World's Finest Comics #198

World's Finest Comics #198 (On Sale: September 10, 1970) has a Superman/Flash cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson. I'm not quite sure why DC did not wait for the anniversary 200th issue to make this change, but they did not. For the past 16 years, World's Finest Comics has featured a team-up of Superman and Batman, however that all changes this issue, as the book transforms into a Superman and someone else team-up book, Superman's equivalent to The Brave and the Bold which has featured Batman and another character teaming up each issue for a few years now.

We begin with Superman nd the Flash in "Race to Save the Universe" by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella.  Jimmy Olsen wake up one morning to find himself transported to ancient Rome, while an ancient Roman is transported to Metropolis. Superman captured the Roman, thinking he is a mental patient and before he can deal with him, the Guardians of the Universe summon Superman, with Roman solider in tow, to Oa. They Guardians explain that a group called the Anachronids, is streaking across space at faster than light speeds and disrupting the natural flow of the universe. To combat the menace, the Guardians ask Superman and the Flash to speed in the opposite direction to enact a balance. Because the Flash cannot survive in space, the Guardians grant him a device which allows him to endure space. It also creates a surface for him to run. 

Superman contacts the Flash, who suggests to Superman that they use the opportunity to race in order to find out who is really the fastest.As the race begins, Superman and the Flash encounter the Anachronids. The creatures trigger a nearby sun to go super-nova. To escape the blast, Superman and the Flash enter a dimensional portal where they are briefly trapped. Once they escape, they resume their race. When they capture one of the Anachronids, they discover it to be a robot which disintegrates at normal speeds. Superman suspects he knows who is responsible for its construction.

Meanwhile, in ancient Rome, Jimmy Olsen is being executed as a spy. This tory is continued next issue and was reprinted in Superman Vs. Flash TPB and Showcase Presents: World's Finest Vol. 4 TPB.

The back-up story starring Johnny Quick is "Joanie Swift, Queen of Speed" illustrated by Paul Norris and reprinted from Adventure Comics #181. Student-secretary Joanie Swift is typing a list of time-space equations for physics Professor Winklerod when she stumbles across the Speed Formula. Realizing she has the same powers as Johnny Quick, she creates a similar costume and proposes they form a team. The hero is afraid that she'll be ineffective in the field as a vigilante and possibly hurt so he stages a series of events to convince her that super speed is a burden. She enjoys them all and Quick is despairing that she'll never give up the life of action until she faints at the sight of a mouse. While she's out, he rearranges the formulae in her notes so that she cannot find the Speed Formula again.

Paul Norris began in comics in 1940 creating the features Power Nelson, Futureman, and Yank & Doodle for the comic-book publisher Prize Publications. By 1941 he had transitioned to DC where he worked on revamping Sandman, adding superhero attire and introduced sidekick Sandy the Golden Boy. Also in 1941, in the pages of More Fun Comics # 73 , Norris and Mort Weisinger created Aquaman, which would be Norris's biggest contribution to the DC universe. In 1943, Norris quit DC when King Features Syndicate assigned him to write and draw the existing strip Secret Agent X-9 strip, which he did for three months before being drafted into World War II.

Following the war, Norris was rehired by King Features Syndicate, and in 1948 began drawing the Sunday edition of Austin Briggs' comic strip Jungle Jim. He continued to freelance for DC Comics through 1953, drawing the detective feature Captain Compass in most issues of Star Spangled Comics and the super-speedster feature Johnny Quick in Adventure Comics.

In 1952, Norris succeeded artist Clarence Gray on the science-fiction comic strip Brick Bradford, continuing to draw it for 35 years until his and the strip's retirement in 1987. Norris also drew issues of Dell Comics' Tom Corbett, Space Cadet and Jungle Jim, In the 1960s, he drew stories of jungle adventurer Tarzan and science-fiction hero Magnus, Robot Fighter in comic books for Gold Key Comics. In the 1970s with writer Gaylord DuBois, Norris co-created the Gold Key jungle characters Kono and Tono in the namesake series The Jungle Twins.

Between 1977 and 1978, Norris worked on Scooby-Doo and the Flintstones for Marvel.. His last comics work was a drawing of Aquaman in DC Comics' multi-artist, multi-character History of the DC Universe poster in 1987. Norris passed away in 2007.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.