Warning! Spoilers ahead for Flash #9!Just a year after the Flash brought a new son into the DC Universe, his child has already become a hero with a name, costume, and superpowers. The Flash Family’s latest addition may just be a baby, but he’s got an amazing future ahead of him.

Things are getting out of control for the DC Universe’s speedsters and reality is barely holding together. In the middle of this tense situation is science detective Inspector Pilgrim, a mysterious ally with a vested interest in protecting the Flash Family at all costs. But what is Pilgrim’s connection to the Flash and what does it mean for the Fastest Man Alive going forward?

Inspector Pilgrim is Flash’s Son From the Future

In The Flash #9 by Simon Spurrier, Ramon Perez, Vasco Georgiev, Matt Herms, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, things are worse than ever. Wally West is nowhere to be found and the Flash (Barry Allen, that is) is still suffering after having the Crown of Thawnes placed inside his mind. Thankfully, at the Linear Bureau, Wally’s son Jai is refining his power and manages to get a brief glimpse as to where Wally has gone. Jai is left behind at the Linear Bureau while Flash’s allies Inspector Pilgrim and Harley Rathaway head out to take care of an important task.

During his battle with the Crown of Thawnes, Flash realizes Abra Kadabra is manipulating Wally’s wife Linda. Thankfully, Inspector Pilgrim and Rathaway arrive and the latter uses a sonic frequency to disrupt Kadbra’s hold on Linda. With Linda finally free, Inspector Pilgrim reveals his identity to her and implores her to leave her baby Wade with him so Pilgrim can keep the infant safe from Amanda Waller. Linda, after the mysterious stranger’s eyes, doesn’t hesitate to hand Wade over to Inspector Pilgrim.

Inspector Pilgrim departs with Wade and heads back to the Linear Bureau. Unfortunately, Jai has discovered that Pilgrim has been arresting and detaining speedsters. Jai also freaks out thinking that Pilgrim has kidnapped Jai’s little brother. Inspector Pilgrim promises no harm is going to come to Wade and reveals to Jai that Pilgrim is actually Wade from the future. He also reveals that he was sent to destroy the speedsters to save the multiverse, but Inspector Pilgrim is determined to save the Flash Family as well.

Flash’s Son is Going to Grow Up to Become a Very Different Speedster

Inspector Pilgrim is a member of the Linear Bureau’s Investigative Division. He’s a time traveler who once revealed he has the ability to travel through time from his birth to the moment of his death approximately two centuries in the future. He’s even referred to himself as a “speedster in the fourth dimension”. However, during a routine sojourn to the future, Pilgrim discovered that time had run out and that someone had literally murdered the future. Pilgrim was informed by a mysterious group of beings known as the Arc Angles that speedsters were putting the DC Universe in grave danger.

Pilgrim traveled to Terrifitech and began working with Mr. Terrific to analyze the increasing damage to reality around them. Inspector Pilgrim theorized that speedsters were almost certainly connected to the damage and that they may have to be gotten rid of to protect reality. But before he jumped to any harsh actions, Inspector Pilgrim got to know several members of the Flash Family, particularly Jai. Pilgrim even helped the young man deal with his new ‘quantum entanglement’ speed powers and revealed that Flash’s son’s well-being was important to Pilgrim.

However, Inspector Pilgrim couldn’t ignore the growing instability facing the DC Universe. With reality experiencing dangerous cosmic phenomena, Pilgrim and the rest of the Linear Bureau began arresting speedsters, chrononauts, and any other beings who could be affecting the timeline. Pilgrim promised that he was actively searching for a way to help the speedsters, but until he figured out what was going on, heroes like Impulse and Max Mercury were detained in the Linear Bureau’s head office.

How Inspector Pilgrim Changes the Future for the Flash Family

For a while, it was unknown where Inspector Pilgrim’s allegiances truly lied. Despite proclaiming he wanted the best for people like Jai, he tricked Max Mercury and Impulse by unknowingly bringing them to the Linear Bureau’s base and arresting them. Pilgrim later did the same thing with Kid Flash and Avery Ho, the Flash of China. That said, he’s repeatedly said that he wants to help the speedsters, but he’s never clarified why or what his connection to the Flash Family truly is.

Now that it’s known that Inspector Pilgrim is Wade West, things make a lot more sense, particularly his timeline travel ability. While that’s not a power the Flash has, Wade wouldn’t be the first of Wally’s children to have a non-traditional speedster power (just look at Jai and his speed conduit powers). It also explains why, despite being informed by the Arc Angles that speedsters are damaging reality, Pilgrim has absolutely refused to kill anyone, instead opting to secure and contain the Flash Family until he can figure out what’s going on.

The real question is what does it mean for the future Wade and the Flash Family now that Inspector Pilgrim’s identity has been revealed? He’s heard firsthand from multiple sources that several rogues have united to attack reality and that they’re the real threat, not the speedsters. Is Inspector Pilgrim going to free the family he’s apprehended? Or is he going to concentrate his efforts on finding his father Wally? Either way, now that it’s known that Inspector Pilgrim is the Flash’s son, fans can count on him being a permanent part of the family.

Is There a Future For Inspector Pilgrim in the Flash Family?

While Inspector Pilgrim only showed up to help solve the mystery of the DC Universe’s murdered future, that doesn’t mean he can’t stick around. Sure Wade is still a baby, but Inspector Pilgrim is a time-traveler and can come from any point in the future. He might not have super-speed, but he’s possibly one of the smartest members of the Flash Family and his skills could come in handy. Hopefully, when all is said and done, Inspector Pilgrim can stay and continue to help the Flash and the rest of his family.

The Flash #9 is available now from DC Comics.