Flashpoint Batman’s Return Involves Him Killing a Major DC Hero

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Flashpoint Beyond #0, now on sale from DC ComicsThomas Wayne, the Batman of the Flashpoint Universe, returns to headline the new Flashpoint Beyond series by inadvertently causing the death of none other than the Flash -- also known as Barry Allen, who he worked alongside in 2011's original Flashpoint series.

Barry's death is a colossal misunderstanding resulting from Flashpoint Batman's efforts to understand the bizarre circumstances he finds himself in. During the original Flashpoint series, Thomas' alternate reality was created as a by-product of the mainstream DC Universe's Barry Allen running backward in time to stop the Reverse-Flash from killing his mother. In the resulting timeline that emerged from Barry's reality-shattering shenanigans, Bruce Wayne died in a mugger's attack while his father survived and became a vengeful, darker Batman.

Throughout all five issues of Flashpoint, Thomas and Barry worked together to defeat Reverse-Flash and set reality straight. Flashpoint Beyond picks up where the series left off, featuring Thomas in what he believes is a newly-arranged universe where his son should be alive. Unfortunately, nothing seems to have changed in Thomas' world for the better, and as Thomas goes to confront Barry, he finds that the Flash who lives in his reconstructed existence has no memory of their time together, nor any connection with the Speed Force.

Desperate for answers, Thomas subdues Barry and places him in an electric chair, hoping to activate his powers with a burst of lightning and a dose of chemicals. This is a nod not only to the Flash's origin but also to scenes in the original Flashpoint where Barry's speed went absent and needed multiple lightning strikes to reappear. Unfortunately, this time the procedure is far from successful, as a harpoon shatters the beakers containing the chemicals needed to trigger the Flash's transformation. Without them, the lightning fries Barry, leaving nothing but a sizzling corpse in its wake.

Flashpoint Beyond #0 ends with an enraged Thomas Wayne chasing down the assailant who shot the harpoon. It turns out to be none other than an agent of Aquaman, who is engaged in a war with Wonder Woman's Amazon warriors in the Flashpoint Universe. Future issues of Flashpoint Beyond will feature Thomas readying himself for an inevitable conflict with Atlantis -- and possibly meeting the main DC Universe version of his son, who is also investigating strange temporal shifts in his own reality.

Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Eduardo Risso, Flashpoint Beyond #0 is on sale now.

Source: DC