Warning: contains spoilers for “Phantom Rodeo,” appearing in DC Pride 2024!

The Flash and other speedsters rely on the Speed Force, and now its very nature is being questioned in a scene that even hardcore fans may have missed. Recent issues of The Flash have revealed even more about the enigmatic Speed Force. In the story “Phantom Rodeo,” appearing in DC Pride 2024, DC teases a connection between the Speed Force and another cosmic power in the DC Universe.

“Phantom Rodeo,” written by Calvin Kasulke and drawn by Len Gogou, is one of the many stories comprising DC Pride 2024. Circuit Breaker, who taps into the Still Force, is experiencing glitches in their powers. Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, pays a call on them, asking for their help. Garrick mentions that speedsters’ powers are going haywire too.

As the story unfolds, Kasulke and Gogou reveal that the Still Force is extremely strong in the Phantom Zone.

Finally, at its conclusion, Garrick and Circuit Breaker speculate on a connection between the Speed and Still forces.

The Speed Force Is Integral Not Only to the Flash, But the DC Universe as a Whole

The Still Force Is As Equally Powerful, and Far More Mysterious

The Speed Force is a key element of Flash lore, introduced during Mark Waid’s seminal 1990s run on the character. It is one of the fundamental forces in the DC Universe, crucial to keeping the flow of time going. It is a mysterious force, and even speedsters as experienced as Max Mercury still admit they do not know much about it. Even more mysterious is the Still Force, introduced decades later during Scott Snyder’s Justice League of America run. Billed as the opposite of the Speed Force, the Still Force represents death and stagnation.

Yet, as seen in “Phantom Rodeo,” there may be a deeper connection between the two, and may indeed even be opposite sides of the same coin. Both the Speed and Still Forces are currently in flux. It would be a huge coincidence that both would be going haywire at the same time. However, if there was a direct link between the two, deeper than fans first imagined, it would explain why both are on the fritz. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as Circuit Breaker seems to see the possibilities inherent in breaking this binary.

Does the Speed Force Connect to the Phantom Zone?

Circuit Breaker Could Rule the Phantom Zone If They Wished

Yet even more exciting is the connection “Phantom Rodeo” draws between the Speed/Still Forces and Superman’s the Phantom Zone. Jay Garrick explains to Circuit Breaker that in the Phantom Zone: “stillness is rendered as a physical space,” so dense even time cannot penetrate it. The Still Force was especially strong in the Phantom Zone, and Garrick’s explanation sheds light on why this might be. Flash continues to learn new things about the Speed Force, and now it may have an even deeper connection to the rest of the DC Universe than first thought.

DC Pride 2024 is on sale now from DC Comics!