A series of toys from Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios' upcoming The Flash reveals a third, evil version of Ezra Miller's Scarlet Speedster.
The image, posted to Reddit, features a version of The Flash in his traditional costume, a second version in a recycled Batsuit, and a third version in a bulky black ensemble. The latter is believed to be an evil version of Miller's character, referred to as "Dark Flash."
Little is known about Dark Flash and their role in the upcoming film, but the character's design closely resembles that of the Black Flash. Created by writers Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and artist Ron Wagner, the Black Flash debuted briefly in The Flash vol. 2 #138 in June 1998, ahead of his first full appearance in The Flash vol. 2 #141 in September 1998. A Grim Reaper-like character, the Black Flash returns a speedster to the Speed Force -- the extradimensional force of cosmic energy from which all speedsters derive their powers -- upon their death and appears shortly before a speedster is about to die.
The Black Flash's Dark History
In the comics, the Black Flash is thought to have appeared before the deaths of Barry Allen, Johnny Quick and Bart Allen (the fourth Flash and Barry's grandson). The ghoulish speedster also claimed the life of Wally West's girlfriend, Linda Park, who was struck by a lightning bolt meant for Wally. With the help of Max Mercury, Jay Garrick and Jesse Quick, Wally later bests the Black Flash by racing him to the end of time, where death holds no meaning, causing his enemy to dematerialize. In the process, Wally retrieves Linda from the Speed Force, and the couple becomes engaged soon after.
The Black Flash has also appeared in live-action on CW's The Flash as the transformed Hunter Zolomon (played by Teddy Sears). Originally from Earth-2, Zolomon is a serial killer who poses as Jay Garrick/The Flash while holding the real Garrick (played by John Wesley Shipp) in a secret prison. After murdering Garrick and trying to destroy the multiverse, the Time Wraiths appear and imprison Zolomon in the Speed Force, where his physical form deteriorates into the zombie-like Black Flash. Following his transformation, the Time Wraiths use Zolomon to police the timeline and snuff out those who seek to change it.
Considering that The Flash movie is based on the Flashpoint storyline, in which Barry travels back in time to prevent his mother's death, a visit from a grisly timeline guardian is not out of the realm of possibility. That said, it is currently unknown if the Dark Flash will serve a similar role as the Black Flash or if the former is a new character with new motivations.
The Flash races into theaters on June 16.
Source: Reddit