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 vol. 2 #141 (September 1998).
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.[citation needed]Max Mercury has also seen the Black Flash while having had several near-death experiences.
The specter speedster 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 Speed Force's dark aspect 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[volume & issue needed] 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.[citation needed]
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 unleashed forces' conduits. The Black Flash arrives in the Speed Lab within the Flash Museum and attacks Steadfast, the Still Force avatar.[3]Hunter Zolomon (now as "The Flash") takes Barry into the timestream (called the "Forever Force") built by the Speed Force to which the Black Flash continues to chase the two speedsters in order to kill (in the hopes of healing the Speed Force). Zolomon 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 Zolomon had already killed Psych. Due to the sacrifice, the Forever Force broken down which traps the Black Flash inside while Barry escaped.[4]
An original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in TV series set in the Arrowverse. This version was originally Hunter Zolomon / Zoom, who was transformed by the Speed Force and made to serve as its enforcer by hunting down speedsters who attempt to change the timeline and erase his targets from existence.[13][14][15]
Video games
The original Black Flash appears in Justice League Heroes: The Flash. When the player dies, Wally West / Flash is chased by the Black Flash. After each death, escaping the Black Flash becomes increasingly difficult.
A demonic Black Flash, also known as the Speed Demon and Black Racer, appears in Smallville Season 11 #12. It seeks out Impulse and Jay Garrick's souls, but comes into conflict with the former and Superman. As the fastest of the two speedsters, the Black Flash primarily focuses its attention on Impulse until the latter sacrifices himself to destroy the demonic speedster, which goes on to inspire Garrick to come out of retirement and form the Teen Titans.[16]
