The Flash: The Strength and Sage Forces, Explained

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The Flash #49 by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter, on sale now.

The extradimensional force known as the Speed Force has been an integral part of Flash continuity for quite awhile now. In Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter's The Flash #49, part three of "Flash War," two new complementary concepts are introduced. Just as the Speed Force has become ingrained in the very fabric of reality in the DC Comics Multiverse, these new ideas could very well serve to expand that reality, and the characters across the multiverse that inhabit it.

The first of these alliterative forces is called the Sage Force, which Zoom – aka Hunter Zolomon – has learned to wield against Barry Allen and Wally West. He immediately utilizes another energy he calls the Strength Force, which appears to have the capability to incapacitate both Flashes. The introduction of these new concepts comes on the heels of the recent acknowledgement of the Still Force in Justice League, not to mention the already-explored concept of the Negative Speed Force. So... how do they fit into what we already knew?

Speed is to Time as Strength is to ... ?

The Sage Force implies a connection to magic or mysticism, although Zolomon's usage of it seems more along the lines of some kind of mind or mental power. The Strength Force, though, seems a little more straightforward, as Zolomon effortlessly pushes both Flashes away with this energy's powers, and even seems to grow a pair of Ben Grimm-like forearms on the issue's final page to emphasize his newfound strength. Its enhancement of Zoom is apparent, but what kind of impact might this Strength Force have on the DC Multiverse, and beyond, as a whole?

Based on Zolomon's usage, the Strength Force can be inferred to have similar stature to that of the Speed Force, and thereby serving as one of the pillars of DC Comics reality. As one of three (known) legs of a Speed/Sage/Strength foundation, and like the Speed Force, it would serve as one of the critical energies that power the reality of the multiverse and drive how it functions. In modern continuity, the Speed Force is considered to be the "fuel" that powers the passage of time itself, and this is the energy that Barry and other speedsters tap into when using their powers.

If the Speed Force powers the movement of time, what would be the corresponding function of a Strength Force? The term "strength" implies an ample level of force, and in scientific terms, force is a byproduct of mass. Is the Strength Force perhaps a building block of matter itself, and by extension, the force that gives all matter its mass?

If a disruption in the Speed Force impacts the movement of time, perhaps a similar disruption in the Strength Force would impact the state of matter, such as its mass, molecular attraction, gravitational properties, and who knows what else. The destruction of either Force would result in either the stoppage of time, or the disintegration of anything physical. Regardless, the loss or absence of either of these Forces would essentially lead to the end of all existence.

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May the Strength Force Be With You

It's a difficult concept to grasp, but a little easier to understand is the possible impact a Strength Force would have on the multiverse's inhabitants. If speedsters draw their powers from the Speed Force, then it's not difficult to presume that strength-based heroes like Superman or Shazam would likely have some kind Strength Force-based connection. A disruption in this force, or a severance in a character's connection to it, would result in a similar discorporation of their powers, if not an outright and complete loss. Anyone who "borrows" from this energy, like Zolomon did, would have their strength increased, even if their powers don't include super-strength.

Grant Morrison's oft-referenced Multiversity map shows the Speed Force as a wall that surrounds the known multiverse – i.e., the Orrery of Worlds. At a high level, its placement within DC Comics reality makes sense, as the realms beyond the Speed Force largely exist outside the conventional passage of time, while the worlds within are fully constrained by it. It could be argued that perhaps the Strength Force is also part of this wall, serving to limit the scientific possibilities of the worlds within – worlds that consist of physical matter – while the realms outside of it, being ethereal, are unaffected.

Curiously, Morrison's map only labels the wall on the bottom half of its circumference – could this be deliberate, to protect for the inclusion of additional forces, unthought of by DC's writers at the time? Could this wall actually comprise all the Forces – Speed, Strength, Sage and any others yet to be imagined? If so, this wall could be considered as something akin to the basic laws of physics - the bounding box of physical existence, subjecting the all the worlds within its perimeter to its limitations. And capable of throwing them into turmoil if ever disturbed or corrupted.

It would certainly make for an enticing concept as a focal point for the next big continuity-altering event. What if some cosmic entity "broke" this wall, like DC's heroes inadvertently did the further-reaching Source Wall in Dark Nights: Metal? A disturbance in the force – yep – could conceivably cause all of reality to go haywire, if the very laws of physics are corrupted.

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Many Forces at Work

The limits of reality don't have to stop with the additions of a new Strength and Sage force, either – if these are accepted as fundamental columns of existence, like the Speed Force is, there could just as well be countless others. Might there be a Spectrum Force, for instance, that impacts the properties and behavior of light? This could prove to be quite a revelation to the entire Green Lantern mythos, and certainly problematic if tampered with. Doctor Light would be a great antagonist in such a story, as the character seems to have a habit of popping up in DC events.

Or maybe there's a Sound Force, which would play right into the hands of Morrison's whole Music of the Spheres vibe he's utilized in the past. His Final Crisis played on the notion that the worlds of the multiverse each have their own vibrational pattern – the very principle of sound itself. A Sound Force could very well be the key to maintaining the basic integrity of the multiverse, and any upheaval would be the stuff of another multiversal calamity.

The possibilities are limitless, and the revelation that there are other, reality-binding energies in existence besides the Speed Force is another potential gamechanger for the DC Universe. The Strength Force by itself is one the begs for exploration on its own, and "Flash War" is only the start of it. The event concludes in The Flash #50, on sale July 11.

KEEP READING: A Third (And Brand New) Flash Enters The Flash War