The following contains spoilers for The Flash #796, on sale now from DC Comics.
DC fans may have met the third child of Flash Wally West and his wife, Linda Park, before he was even born.
Written by Jeremy Adams with art by Roger Cruz, George Kambadais and Fernando Pasarin, The Flash #796 marks the end of the series' "One-Minute War" event. In this story arc where Linda is pregnant throughout, Earth is attacked by the Fraction, a Speed Force-powered alien race that conquers worlds in seconds, using speedsters as living batteries for its arsenal. In the earlier Flash #792, Impulse/Bart Allen and Kid Flash/Wallace West free one of these captured speedsters, but the latest issue strongly suggests that this is Wally and Linda's unborn child from the future.
At the end of Flash #796, before Gold Beetle can bring the young speedster back to his proper place in the timeline, he tells Linda that his name is "Wade." He continues, "My parents named me Wade after a cool relative or something." As Wade and Linda embrace with a hug, she responds, "Huh. Wally has an uncle with that name. He's cool, but you know what, Wade? You might be cooler."
Why Wade May Be the Flash's Third Child
Hints that Wade is Wally and Linda's son have been dropped throughout "One-Minute War." The Flash: One-Minute War Special #1 revealed that Wally and Linda's third child will be a boy, one who is kidnapped by the Fraction when their two other children, Jai and Irey West, are older. Wade mentions that time is "relative" in The Flash #793, and says that he was captured by the Fraction after "jumping through dimensions." However, his reactions to the Flash Family also indicate a connection to its heroes.
When Wade first meets Wally at the end of The Flash #792, he trips on his words and can only say, "You're... You're..." out loud. In the following Flash #793, he looks at Jesse Quick and Irey from afar, saying to himself, "They're so... young." The statement is followed by a conversation with Linda about her pregnancy, Wade asking her, "Aren't you scared? That... the child might get hurt?" Linda replies, "I actually think this little one is protecting me," Wade adding, "Yeah... I think you're right."
The Flash’s Future Son Will Be Born Before Adams’ Run Ends
Following her sudden onset of super speed powers, The Flash 2022 Annual first teased Linda's pregnancy, which was later confirmed by Mister Terrific and Doctor Mid-Nite in Flash #788. Solicitations for future issues unreleased as of writing reveal that the child will be born by the end of Adams' Flash run, his final issue being The Flash #800. The Flash will relaunch in Sep. 2023 with writer Simon Spurrier and artist Mike Deodato, Jr. as its main creative team.
Along with Adams, Cruz, Kambadais and Pasarin, The Flash #796 is inked by Wellington Dias, Oclair Albert and Kambadais, colored by Luis Guerrero, Matt Herms and Pete Pantazis, and lettered by Rob Leigh. Main and variant cover art for the issue is by Taurin Clarke, with other variant cover artwork contributed to by Daniele Di Nicuolo, Yasmín Flores Montañez and Lee Garbett. The issue is now on sale from DC Comics.
Source: DC