SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The Flash #40 by Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia and Steve Wands, on sale now.
The Flash is currently at the center of a “Perfect Storm,” thanks to machinations by the villainous trio of Gorilla Grodd, Raijin, Negative Flash and Black Hole, with Grodd gunning for Barry Allen’s connection to The Speed Force. Facing a threat unlike anything he’s ever gone against before, Barry suffers a terrible loss, which results in the crowning of a new Flash to save Central City and stop the mad gorilla.
Gorilla Warfare
We learned last issue that Gorilla Grodd is dying and he believes that the Speed Force is the only thing which will save his life. Grodd’s obsession with the Speed Force isn’t new, of course; it was first introduced back in The New 52 volume of The Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccelato, who established that the Speed Force was responsible for the intelligence and civilization of Gorilla City. Grodd was raised to believe he was chosen to wield the Speed Force, and a propecy stated that its messenger would bring it to him and allow him to usher in a new age for his homeland. Unfortunately, Barry Allen wasn’t quite willing to part with his powers in order to level up a megalomaniacal super-ape and made an enemy for life out of Gorilla Grodd.
RELATED: A Major Villain’s Return Has Kicked Off The Flash War
Now, Grodd is back and more powerful than ever. With the people of Central City frozen in a single moment, Grodd is leeching the city’s speed in order to heal himself; the Speed Force storm which occurred forty issues ago was the first part of his plan to grant the people of Central City access to the Speed Force, so he could later steal it all for himself. While the team of Kid Flash and Avery Ho, the Flash of China, try to deal with Grodd’s liuetenat Raijin, Gorilla Grodd uses his Force Of Mind to make Barry Allen confront some dark truths about himself.
The New Flash
While trapped within the Speed Force, Grodd has had time to slowly work his way into Barry Allen and learn that Barry believes that without the Speed Force, he would be nothing. Thanks to being The Flash, he gained friends in the Justice League, found love with Iris, captured his mother’s killer and exonerated his father. If that chance lightning strike hadn’t have happened, none of that would have occurred. Whether it’s true or not is up for debate, but it’s enough for Grodd to weaken The Flash and have Black Hole strap him into their machine and steal his speed, but it still isn’t enough.
RELATED: New Flash War Art Teases Impulse’s Return to DC Continuity
With his minions out chasing the teen Flashes, Grodd decides to deal with Barry Allen once and for all, but at last moment the former Flash is saved by the adult Wally West, who arrives just in the nick of time. Though Barry is now powerless, he tells Wally that Central City isn’t without a Flash, telling his former protege to step up and take on the responsibility that comes with being the prime Speedster of the DC Universe.
Of course, it isn’t the first time that Wally West has succeeded Barry Allen as The Flash. He famously stepped into the role following Barry’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths and served as The Flash for over twenty years. Outside of his membership in The Titans, Wally' place in the larger DCU has been somewhat ill-defined since his return and his own aunt Iris is still in the dark about his return. With Grodd at large and Hunter Zolomon waiting in the wings to kickstart The Flash War, it seems like the DC Universe is about to become reaquainted with the original Wally West.
KEEP READING: Are Wally West’s Missing Kids At The Heart Of The Flash War?