In the alternate DCeased Earth, Wally West’s heroic traits shine as he tries to solve the Anti-Life Equation to protect Keystone City. As the techno-organic virus spreads across the globe, the Flash proves himself worthy of the spotlight by diligently working to save others in DCeased: Hope at World’s End #3.
The first installment of the trilogy storyline began with Darkseid corrupting Cyborg’s analog to solve his Anti-Life Equation. However, Darkseid miscalculated the results when the virus corrupts Cyborg, and he returns to Earth, rapidly infecting the population highly exposed to digital devices connected to the internet. Those infected try to literally claw the virus out of their heads before succumbing to a zombie-like state that makes them eager to transfer the virus through blood-to-blood contact. Before Alfred kills an infected Batman, the Batcomputer estimates 600 million people across the globe were infected during the initial outbreak and believes the number will rise to the billions in the coming days.
DCeased: Hope at World's End #3, by Tom Taylor and Marcus Failla, opens on the first day of the horrific outbreak when the Flash recognizes the infection rate across Keystone is rapidly increasing, so he enlists the help of impulse, Max Mercury, and Bart Allen. Flash focuses on stopping the spread of infection in the city, saving civilians, and finding a safe place for survivors to take refuge, but even he admits “everywhere he looks the same.” After the heroes and survivors go to an alternate Earth, the Flash discovers Max Mercury is infected and transfers some of his speed to him so that Max can enter the Speed Force. In a race against time, Wally West leads the other speedsters in a fight against the undead as they create an inter-dimensional portal for civilians as an escape. This comic emphasizes the Flash’s quick thinking, selflessness, and ability to make hard decisions at the end of the world, indicating that the issue does justice to the character by solidifying him as a hero who carries the burden of a cataclysmic event.
Wally West quickly realizes this situation is more than he can handle and calls for his friends’ support. His ability to perceive the situation in microseconds adds room for more heroes to join the fight and help those in need. Although Flash dedicates everything he has to prevent others from infection, his quick perception also has a negative impact because it makes him realize that he is fighting a losing battle as they become outnumbered by the anti-life equation. After everyone escape the zombie apocalypse, Wally musters up the courage to help his friend Max enter the Speed Force so he cannot infect anyone else on the alternate planet, showing how he experiences the same loss and grief as those who lost loved ones to the infection while preventing others from sharing the same fate.
Even the zombie apocalypse cannot prevent Wally West from shining in the spotlight when he exemplifies what it means to be the Flash in the DCeased universe. In fact, he made the best out of a bad scenario and learned to adapt to the unexpected challenge brought by the Anti-Life Equation’s corruption.