Absolute Flash Teases Two Iconic Villains

Absolute Flash is off to the races as it wraps up its first story arc, Wally West having officially become the Flash and taking on the most adorable sidekick ever in the new version of Gorilla Grodd. The Fastest Teenager Alive has come to accept who he is and that his old life is over forever, but that doesn’t mean ghosts from his past won’t be haunting him. Issue #3 has teased the introduction of not just one, but two of the Flash’s most dangerous and deadly villains, and either one of them could easily be the end of the newly minted Scarlet Speedster. 

There’s a Thawne Working for Project Olympus

While the Rogues tried in vain to bring down Wally and his new monkey friend, Wally’s dad Rudy relied on a scientist named Thawne to handle the live feed the military group received from Grodd. Thawne, of course is the last name of Barry Allen’s arch enemy and by far and away the pettiest villain to ever live: the Reverse Flash. While we don’t know for sure that this scientist is the actual Eobard Thawne, especially considering that his mainline counterpart wasn’t born until the twenty-fifth century, there’s always the possibility that this is him, and that can only mean bad news for the Flash.

We know that whatever secret experiment Barry Allen was working on prior to his death is what gave Wally his powers. If this scientist is Eobard Thawne, then this new version of the character could be equally as obsessed with Barry as his original counterpart. Perhaps they’ve worked together for many years, but Barry has always been the smarter, more celebrated, and more beloved scientist. This could easily drive the man to jealousy, and a wild obsession with proving himself better. Following Barry’s horrific death, Thawne might be the one selected to continue Barry’s work, or he might even attempt to complete it in secret. Either way, it’s very easy to imagine Thawne “improving” the experiment and using it on himself, a final getback at Barry who died in his attempt. Assuming it goes horribly wrong, and there’s no way it couldn’t, Thawne would be gifted and cursed with speed rivaling or even exceeding Wally’s. In a final act of proving himself superior in every way, Thawne would chase down the young speedster and demonstrate his superiority by defeating, and possibly even aiming to kill our new hero.

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Even if this scientist Thawne is not connected to the Eobard of the future, Wally’s powers are inherently tied to time in some way. The real Thawne could easily be a descendant of the current day one, and use his ancestor’s notes on Barry’s project to recreate it and travel back in time. As for why he’d do that, we’ll have to wait and see, but I don’t think it’s hard to convince Thawne to dedicate his life to making your life hell, based on past evidence. He might even be attempting to “save” the future by getting rid of Wally, as one of the potential futures Wally saw for himself is becoming a speed-monster in a ruined world. Of course, the second villain is even more dangerous than a morally-charged Thawne.

Barry Allen Might be the Absolute Black Flash

When Wally interrupted Barry’s experiment and gained his powers, he also forged a connection with Barry that he couldn’t break. Terrified of what happened, Wally ran away as fast as he could, accidentally dragging Barry with him. Barry’s body was ripped apart by the force and distance, and by the time Wally stopped he was nothing more than a skeletal husk, his final words begging for Wally to help him. Obviously this image and death are very reminiscent of Barry’s sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but I don’t think that’s the only callback here. Based on his design, he also looked a lot like Black Flash, the speedster entity of death.

There is precedent for this, as Barry became the Black Flash immediately following his return from his twenty-year long death in The Flash: Rebirth. The 2006 miniseries, not the 2016 DC-wide relaunch of the same name. I’m all the more convinced Barry might be the Black Flash because of the manner in which Absolute Barry died. He formed a powerful connection to Wally, and Wally’s powers are very tied to the fabric of time. While Barry’s body was ripped apart, it could be that his soul has been lost between the timestream, both dead and living and always connected to Wally. Barry wouldn’t want to hurt Wally or anyone else, but if he is nothing more than a lost soul with a form that’s constantly being torn apart and drawn to Wally, he may not have a choice. If Wally begins to see a dark shape running behind him, then we definitely know who it will be. 

Even if these two classic villains aren’t connected to these two versions of the characters, we still have a lot to look forward to in Absolute Flash. Wally West is kicking it into overdrive with his new friend and new way of life, and I am definitely excited to see where he goes from here.

Absolute Flash #3 is on sale now!