Flash's New Crisis Is Setting the Stage for Barry Allen's Final Chapter - Screen Rant

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Flash #784

In the latest issue of DC Comics' The Flash, Barry Allen's new personal crisis may be setting up his final adventures in the DC Universe. Having been trapped in a fantasy reality created by the classic villain Pariah, the Flash Family of speedsters has finally found Barry who's been missing in the omniverse. However, it does seem as though Barry's days as the Flash may be coming to an end (either retiring or with a major sacrifice).

Previously, Barry Allen had been exploring and documenting the greater reaches of the omniverse ever since the beginning of DC's current Infinite Frontier era. During this time, Wally West has been serving as the new Flash of Earth, being in a similar position as Jon Kent's Superman who's likewise been Earth's resident Man of Steel after his father Kal-El went to space to fight the warlord Mongul. However, Barry was taken captive by Pariah who serves the Great Darkness, a powerful cosmic being seeking to restore existence back to its original state of nothingness before the Big Bang and the creation of life itself. To that end, Barry has been trapped, content to live in a fantasy of his own making. However, the Flash Family has been desperately searching for the Fastest Man Alive following the death of the Justice League and the start of the Dark Crisis crossover.

Tying into the major summer event, The Flash #784 from Jeremy Adams and Amancay Nuhuelpan features Wally's Scarlet Speedster and Kid Flash finally finding Barry Allen. However, Barry is very content in his new reality as he's reliving the glory days of his earliest comics set in the Silver Age. However, Wally notes that while his environment is in the past, Barry is still the older, middle-aged Flash he is in the present. Having been given a perfect fantasy to keep him complacent, this false reality confirms that Barry truly does miss the old days. As such, Barry may be having a mid-life crisis in the midst of Dark Crisis, one where he may initially refuse to leave his gilded prison, not wanting to face the true reality that's seemingly doomed with no Justice League.

Barry Allen's Flash Trapped In Dark Crisis

Combined with this attempt to stay in the past, Wally's comment about Barry's age carries quite the implication. Firstly, Wally is already struggling to get Barry to listen to reason (seeing as how he's been made to see Wally as his arch-foe Reverse-Flash). Furthermore, even if Wally does convince Barry to join him and help with Dark Crisis, Barry's days are likely numbered. After all, there would be 2 Flashes running around at once. To give Wally the space he's earned as his own Flash, the odds seem strong that Dark Crisis could very well by Barry Allen's last race (one way or the other).

While there have been rumors that a major hero will die during Dark Crisis, Barry Allen's Flash could just as easily trust Wally to protect the world and go into retirement once the omniverse is most likely saved. This issue does confirm he's been getting older with the natural passage of time. Regardless of what happens in the issues to come, DC fans shouldn't be too surprised if the new crossover ends up being Barry Allen's last adventure as The Flash.

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Kevin Erdmann (2855 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant's staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he's writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he's Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.