Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Flash #7!The Flash Family may be composed of some of the greatest heroes around, but they’re having a devastating effect on the DC Universe. Ever since Flash discovered his new side-stepping power, Wally West has been uncovering the most bizarre parts of the world around him.
But this peek into the other layers of reality has revealed that the speedsters are potentially putting the world in great danger. The Flash Family’s new ally Inspector Pilgrim reveals the danger the DC Universe is in and what could happen if something isn’t done to stop every speedster on Earth.
The Flash’s Troubles Began with a Strange New Power
The DC Universe’s current troubles can all be traced back to when the Flash had a literal run-in with his classic nemesis, Mirror Master. Mirror Master got a serious upgrade with an atomic mirror, but Wally defeated it by running headfirst into it. Unfortunately, this had the unintended side effect of making Wally see varying planes of existence. But West wasn’t just seeing odd and frankly creepy dimensions. The Flash was phasing into other layers of reality that existed alongside the main dimension simultaneously.
Wally could barely wrap his head around the new dimensions he began phasing in and out of. But he became acutely aware of how dangerous they were when he discovered terrifying things like the Uncoiled, sickly, slug-like monsters that could step outside reality and move at incredible speeds. Wally later consulted Max Mercury to help gain a better understanding of the various layers. Together Max and the Flash investigated such realms as the Blobsphere, the spooky layer, and a realm devoid of time Max would later christen Ickto.
During the two heroes’ investigation into the Blobsphere, the Flash saw a trail of destruction caused by some unknown source. The Flash phased back to his home dimension and discovered that the only change to his immediate surroundings was that Impulse had arrived, causing Wally and Max to theorize that speedsters were having an unintentionally destructive impact on the DC Universe. While it was unknown how extensive the damage to these other layers was, the Flash got a hint when he discovered beings from the hidden layers were invading the DC Universe.
The Linear Men Are Arresting the DC Universe’s Speedsters
In The Flash #7 by Si Spurrier, Ramón Pérez, Sofie Dodgson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Max Mercury and Impulse are trapped in Ickto and cut off from the Speed Force. To make matters worse, they’re being pursued by a swath of Uncoiled and the two are running out of places to hide. Just before the two are taken by the Uncoiled, Max and Bart are saved by a group of cosmic enforcers known as the Linear Men, who take the two speedsters to a safe place in a pocket dimension.
Impulse and Max Mercury meet Flash ally Inspector Pilgrim, who tells them of the Liner Bureau’s mission to keep the DC Universe’s timeline running smoothly. Pilgrim reveals that there have been several aberrations to the universe’s history lately, which have impacted Pilgrim’s ability to through his personal timeline. Pilgrim tells the duo that he can’t travel into the future for more than a few months because something is going to destroy the DC Universe’s timeline. Not only that but the speedster realm known as the Timepoint has been destroyed, leaving Ickto in its place.
Inspector Pilgrim shows what’s causing these strange anomalies and takes them to an area where dozens of speedsters, chrononauts, and anyone with a connection to the Speed Force are being held prisoner. Pilgrim informs the duo that reality is breaking because speedsters like the Flash and his loved ones are using their powers. Impulse and Max are arrested by the Linear Men and cocooned by cosmic spiders to prevent them from escaping. Pilgrim, however, promises he’s doing this to avoid ending the lives of every speedster in the DC Universe.
Is the Flash Family Being Framed by Their Greatest Enemies?
The idea that the speedsters are damaging the DC Universe shouldn’t come as a shock. As previously mentioned, Wally saw firsthand what it looked like in the Blobsphere when Impulse used his super-speed, which caused massive damage to the metaphysical realm. Wally also lost control of himself when his son Jai was in danger, causing the Flash to create waves of destruction, an action that drew the attention of the Uncoiled. The more the Flash Family used their powers, the more the cosmic aberrations began to accrue.
Of course, unbeknownst to the Flash Family or the Linear Men, several of Flash’s rogues have teamed up and are planning to launch an attack using a powerful weapon known as the ‘Crown of Thawnes’. It’s not yet known how the Crown plays into this current arc or if it has anything to do with the cosmic phenomenona that are imperiling the world. But it would certainly suit these villains’ goals if they managed to convince Pilgrim and the Linear Bureau that the Flash Family was to blame while they operated in the shadows.
Whether the speedsters are actually destroying the DC Universe or not doesn’t matter. The Linear Bureau believes that they are. And they’re making it their mission to arrest and lock up every member of the Flash Family indefinitely. Ironically, if Flash’s foes are behind the murder of the DC Universe’s timeline, Inspector Pilgrim and his comrades are arresting the very people best suited to stop the Crown of Thawnes. But until Inspector Pilgrim is convinced otherwise, every member of the Flash Family is at risk of being imprisoned in a cosmic wasteland.
Can the Flash and His Allies Save the Day?
The Linear Bureau has arrested a panoply of speedsters and chrononauts, leaving only the fastest members of the Flash Family. With Max and Bart unable to warn their comrades, the rest of the speedsters are going to have to figure out the truth. If the Flash’s rogues are behind the anomalies, the Scarlet speedster and his allies are going to have to stop them before the future is destroyed. But if the Flash Family is really behind the timeline’s destruction, they’re going to have to figure out a way to prevent their powers from making the DC timeline unstable.
The Flash #7 is available now from DC Comics.
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The Flash
The Flash is the superhero name given to the D.C. comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the “speed force” o overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.
