THE Flash may be one of DC's revered heroes, standing proud among Justice League icons like Superman and Wonder Woman, but he also has a dark side that most are unaware of. Behind Flash's carefree attitude lies a latent rage that, when brought to the surface, results in him taking actions that put him on the same level as his most malicious villains.
Several heroes in DC history have been cast as the Flash, and they've all unleashed their inner darkness at one point. Whether during a heated battle with an enemy or a dispute with an ally that goes too far, the Fastest Man Alive can take a shockingly sinister turn when the situation calls for it, so the Justice League should be grateful he's in charge. their side - for now, at least. These 10 Flash moments show just how twisted the Scarlet Speedster can be, despite his usual heroics.
10
“I'm so fast. Fast enough to go back and stop all of this from happening. Erase you.
Justice League #42 by Robert Venditti and Aaron Lopresti
The first entry on this list is spoken during the Justice League's battle with the Eradicator. To defeat the unstoppable enemy, Barry is tasked with luring him into Madame Xanadu's magical portal, harnessing the Speed Force to run as fast as possible. As he prepares to fulfill his part of the team's plan, he speaks to the Eradicator and declares that he is capable of erasing him from history if he wants.
This Flash threat is far from hollow; Barry Allen retconned countless DC characters and stories by causing Flashpoint, so it stands to reason that he could do the same with the Eradicator. The Flash taking advantage of this superpowered ability over someone is unexpectedly manipulative towards them, alluding to his villainous tendencies.
9
“Do you know what happens when I vibrate my hand through things, McCulloch? They explode.”
The Flash #167 by Geoff Johns and Angel Unzueta
As a superhero, the Flash prides himself on being better than the villains he eliminates with his speed. However, there are cases where his tactics bear an uncanny resemblance to those employed by his enemies, blurring the line between hero and villain. Wally West's vile streak emerges when he sees a ring on the Mirror Master's hand. The ring belongs to Wally's wife, Linda Park-West - except she's nowhere to be found, with her wedding ring being all that's left of her.
In a fit of rage, Wally vibrates his fist next to Mirror Master's head and demands to know what he did to his wife. His threat of vibrational intangibility resembles the way the Reverse Flash kills his victims, including Wally's Aunt Iris. It turns out that the Flash may not be as different from his nemesis as he likes to believe.
8
"You were run over!"
Infinite Crisis #7 by Geoff Johns, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, Joe Bennett and Phil Jimenez
Bart Allen - commonly known as Impulse - didn't have a long run as the Flash compared to his predecessors, but he made quite an impact during his short tenure in the role. During the Infinite Crisis Event, the Flash becomes involved in a fight against Superboy-Prime and his rage on behalf of his friend Conner. Fueled by rage, he calls his opponent "run over".
This line exemplifies a terrifying aspect of the Flash's powers that isn't recognized enough in DC lore. He moves at such a high speed that he often explodes around him without a second thought as he rushes past, and this is when he is not driven by apparent killing intent. Anything in the Flash's path can be crushed into a run-over if he moves fast enough, and there is nothing that can be done to escape this horrible fate.
7
"If you don't run with me now, I'll make sure you never run again!"
The Flash #48 by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter
The Flash not only threatens his enemies, but also launches jaw-dropping threats against his closest allies - including other Flashes. Node Flash War In the story, Wally West is tricked by Zoom into believing that he must break the Speed Force to restore his children's lives. Barry Allen, on the other hand, refuses to let him create a second Flashpoint, so Wally gives him an ultimatum: he can help or lose speed.
Wally's ultimatum exposes a darkness within him, as he intends to take away Barry's ability to be the Flash in a moment of pure selfishness. Proclaiming that he will stop Barry from running away again reveals the lengths to which Wally's Flash will go for the sake of his family, even when the ends don't necessarily justify the means.
6
"Some people need to die."
The Flash #219 by Geoff Johns and Justiniano
One of Flash's most admirable qualities as a hero is the respect he shares with his villains. Although they fight on opposing sides, he consistently tries to agree with them and rehabilitate them to become more positive contributors to society, as seen when he talks about Heatwave in The Flash #773 by Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad. However, in one scene, The Flash admits he doesn't believe every villain can be redeemed.
The Flash's harrowing confession to Wonder Woman undermines his empathetic nature, as even most Justice League heroes would disagree with his support for the death penalty. He points out that Barry Allen agrees with his dark stance, meaning DC's two main Flashes are in favor of letting certain enemies die.
5
"I could hit you a hundred times before you could throw a punch."
The Flash #65 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval
Unlike Wally, Barry Allen is not normally prone to intense outbursts of rage at the drop of a hat. It takes a lot to get under Barry's skin due to his more logical approach to conflict, so it's that much more unnerving when he explodes. Batman presses the right button to send Flash over the edge when he makes the following sarcastic comment to him: "At least I never forgot one of my partners existed."
Batman is referring to Barry forgetting Wally due to the Flashpoint disaster, erasing the other Flash from existence for an extended period. To make matters worse, this scene takes place right after Wally's death. Heroes in crisis murders, so he is undoubtedly a sensitive subject for Barry. These factors culminate in the Flash preparing to punch Batman at super speed, which the Dark Knight would have no chance of surviving.
4
"All I want to hear from you is a scream and the sound of breaking bones."
The Flash #243 by Tom Peyer and Freddie E. Williams II
Each version of the Flash in DC continuity is different from the others, as they all have unique characteristics that allow them to stand out, but there is one characteristic that every Flash has in common: if you mess with the people they love, they win. Don't hold me against you. Wally West demonstrates this quality when he is forced to watch his daughter Irey rapidly age and decay before his eyes, while Gorilla Grodd looks on with satisfaction.
Without hesitation, Wally attacks Grodd in a desperate attempt to avenge his dead daughter, and it becomes clear that he intends to inflict as much pain as possible. His desperation to make his opponent suffer shows that harming the Flash's family is the quickest way to awaken a more bloodthirsty side in him.
3
"You think you know what I'm capable of? You have no idea."
Terror Knight: The Flash #2 by Alex Paknadel, Tom Derenick and Daniel Bayliss
The Flash has considered carrying out the Reverse-Flash's gruesome method of killing in the past, but in this frightening moment, he actually goes through with it. Terror Knight: The Flash pushes Barry Allen into a nightmarish reality where Wally has been mortally wounded. To undo his nephew's injury, the Flash continually travels back in time to stop Gorilla Grodd from harming him, but his repeated interference with the Speed Force disfigures him beyond recognition.
In his new monstrous form, the Flash loses touch with his humanity, and this change culminates in him brutally killing the Reverse-Flash, ripping out his heart. Although this murder occurs during a dream sequence, the scenario is taken from Barry's subconscious and is therefore plausible in the real world. Flash's speed has violent potential and he can use it at any time.
2
"I immobilized him. Permanently."
Everything Flash #1 by Mark Waid, Joe Bennett, Ian Churchill, Manuel Garcia, Karl Kerschl and Daniel Acuña
As evidenced by this list, the Flash is no stranger to threatening enemies, though he typically holds back due to his better judgment. That judgment flies out the window, however, when a line is crossed. Inertia, a clone of Bart Allen from the future, faces the full force of the Flash's wrath when he orchestrates Bart's murder. Wally West's Flash is fueled by an all-consuming rage upon learning of Bart's fate, so he subjects Inertia to the cruelest fate imaginable.
The Flash doesn't simply kill Inertia; instead, he steals Interia's speed and robs her of the ability to movepositioning him in front of Bart's statue in the Flash Museum so he can face the consequences of his actions for all eternity. Intertia deserves punishment, but Flash takes it to a torturous extreme that would make villains cringe.
1
"I want you to know. You touched me because I let you touch me."
The Flash #217 by Geoff Johns and Howard Porter
Thanks to his speed, Flash is able to easily outrun his fellow heroes who do not have powers. Batman has tried to work around his disadvantage against him before, such as with his anti-Flash mechanism, but the Scarlet Speedster always regains the advantage. Here, when Batman manages to get his hand on the Flash, Wally reminds him that he's fast enough to have dodged if he wanted to. Simply put, Batman poses so little danger to the Flash that he's toying with him.
The Flash's threat here serves as a chilling reminder that, should he feel the need, he could defeat Batman – and the rest of the Justice League – in the blink of an eye. So the DC Universe better hope the Flash never succumbs to his dark side, because he proved that even Batman would be powerless to stop him.