Black Flash

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).

Black Flash
Black Flash, as appeared in The Flash #140 (June 1998). Art by Pop Mhan (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Tom McCraw (colors)
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Flash vol. 2 #138 (June 1998; cameo) The Flash vol. 2 #141 (September 1998; full)
Created by	Grant Morrison Mark Millar Ron Wagner
In-story information
Species	Meta-Zombie
Team affiliations	Rogues
Notable aliases	Black Flash, Flashback, Backflash, Slow Lightning
Abilities	Speed Force includes: Immense superhuman speed, agility, durability and reflexes Time manipulation, role as psychopomp to speedsters Immortality Molecular acceleration Energy absorption Dimensional travel Time travel Electrokinesis Intangibility

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]} DC Comics, however, tends to depict each character as a separate entity with no connection or relation to each other, seemingly giving merit to the idea presented in Captain Atom.

During the Final Crisis, Wally theorizes that the Black Racer pursuing himself and Barry is in fact the Black Flash.

The Black Flash's charred corpse was found in Iowa by two boys in The Flash: Rebirth.^[2]

The Black Flash is sent hunting after the Force Barrier's destruction, killing Psych and attacking Steadfast and Fuerza.^[3] The cosmically enhanced Hunter Zolomon takes Barry into the "Forever Force" (timestream) built by the Speed Force to which the Black Flash chases the two speedsters to kill, hoping to heal the Speed Force. Zolomon later sacrifices himself to the Force Barrier in order to finally heal the Speed Force, trapping the Black Flash.^[4]

Barry Allen

Main article: Flash (Barry Allen)

The second Black Flash is Barry Allen due to Professor Zoom altering the Speed Force for a time.^[5][6][7]

Eobard Thawne

Main article: Eobard Thawne

The third Black Flash is the reanimated corpse of Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash equipped with a power ring as a member of the Black Lantern Corps.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Other versions

An original incarnation of the Black Flash, Jesse Quick, appears in Ame-Comi Girls: Featuring Duela Dent #3.^[12]

In other media

Television

An original incarnation, Hunter Zolomon / Zoom, appears in the Arrowverse series The Flash (2014) as the Speed Force's enforcer.^[13][14][15]

Video games

• The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in Justice League Heroes: The Flash. Wally West / Flash is chased by the Black Flash when the player dies. Escaping the Black Flash is increasingly difficult after each death.
• The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• The Eobard Thawne incarnation of the Black Flash appears as an alternate skin for Barry Allen / Flash in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
• The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in DC Legends.

Miscellaneous

A demonic version of the 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]