Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #16
THE Flash is the most popular speedster in DC lore, but he may no longer be the most powerful. That title is being handed over to his children, Jai and Irey, who are already on track to surpass it, despite being just thirteen years old. The Flash's children are struggling with lore-changing upgrades to their powers, and this big change in DC's speedster hierarchy means the Flash is no longer the boss.
In The Flash #16 by Simon Spurrier, Vasco Georgiev, Matt Herms and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, Wally West faces the Weather Wizard during a family vacation in Skartaris. As the battle continues, Wally's twin sons take the opportunity to sit down and discuss their newfound superpowers.
Jai and Irey have unlocked powerful abilities as a result of the DC Universe's recent upheavalsand their respective evolutions far exceed anything Flash is normally capable of with his own move set. As such, the Flash's children are on track to surpass him as the greatest speedsters in DC history.
The Flash's children have unlocked new abilities that surpass their own
Thunderheart shows off his new power and it's even cooler than speed
Irey, also known by the codename Thunderheart, has demonstrated surprising power that proves her connection to the Speed Force is even more potent than the Flash's. During his conversation with Jai, Irey reveals that she can visualize all of others' stories through a glow that surrounds them and copy their energy into herself. She demonstrated this ability for the first time in The Flash #14, when she imitated her father's aura to the point that her Justice League membership card registered her as the Flash. Irey now has the power to copy the power of any living being, including her fellow speedsters.
Thunderheart revealed for the first time that she can sense energy in a unique way in Titans: Beast World Tour - Central City #1 by Simon Spurrier, Scott Koblish and more, available digitally and in collected formats from DC Comics!
This ability to visualize and imitate the auras of other beings is not the only superpower Irey has at her disposal, as she has already performed several speedster feats. In The Flash #4, for example, she unleashed her latent potential when a speedster lunged at her with a knife. Thunderheart vibrated his molecules to get past the attacker, then solidified at just the right moment to grab a Speed Force drug from his pocket before using vibrational intangibility again. The Flash has stated that he is certain that Irey will be the future leader of the Justice League, and she is officially qualified enough to take on that role someday.
The Flash's Daughter Isn't His Only Superpowered Daughter, And His Son Could Be Even Stronger
Wally West's son Jai explores his reality-shaping powers
As formidable as Thunderheart is, her brother's powers could lose her money. Jai lacks traditional super speed, the Flash's most iconic power, but he makes up for this absence with his own set of innovative abilities that set him apart from the rest of the Flash family. As a Shaper, Jai can manipulate the Speed Force to teleport between his conduits. In his words, he is "reshaping spacetime for quantum entanglement" with speedsters across the DC continuity. He discovered this power in The Flash #5, when he spawned animated homunculi that function like “fast travel points” in a video game, and over time he gradually mastered them.
Now, Jai's speedster transportation has become second nature to him after connecting with the Speed Force. The fact that Jai has mastered this complex ability serves as a testament to how powerful he has become, especially as his sister struggles with it. Irey tries to borrow his aura so she can teleport the way he can, but her inexperience in being a Shaper causes her to almost slip out of reality. Fortunately, Jai stabilizes her and directs them to a Speed Force channel, demonstrating his control. Like Irey, Jai has harnessed a new strength, and his upgrades are a result of the DC Universe's recent upheavals.
The cosmic shift of the DC universe revises the powers of the Flash family
Darkseid's death and birth of profound change burdens the Flash and his children
These changes to the Flash family's superpowers are consequences of changes made to the broader community of heroes. Darkseid's death shook the DC Universe to its core, and his loss isn't the only groundbreaking rewrite of continuity. The Flash #13 introduced Deep Change, the living being that emanates the Speed Force, giving rise to a mysterious entity. This creature takes the form of the Flash's dog and acts as a physical embodiment of the Speed Force that his family can draw on. With a new power source and a renewed cosmic structure, it's no wonder Jai and Irey received upgrades.
It remains to be seen how the Flash's power compares to that of Jai and Irey, but for now, his title as DC's strongest speedster is being contested by his own children.
The Flash's children aren't the only ones whose powers have been altered recently. Wally West is evolving along with his children, and in The Flash #14, he unleashed his new duplication power for the first time. After his encounter with Deep Shift, the Flash has a deeper connection to the Speed Force, allowing him to manipulate time to his advantage. With this control, Wally splits into two separate heroes, harnessing the temporal energy of the multiverse. It remains to be seen how the FlashJai and Irey's power stacks up against Jai and Irey's, but for now, their title as DC's strongest speedster is being contested by their own children.
The Flash #16 is now available from DC Comics.