The Flash: Barry Allen Just Used His Smartest Arrowverse Trick in Comics - CBR - Comic Book Resources

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Flash #764, by Kevin Shinick, Will Conrad, Hi-Fi and Steve Wands, on sale now.

In the latest issue of The Flash, Barry Allen tangles with one of his classic villains: Albert Desmond, aka Dr. Alchemy. Albert is armed with the Philosopher's Stone, a powerful magical artifact that essentially allows him to transmute matter. He can transform stone into lava, and rain into bullets -- and that's just for starters. After being locked up for a long time, Dr. Alchemy has finally escaped, and he's even more of a threat now that he wields the source of his power as a ring.

Continue scrolling to keep reading Click the button below to start this article in quick view.

Barry Allen, of course, races into action to stop his enemy before he can do any more damage. The Flash meets Dr. Alchemy just outside of Iron Heights and there, the two engage in a battle. What the Scarlet Speedster doesn't expect however is for the villain to get the upper hand -- and in order to keep fighting, Barry has to employ one of his smartest and most useful tricks from the Arrowverse to conceal his secret identity.

On The CW series The Flash, Barry Allen has been active as the Scarlet Speedster for six seasons now. Throughout all this time, the superhero has honed his skills, developing new tricks and powers to help in his crusade to protect Central City from all manner of metahuman threats. One of the oldest tricks Barry has used on the series is one that actually allows him to hide his identity even when he's not wearing a mask. By vibrating his head at super-speed, Barry's face becomes a blur, and no one can tell that it's really him. It's a trick not only he has used on the television show, but other speedsters such as Eobard Thawne as well.

It's a useful trick, one that Barry used to conceal his identity from Iris West for a time before she would find out who he really is. It means that wherever he is, even if he doesn't have his Flash suit, Barry can still keep his identity a secret should he need to spring into action.

And it's a trick he ends up using in The Flash #764.

In the comic, after escaping from prison, Dr. Alchemy attacks a barricade of policemen who are trying to contain him. He transforms the rain into bullets in order to attack them, but thankfully the Flash arrives to save the officers. Next, the superhero sets his sights on Alchemy but, thanks to his new Philosopher's Stone ring, the villain is able to shoot an energy blast at the Scarlet Speedster that hits him right in the face. The beam transforms the material of his mask into lethal mercury, and Barry takes it off before it can burn right through him.

His speed-healing heals his wound rapidly, but Barry is now left without a mask to conceal his identity -- and there are plenty of people around to see him, such as the police officers and news crews. Therefore, to keep fighting his enemy, Barry keeps his face in a constant vibrating state, just like on the television show.

Because of this, The Flash is able to keep assisting the police in trying to stop Dr. Alchemy and save plenty more in the process. And all the while, his identity remains a secret, even if he's no longer wearing his mask.

KEEP READING: The Flash's Costume Just Knocked Out A Villain - Without Barry Allen

Batman: Three Jokers Changes the Ending of the Darkseid War

Related Topics

About The Author

Ian Cardona (2977 Articles Published)

Ian Cardona has written for CBR since 2017. He is a Feature, Comic Breakouts and News writer. He's been in love with comics for a very long time, and believes there is some good to be found even in the industry's more difficult times. His favorite Avenger is Captain America, and that was long before the character starred in a very successful film franchise. He is an avid statue and Funko Pop! figures collector, and he's rapidly running out of shelf space. With CBR, he has been able to write about his favorite subjects, from the MCU to Doctor Who. You can follow him on Twitter at @ian_c1701 (yes, that is a Star Trek reference) for discussions, debates or pictures of really cool collectibles he probably doesn't have room for.