Wally West, the Flash in the Justice League animated series, once showcased his true power on the show with a technique that makes Barry Allen look weak. Given that the DC Animated Universe’s Justice League show was crafted at a time when Barry Allen was dead in the comics, it made sense for the animated series to use Wally West as the Flash. Wally had previously appeared in Superman: The Animated Series, the second show in Bruce Timm’s DC Animated Universe chronology.
While Barry Allen is often referred to as the main Flash given his place in the overall DC lore, Wally West is one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe. Whereas some adaptions like Young Justice preferred to depict Wally as not being as fast as Barry, other shows like the Arrowverse’s The Flash or the Justice League animated series highlighted that Wally West’s potential can be limitless under the right circumstances.
Justice League’s Wally West’s Infinite Mass Punch Almost Got Flash Killed
In Justice League season 2, episode 12, “Divided We Fall,” the Justice League faced its most powerful enemy yet – a combination of the Superman villains Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Luthor had worked with Brainiac before, yet they were now combined into a unique form that seemed almost undefeatable. Brainiac’s ridiculous intellect merged with Luthor’s technology led to an all-powerful opponent who beat the entire Justice League without breaking a sweat, a scenario that only changed thanks to the Flash. Wally West ran across the globe so fast that he achieved an absurd speed, which he then converted into what Flash’s DC lore describes as an “infinite mass punch.”
Not even Superman or Green Lantern had been able to hurt Luthor-Brainiac, yet Flash’s infinite mass punch was strong enough to destroy Brainiac’s armor piece by piece. Each of Wally West’s punches obliterated a piece of Brainiac, slowly untying the symbiotic connection between Luthor and the alien A.I. Although the DC Animated Universe never used the term “speed force,” Wally West drained so much power from his absurd speed that he disappeared into other dimensions for a brief moment. Had it not been for Hawkgirl, who grabbed Wally West’s arm through the speed force, the Flash would have never returned.
Will Wally West Appear In James Gunn’s DC Universe?
In terms of live-action films, Wally West has yet to appear on the big screen. That said, Keiynan Lonsdale, who plays Wally West in the Arrowverse, is returning for The Flash’s final season. When it comes to James Gunn’s new DC Universe, not much is known about the franchise’s plans for Flash’s character as the DCEU’s The Flash movie has yet to premiere. Gunn described The Flash movie as "amazing" during the DC Studios slate announcement, yet there is no confirmation of whether Ezra Miller will reprise their role as Barry Allen in the new DCU. Either way, a movie version of Wally West could finally appear in this new DCU.
One interesting possibility would be to have Wally West as the new DC Universe’s Flash, similar to how the DCAU's Justice League show skipped Barry Allen and had Wally West as a founding member of the Justice League. Another possibility would be to have Barry Allen mentoring Wally West, especially if this new DCU plans to adapt the Titans or the Teen Titans. Given that Brave and the Bold will see Damian Wayne as Robin, other Justice League sidekicks and legacy characters like Kid Flash and Nightwing may already exist in the new DC Universe. One of the most powerful DC characters, Wally West’s big screen debut is long overdue.
