After losing his title as the fastest man alive, The Flash just exploded to become the strongest man alive. Too bad he's about to be killed by Commander Cold for it.
That's what's unfolding in our preview of The Flash #54, showing the first moments of Barry Allen communing with the Strength Force - one of the strange new energies equal to the Speed Force that have been unleashed into the DC Universe. The previous issue saw the Strength Force seem to choose a new champion, just as Speed had chosen Flash and the other speedsters. But the young Trickster, the member of the Rogues who was Hulk-ed out beyond control, isn't ready for the job.
Barry Allen didn't ask for it, but The Flash may need to change his name to... The Flex?
RELATED: Wally West is Still THE Flash For a Whole Generation
The shock of seeing Flash transformed into an oversized, muscle-bound version of himself has probably not worn off just yet, so fortunately, the comic picks up exactly where it left off. Flash and Trickster now equally massive, breaking free of their containment cells in Iron Heights Prison, empowered by a force neither understand. Commander Cold from the future seeing no option but to kill them both before they cause more destruction. And Trickster, who is one comment about his size or youth away from murdering Warden Wolfe (it wouldn't be a loss, but still).
Since Barry can't think his way out of this problem, he's going to have to feel his way out. Take a look at the preview pages below:
This preview offers the first real insight into the true nature of the Strength Force, after it was unleashed upon the DC Universe by Reverse-Flash. At first, it seemed responsible only for raw physical strength. But thanks to Barry's quick thinking and experimentation with the power, it seems the Strength Force is as much tied to gravity as anything else (still doesn't explain the gigantic muscles and oversized veins). And even if Commander Cold "hates science," we're willing to bet that he decides to assist Barry Allen in saving Trickster. Preferably before he kills Warden Wolfe.
These pages confirm that Josh Williamson isn't wasting time in exploring the strange new forces injected into the Flash mythology with Flash War. Speed fans already understand, and Strength just got its own tie to universal energy. That just leaves the Still and Sage Forces to decipher. And even if Wally West is officially the fastest Flash alive, Barry is clearly without equal when it comes to the science in DC's superhero science fiction.
Check out a full synopsis for the issue below:
- THE FLASH (2018) #54
- Published: September 12, 2018
- Writer: Joshua Williamson
- Art: Christian Duce Fernandez
- Cover Artist: Dan Mora
- Variant Cover Artist: Howard Porter
- The Flash is now the strongest man alive thanks to a jolt from one of the new forces! Turning his jacked-up sights to Trickster, the two duke it out inside Iron Heights for utter supremacy. Will anyone stop these two behemoths from beating the hell out of each other...or is this just what Warden Wolfe wants?
The Flash #54 will be available September 12th, 2018 from DC Comics.