Black Flash

The Black Flash is a fictional comic book character from DC Comics. Created by writers Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, and artist Ron Wagner, the character had cameos in The Flash (vol. 2) #138 (June 1998),[1] before appearing in full in The Flash #141 (September 1998).

Black Flash
On the cover of The Flash: The Fastest Man #13 (August, 2007). Art by Tony Daniel.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceThe Flash (vol. 2) #138 (June 1998; cameo)
The Flash (vol. 2) #141 (September 1998; full)
Created byGrant Morrison
Mark Millar
Ron Wagner
In-story information
Team affiliationsRogues
Notable aliasesBlack Flash, Flashback, Backflash, Slow Lightning
AbilitiesSuperhuman speed, time manipulation, role as psychopomp to speedsters

Fictional character background

Original depiction

The Black Flash essentially fulfills the same role as Death for those who possess super-speed in the DC Universe, returning the speedster to their power source: the Speed Force. It is reportedly seen before the deaths of Barry Allen and Johnny Quick. Max Mercury, having had several near-death experiences, has also seen the Black Flash.

It came for Wally West to draw back to the Speed Force, but instead took Linda Park. Having seen portents of Wally's death, Max Mercury and Jesse Quick intercepted Wally before reaching the museum where Linda was waiting, with Linda thus being struck by the lightning that was meant to kill Wally. It later returns to try to take Wally again, freezing time except for those who possess a connection to the Speed Force. Max Mercury, Jay Garrick, and Jesse Quick all attempt to assist Wally by distracting the Black Flash; Wally finally defeats the Black Flash by racing the creature to the end of time, to a point where Death would have no meaning, causing the creature to dissipate.

The Black Flash appears to Bart Allen when the Flash loses his powers while battling the Rogues at the Getty Center. Despite a clash with Inertia (another possible candidate for the Black Flash), Bart is killed shortly thereafter by the panicked Rogues when it appears Bart would win, even without powers.

Most recently, the Black Flash is revealed to represent the dark aspect of the Speed Force, which is responsible for the empowerment of Wally's children. His connection to death is limited to those connected to the Speed Force. While an issue of Captain Atom suggests Death of the Endless, the Black Racer, and Nekron are all aspects of the same force, Neil Gaiman (creator of Death of the Endless) disagrees with this idea, stating that his creation is the ultimate personification of Death.

During the Final Crisis, Wally theorizes that the Black Racer pursuing himself and Barry is in fact the Black Flash.

A charred corpse, appearing to be the Black Flash, was found in Iowa by two boys in The Flash: Rebirth.[2]

When the Force Barrier was destroyed and the other forces were unleashed, the Black Flash was sent to hunt down the conduits of the unleashed forces. The Black Flash arrives in the Speed Lab within the Flash Museum and attacks Steadfast, the Still Force avatar.[3] After Hunter Zolomon (now named as "The Flash") takes Barry Allen into the timestream (called the "Forever Force") built by the speed force, the Black Flash continues to chase them in order to kill them (in the hopes of healing the speed force). Hunter sacrifices himself to the Force Barrier in order to finally heal the speed force and keep the Black Flash from going after Steadfast and Fuerza, as he had already killed Psych. Due to the sacrifice, the Forever Force broken down trapping the Black Flash inside, while Barry escaped. [4]

Barry Allen

Later when discovering the body, Barry Allen is transformed into the next Black Flash, but the state is reversed.[5] It's revealed that Professor Zoom has altered the Speed Force which results in Barry's Black Flash transformation.[6][7]

Eobard Thawne

The broken-necked corpse of Eobard Thawne is reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps. Equipped with a black power ring, Thawne declared himself as the Black Flash,[8][9][10] until Thawne's corpse is brought back to life.[11]

Other versions
  • The Ame-Comi Girls universe version of Black Flash is Jesse Quick.[12]
  • A demonic Black Flash (also known as the Speed Demon and Black Racer) appears in Smallville season 11 comics.[13] This version seeks to siphon off Bart Allen/Impulse's speed but comes into conflict with Impulse and Superman. It's learned that the Black Flash needs the souls of both Impulse and the retired Jay Garrick as they belong to the Speed Force. As Bart is the fastest usurping Jay as he's given up trying to battle the Black Flash, the demon craves his speed more. In the final battle over Las Vegas, Impulse gives the demon his full speed and that ends up killing them both, leaving the classic Flash symbol in the desert.[14]

In other media

Television
  • An adapted depiction of the Black Flash appears in live-action media set in the Arrowverse.
    • Introduced in season two of The Flash,[15] this version of the Black Flash was originally Hunter Zolomon / Zoom (Teddy Sears), who was transformed by Time Wraiths to serve as the Speed Force's Grim Reaper-esque enforcer by hunting down speedsters who attempt to change the timeline and erase them from existence. In the third season, the Black Flash is sent to stop Barry Allen from freeing Wally West from the Speed Force and to erase Savitar before he can enact his plan to become a god, only to be destroyed by Killer Frost while performing the latter task.
    • Throughout the second season of Legends of Tomorrow,[16][17] the Black Flash pursues Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, who was unintentionally brought back into existence due to Barry Allen's creation of the "Flashpoint" timeline, to erase him and correct the current timeline. This prompts Thawne to form the Legion of Doom and locate the Spear of Destiny to change reality and save himself. After successfully obtaining the Spear and rewriting reality, Thawne traps the Black Flash in S.T.A.R. Labs until Sara Lance undoes the former's work and frees the latter, allowing the Black Flash to erase Thawne from existence before returning to the Speed Force.

Video games

References
  1. "''Flash'' #138 at the Grand Comics Database". Comics.org. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  2. The Flash: Rebirth #1 (April 2009)
  3. The Flash Vol 5. #76 (August 2019)
  4. Williamson, Joshua (2019). The Flash Vol 5. #81. DC.
  5. The Flash: Rebirth #2 (May 2009)
  6. The Flash: Rebirth #3 (June 2009)
  7. The Flash: Rebirth #4 (August 2009)
  8. Blackest Night: The Flash #1 (December 2009). DC Comics
  9. Blackest Night: The Flash #2 (January 2010). DC Comics
  10. Blackest Night: The Flash #3 (February 2010). DC Comics
  11. Johns, Geoff (w). Reis, Ivan (p), Albert, Oclair (i). Blackest Night #8 (March 2010). DC Comics
  12. Ame-Con Girls: Featuring Duela Dent #3
  13. Smallville Season 11 #9
  14. Smallville Season 11 #12
  15. "The Flash: "The Race of His Life" Review". May 24, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  16. Mitovich, Matt (January 8, 2017). "The Flash's Zoom to Resurface as Black Flash, on Multiple CW Shows". TV Line. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  17. Schedeen, Jesse (April 4, 2017). "DC's Legends of Tomorrow: "Aruba" Review". IGN.com. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
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