The Flash - Future's End

[zapbiffpow]

In five (likely non-canon) years, Wally West gets super-speed. Here's how:

Future Flash kills Reverse Flash, leading to a throwdown between Future and Regular Barry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can think of at least one interesting plot point to come out of all this, but since this is probably non-canon, we'll just file it away, now.

 

 

This reminds me, what if Wally's origin turned out to be exactly the same as Barry's? Would a plot point like that still be plausible in today's analytic comic-reading society?

Comments

[drtechnobabel]

Are you talking about Wally getting his powers from his future self somehow? Because if so... eh, it'll probably be fine.

[zapbiffpow]

Oh, I meant the uh, lab accident origin.

Now that future self thing...that I have not heard of. Was that the one where young Wally meets a mystery 'uncle' at a party who turned out to be future Him?

[silicondream]

Waid already had the lab accident thing be a not-really-coincidence, where the Speed Force just took advantage of the right chemical combo to empower Wally as it had Barry. In fact, almost all his speedsters are basically the product of divine favor acting through hokey Silver Agey origins. I think that can work for a modern reader, though it needs a fairly capable writer to express it compellingly.

[zapbiffpow]

"I think that can work for a modern reader, though it needs a fairly capable writer to express it compellingly."

Hmm, fair point there. They should get Mark Waid back on a Secret Origins issue or something.

[drtechnobabel]

Long story short, Barry going into the Speed Force as the Flash caused him to turn into the lightning bolt that struck the chemicals that turned him into the Flash in the first place. It's basically a grandfather paradox: he became the Flash because he already was the Flash.

[zapbiffpow]

Well that clears things up, I suppose. So it's a stable time loop, something like that.

[drtechnobabel]

Exactly! So if we apply it to this situation, this Wally will end up getting his powers from his future self somehow, or even from Future Barry in a very similar manner. Of course, in his case it wouldn't quite be a stable time loop, but it would be the result of time travel shenanigans, which might push the suspension of disbelief of today's readers, but probably not break it entirely.

[hotfoot]

Well Barry?
Yes Other Barry?
Did we just screw up another timeline because we couldn't let someone die?
Sigh...yes we did, Other Barry. Yes we did.

[zapbiffpow]

YES! You have made me very happy with this comment. Thank you so much.

[hotfoot]

I pretty much had to, but I'm glad you liked it. :)

[shadowpsykie]

is this five years in the future or is futurefrom 5 years in the future? because if that is the case this is present day.

[zapbiffpow]

I don't know! I'm scared too!

[obsidianwolf]

I'd imagine the dying Barry and empowered Wally is the future but not the five years later future. Some of the titles have done mini jump forward in time to set up the event five years later.

[namey]

Photobucket fail...

[zapbiffpow]

Hmm, the popularity meter seems to be on the fritz again.

Gonna fix this ASAP.

[jaxjyls]

what's the point of Future's end? They're just going to retcon all anyway. I would understand if it was a mini series or a small event but company wide event and a weekly series seems pointless

[drtechnobabel]

By their logic? Sales, most likely. Having to read multiple comic lines to get the whole story in theory should motivate people to buy more comics than usual during the event. It must be having some success, given how the Big Two seem to be doing a big event every freaking year at this point.

[writeofway]

Which is why you have event fatigue in Big Two comic book fans like myself. Kinda just want the Multiverse to stay saved for a little while, ya know? Narrow the focus a little bit, scale it back down a bit. Not too much, but just enough.