Black Flash: How DC Changed the Deadliest Speedster’s Mission - CBR

For The Flash and other speedsters of his ilk, the road always comes to an end, no matter how fast they run. This fatalistic sentiment is personified most in the figure of the Black Flash, a specter who appears to draw those who ride the lightning back into the Speed Force. Once an unabashed villainous presence in The Flash's mythos, the Black Flash has in recent years been reimagined in a slightly more neutral way.

Now acting as a sort of defense mechanism for the Speed Force itself, the Black Flash acts against members of other forces in sometimes violent fashions. This ostensibly casts him as a villain, albeit one with a much more natural function. Here's how DC made its darkest speedster more of a force of nature.

What Is the Black Flash?

Created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Ron Wagner, the Black Flash officially debuted back in 1998's The Flash #141. The grisly speedster, as his name would suggest, was an inversion of the Fastest Man Alive and existed from within the Speed Force. He would appear to Wally West and several other speedsters, as his function was as a sort of Grim Reaper to those who drew energy from the Speed Force. It appeared to Barry Allen and Johnny Quick when they died, and he threatened to end the lives of others throughout their adventures.

The Black Flash especially targeted Wally West and was hellbent on sucking him into the Speed Force and ending his life prematurely. To this end, it even targeted people in his life such as Linda Park, and it took fellow fast friends like Jesse Quick and Jay Garrick to save them. He would continue to exist as a specter that threatened the speedsters, however, such as when he showed up right before Bart Allen's death. The Black Flash was believed by some to be one of several personifications of death in the DC Universe, with a relation to the New Gods' Black Racer most likely.

Black Flash In DC Rebirth

DC Rebirth and the Post-Flashpoint continuity changed up the Black Flash's motivation, making him less of an antagonist toward speedsters and more of a threat to those who posed danger to the Speed Force. This Black Flash was an antibody for the Speed Force that defended it when it came under threat. A recent illustration of this was when the Strength and Still Forces became stronger, which weakened the Speed Force.

Intent on killing these Forces' new avatars, the Black Flash was opposed by Barry Allen, who saved the life of Still Force conduit Steadfast. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to stop the Black Flash from killing Psych, the Sage Force's conduit. This restored balance to the Speed Force by throwing the other forces into disarray, fulfilling the Black Flash's goal. It still has its Grim Reaper-esque role among actual speedsters, but this new function in ensuring the Speed Force's survival at all costs adds a new layer to the Black Flash's premise.

The Black Flash is somewhat similar in the Arrowverse continuity, where his role is to hunt down speedsters that attempt to disrupt the natural flow of the timestream. Other versions of the character include Barry Allen briefly having powers like the Black Flash after he came back to life, as well as Black Lantern Eobard Thawne simply calling himself the Black Flash during Blackest Night. The real Black Flash, however, is a seemingly remorseless, emotionless wraith who's out to balance the Speed Force and prove that they're the fastest spirit alive.

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Timothy Donohoo (1378 Articles Published)

Timothy Blake Donohoo is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he majored in Communication and minored in Creative Writing. A professional freelance writer and marketing expert, he’s written marketing copy and retail listings for companies such as Viatek. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing video games, watching documentaries and catching up on the latest Vaporwave and Electro-Swing musical releases.