WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman Beyond #35, written by Dan Jurgens and art by Rick Leonardi, Ande Parks and Chris Sotomayor, onn sale now.
The world of Batman Beyond has featured more original characters then one would expect from a forseeable future of theDC Universe. However, the heroes of the modern day do occasionally appear in the series, most notably an older and wiser version of Superman.
But in Batman Beyond #35 introduces another former member of the Justice League who has survived into old age when Barry Allen, the Flash, runs onto the scene at the end of the issue.
Fastest Man Alive
Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne have been forced to contend with False Face, a villain who can assume someone's appearance and identity with ease. Operating like a DC version of the Spider-Man villain Chameleon, False Face has even been able to steal Batman's advanced suit. While trying to steal specific technology for his plans, he teams up with the villainous pair, Splitt. The two are speedsters, who are unstable and shifting out of reality, and capable of fusing together.
With Batman out of commission, his girlfriend Melanie re-dons her costume as Ten and attempts to stop them. She's incapable of standing up to all three though but is saved at the last minute with the arrival of Flash. With his white hair and grown beard, this Flash is a dead-ringer for the future version of the character who appeared in the "Flash: Year One" storyline released earlier this year. However, that version of the Flash was seemingly wiped from the timeline at the end of that story.
Splitt's Story
During the issue, Splitt reveals their origins, which ties them to the speedsters. The equipment they've been stealing has been so they can attempt to cure themselves of an ailment they've had since birth. The pair were actually born as just one boy, with the strain killing their mother in childbirth. The boy proved to be something of a burden to his father, who was still reeling from the loss of his wife. Eventually, the boy actually split into two separate people, both of whom have an apparent connection to the Speed Force. The pair are actually only six years old, having had their age amplified by their powers. When they're separated, however, the power threatens to overwhelm and kill them.
Splitt's inherent connection to the Speed Force suggests he has some relationship to at least one speedster. Because there have been so many over the years, it's impossible to know who his father was for sure, especially with the ambiguity of his origin story. Barry is the same age as the elderly Bruce Wayne, and likely isn't directly related to the boys. While that doesn't rule out the possibility of some connection, it doesn't really seem like he's the boys' father. What does stand out is there's already another Flash of this era who isn't around for the battle.
DC's Other Future Flash
In the Justice League Beyond 2.0 digital series, readers were introduced to Danica Williams, the Flash of the Beyond era. She's joined the Justice League and serves as a major member of the team. She's romantically involved with the Shazam of that reality and a steadfast hero in her own right. She's worked with Terry before, and actually has a spot among the Flashes assembled at the multiversal House of Heroes. It's unclear if she has any real ties to any of the other speedsters, outside of her connection with the Speed Force.
The arrival of Barry Allen suggests that we may learn more about the fate of the Flash family in the Beyond future throughout the rest of the storyline. But no matter what, Splitt is in for a difficult battle: if they are indeed only six years old, then they're about to go up against one of the most experienced and skilled speedsters in the world. The pair don't appear to be wholly villainous, just in a tough situation. Hopefully, Allen will be able to reach through to the pair of them and help them learn to be a better speedster.