Popular DC and Green Lantern writer, Grant Morrison, had some choice words on the decision to kill off an alternate Earth's Flash which, by proxy, kills off a queer romance before it had time to truly blossom. The Flash that Morrison is referring to is Red Racer, the Flash on Earth-36. Created by Morrison themself with Ivan Reis, Red Racer is the fastest man on his planet and a member of the Justice 9, that universe's equivalent to the Justice League.

In their Substack posted last year, Grant Morrison reflects on their Green Lantern series, which soon evolved into an aside about DC's multiverse, which Morrison is extremely familiar with in large part due to the work they did on The Multiversity, a series they admit to being "protective" over. As such, they criticize their friend and collaborator, Peter Tomasi's, decision to kill off this variant of The Flash. This also develops into Grant Morrison saying that writers should treat separate universes as if they were their own potential franchises rather than disposable stories that exist as a footnote in the larger DC continuity's latest Crisis event.

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Red Racer's Death Happened Before Fans Got To Fully See His Relationship With Flashlight

Red Racer's death in Superman #16

Red Racer was killed off in Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Tony S. Daniel, and Clay Mann's Superman #16. Red Racer uses every ounce of his speed to compress a duplicate of Ultima Thule, a move that will surely help the heroes save the day. However, he also knows the risk and certain death that this poses to reach such a high-speed velocity. Prior to his sacrifice, Red Racer asks the Superman of Earth-36 to relay a message to Hank Hallmark (AKA Flashlight, the Green Lantern of Earth-36): "stay strong and that I love him." When the heroes enter the Ultima Thule, they find Racer's corpse.

As a queer person themself, it's understandable why Morrison would be so riled up when Flashlight and Red Racer's relationship failed to be fully explored before the latter's demise. At the same time, their stance on treating the introduction of new universes as their own properties with franchise potential makes perfect sense. After all, series like JLA: Earth 2 from Morrison themselves is a prime example of how an alternate universe could actually have its own franchise. To diminish any potential for such a spinoff or crossover appeal before it has a chance to at least be touched is truly a waste.

DC Comics has spent the last few years not only exploring queerness as it exists in their universe but embracing it. Both Tim Drake and Jon Kent came out as bisexual in 2021, while Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have become one of DC's most popular couples. Further exploring a relationship between Flashlight and Red Racer once had the potential to be just as rewarding and praiseworthy as these aforementioned relationships, but alas, for now at least, it's not meant to be. Morrison holds out hope that one day, Red Racer could be miraculously brought back in style and if that happens, then the world could finally see DC get the most out of what a romance between an alternate reality's Flash and Green Lantern could look like

More: Flash vs Green Lantern Shows Why Batman Likes One & Hates the Other

Source: Grant Morrison