Batman’s Parents Are The Biggest Danger To DC’s Entire Reality

In the latest issue of DC Comics’ Flashpoint Beyond, it’s revealed that Batman’s surviving parents may doom all existence as a major threat (potentially overshadowing the ongoing Dark Crisis). While the DC Omniverse is currently under siege by the Great Darkness, this new issue of Flashpoint Beyond confirms that there are bigger threats within Hypertime (hammering the idea home by spoiling Dark Crisis with the Justice League’s return). DC’s various crises have more often than not been threats to space (whether it’s the main Earth or those within the multitude of multiverses). However, Thomas and Martha Wayne are now the biggest threat to time itself and the various branch realities that exist.

Known as the Divine Continuum, DC Comics’ existence is split into two elevated concepts of time and space. The Omniverse is the infinite number of spaces that exist while Hypertime is the infinite number of timelines that exist regardless of any retcons or reboots that have occurred over the years. Through Hypertime, DC is trying to send the message that everything matters, existing in their own branch realities. Case in point, the living paradox that is the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne was recently returned to his timeline despite having escaped it years prior. Seeking to restore the timeline where his son lived and he and his wife Martha died, the Flashpoint Batman doesn’t realize that Bruce Wayne’s timeline still exists simultaneously (becuase everything matters).

While Bruce Wayne’s Batman has been investigating the Divine Continuum and the work of the Time Masters who monitor Hypertime in the new Flashpoint Beyond #5, Thomas has reunited with Martha, the Flashpoint Joker who became a homicidal clown in her grief over their Bruce’s death (mirroring Thomas’ own transformation into Batman). However, it looks as though Martha has secured a Time Sphere for herself, looking to join forces with Thomas to rewrite the past and ensure that their son lives. As such, the Time Masters’ leader Rip Hunter arrives to confront Bruce, confirming that Batman’s Flashpoint parents will doom all of Hypertime and the Omniverse itself.

While the end of this major issue seemingly confirms that Bruce Wayne was the one who restored the Flashpoint timeline and returned the alternate version of his father to it, he should have known that Thomas and Martha would never be content living in it with the knowledge that a timeline exists where their son lives. Although founded in a deep love for their child, the actions of Flashpoint Batman and Joker are causing far too much instability to Hypertime which will result in the complete breakdown of the Divine Continuum.

Seeing as how Rip Hunter appeals to Bruce’s Dark Knight at the end of the issue, it’s very likely that the original Batman will have to let these alternate versions of his parents go, rather than trying to contain and isolate their timeline as he apparently had been. While this will undoubtedly create a brand new source of trauma for Batman, the alternative is Thomas and Martha Wayne destroying all existence. Flashpoint Beyond#5 is on sale now.