Flash’s Family Completely Falls Apart, Forever Altering DC’s Closest Hero Family

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Flash Annual 2024 Annual #1!The Flash Family, one of the most close-knit superhero legacies around, is coming apart at the worst possible time. The DC Universe is growing more unstable by the second and speedsters’ powers are being blamed for the cosmic upheaval.

After a harrowing encounter with a possessed Barry Allen, Wally West has disappeared and is traveling all throughout the multiple planes of existence. But while his family is trying to keep things together, the speedsters are all facing intense and personal trials. As the cosmic crisis grows, the Flash Family is facing an event that could permanently break their close bonds.

The Flash Family Scatters During Huge Cosmic Catastrophe

In The Flash Annual 2024 Annual #1 by Simon Spurrier, Tom Derenick, Scott Koblish, George Kambadais, Amancay Nahuelpan, Lee Loughridge, Matt Herms, Marissa Louise, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, all hell is breaking loose all across the DC Universe. The Speed Force is in spasm and it’s causing devastating events all over the world like time-quakes and rips in space-time. Barry, possessed by the Crown of Thawnes, begins positing the idea that speedsters are to blame and implores the family to stop running. However, Jay Garrick and Jesse Quick refuse and run off to aid those in need.

Armed with a new set of armor, Wally begins phasing through different planes and checks in on various members of his family. Flash’s daughter Thunderheart is working to spread the Speed Force to others, unaware she’s being manipulated by Mirror Master. Irey’s work succeeds but has the unintended consequence of giving Wallace West and Avery Ho the side-stepping power. Irey is left with the Mirror Master while Avery and Wallace search for Wally. Meanwhile, Flash’s son Jai tries to help his dad by interacting with the Ultra-Humanite’s brain.

However, the mind is being remotely controlled by Gorilla Grodd and the psychic ape uses the brain to convince Jai that Wally must die to save the DCU. Meanwhile, Flash’s wife Linda is still dealing with Amanda Waller, made worse by Linda’s growing resentment towards Wally and her postpartum depression. Elsewhere, Wallace and Avery are arrested by the Linear Bureau, who are still operating under the idea that speedsters are destroying the DCU. The heroes are placed with other imprisoned speedsters as the weight of current events brings the Flash to a complete standstill.

How Did Things Get This Bad for Flash and His Allies?

What started as a normal night out for Wally and Linda ended with the Flash fighting Mirror Master. But unlike other times fighting the Rogue, this battle ended with Flash running through an atomic mirror. Wally was fine, but he walked away with a new side-stepping power that allowed him to phase into various layers of reality. During an exploration of these different layers, Flash made the horrifying discovery that speedsters had a potentially destructive effect on unseen dimensions all around them.

However, not everything was bad with this latest power. During his phasing, Wally discovered a serene dimension known as the Gallery of Moments, a place where he could slow down and actually appreciate his life in a calm and relaxed state. Unfortunately, Wally’s time spent in the Gallery led to him spending less time with his family, all of whom were going through their own trials. But while Linda suffered in silence with her depression and Jai struggled with a new power, Flash continued his solo treks through the Gallery.

Unfortunately, the DC Universe began to unspool rapidly. The layers of reality began bleeding over into the topmost layer, leading to people being attacked by creatures from other dimensions. Wally and Barry worked together to stop these creatures, but Wally was unaware that Barry had been possessed by the Crown of Thawnes, a sinister psychic entity. The possessed Barry attacked Wally, sending the Flash into the Gallery. With Wally out of the way, a cabal of Flash enemies, led by an unknown force, began plotting their next move.

What Does the Future Hold for the Flash Family?

It’s clear that the Flash Family has been fractured intentionally by the cabal of villains. Mirror Master has sequestered Thunderheart, Gorilla Grodd has manipulated Jai into believing Wally must be killed, and Abra Kadabra and the Folded Man got Avery and Wallace arrested by the Linear Bureau. That’s not even getting into how the Crown of Thawnes has corrupted Barry, whose now toxic personality has driven away speedsters like Jay and Jesse. This villain team is intent on making sure that the Flash’s support system is utterly and completely broken.

Thanks to the Linear Bureau’s investigation, it’s known that the DC Universe’s future is on borrowed time. While many, including the Bureau, believe this to be the results of the speedsters, that appears to be more propaganda to get the speedsters out of the way so this cabal can fulfill their mission. Villains like Abra Kadabra or Gorilla Grodd might not know they’re helping usher in the end of the DC Universe, but the enigmatic force leading them likely does. And it knows the Flash Family isn’t as strong if they’re separated.

The Flash Family has been through some rough spots before, but nearly all of them are being influenced by one of Flash’s rogues. Thankfully, Wally is far away from these villains and is not being manipulated by them, but he’s facing a crisis of confidence. The only person who can bring the speedster unit back together is Wally, but he’s going to have to do some deep introspection about who he is, what he wants, and what he’s fighting for. If Wally can’t pull himself together, the Flash Family might never reunite.

Only the Flash Can Bring His Family Back Together

Wally has lost himself, but if there’s one thing that drives him more than anything, it’s the people he loves. With a bit of introspection, the Flash can break out of his rut and save his family. It’s going to be a lot of work as Wally’s distance was doing damage to his family bonds even before the villains began manipulating him. However, the Flash loves his family and he’ll do what he must to bring them back together and save the DC Universe from tearing itself apart.

The Flash Annual 2024 Annual #1 is available now from DC Comics.