Barry back in the recent Lightning Saga. The cycle was already complete.