Well, now THIS is interesting. First off, it's interesting because, well, the Pre-Crisis Flash got his speed from a guy who looks like what you might get if you left Harry Potter soaking in the washing machine for about fifty years - but secondly, because it FINALLY clears up a little thing that's been nagging me for quite a while. Here's the little thing - I happen to own a copy of 'The Life Story of the Flash', which is ostensibly written by Iris Allen. It's an interesting book, since it's part text, part comic book. Anyway, the revamped version of Barry's origin goes as follows: he's in his lab, working late, and everything basically goes according to precedent - the rack of chemicals, the lightning bolt, flashy flashy zoomy-zoom zoom. All that. BUT, the one major departure goes as follows - Barry happens to have a sample of a certain street drug in the lab with him, a new kind of hallucinogen. What's the name of it? Yep - it's 'Mopee', and one of the first things that Barry thinks after his initial burst of speed is that maybe he was hallucinating, due to some Mopee being splashed on him during the lightning strike. And if it DID, then Mopee really WAS responsible for Barry's powers - in an indirect way, as one of the chemicals that got electrified. I knew right away that it was a reference to SOMETHING, and I've been trying for a while to figure out just what - but I never did, until now. So now I know. And knowing is half the battle. Thanks, Mopee!