Legacy in Crisis II


At that time, Wally's life was in flux. He was part of the newly reformed Teen Titans, a book that had quickly become one of DC's top sellers. But Titans writer Marv Wolfman had some issues with Wally, specifically being a speedster. Wolfman believed that having a speedster on a team is self-defeating, given their powers, a speedster could respond to an emergency/disaster far quicker than the rest of his 'slow' teammates. (An opinion later shared by noted writer Peter David who believed that taken to their logical extreme, speedsters are nigh-unstoppable and thus a hindrance)

So Wolfman resolved to write Wally out of the Titans in a two-fold fashion. First, the emotional component. Wally had joined the new Titans at the behest of Raven, when it was revealed later how she had manipulated him into doing so. This called into question Wally's growing feelings of love towards her. The second component, the physical aspect, was when Wally discovered that his speed was actually killing him. It seems that the accident that gave the adult Barry his powers affected Wally's teenage body differently when he suffered the same accident. This served to slow Wally down to around the speed of sound (which Wolfman believed would fit in better in a team environment) . So Wally decides to quit the team and focus on college.





Wolfman liked Wally's character and had things gone differently, he had planned to restore Wally back to form later on. However, given the planned events of Crisis, it was decided that Wally would become the new Flash now. (Both George Perez and Mike Gold relate that this was Wolfman's idea though Wolfman can't recall specifically. He does admit had it been left up to him, he would have given Wally a brand-new identity).

And so it was, despite his health issues, Wally answered the call to fight in CoIE, only to learn of Barry's death. The battle with the Anti-Monitor altered Wally's body chemistry. His speed was no longer killing him, but his powers were reduced. In memory of Barry, Wally makes the momentous decision to take up the mantle of the Flash.



 
 

I never followed Wally as Flash after Crisis, so this will be interesting.

So, do I shaxper, I hope that Golddragon71 too ... he would love this thread and I hope that's he following it too!

I read much of the Baron/Guice Flash run when it came out, but I didn't read Wally's pre-Crisis appearances as Kid Flash in New Teen Titans until years later. I was struck by how different the character seemed. Pre-Crisis came across as an "aw, shucks" Midwesterner. It seems Baron wanted to create a more complex, three-dimensional Wally, which sometimes meant making him unlikable. I kept reading Flash for a while, which is surprising, because I was probably too young to understand the complexity of a protagonist like that.

meanwhile... in honor of Wally's New Look....

I gave my DC Universe Online avatar a Speedy makeover

Legends #1-6




Shaxper has already covered this essential mini (in terms of setting up pieces of the Post-Crisis DCU) in his Justice League in the Post-Crisis review thread. I am only viewing it in terms of Wally's appearances since this is the first major appearance by him in his role of the new Flash. Wally is a supporting character throughout this story. And while he may not appear in all 6 issues, Wein and Ostrander do quite well in establishing the new status quo and issues facing Wally as he tries to carry on the legacy of Barry Allen.

As Darksied begins his new plan (guided by the manipulative powers and influence of G. Gordon Godfrey) to discredit and disrupt the superheroes of Earth, we find Wally as the new Flash confronting Deadshot. It's immediately apparent the new limitations that Wally is facing here. Unable to perform the by-now familiar and expected vibrational tricks of Barry, Wally resorts to more physical displays to avoid Deadshot's attacks while also contending with reduced speed and limited stamina.





It takes some effort by Wally and the public notices the difference in their hero.





Frustrated and tired, Wally retreats to recover, heading to Titans Tower. There, he finds Gar Logan, bored and watching a press show featuring Godfrey and young Billy Batson. Wally is upset, already feeling the pressure of having to live up to the legend of Barry, both publicly and privately. Gar tries to console him by offering the advice to just take on a different identity. This raises Wally's ire, giving voice to his adamant desire to maintain the legacy of the Flash.







The growing public unrest fostered by Godfrey doesn't help Wally's mood. But when Sarge Steel appears at Titans Tower to enforce the new federal edict prohibiting costumed heroes, both Wally and Gar refuse, marching out to help defuse the unrest as best they can. Wally is tested again, as he faces off against an old foe of Barry's, Captain Boomerang who is running amok after being newly freed after finishing (and surviving) his first mission on Task Force X.




This encounter highlights another (deadly) concern for Wally. The public has already noticed a change in the Flash and while they may be unaware of the true nature of this change, this isn't a problem for Digger. To him, this is still the teen sidekick of yore, Kid Flash, trying to fill very large running shoes. It's one thing to retain the respect of the public he is seeking to protect, it's quite another when the foes of your mentor aren't keen to respect the power and talent of the uniform you now seek to fill. Wally has a long road ahead of him and if he isn't careful, it could quickly become lethal.

Gar steps in to help Wally with Digger but Wally maintains that by being the Flash, Captain Boomerang is his responsibility. The point becomes moot when Darkseid engages the next part of his mad scheme, unleashing his monstrous robotic Warhounds upon the populace. Wally and Gar end up saving Digger from these hounds when Doctor Fate arrives, collecting the pair as part of his impromptu team of heroes to help end this new crisis.

In DC, Wally performs well, helping out the other heroes face down Godfrey's madness and reassert their value and worth in the eyes of the populace. When asked if he would like to join the new Justice League, Wally realizes that his life is still chaotic in his attempts to become the Flash so he declines.




Wally may not be on the main stage but the hard road ahead of him has been shown. Time to see if he can truly run solo now.