This is the 25th Anniversary addition and I think that the writers were celebrating with something when they wrote this. It isn’t technically a Zoomy (Professor Zoom aka Eobard Thawne) story but he is kinda in it as both an imposter and in flashbacks.

Because it isn’t a Zoomy story I’m going to keep this review short. However it does cover a load of classic flash origins and law both for the Flash family and the Rogues. So if you are looking for that then it’s worth a read.

The basic story is that Barry Allen finds himself bandaged up and paralysed in a hospital bed. He believes that he is the Flash but this disturbs his doctor. They call in a psychiatrist called Patrou who reveals that although he was struck by lightning he didn’t get super powers. He got chemical burns and paralysis. During his recovery he was given reading material including Flash comics and has adopted the Flash’s story as a coping mechanism. Dr Patrou is there to make him confront his delusion of being a hero and help him to recover.

The story is basically in two parts. One is Barry playing along with patrou but not believing him. Thus he spends his time musing on his own origins and which of his rogues gallery could have done this to him. So you get to read mini stories about Vandal Savage, Grodd, Mirror Master, Pied Piper, Captain Cold, Heatwave, Top, Golden Glider, Rainbow Raider, Weather Wizard, Captain Boomerang,Trickster and Dr Element. You do also get a recap of what happened with Zoomy after Barry found out he killed Iris, leaving Zoomy lost/dead somewhere in space and time.

The other half of the story is Barry receiving guests. Ira West, Dexter Myles and Wally West visit first and are disturbed by his apparent delusions. Elongated man and Green Lantern turn up. Barry tells them personal stuff about them that he couldn’t possibly know but it turns out that both of them have revealed themselves to the public / written autobiographies and so Barry’s argument isn’t valid. Finally Iris turns up. Not dead but she left him and remarried his college friend Wiley Summers. They now have two children.

Barry seems broken. Dr Patrou confronts him claiming that actually Barry had already undergone cosmetic surgery and that the paralysis is psychosomatic, meaning that if he breaks his delusion then he’ll be well again, free and able to leave. He also claims that even Zoomy is still alive. Barry says that if he can prove that then he’ll believe that being the Flash was just a delusion.

Shock horror! Dr Petrou is evil! He has created all of Barry’s visitors and now creates himself a Zoomy too (wish I could do that…). He explains that it’s all down to his telepathic hypnotic suggestions and that Barry still has super speed, he is just unable to use it. And so he takes the new Zoomy to see Barry. Barry claims that he now believes and Petrou gets Zoomy to undo his bandages at super speed as final proof. Barry is suddenly cured and can get up to walk!

But what’s this!? The Flash is standing in the doorway. Patrou can’t believe it. But then Barry explains that as soon as he was no longer paralysed he got his super speed back and was able to use a speed mirage to make it look like he was in  two places at once. Barry confronts Petrou who is actually Abra Kadabra! He wants to know how Barry worked it out and he explains that Zoomy wouldn’t exist if the Flash didn’t due to his origin story. And so it all turns out ok in the end.
Well….except that Zoomy is still lost somewhere in space and time if not exploded : (