Comic Title: Showcase #4
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Sep/Oct 1956
Approx. On Sale Date: July 5, 1956 Copyright Date July 3, 1956
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1956
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Notes:
The Silver Age of Comics begins with this issue.

Title: "The Man Who Broke the Time Barrier"
Pages: 10

Feature(s):
Flash (Barry Allen of Earth-1)

Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Carmine Infantino
Inker: Joe Kubert

Reprinted In:
Flash #215 (1972)
DC Silver Age Classics Showcase #4 (1992)
Essential Showcase 1956-1959 TPB (1993)
Flash Archives Vol. 1 HC (1996)
Millennium Edition:Showcase 4 (#6) (2000)
Showcase Presents:The Flash Vol. 1 TPB (2007)
Flash Chronicles Vol. 1 TPB (2009)
DC Comics Presents:The Flash #1 (2011)
Showcase Presents:Showcase Vol. 1 TPB (2012)
Flash Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2014)
Flash:The Silver Age Vol. 1 TPB (2016)
Legends of the DC Universe:Carmine Infantino HC (2023)

Feature Character(s)

• Flash (last appearance in Showcase #4; next appearance in Showcase #8)

Villain(s)

• Mazdan (a criminal from the future; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Henry Brown and a judge from the future (no further appearances)

Comments:
Flash is able to break the time barrier unaided in this story.

Synopsis:
Throughout Central City objects are being mysteriously pulled away from their owners. When a beaker disappears from police scientist Barry Allen, the Flash investigates. He located an unknown individual who seems responsible. When he attempts to stop the man, he is prevented from doing so by rings of intense heat.

The man is Mazdan, a criminal from a future era. Mazdan was to be sent to 50th century Earth for imprisonment, but his time capsule was damaged and propelled back to the 20th century. He is stealing the objects to repair the capsule, return to his own time and take his revenge.

Back at police headquarters, Barry Allen learns of a robbery in progress in which the crook fits Mazdan’s description. He races to the scene as the Flash. Again he is menaced by rings of heat. This time however, Flash jumped through the rings and apprehends his target.

Mazdan easily escapes from his jail cell, but is tracked again by the Flash. Flash catches his foe at the site of the time capsule. Learning Mazdan’s story, Flash carries the villain back to his own era by races faster than time. Once the villain has been turned over to the future authorities, Flash speeds back to his own era.