Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Flash #1
As the Fastest Man Alive, the Scarlet Speedster known as the Flash is by far one of the most overpowered characters in the DC Universe — but now he’s lost one of his most powerful abilities. Wally West’s intense connection to the Speed Force makes him a conduit to a powerful and other-dimensional plane of energy that nobody truly understands. Unfortunately for the Flash, that lack of understanding seems to be coming back to haunt him now that the mysterious Force has seemingly robbed him of one of his most world-breaking powers.
The Flash #1 by Si Spurrier, Mike Deodato Jr., Trish Mulvihill, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou opens with two non-titular speedsters – Max Mercury and Impulse – seeking to transcend time and space, as Max has done many times before, using the Speed Force. Unexpectedly, the Speed Force instantly rejects them, hurtling them back with an unexpected ferocity and apparently closing the door on the Flash Family’s dimension-hopping and time-traveling capabilities.
Based on Wally’s tempestuous relationship with the Speed Force seen throughout the rest of the issue, it’s clear that the Flash is in a dangerous new era of his career as the protector of Keystone and Central City.
The Speed Force Is Raising the Stakes
In this very issue, the Flash’s ally and employer, Mr. Terrific, tells the hero that “thinking sideways” will get them through their current crisis, and with Wally’s powers on the fritz, that seems to be exactly what he’ll have to do. Wally notoriously hates time travel, and, in the DC Universe, changing the past very rarely has any positive repercussions. Despite all that, that the Flash can always turn back the clock when things don’t go his way has always hung over the character and affected the stakes of his stories. Now that his powers are more erratic than ever, there’s no chance for a do-over should things go wrong for the Crimson Comet, raising the stakes for both Wally and the audience.
Aside from speed, the heroes who have used the mantle of the Flash have always been known for their unique perspective and their abilities to think outside the box. Whether it’s Barry Allen with his famous Flash Facts or Wally’s more instinctual and borderline-mystical connection with the Speed Force, the Flashes’ ability to always use their powers creatively to outsmart dangerous foes is inherent to the Flash Family legacy. Clearly, these heroes are no strangers to thinking sideways, and, as Mr. Terrific says, that’s exactly what Wally West will need to hone that creative edge more than ever — especially if the Speed Force continues to glitch.
The Flash is the Fastest Man Alive, but even he has to slow down every now and then. Now that the Speed Force is cracking down on Wally West’s overpowered nature, the stakes are incredibly high for Wally, Max, Impulse, and the rest of the Flash Family. Whether these fan-favorite speedsters ever fully regain their reality-distorting abilities remains to be seen, but until then, the Flash is going to have to think even faster than he can run.
The Flash #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.
