Warning: contains spoilers for The Flash 2021 Annual #1!
Wally West is officially DC's new Flash, having completed his cross-space, cross-time mission to remove a dangerous blockage in the Speed Force, and emerging with a brand new "nitro boost" power that makes him faster than ever, even compared to other speedsters.
Wally's journey concludes in The Flash 2021 Annual #1 - from Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, and Brandon Peterson - as Wally discovers that the blockage is Savitar, a speedster villain who attempted to "become one" with the Speed Force, forging a raw connection to its power that makes him faster than either Wally West or Barry Allen. Savitar's presence within the Speed Force has created disruptions across multiple realities, as the fundamental force of nature has sent surges of energy through the multiverse, sometimes resulting in disaster for various speedsters unlucky enough to act as conduits.
Exhausted, Wally attempts to stand against Savitar, failing until a bolt of surge energy passes through him. Flash is so energized that he's able to give Savitar a three-second head start before effortlessly catching up to the villain. It's a staggering show of speed, especially given that Savitar was already faster than other speedsters, and once the battle is concluded, super-genius Mr. Terrific informs Wally it's a permanent change to his powers. While the new Flash's "hyper-energized" speed won't be an everyday occurrence, it's something he'll be able to draw on in extreme circumstances, giving him a "nitro boost" of surge energy when normal superspeed won't cut it.
This new ability is a fantastic way to mark Wally truly taking on the mantle of the Flash, as Barry leaves Earth-0 for a mission to scout the Multiverse. The ability to engage an extra boost of speed means that Flash has a trick none of his old enemies will expect, and a marked advantage over other speedsters he may face in future. Unfortunately, it may also be what kills everyone he loves.
Future State: The Flash revealed a world in which Wally West is possessed by Famine, a supernatural force that drains the energy from metahumans. Using the Flash Family's faith in Wally to lure them into a trap, Wally kills everyone but his mentor, pushing Barry out of sync with time to witness his devastation of Earth's heroes as a non-corporeal "ghost." While much was left unknown about this threat, Famine's ability to steal energy from others was linked to the Speed Force. Fans had speculated that Famine could be the Speed Force blockage Wally was tasked with clearing, but now it seems more probable that the villain is linked to his new powers.
The events of Future State are slowly coming to pass across DC's comics, and while Famine has yet to appear in The Flash, it seems likely that the villain could gain a foothold in the new Flash if he draws on too much surge energy with his new powers. Given the explosive potential surge energy has already shown, it makes sense that excess speed would leave Wally needing to borrow energy from others, awakening the vampiric potential of Famine. For now, Wally's nitro boost is a cool new power that is sure to provide plenty of awesome high-speed moments, but fans should keep Famine in mind as his adventures continue, as while Flash is faster than ever, he could just be sprinting towards disaster.