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The Flash delivered a big Godspeed twist in its latest episode by setting up a civil war between the clones, but the series has yet to explain the reason for why the Godspeeds were fighting each other. The white-clad speedster, who has poised a threat to Barry since season 5, apparently has other priorities besides beating Flash.
Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his allies at Team Flash have been fighting off Godspeed since before Crisis on Infinite Earths. Their first encounter with him was in season 5 when the villain sent a clone of himself back in time to steal Barry’s speed. At the time, the mastermind of the plan was August Heart, an enemy from Barry’s future who he hadn’t met yet. In season 6, Barry fought multiple Godspeed androids, both on-screen and off, but because of Crisis changes, there was some confusion over whether or not August Heart was still the one to blame. Despite all his battles with the mystery speedster, he still knows very little about Godspeed or why he wants “infinite velocity.”
After a long break without any Godspeed-related incidents, their conflict with the character was renewed in The Flash season 7, episode 15, “Enemy at the Gates”, which saw a half-dozen Godspeed clones launch an assault on S.T.A.R. Labs. To Team Flash’s surprise, the heroes were saved by the timely arrival of even more Godspeeds, who attacked the first batch unprovoked. In the aftermath, Barry speculated that the Godspeeds were in the midst of a “civil war”, but just as it’s always been with Godspeed, the characters have no clue as to why they’d be motivated into fighting each other as opposed to going after Team Flash.
Where And When The Godspeed Clones Came From
Supposedly, Godspeed comes from Central City in 2049, but it’s hard to say for sure if this is still true. That’s what was established in season 5, but with every event and character that’s been altered by the Crisis, it could be that this too has been changed. In any case, when looking at what The CW has already revealed about the remaining episodes of season 7, it seems likely Godspeed is indeed from the future. It’s been confirmed The Flash is about to introduce Impulse aka Bart Allen, who will be portrayed by actor Jordan Fisher. A poster of Fisher’s Bart Allen in-costume as Impulse has already been shown off by The CW. In the comic books, Bart is Barry’s grandson from the future, but his Arrowverse counterpart is expected to be his son instead.
According to The CW, Bart will be showing up for the first time in episode 17 (the show’s 150th episode overall). It’s probably not a coincidence that his debut is coming so close to the beginning of the Godspeed civil war story that just kicked off in episode 15. With this in mind, it makes sense that Bart is directly connected to Godspeed. If so, that would mean the villain could be from Bart’s place in the Arrowverse timeline. In fact, it may be that Impulse and Godspeed are enemies in Central City during the 2040s or 2050s.
Why Godspeed Clones Are Drawn To Barry
The second group of Godspeed clones in episode 15 weren’t after Barry, but the first six were intent on catching him. It seems that their interest in him lies in the Speed Force. They found out in season 6 that Godspeed’s master (or perhaps the primary Godspeed) desires “infinite velocity.” Barry’s reputation as the Fastest Man Alive makes him an excellent target for the villain’s plan, as he could provide him with a substantial amount of speed. Godspeed androids are capable of draining his speed, a fact which viewers were reminded of in “Enemy at the Gates”. Fortunately though, Barry’s speed loss during the battle wasn’t significant. Of course, their failure to get what they want doesn’t mean they’ll slow down. They’re sure to return again soon, once again with their sights set on Barry and the Speed Force. They could be more determined to subdue him in season 7 than they were in season 6, especially since the Speed Force has been restored. Godspeed has more to gain by defeating him now than he did in the previous season.
The Godspeed Clones Could Be Fighting Each Other For Dominance
The Godspeeds’ shared goal of “infinite velocity” may be what’s ultimately dividing them. Depending on if they’re capable of independent thought, the androids may be at odds over who attains the power they seek. The battle taking place in season 7 may be The Flash’s very own Highlander scenario, meaning that the Godspeeds have adopted a “there can be only one” mindset when it comes to speedsters. If they take each other out (while simultaneously stealing their victims’ speed) their power can grow exponentially without actually having to defeat Barry. If so, the last-remaining Godspeed clone would naturally be the most powerful of them all, and possibly a foe that Team Flash wouldn’t be able to stop. It may be that the endgame of all Godspeeds is to beat Flash, but some are holding back for now in order to obtain the necessary speed first.
Alternatively, it could be that the conflict is less about the clones and more about who’s creating them. If the Godspeeds can’t think for themselves, unseen forces at play from the future may be fighting for dominance. It’s possible that August Heart (or whoever else the mastermind is) isn’t the only character in the Arrowverse that the Godspeed clones answer to. He could have a partner who has broken away from him. This character could have created his own faction of Godspeed clones that operates on a different agenda. They may try to wipe out August Heart’s Godspeed army, and turn their attention to Barry when the civil war has ended.
How Barry will handle the Godspeed situation in The Flash season 7 remains to be seen. One solution would be for Barry to stay on the sidelines and let his enemies fight (as long as their civil war doesn’t lead to collateral damage in Central City). This approach could weaken both sides and make things easier for Barry in the process. Or, in an effort to prevent one from becoming an all-powerful speedster, Barry could try to head off one Godspeed emerging victorious over all the rest and jump into the middle of the war.