Warning: Spoilers for Jenny Sparks #3!
One of the strongest members of the Justice League Is no fan of a former teammate. The Leaguer in question – or former member – is Captain Atom. Captain Atom is confirmed to be stronger than Superman and immune to his powers. His super-villain turn 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 known that he has no respect for the Flash, and why. He specifically takes offense to the fact that Wally West not only comes from a lineage of heroes sharing the same mantle, but he is the third in that lineage of speedsters.
The way Captain Atom dismisses Wally for being the third Flash speaks to a larger, almost meta issue: Legacy heroes get little to no respect either 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 centers around Jenny Sparks, the leader of the Authority, as she collaborates with her former flame, Superman, and the Justice League to take down a mutual threat: Captain Atom. Being suddenly hyper-aware of the god-level exploits he wields—which eclipse even Superman—inspires a change of perspective from the world on Atom. Along the way, Atom finds himself holding hostages in a bar. Sparks and Superman come up with a plan with the Justice League to end Cap’s tirade. The rescue mission required the presence of the Flash, specifically the Valley West iteration of the character.
His task is to use his super speed to rush out of the bar with hostages one after another, and when the coast is clear, the league will finish atom away. Things don’t go exactly as planned, as the next thing they know, Wally is floating in the ocean. When the hostage questions him, Atom is quick to point out that he didn’t provide the bottle, but a bottle, “And not even one of the first two.” Atom even questions like the word “super” In superhero can apply to someone of the caliber of Wally West’s Flash.
The problem with Legacy Heroes
Wally West arrives as the third person after Jay Garrick and Barry Allen to call himself the Flash, making him what is traditionally called a legacy hero. While the concept of a legacy hero has been twisted recently, it is a character that 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 assessment suggests that this sentiment rings just as true for characters in the actual canon..
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It appears that in both real life and in the panels, the legacy hero is not often held to the same reverence or respect as the original mantle wearer. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule and there are some DC heroes that improve on the original. Wally West himself has carved a successful path for himself. That said, the fact that his stories still center around whether he’s worthy of carrying the Flash mantle suggests that he’s still overshadowed by the heroes who carried the name before him. Something that legacy heroes often struggle with.
Is the Justice League member doomed?
Is there hope for legacy heroes?
Although the perspective of Captain Atom on the Flash is not very reassuring as the rest of the world thinks about legacy acts, it is not the end of the world for the idea of ​​legacy acts. Again, there are exceptions to legacy heroes who are just as respected in canon and real life as their predecessors, sometimes more so. More people associate Hal Jordan with being the Green Lantern than Alan Scott, and sticking with the Flash, most people think of Barry Allen before they do Jay Garrick. In 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 a lot of opportunities to change the minds of critics and, most importantly, characters like Captain Atom who may think less of Wally for wearing a mask that once belonged to another person. No matter what Justice League A member who was a villain in his opinion, 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