Black Flash
The Black Flash is a comic entity that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
The Black Flash was a entity that was native to the Speed Force that served as an aspect of death for speedsters. It's existence was known to the Native Americans who called it "slow lightning''. (Flash v2 #139)
Both Jay Garrick and Max Mercury had encountered this entity over the years where they called it the Black Flash. (Flash v2 #139)
In pursuit of the Flash, the Black Flash followed Wally West as he used his super-speed to travel into the distant future. The entity was aware of what the speedster was attempting to accomplish and sought to reach him with it nearly doing so. However, the Flash reached the end of time where death itself was simply a concept causing the Black Flash to disappear thus saving Wally from its grasp. (Flash v2 #141)
The fourth Flash Bart Allen saw the entity just prior to his death at the hands of the Rogues in the Getty Center. (Flash: The Fastest Man Alive v1 #12) Afterwards, an entity that was seemingly the Black Flash was discovered dead by two boys in Iowa who had found its charred corpse. (The Flash: Rebirth v1 #1) A resurrected Barry Allen later discovered the body where he was transformed into the newest incarnation of the Black Flash but in a reverse state. (The Flash: Rebirth v1 #2) It was later discovered that this was the result of the machinations of Professor Zoom who had altered the Speed Force to transform Barry Allen into a new version of the entity. (The Flash: Rebirth v1 #3) During the Blackest Night, a black Power Ring resurrected the body of Eobard Thawne transforming him into a new Black Flash during this time. (Blackest Night: The Flash v1 #1)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
With the rise of the other Forces users, the Black Flash was sent by the Speed Force to eliminate them as they were considered a threat to it. Thus, he sought to murder Steadfast but the Still Force user was saved by the Flash who then looked to save the Strength Force user Fuerza along with the Sage Force user Psych. (The Flash v5 #77) After learning of the danger, Psych decided to use the other Force users as bait and went into hiding but continued to use his abilities allowing him to be tracked by the Black Flash. Barry Allen attempted to save Psych but he was ultimately cornered by the dark speedster entity that proceeded to kill the Sage Force user. (The Flash v5 #78)
Overview
Personality and attributes
It was referred to as being one of the many faces of Death and that this was the shape it took when it came for speedsters. (Flash v2 #139) Similar to death, it did not talk, think or be reasoned with by people. (Flash v2 #141)
Powers and abilities
The Black Flash was said to be a defensive manifestation of the Speed Force itself and its power grew or weakened depending on it. It was known to radiate the same Speed Force signature as the Flash himself. (The Flash v5 #78)
Upon entering the normal dimension, the creature corrupted time with anything not connected to the Speed Force slowing down to an absolute stop. The arrival of the Black Flash could be sensed by speedsters as a disturbance in the Speed Force. Its nature meant that it could not be killed by ordinary means. Physical attacks had no impact on the creature with containment being deemed the only way to combat the entity. As a creature of the Speed Force, it had the ability to move at superhuman speeds allowing it to easily keep up with speedsters such as Wally West and even surpass the speed of light allowing it to pursue individuals across time. (Flash v2 #141)
Notes
- The Black Flash was created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Ron Wagner where it made a cameo appearance in The Flash v2 #138 (June 1998) but made a full appearance in The Flash v2 #141 (September 1998).
Alternate Versions
- In Smallville Season 11, the Black Flash appeared in the Haunted story arc where it was portrayed as a dark entity with oil skin and demonic features. Its existence was known to Jay Garrick who had seen it numerous times when he used his super-speed until the government disbanded the Justice Society of America and he stopped using his powers. Bart Allen kept on seeing the entity every time he used his super-speed but believed the creature to be a dark figment of his imagination. To prove its existence, he asked Clark Kent to run with him into the Speed Force when he saw the creature that told him that his speed was not pure but that it would consume him as well. The pair fought but the Black Flash gained the upper hand until Bart Allen arrived to aid his friend with Impulse sacrificing his life to defeat the entity in order to save Clark Kent who mourned the passing of his friend.
In other media
Television
- In the Arrowverse, the Black Flash made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In The Flash, a character resembling the Black Flash appeared in the live-action television series in the second season finale where Zoom was seemingly transformed by the Time Wraiths after he was claimed by them for the disruptions in the Speed Force. When Savitar sought to splinter himself through time, he created a tear into the Speed Force where the Black Flash emerged to attack those that disrupted it. He sped his way to the intruders only for Killer Frost to freeze him whereupon his body shattered with him being identified as still being Hunter Zolomon.
- In Legends of Tomorrow, an unnamed character resembling the Black Flash appeared in the live-action television series in the episode "Legion of Doom". This version resembled an undead speedster with a red streak that was pursuing Eobard Thawne who was a time aberration as his ancestor had been removed from history. As a result, Thawne was forced to constantly be on the run as the creature was hunting his use of the Speed Force. This meant Thawne could not stay in one position for long otherwise the creature would find him as it hunted him through history which was why he sought the Spear of Destiny to change reality. After being trapped in a bank vault, Thawne narrowly avoided the creature by standing still and with his allies in the Legion of Doom he managed to temporarily delay the entity inside the vault by tricking it inside whereupon they sealed the door.
Video games
- In Justice League Heroes: The Flash, the Black Flash made an appearance in the Game Boy Advance video game. Whenever the played as the Flash died, he was chased by the Black Flash but if the player managed to avoid being caught than they were rewarded with a chance of continuing the game. This allowed them to return with low health and not lose their current life but each death made escaping the Black Flash increasingly difficult.
Appearances
- Flash v2:
- Flash: The Fastest Man Alive v1:
- The Flash: Rebirth v1: (2009)
- The Flash v5:
External Links
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