Barry Allen wasn’t exactly having the best time under Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval’s “Rogues’ Reign." Between The Flash #82 and #85, he has been locked up in Iron Heights, mauled by giant ice wolves, and the Speed Force has been supercharged to a point that it can scatter a less-experienced speedster across timelines. To top it off, Captain Cold has promoted himself to King and turned Central City into a frozen hellhole.
So when “Rogues’ Reign” concludes with an ensuing punch-out with King Cold, Barry pushes himself to new levels and is enveloped in a golden aura of pure Speed Force energy. Just as things are finally starting to look up for the Scarlet Speedster, Barry seems to lose control of his newfound Speed Force abilities, nearly beating Cold to death. When Snart’s own sister, The Golden Glider, talks him down from his Speed Force high, even The Flash seems to know not all is right again.
The Terrors of the Speed Force
This isn’t the first time a speedster has been seen able to tap into the Speed Force as Barry did. Twenty years ago, in the "Terminal Velocity" arc by Mark Waid, Salvador Larocca and Mike Wieringo, the original Wally West disappears seemingly forever into the Speed Force in an effort to save Keystone City from Kobra. He only manages to pull himself out when Linda Park’s life is in jeopardy. Later on, Wally learned to hone in on the Speed Force with more precision and is said to be able to “mainline” its power.
Nearly beating Snart to death is just one of many consequences Barry Allen will have to face in mastering his new power while in the clink. In 2016’s DC: Rebirth #1, Wally West is almost vaporized across the Speed Force and forgotten to its many timelines, only for Barry to pull him out. Of course, Wally’s near erasure from reality is then later learned to be the work of Dr. Manhattan but his natural penchant for mainlining the Speed Force lands him in trouble again in Tom King’s Heroes in Crisis. After becoming overwhelmed with grief over the realization his children were lost as he once was, Wally accidentally slaughters most of his fellow patients by unleashing the Speed Force at Sanctuary. It goes without saying, Barry is going to need some help if he is going to “mainline” the Speed Force from now on.
Between Snart’s takeover of Central City, and Kid Flash and Avery’s training under the Rogues, themes of becoming “drunk off of power” and “losing control” were pretty heavy in “Rogues’ Reign” to say the least. After all, it wasn’t for King Cold mistakenly unleashing his full Absolute Zero tech, Barry would not have been able to slow down enough to regain control of the Speed Force. With that said, if this is the start of Barry’s ability to “mainline” like Wally, his voluntary incarceration in Iron Heights could imply not only crossing paths with Captain Cold again but possibly running into Joshua Williamson’s own sociopathic speedster: Godspeed.
Just as the Rogues taught Wally West II and Avery to let go of control, will Barry have to turn to Captain Cold or even Godspeed in Iron Heights for help? If Barry finally masters the Speed Force, he very well may accomplish what only ever Godspeed could, that being in two places at once.