THE FLASH - MORE SPEEDSTERS!

One thing about The Flash that's undeniable is that, for a TV budget, the special effects are outstanding. Between Barry, Kid Flash, Gorilla Grodd, King Shark, and the other various speedsters, villains, etc the show proves that no villain is too big or too small. One area of expertise that the VFX guys have nailed is the speedsters. It started with Barry then we got the Reverse Flash, Zoom, Jay Garrick, Trajectory, Kid Flash, Rival, Jesse Quick, Savitar and others I'm probably forgetting. I probably named them all . . .

Anyway! DC Comics is not short of any speedsters. There's ones from the future, the past, alternate Earths, I mean it's crazy! The Flash hasn't been shy about using these characters and tweaking their stories as they see fit.

 Case in point . . . 

As I've mentioned before, I rarely stop thinking about these shows on the CW. Mainly because I think they're wonderful and it's the type of stuff I wish I had had as a kid. There are still tons of stories that can be told and many more speedsters that can be introduced on the show. I'd like to run through (pun intended) a list of my favorite speedsters that have not yet made an appearance. 

REVERSE-FLASH aka DANIEL WEST

He's one of the more recent additions to the canon, and might actually be retconned with Rebirth now that I think about it, but he was a great character. Daniel West was the son of William West, brother to Iris and uncle to Wally.  His mother died during childbirth and his father never let him forget it. He grew up under the abusive nature of his father. While Iris grew up and rose above that trauma, Daniel did not. He grew up angry and spent most of his adult life in prison. After an accident gave him super speed, he decided to go back in time and kill his father to prevent the trauma that turned him into a criminal. 

While Daniel is a great character, there's no denying that he has a great visual. His costume seems to be morphing around him and can even come off as projectiles to hurt the Flash. Granted, it's too late to tell a "long lost brother" story with Daniel, since that arc was given to Wally, but there's still room for this particular West family member. He could be Wally's doppelganger from another Earth, perhaps Earth 2? He could be Joe's brother which could work because we don't know much about Joe's parents or family. Or maybe if the writers are lazy enough he could just be another long lost brother, but I wouldn't bet on that considering the writers are better than that on The Flash. Either way, this version of the Reverse Flash offers a much different visual style than we've seen before. He's got the tragic backstory, now we just need him to come wreak havoc on Central City! 

GODSPEED aka AUGUST HEART

The most recent addition to Barry's Rogues Gallery, even though he's not a Rogue . . . It's complicated, Godspeed is really August Heart, a detective with the Central City Police. He has one of the most interesting backstories of any of the Barry's villains. He was the only witness to the accident that made Barry into the Flash. He was in Barry's lab trying to obtain evidence of his brother's murder. Unfortunately, the lightning strike destroyed all of the evidence and the suspected killer was set free. Years later, a Speed Force storm hit Central City and August was one of the people affected by it. At first, he posed himself as an ally to the Flash but was secretly the dark vigilante known as Godspeed. He got revenge on his brother's killer but it did little to satiate his new bloodlust. He ended up killing several other people affected by the Speed Force. 

Godspeed was the first new Rogue Barry fought during DC's Rebirth launch last summer. Again, he's another character with a great visual that would look really cool racing next to the Flash on TV. Plus, assuming the producers and writers don't change his story too much, he has the added benefit of being connected to Barry right from the beginning. Although sometimes this type of story is hard to swallow, if done right it could be interesting. They could easily make August a part of Barry's past. Let's say he was in a coma but instead of just nine months like Barry, he's actually been in the coma for years. He comes out of it, realizes his brother's murderer has gotten away with it, and snaps. That's definitely within the realm of possible storylines we could see on the show. In fact, I'm hoping it's what they go with for season 4! 

IMPULSE aka BART ALLEN

Bart Allen is Barry Allen's grandson from the future. There's no real back story other than that! He came back from the future to fight alongside his grandpa in the present. He started off as Impulse but later became Kid Flash when Wally became the Flash and then eventually the Flash, then he died, then he came back to life as Kid Flash again. COMIC BOOKS!

My fondest memories of Bart Allen were from Geoff Johns's run on Teen Titans. By then he had graduated to Kid Flash. He was a great character and a lot of fun to read. When he was killed off I was very upset. Luckily, Johns must have felt the same way and brought him back. His origin seems to have been changed somewhat since the New 52 which bugs me. However, that may get rectified soon enough with Rebirth making changes like bringing back characters and, at least somewhat, retconning their origins.

I'm hoping he'll come into the Flash in the near future. I have a sneaking suspicion that due to Barry seeing his own future, albeit only six months from now, that we're on the way to him seeing much further on and possibly even encountering Bart. I think that would be a great story and hilarious to see a young Bart calling 26-27 year old Barry "grandpa." With season 4 officially announced I'm sure we'll see Bart sometime in the future (pun intended).

JOHNNY QUICK aka BARRY ALLEN (from Earth 3)

I've been banging this particular drum for quite a while now so I won't get super into all the details but I will say it again - THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

Johnny Quick is an evil Barry Allen from an alternate Earth. He's just as fast as the Flash but for as good as the Flash is Johnny is bad. I truly think that this character needs to end up on the show and I can't stress enough that Grant Gustin should play him. With the characters travelling through the multiverse like all the fuckin time, this story is not out of the realm of possibilities. Maybe the next crossover could include the Crime Syndicate with evil versions of each of our heroes. Or Johnny could find his way to Earth 1 and mess up Barry's reputation. A similar story was done on Smallville with Clark switching places with Ultraman. It was one of my favorite stories from Smallville and I'm a little surprised it hasn't happened yet on any of the Arrowverse shows. However . . . I'm sure it will . . . Maybe . . . Hopefully. 

By the way, in the Smallville version Tom Welling played the evil Clark and was believably a very different version of the character. I have no doubt Grant Gustin is capable of doing the same thing :) 

THE FLASH aka WALLY WEST 

But JJ, you may be thinking, the Flash already has a Wally West! What on Earth would they need another one for? I hear you but I have a pitch here:

During last summer's DC Universe Rebirth story, it was revealed that the original Wally West was trapped in the Speed Force and was desperate to escape and warn the heroes of Earth that a great threat was coming. We assume this great threat is Dr. Manhattan and/or the other characters from the Watchmen universe. Barry was able to pull Wally out of the Speed Force and Wally was finally able to warn someone and reveal that time had been taken away from them. Basically, after Flashpoint, some unknown force (again probably Dr. Manhattan) had meddled with time in an attempt to weaken the heroes of Earth. Wally is one of the few characters that actually remembers the DC Universe pre-new 52. 

OK, here's the pitch:

As was revealed during the season finale of The Flash in season 1, the characters were all living in an alternate reality due to the Reverse Flash killing Barry's mom. We've never heard of that story ever again. The only glimpses of it were from the holographic future newspaper the fake Wells (real Eobard Thawne) used to look at in his Time Vault.

That paper was from April 2024, ten years after the season started. Let's say something similar happened where everything is now changed in the Arrowverse and there's another Wally West lost to the Speed Force. He finally finds a way to communicate with Barry and Barry starts to remember his life where his father was never sent to prison and his mother wasn't murdered. With hints like "Red skies vanish" and talk of a "Queen Consolidated-Wayne Tech" merger in the paper, there's clearly some story opportunities there. I would love to see this revisited as opposed to just referred to as a future event. Because let's face it, it comes from a future where Barry as the Flash vanished chasing Eobard Thawne. I know that technically that Barry was erased from the timeline, per the aforementioned season 1 finale, but so was Eobard and look at him! He's causing trouble for the Legends on their show! It might sound like a long shot but I truly think that this particular story and that timeline should be revisited. 

These are my suggestions for my favorite speedsters making their way to The Flash. The show so far has done an excellent job of telling great stories with these characters. I have no doubt that most, if not all, of the characters I mentioned here will be included at some point during the show's run (pun intended). Hopefully they'll take my suggestions and let me write an episode or two! Ya never know . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie! 

SUPERGIRL - INFINITE CRISIS!

On the CW, four DC superhero shows are out there telling really cool stories. On Arrow, there is the gritty crime drama, The Flash deals with metahumans and meta-threats, Legends of Tomorrow is the wacky time travel show, and Supergirl deals with aliens and strange visitors from other planets. Basically, we get the best of all these different comic book stories on a weekly basis. It's pretty exciting! The best part, at least to me, is that for as much as these shows have done, there is still a lot more that they can cover. We've seen the Multiverse, the future, the past, alternate timelines, and even the big man himself:

So dreamy . . . 

These are all things I thought I'd never get to see during a live action TV series. All of these shows, while crafting their own stories, have remained true to the spirit of the DC Comics that inspired them. Since this has been going on, it's made me wonder - what's next? There are unconfirmed, but probably true, reports of Booster Gold being the next DC hero on TV along with the usual crop of lesser known heroes and villains popping up across all the shows on right now. 

Recently, I reread one of my favorite comics written by my main man Geoff Johns, Infinite Crisis. When the story opens, the Trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are barely speaking to each other, the Justice League and Society have disbanded, Superboy unwillingly turned against the Teen Titans, Magic is in disarray, there's an intergalactic war, and the villains seem more unified than the heroes! It's total chaos man! 

There were five characters that were at the center of this event - Superman and Lois Lane from Earth 2, Alexander Luthor from Earth 3, Superboy from Earth Prime, and Power Girl from our Earth, later revealed to be the Supergirl from Earth 2. They were all survivors from Crisis on Infinite Earths. They lived in a safe space created by Alexander to protect them from being erased from existence. After seeing how disparate the world has become, Superman decides to break them out and try to bring his Earth back. It's later revealed that Alex and Superboy have been secretly sneaking out of their sanctuary to rearrange the universe so that they create their own perfect Earth. It's a pretty wacky, out there type of story but it's also super awesome and a little trippy. I highly recommend it to anyone that loves to read stories where the heroes are forced to rise above tragedy.

While I was reading the comic I couldn't help but think about Supergirl. It occurred to me that she has traveled through different dimensions like the Phantom Zone and to Earth 1 during the last crossover.

It was awesome!

While it may be a bit of a stretch, I think it would be really cool to incorporate elements of Infinite Crisis on Supergirl. We've had their version of Superman, but it would be really cool to see what would happen with different versions of each character. An older, wiser Superman, a seemingly friendly but still manipulative Alex Luthor, a rash, impulsive, and dangerous Superboy, and Power Girl, Kara's doppelganger from another Earth. I'd love to see these characters make their way to Supergirl season 3 or maybe even the next crossover. Let's examine each character and what they could bring to Supergirl and the DC-CWverse in general.

SUPERMAN OF EARTH 2 - KAL L 

On Earth 2, Superman was the first and best of all the heroes. His story is just like the Superman story we know - hailed from Krypton, raised by the Kents, fights for Truth, Justice, yadda yadda yadda. At the beginning of Infinite Crisis, Kal believes that during the last Crisis they rescued the wrong Earth and wants to work to save his Earth, He also believes that if he saves his Earth that Lois's health will be restored. He's later convinced by Earth 1's Trinity that there is no such thing as a perfect Earth because a perfect Earth wouldn't need a Superman. He decides to fight with the Justice League against a rogue Superboy-Prime. He dies stopping Superboy and is able to rest in peace with his beloved Lois. 

I think an older Superman with a mysterious agenda would be the perfect way to surprise the characters and the audience. Earth 2 Superman was my favorite character during Infinite Crisis because he represented the old DC Comics but he didn't feel outdated. His arc was really well done in the story. As with most portrayals of Superman, he wants nothing more than to save the world and bring the light to those in darkness. He learns that darkness is a part of life and that sometimes the darkness wins. However, it's never too late to find the light again. That's what Superman is all about.

Plus, it's hard to see in the image I shared, but his costume is hilarious. The sleeves look like my grandpa's sweater. Ha ha . . . I love it.

POWER GIRL - KAREN STARR (KARA ZOR L)

For many years, DC didn't know how to explain Power Girl's presence in the comics. She seemed to have all of Superman's powers but Kryptonite didn't really affect her. She was given a few different origin stories but none of them seemed to stick. It wasn't until Infinite Crisis that she was finally given a backstory. She was actually one of the few survivors of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. She had literally fallen through the cracks in reality and therefore her memories were wiped. Kal comes to her and shows her the truth - she's Kara Zor L, his cousin from their version of Krypton. He and Lois had raised her like a daughter and she became a hero on Earth 2. She finally figured out where she belonged and wanted to work with Superman to save his Earth and hers. However, she was betrayed by Alex and Superboy-Prime and used to bring back the multiverse for Alex's weird experiments. I mean it's cool, it's comic book stuff, but it was weird. Alex is weird.

Power Girl is a character that I was always hoping to see on the CW at some point. The producers said that they had thought of introducing her, played by Melissa Benoist, during one of the shows while Supergirl was on CBS. I think now that Supergirl is on the CW where she belongs, there is still room for his idea. It's not out of the realm of story ideas that Power Girl is the Supergirl of a different Earth that either Kara or even the Flash could travel to. Heck, the Justice Society was in Legends of Tomorrow! What's to say she wasn't a member on our Earth back in the 40s? Either way, I think she's a great character that should make an appearance and meet her doppelganger.  

ALEXANDER LUTHOR

Alexander Luthor, Jr. is the son of Alexander Luthor, the only hero on Earth 3. Earth 3 is run by the Crime Syndicate of America, evil versions of the Justice League. When the original Crisis on Infinite Earths happened, Earth 3 was destroyed but Alexander was saved by his parents to help fight the Anti Monitor. He was the one that created the safe "heaven" (pocket dimension) that Kal, Lois, Superboy-Prime, and himself lived in before the events of Infinite Crisis. He seemed to be a friend to Kal and Power Girl but later revealed that his plan was not to bring back Earth 2, but to create his own perfect world. He says that while Lois and Kal were very kind to him he felt that when a Luthor stands next to a Superman they would "always be at odds." 

Alexander didn't survive the events of Infinite Crisis, which was a real shame because he was actually one of the best characters in it. True he shared a lot of similarities with our version of Lex but he was far more powerful and arguably, much smarter. I think if Supergirl were to introduce this version of Lex they could have their cake and eat it too. They could have an actual Lex Luthor on the series but it wouldn't necessarily be the "real" Lex Luthor. In the same way that Tyler Hoechlin's Superman could give fans the Superman they knew and loved if they were disappointed with the film version, Alex Luthor could do that for those fans as well. That gold armor might be tough to replicate on their budget, but then again it could be really awesome! Either way, I'd love to see Alexander cross over to the real world instead of just the comics. 

SUPERBOY-PRIME - CLARK KENT

Ah, Superboy-Prime . . . one of DC's best characters if for no other reason than he's a parody of angry fans and 90s themed over the top villains. He's originally Clark Kent from Earth-Prime where there are no superheroes. All the superheroes we know exist in comic books but there are no real life heroes. He grows up as Clark Kent, a normal boy that grew up reading those comics. One day, his powers are activated and he becomes Superboy, the only hero on Earth-Prime. After the Anti-Monitor's attack he's the only survivor of Earth-Prime. He also grows increasingly frustrated and restless at the state of the world he and the other heroes decided to save. He decides to confront Earth's new Superboy, Conner Kent, and ends up attacking him and killing a few Teen Titans. He's then trapped in the Speed Force by Wally West, Bart Allen, Jay Garrick, and even a few speedsters from the past. Eventually, he escapes and tries to set off a new Big Bang by blowing a hole through the planet Oa. He's stopped by Kal and Superman and the Green Lantern Corps. Before the New 52, Superboy-Prime came back a few times, usually under Geoff Johns pen like in Sinestro Corps War and Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. 

While the character isn't exactly my favorite, I would love to see him on Supergirl. We've seen rogue Kryptonians but we've never see an out of control Superboy with all the powers of Superman and Supergirl but none of their morals. It's a life lesson we all know well, "With great power comes great responsibility." I'd love to see that type of story unfold on Supergirl. It would give the writers an excuse to troll their fans a little bit by poking fun at them but also it would be a fun character to see brought to life in all his obnoxious glory. 

Infinite Crisis was the first DC event book I ever read. I learned so much about the history of the characters and the multiverse in general. The story blew my mind and rereading it so many years later as made me excited to know that DC is attempting to bring back that sense of legacy that was lost during the New 52. These four characters were so important to the story and I think they definitely have a place on the CW with Supergirl. 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie! 

SUPERGIRL - THE COMIC BOOK SHOW AMERICA NEEDS TO SEE RIGHT NOW

You know what's great about Supergirl? It's not afraid to be progressive in a time when the world seems to hate progress. I don't like discussing politics on this forum because it's not my area of expertise but also because I prefer to keep this blog positive and fun.

In my opinion, it certainly feels like America might be taking a few backwards steps in terms of progress. When I think about what we're going through as a country I think about Supergirl. Supergirl is able to hide touchy topics under the banner of outer space aliens and fun adventures, but it's tackling them nonetheless.

Just cuz it looks like a monster doesn't mean it IS a monster

(Although this one actually is)

One of the things that Supergirl does so well is tell the story of being a hero in difficult times. It's one of the things that Superman has always stood for. It's encouraging to see that the Supergirl TV series is equally as interested in building up a quality hero in trying times rather than deconstructing the hero. The hero is challenged each and every week, but a lot of the stories that have been done this year have felt much more topical than ever before. I'd like to throw out some specific examples I noticed that struck a chord with me.

A PRESIDENT WILLING TO ACCEPT ALIENS

America has always been a country of immigrants. People from all over the world have come to our country hoping to start a new life or build a better life than where they came from. That's how America was founded in the first place. It's a wonderful dream and America has always been synonymous with immigration. Supergirl took that real world notion just a step further and included immigrants from other planets and other galaxies. Most of these immigrants want nothing more than to just live on Earth peacefully and go about their business unnoticed, such as the case with M'Gann M'Orzz (Miss Martian). 

However, just like in real life, there are people that come to this country that want to start trouble. They either want to spread fear and hate or prove that they are the superior race. Their logic is flawed and dangerous, but it's loud. Unfortunately, what one group of radicals does tends to override the quiet or otherwise good that the other immigrants are doing. Like I said, they're loud and therefore get more attention. Fear spreads fast and then it turns into hate. We see it every day on the news and social media. These are hot button topics in today's world. There's talk of a ban, a wall, and general hate crimes just because a handful of a certain people are causing trouble. 

In Supergirl, the President, played by Lynda Carter, understands that a few radicals does not mean an entire race is bad. She recognizes that there are more good aliens than there are bad ones. There's a great conversation where J'Onn talks about understanding fear and hate not only as a Martian but as an African American. It was a line that might get over looked but truthfully it struck a chord with me. I liked that the show was willing to discuss real life racism. These characters are not immune to real life problems outside of fighting alien threats and crossing different dimensions. It shows that the producers and writers, just like the comic books have always done, are willing to tackle real life issues thinly disguised as fantastic adventures. 

In the show, the President is going to sign a bill allowing for alien immigrants to come to Earth peacefully, but she's opposed by a radical group of humans, Cadmus, that believe all aliens are dangerous and shouldn't be allowed on Earth. It's similar to what's happening in America right now, except it's our real life President that is less accepting and wants to close off borders. One could argue that he's just looking out for American safety and security, a noble notion, another could argue he's going about it the wrong way. Either way, it's interesting to me that Supergirl is willing to have a similar discussion in a very positive, respectful way. 

COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET 

Homosexuality has always been a hot button topic. Truthfully, I don't know why. I've met many gay, lesbian, bisexual people in my life, some in my family, and it's never impacted how I thought of them as a person. I've met nice, mean, annoying, friendly, quiet, angry, happy, etc gay people just like I've known straight people that were nice, mean, annoying, friendly, quiet, angry, happy, etc. The simple truth of the matter is that their lifestyle is not much different from anyone else's. The difference is that they are a minority and therefore suffer unwarranted hate and discrimination. As I said, I don't understand the hate/discrimination, I'm not offended by their lifestyle, but people like to make other people's choices and lives their business (especially when it has no effect on them). 

Supergirl has been praised for its depiction of a woman coming out of the closet in a very realistic, respectful way. Kara's adopted sister Alex, met a NCPD detective named Maggie Sawyer, an out of the closet lesbian, and started to develop feelings for her. This led Alex down an emotional and painful journey inside herself where she started to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't "weird" or "wrong" for never focusing on a relationship, but on work instead, she just wasn't being honest with herself about who she really was. I was very impressed by the decision to have Alex come out of the closet. While it's not a new concept to have a main character have a major revelation like this (think Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), it is still a hot button topic and a brave decision from the producers and the actor, Chyler Leigh, to go through with it. 

To me, the important part of the revelation was Kara's reaction. For a moment, she saw her sister as a totally different person and that scared her. Kara had to come to terms with Alex's struggle and learn to accept that her sister was the same person she's always been, gay or straight. Alex has accepted who she is now and is a much happier person. Kara sees that and it's made their relationship stronger.  This particular story has given the characters a stronger arc and more to do rather than discuss Kara's love life, the alien of the week, or how much their mother bugs Alex sometimes. Alex has much more dimension to her now and it's strengthened the overall show.

RACISM - GREEN VS WHITE

I mentioned before about how easily hate and fear can be spread by a few radicals. In the case of J'Onn J'Onnz and the other Green Martians, the radicals are the majority and have all but wiped out the Green Martians. J'Onn finds a young woman claiming to be a Green Martian named M'Gann M'Orrz. It's not until a few episodes later he discovers the truth that she is actually a White Martian that has defected from her people. She's come to Earth to start over and repent for her crimes. J'Onn is furious when he discovers who she really is, claiming that all White Martians are monsters and killers. He locks her up in the DEO simply because she's a White Martian and refuses to acknowledge her as anything but a monster. In the most recent episodes, M'Gann was under psychic attack and fell into a coma. Alex was able to convince J'Onn to enter her mind and rescue her. Once he saw her for who she really was, he began to accept her and even love her like he loved his family back on Mars. She helped him realize that not all the White Martians were evil. This past episode, The Martian Chronicles, she decided to leave Earth and find other White Martians that were compassionate to the Green like herself. 

Comic books have always tackled social commentary in the most colorful way possible. Luckily the TV shows and films lately have followed that trend. Whether it's a corrupt, deranged man running for political office like in Gotham or the racial tension shown in Supergirl, these shows aren't afraid to hold up a mirror to real life. J'Onn is quick to dismiss M'Gann simply because she's a different Martian from himself and his experience with White Martians was never pleasant. He's never known a White Martian to be kind and compassionate. He assumes they are all evil and will always be his enemy. It's not until he literally steps inside her mind that he realizes she's a good person. If only we could all be so lucky to have that experience in real life. 

I found J'Onn and M'Gann's story very touching. In fact, it was my favorite subplot from this season so far. Although it's being told with alien characters, you can't deny that there is truth to the story. How many Muslims, African Americans, Latinos are the victims of hate crimes and wrongful persecutions simply because they are not white? It's a sad fact. And yes, there is racism toward white people as well, but it's nothing compared to what other ethnicities suffer on a regular basis. In J'Onn's case he believes his racism is justified, after all he literally watched his family die at the hands of White Martians. There are similar stories in our real world. Look at 9/11! A radical group of terrorists were responsible for death and destruction. However, those men do not represent all of Islam. Just like in the show where J'Onn learns to accept a White Martian as his friend, there were reports of New Yorkers rallying against President Trump's ban at JFK international airport. These were the people most affected by 9/11 and those Islamic radicals but they know the difference between the radicals and the men and women that only want to spread peace. That's heartwarming to me because it shows that there are good people in our world that understand the difference between labeling an entire religion and race as dangerous and the good people that are negatively affected by the racism. 

Politics is not my strong suit. I admitted that up front. However, I do see America in a decline due to hate and fear. My goal here is to spread positivity, excitement, and fun to my readers. I do believe that love trumps hate, but it's a lot harder to love. Don't get me wrong, I get where the fear comes from but it doesn't excuse violence and hate being spread across the world. That's one of the reasons I love Supergirl so much. The show is all about hope and courage in the face of trying times. Kara Zor El is an excellent role model for all of us to look up to. She's brave, kind, compassionate, but most of all she's a woman that is tested time and time again. She could easily turn to hate but she chooses to love and protect everyone that needs her. She's the hero that we all need right now and I can't wait to see where the show goes next! 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie!