Of all those to ride the lightning, Wally West is the most powerful. He was undisputed as the Fastest Man Alive, even before his uncle, Barry Allen, was depowered after Absolute Power. However, The Flash #15 by Simon Spurrier and Vasco Georgiev reveals how Wally became more powerful than ever.
The previous issue found the West Family taking a long-overdue camping vacation. It was a working vacation, however, as The Flash was needed to help save the underground world of Skartaris. Wally’s daughter Irey suspected that something was up, and used her father’s Justice League ID to teleport to the Watchtower. It was here that she discovered a second Wally West.
The second Flash explained that his powers had increased following the Absolute Power event. Beyond his connection to the Speed Force, Wally felt a connection to everything. Given his past experiences with his powers fluctuating, he was fearful of what this might mean. However, a solution was offered by the time cop called Inspector Pilgrim, who is reportedly Wally West’s youngest son from the future.
How The Flash split himself in two
Inspector Pilgrim provided Wally with a special suit utilizing advanced future technology. This enabled Wally to tap into the unrealized potential that was lost when the Multiverse was sealed off from the Speed Force. The end result was a second Flash, born of possibilities and stabilized by the suit, who was able to exist alongside the original.
While some speedsters have been able to create temporal clones, this is the first time an independently operating hero was created by the Speed Force. However, The Flash cannot do this without risk. Inspector Pilgrim warned both Wally Wests that there was a possibility they could create a vast temporal implosion. Given the tendency toward chaos in the DC Universe, that possibility seems more likely to be an inevitability.
The Flash #15 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
