Thanks to the Dark Multiverse, Batman now has superhuman speed. How he got it though is anything but a sweet story.
Spoilers incoming for Batman: The Red Death #1, so if you haven’t read the issue yet you’ve been warned.
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The story starts out with a battle between Barry Allen’s Flash and an unknown assailant, who is hitting the speedster with everything but the kitchen sink, including fire, ice, wind funnels, and lightning. If that sounds familiar it should, as those are all recognizable aspects of the famous Flash Rogues, which typically includes villains like Captain Cold, Heatwave, Weather Wizard, and Mirror Master.
This time around though, those abilities all belong to one man, and it is revealed to be Batman. Bats is even wearing Captain Cold’s trademark eye wear, with a number of those familiar weapons hanging on his waist. From the conversation between the two heroes, it seems Batman at one point asked for The Flash to help him gain access to the Speed Force, a request that Barry Allen denied.
Flash uses himself as an example, saying ,”You know the things I’ve done. The mistakes I’ve made with these powers in the past. It’s impossible to be everywhere at once!” It’s here that Batman reveals the reason for wanting the Speed Force, saying, “Unlike you, I tried to be…and it cost me my family.”
This gives way to four gravestones at Wayne Manor, all shown from the back. The first seems to indicate Nightwing via the symbol at the top, while one of the others has a Robin perched atop a branch. The other two are likely Batgirl and Batwoman, but could also be Duke and any combination of Tim or Damian. Either way, Batman isn’t taking this lying down, and what he does next shows the lengths he’s willing to go.
Hit the next slide to find out what happens next!
The Speed Force
Thanks to some inventiveness on Batman’s part, and a formula from Mr. Freeze, Batman gains the upper hand on The Flash and is able to knock him out.
That small window is all Batman needs though, and Flash awakens to find himself chained to the front of Batman’s giant Tumblr Batmobile. If the Batmobile looked a bit… well, odd to you, there’s a very good reason for that. Batman explains to Flash that he studied the designs of the Cosmic Treadmill, and repurposed the Batmobile’s engine to harness the Flash’s connection to the Speed Force. Once he has access to it, he’ll steal it from the Flash, and so he hits the gas to create enough speed to make an opening.
Barry pleads with Bruce to turn back, saying he “can’t access the Speed Force this way! You can’t force it! It will rip us both apart!”
Bruce seems at peace with this idea, saying, “I know. I’m sorry Barry, but now we can save the world..together.”
As the skin melts away from both of them, Flash pleads once more, saying. “You can’t give up like this Bruce…there’s hope…there is always…”
With that, the page turns to bright white and the heroes vanish.
Hit the next slide to find out what emerges in their place.
The Red Death
The world falls into even more chaos in their absence, but The Scarecrow is the first to learn of a new “hero,” one that wears a familiar symbol but doesn’t subscribe to traditional methods of justice.
As Scarecrow is ready to attack civilians, a red-armored Batman/Flash mashup emerges, ripping the longtime villain in two. It’s The Red Death, whose narration reveals he is Bruce Wayne. What can also be seen though is a second speech bubble with a fainter text. At every turn, it challenges Bruce’s words and mission, and it seems that Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen both made it through to the other side, but are now two minds in one body.
Bruce Wayne is clearly much more in control though, as witnessed in his killing of several villains. He makes his way through The Riddler, The Penguin, and Man-Bat in a matter of seconds, but Barry is protesting his actions every step of the way. This comes to a head when Bruce is introduced to the messenger of Barbatos. As Bruce listens to his pitch, Barry’s face can be seen morphing out of Bruce’s, warning him not to listen and to stay away from him.
It would seem that advice falls on deaf ears, as he is one of the Nightmare Batmen that emerges in DC Metal #2. Fans will have to wait and see if Barry will win out in the end, but the odds don’t look good.
Batman: The Red Death #1 is in stores now.
