Warning: Spoilers for Jenny Sparks #3!
One of the strongest members of Justice League not a fan of a former teammate. The Leaguer in question – or former member – is Captain Atom. It has been confirmed that Captain Atom is stronger than Superman and immune to his powers. His turn as a supervillain saw him reveal his true feelings about the world and its heroes, including a certain speedster named Wally West.
In Jenny Sparks #3 by Tom King, Jeff Spokes, and Clayton Cowles, Captain Atom makes it clear he has no respect for the Flash and why. He specifically resents the fact that Wally West not only comes from a lineage of heroes who share the same mantle, but is also the third in that lineage of speedsters.
The way Captain Atom dismisses Wally for being the third Flash speaks to a larger, almost meta problem: Legacy heroes receive little to no respect in-universe or from critics in real life.
Captain Atom has no respect for former Justice League teammate The Flash
Or the legacies of other heroes
The series revolves around Jenny Sparks, the leader of the Authority, as she collaborates with her former boyfriend, Superman, and the Justice League to take down a mutual threat: Captain Atom. Suddenly becoming hyperaware of the godlike prowess he wields – one that eclipses even Superman – inspires a shift in perspective on the world in Atom. Along the way, Atom finds himself holding hostages inside a bar. Sparks and Superman devise a plan with the Justice League to put an end to Cap’s speech. The rescue mission requires the presence of the Flash, specifically the Wally West iteration of the character.
Your job is to use your super speed to run out of the bar with the hostages one after the other, and when the coast is clear, the League will finish off Atom. Things don’t go exactly as planned, as the next thing they know, Wally is being thrown into the ocean. When the hostage questions him, Atom is quick to point out that he didn’t get rid of the Flash, but a Flash, “and not even one of the first two.” Atom even questions how the word “super” in superhero could apply to someone of the caliber of Wally West’s Flash.
The Problem with Legacy Heroes
Wally West arrives as the third man, after Jay Garrick and Barry Allen, to call himself The Flash, making him what is traditionally called a legacy hero. Although the concept of a legacy hero has been distorted recently, it is a character who adopts the identity and namesake based on a previously established superhero. Some fans are divided on the idea of ​​the legacy hero, with most preferring the original and most not holding the new hero in the same regard as the original. Captain Atom’s meta-evaluation suggests this sentiment rings equally true for characters within the actual canon.
It seems that both in real life and on panels, the legacy hero doesn’t always receive the same reverence or respect as the original wearer of the mantle. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and there are some DC heroes who improve on the original. Wally West himself carved a path of success for himself. That being said, the fact that his stories still revolve around whether he is worthy of carrying the mantle of the Flash suggests that he is still overshadowed by the heroes who carried the name before him, something legacy heroes often struggle with.
Is this Justice League member doomed?
Is there hope for legacy heroes?
While Captain Atom’s perspective on the Flash isn’t exactly clear on how the rest of the world thinks about Legacy Acts, it’s not the end of the world for the idea of ​​Legacy Acts. Again, there are exceptions for legacy heroes who are just as respected in canon and real life as their predecessors, sometimes even more so. More people associate Hal Jordan as Green Lantern than Alan Scott, and staying with The Flash, most people think of Barry Allen before Jay Garrick. At Marvel, heroes prefer Miles Morales as Spider-Man to Peter.
As for Wally West specifically, Wally continues to earn respect from all corners of the universe as he continues to return to glory. He has many opportunities to change the minds of critics and, most importantly, characters like Captain Atom, who may have less regard for Wally for wearing a mask that once belonged to another man. Regardless of what Justice League member-turned-villain thinks about him, Wally West is still one of the best iterations of The Flash to enter the DC Universe and has earned his rightful place in DC Comics history.
Jenny Sparks #3 is on sale now from DC Comics