Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #780!
In the world of DC Comics, there is more than one version of The Flash, and when one of his most consistent enemies takes him on in battle, the subtle yet dark difference between Barry Allen and Wally West is revealed. It turns out Wally does things slightly different when it comes to beating down villains and saving the day, and Mirror Master noticed.
Admitted to during the events of The Flash #780, by Jeremy Adams and Will Conrad, this issue acts as the next part of the crossover dubbed “The War for Earth-3.” A multi-part story that sees Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad, the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3, and Rick Flag’s own version of Task Force X battle it out for reasons related to the conquering of the multiverse, Wally West’s appearance in the event immediately makes it one worth checking out.
Following Crime Syndicate member Johnny Quick as he attempts to steal the Cosmic Treadmill from the Flash Museum so Amanda Waller can use it to her benefit, Flash villain, Mirror Master, eventually arrives on the scene to destroy it instead. And as Wally West speeds in to deal with both threats, Mirror Master questions which version of the Scarlet Speedster he’s currently dealing with, drawing attention to a difference between Barry and Wally that Mirror Master catches onto quick.
Transporting himself inside the Flash Museum via a reflection on a glass case display, Mirror Master follows Flash and Johnny Quick beneath the museum where the pair fight over the Cosmic Treadmill. Seeing Flash, Mirror Master immediately wonders, “Flash. The second one…or third? Doesn’t matter,” giving fans a glimpse of the thoughts running through a Rouge’s head when confronted with this speedster. Immediately tackled by Wally as he tries to intervene, Mirror Master thinks to himself, “Yeah. It’s the kid. Blondie would have beat my head in by now,” succinctly telling fans the small yet defining difference between both versions of the Flash.
Quite possibly alluding to the idea that Barry Allen aka “blondie” is simply quicker at apprehending his enemies in a fight, the line “Blondie would have beat my head in by now,” could be referencing Barry’s effectiveness as a brutal brawler as well. Choosing the wording “beat my head in” isn’t exactly a subtle comment to make, and since Mirror Master has had his fair share of battles with both Wally and Barry, him making this observation while getting beat up by Wally shows that while both are effective heroes, Barry clearly has a bit more of a heavy hand when he throws down with a villain, especially one that’s part of Flash’s Rogues Gallery.
So while this dark difference could be one of two things, both relate back to Barry being a slightly more efficient hero than Wally, even if the reasons behind it are a bit more violent in nature. The Flash’s Barry Allen and Wally West are similar speedsters, but not similar enough for one of their greatest foes not to notice when one or the other is under the mask.