This is a high-point for the title. I kind of hate it.

It was more than inevitable--in fact, it would happen much later--but Mark Waid makes the absolute most of the return of Barry Allen. Except...from 1993, Flash #79, "The Once and Future Flash" Written by Mark Waid, pencils by Greg LaRocque, inks by Roy Richardson.

To the joy of his former sidekick Wally West, Barry Allen had returned from the grave, with a few gaps in his memory. Although his old pal Hal Jordan had seemingly verified him, Barry was violent, jealous of Wally, and eventually began a rampage against Central City for "forgetting" him. "Barry" turned out to be Eobard Thawne, the Reverse-Flash, Barry Allen's worst foe, who would eventually die at Barry's hands: this Eobard had yet to even meet Barry! From the 25th century, Thawne had idolized the Flash, putting together what historical information he could for him, including a tattered copy of his biography and the "holy grail of Flash collectibles": Barry's time-travelling Cosmic Treadmill! Having already altered his face to look like Barry, Thawne then subjects himself to the "electrochemical bath" that gave Barry his powers: a painful process that he claims took years of his life, but does give him super-speed superior to Wally's. But, with the treadmill mis-calibrated, Thawne arrives in Wally's time, disoriented and disappointed. Still, he's excited for a visit to the Flash Museum, and considers this an opportunity to continue Barry's legacy, to become the Flash. Studying the Flash's foes, he comes to the dreaded Reverse-Flash--Eobard Thawne! His mind already confused, Thawne panics, and takes refuge in the identity of Barry Allen; until Wally confronts him with his yellow costume.

Reasoning as long as he stays in the present (1993!) Barry can't kill him in the past (1983!) so the Reverse-Flash moves to destroy the Treadmill. Wally points out that would create a paradox, but if he wants to destroy "the holy grail of Flash collectibles" go ahead. Wally is only saved by Hal Jordan, Max Mercury, and Johnny Quick; who aren't any match for Thawne either, and Jay Garrick was already down with a broken leg. Planning later, Johnny reads Barry's biography, and is visibly surprised by the author, which Wally calls "the only good news to come out of this catastrophe." Thawne threatens Linda Park on live TV, and Wally wants to face him alone, leaving the rest in reserve in case he fails. It's not a great plan: Wally catches a solid beating from the faster Thawne, who then goes too far by claiming he'll make the city forget Barry Allen. After kissing Linda, Wally steps up and does something he's never wanted to do: replace Barry.

Now equally matched, the super-speed battle comes down to who will make the first mistake, and a moment's slip on rain-soaked ground gives Thawne the opening to hit Wally with the stone arm of Barry's statue. Wally needs a moment to regroup, and isn't going to get it--until a lightning bolt strikes in front of Thawne, shaking him up. With a whispered "thank you," Wally runs all over Thawne, who begs for death. Wally seemingly considers it, but tells him he might use the Cosmic Treadmill to torture him as a child, or kill him as a baby; and disappears into the future. Screaming in terror, Thawne takes after him, returning to the future and the course history had already set for him. Wally had merely disappeared at super-speed to trick him, and the issue ends with new statues at the Flash Museum for Barry and Wally, then Wally throws the Flash biography into the river without reading more about himself. Still, the author is his aunt Iris Allen, meaning she would be back...someday.

It's symbolic, and fits with the theme and all, but I hate the lightning bolt deus ex machina here. And you might have to take my word for this, but I know there was an unused Flash movie or TV treatment that involved him praying for help and the villain getting struck by lightning...I wish I remembered when that was from, and I probably read it in Wizard or something.