Flash's Godspeed Story Basically Rips Terminator (With One Big Difference) - Screen Rant

The Godspeed twist in The Flash copies The Terminator, but also adds an interesting element to the movie’s core concept. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in 1984’s The Terminator is a T-800, a relentless cyborg killer programmed to accomplish his task no matter what stands in his way. Since then, subsequent installments in The Terminator franchise have reused Schwarzenegger’s character and introduced other Terminator models.

Ideas established in The Terminator bear some strong similarities to what The Flash is currently doing with Godspeed, a speedster villain who hails from the year 2049. After a few recurring appearances in seasons 5 and 6, The Flash is finally shining the spotlight on this mysterious antagonist by putting Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) smack dab in the middle of a civil war between two feuding factions of Godspeeds over the fate of their creator, August Heart (Karan Oberoi). After declining to take sides, it looks like the Scarlet Speedster and the rest of Team Flash will have to battle both Godspeed armies in The Flash’s 150th episode and the season 7 finale.

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It’s interesting to note that what Barry and his friends learned about Godspeed in The Flash season 7, episode 16 draws huge parallels between the villains and the Terminators. Being killer androids from the future sent to accomplish a singular purpose, the Godspeeds really do feel like speedster Terminators. One faction of Godspeeds is hunting August Heart with the same ruthless determination that Schwarzenegger’s T-800 pursued Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor in the first movie. Similar to the Terminators, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goal, and won’t hesitate to kill anyone who stands in the way of their mission. The other Godspeeds have the same drive, albeit to a different end. Their plan is to steal Barry’s speed and give it to Heart.

One aspect of the Godspeed clones who saved Barry in episode 15 that separate them from the Terminators is their reason for wanting Heart dead. Based on comments made by the drone captured by Team Flash, killing Heart isn’t a mission or a part of their programming – it’s something they have to do to secure their survival. Unlike the Terminators, some of the Godspeeds actually place real value on the lives they’ve been given. Understanding that they’ll die once their assigned task is completed, they have to make sure Heart dies so that he doesn’t get what he wants. If he does, their lives will come to an end.

That fact makes the Godspeed clones somewhat sympathetic characters, and that’s largely what makes them interesting additions to The Flash season 7. What they intend to do is contrary to Barry’s moral principles, but at the same time, understandable to a certain extent. They may not have a fully developed perspective on right and wrong (yet), but what they do believe is that August Heart is willfully threatening their existence. It’s possible that Barry and his fellow speedsters will find a solution to the speedster war that allows the Godspeeds to keep their lives.

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Nicholas Raymond (2609 Articles Published)

Nicholas Raymond is a staff movies & TV features writer for Screen Rant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo, and is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Nicholas' love for telling stories is inspired by his love for film noir, westerns, superhero movies, classic films, and ancient history. His favorite actors are Tyrone Power and Eleanor Parker. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91.