DC Reveals Major Change to Flash Wally West

Wally West is racing toward DC’s next major event and the company has just made a major change to the hero. Flash Forward #6 sees the hero give up his emotional connections by sitting in the Mobius Chair. He’s fought so hard to free his children and help restore some balance in this world. But, he probably wasn’t thinking that sitting in that seat would give him the powers of Dr. Manhattan. During Darkseid War, the insanely powerful character shared his power with the chair and now, that unbelievable responsibility lies with the speedster. *Spoilers for Flash Forward #6 are ahead, so be warned.*

Now, DC had been hinting that Wally would be a big part of this summer’s events. May’s Free Comic Book Day issue is more than proof of that. But, readers were still probably shocked that this has all transpired so quickly. Now, the hero is looking for a “kindred spirit” and hoping to battle some of the worst threats that the DC Universe has to offer. Dr. Manhattan’s powers give Wally a distinct advantage when he faces off against whatever would be standing in their way.

All of the happenings this summer link back to different generations of DC history. This will allow the company to probe all throughout its run to focus on different stories and iterations of characters. Manhattan, as Watchmen so eloquently drew, sees all of time together in a non-linear fashion. Having Wally at the heart of the story will help link the disparate generations into a larger, focused story. But, will the ability to see past, present, and future be enough to stop whatever evil is coming? Or, even more depressingly, could he be the trouble that lies in wait for the entire multiverse.

The other big happening from this issue would be the return of Jai and Iris West. Linda, their mother, is basically lost to time at this point. Both children were born to Wally in the post-crisis era where they developed powers and fought alongside their father. The New 52 brought about their wiping from the timeline and it was revealed recently that Manhattan was behind this time tinkering. Wally was alongside his children as being wiped away by the New 52 but brought back in 2016. Heroes in Crisis saw the speedster unintentionally killing several people and now the path to redemption is paved for him.