Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #6!
After 38 years, the consequences of Crisis on Infinite Earths have come to plague the Flash mantle. Following Barry Allen’s death in Crisis, Wally West adopted the Flash mantle for himself. Upon Barry’s eventual return, Wally initially adored getting to share the name with his mentor. However, as time went on, that blessing became a curse for him to bear.
Wally West admits that the weight of Barry Allen’s legacy is wearing him down in The Flash #6 by Simon Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr. The two heroes take a moment to hash out grievances with each other, wherein Wally admits that even if Barry could be his guiding light in a dark time, he couldn’t bring himself to call his uncle. As Wally shares with his former mentor: “How do you tell your hero you’re breaking under the weight of their legacy?”
Wally’s current grievances don’t just begin and end with this most recent slate of Flash comics, but rather date all the way back to when Barry first died in Crisis on Infinite Earths, leading to Wally’s decades-long run as the Flash — a mantle he only carries because his hero and uncle died.
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The Flash Breaks Under the Weight of His Own Legacy
The Death of Barry Allen in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, Jerry Ordway, Anthony Tollin, and John Costanza
This isn’t the first time that DC has hinted that Wally struggles with carrying the Flash’s cowl, more so in the wake of Barry’s return. As recently as the Dark Crisis story arc, the second Flash’s hurt from Barry’s return is expressed in Nightwing saying: “I remember how much Barry’s death impacted Wally, but sometimes I think Barry coming back hurt him more.” Readers can see the impact in how Wally breaks down to Barry in this issue of The Flash — like a child pleading with his father, wondering why he wasn’t there for him when he needed him.
Wally West was one of the first sidekicks to adopt his mentor’s mask and legacy following the death of his mentor. The legacy act has become a staple of comic book lore in the time since then, to the point where it’s practically become a debate among fans as they wonder if there are too many Flashes, Robins, and more. This issue feels self-aware about such debates, using it to build upon the story where readers can see how a hero can become visibly stressed about having to live within that legacy. Wally is forced to live up to his mentor’s expectations under the impression that the other Flash will always be the better, preferred hero.
DC’s Decades-Long Legacy Hero Debate Rages On In-Universe
By lingering on Wally’s insecurities and self-doubt, this comic feels like a self-aware acknowledgment of the legacy hero debate. Wally feels as if he constantly must raise the bar and so raise himself to the standard of the original hero. Many readers are always going to prefer the original mantle bearer, while whoever takes over that mantle next is always going to have a tough time living up to expectations. In-universe, Wally struggles to be the Flash in a world that won’t let him live down or past the original, and unrealistic expectations continue to eat away at him.
The Flash #6 is available now from DC Comics.
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