The Flash's Flashpoint
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| The Flash |
Amalgam of two characters from the comics: the Black Racer and Daniel West.
The Black Racer is one of the New Gods; an all-powerful avatar of death who in his most recent appearance merged with Barry Allen to create a new god of death, one that bears an uncanny resemblance to Lasance’s speedster. If the new character is a direct adaptation of the Black Racer, then his mission may be to punish Barry for altering the timeline and “robbing him” of the death of Nora Allen. His invulnerability, super strength, and ability to kill with a single touch would pose new challenges for our heroes as well.
On the other hand, Daniel Westis the Reverse Flash of the New 52 and the sister of Iris West. His ultimate goal was to go back in time and kill his alcoholic father with the deluded hope of repairing the rift between him and his sibling. His plan fails when Iris and his eight year old self arrive home right as he is about to kill their father, which leads to another altercation with the Flash of his universe. Though the familial relations are quite different in the CW universe, the actions of a meddling speedster could motivate Wally West to take up the mantle of Kid Flash in the alternate timeline. For a show that has focused so much on character parallels (remember when Zoom said, “We’re the same Barry, you and I.”), trading the death of the drug-addicted Francine (Vanessa Williams) or the father figure Joe West (Jesse L. Martin) for the death of Nora Allen could further drive Barry to restore a version of the original timeline.
That being said, the series may borrow the Black Racer’s look and ignore both his and Daniel West’s backstories when creating the new villain for the season. We’ll have to look to production updates to determine how large of a role the new speedster plays in the season. If he is in more than a couple episodes, then he is probably not deity like the Black Racer and is instead a long term character with a human identity. Either way, a more powerful speedster is par for the course with a new season of The Flash.
But that’s not all! There are a variety of characters that may change or enter the story because of Barry’s interference with the timeline. The first three theories I have are directly lifted from the Flashpoint story line, albeit with changes that reflect the differences between the comics and CW universes.
In the Flashpoint timeline, Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) becomes Citizen Cold, the “Hero of Central City”. Though his character met an untimely end on Legends of Tomorrow, a new timeline presents a golden opportunity to reintegrate him into the fabric of the CW universe. What other evidence is there for this? Miller signed a groundbreaking contract to appear as a recurring character in all of the Greg Berlanti DC shows. So even if he doesn’t become a hero, look forward to his return to the series next season.
Another key difference in the Flashpoint timeline relates to Batman’s identity. In the incident that led to the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne in the normal DC timeline, Bruce dies instead. The death of his son pushes Thomas Wayne over the edge, and he begins fighting crime as a more vengeful version of the Dark Knight, one who resorts to using lethal force to protect his city. You may have surmised the problem with adapting this aspect of the comic. The CW universe lacks a Batman.
Fortunately, there is another millionaire playboy in the CW universe. He happens to fight crime in the dark of the night. His father died tragically in an attempt to save his life. AND he uses a voice modulator.