Warning: article contains spoilers for Future State: The Flash #1, written by Brandon Vietti with art by Dale Eaglesham

The world of comic books is full of scientific anomalies, but few are as embedded in superhero lore as the Speed Force. An interdimensional cosmic energy field that propels time and occasionally exhibits sentience, the Speed Force is what gives the Flash his amazing speed. Unlike his teammates Superman and Wonder Woman, the Flash and his family of speedsters don’t simply move at unnatural velocities – they use the power of the Speed Force to warp space and time. The power of “the Force” has been an essential tool for the Flash-Family, but like its Star Wars counterpart, it also has a dark side.

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Consisting of two polarities (positive and negative), the Speed Force grants a variety of abilities to those connected to it, ranging from benign to terrifying. Flash’s nemesis Eobard Thawne, AKA the Reverse-Flash, was the first speedster to tap into the Negative Speed Force; a more predatory version of the Positive Speed Force. It allows its users to generate highly explosive red lightning, absorb the memories of others, siphon the Speed Force from other speedsters, and alter the user’s age at will. It also allowed Thawne to go back in time (unaided by the cosmic treadmill) and murder his adversary’s mother while he was still a child. While there is an assumption that the negative force represents “evil” and the positive force represents “good,” Future State: The Flash #1 reveals that the power of the Speed Force can be corrupted regardless of which side uses it.

Taking place in a dystopian future born from the ashes of Dark Nights: Death Metal, DC’s latest crossover event series gives readers a peek into the grim days that lie ahead for many of Earth’s heroes. In Future State, Barry Allen’s former sidekick Wally West has become corrupted by Famine, the legendary Rider of the Apocalypse. Known in the Crime Bible as Yurrd the Unknown, Famine first appeared in the DC mega-series 52 as a biologically engineered entity created with technology from the planet Apokolips. Though it’s corporeal form has been destroyed in the past, the avatar of hunger has proven that its consciousness can exist even after death. Possessing the body of Wally, Famine develops a new way to feed; through the Speed Force. Utilizing an old speedster trick Wally himself pioneered (but rarely uses out of fear), Famine compels the former Kid Flash to become a Speed Force cannibal.

Like a quantum vampire, Famine can not only consume youth from his victims (turning them into mummified husks), but he can even devour the Speed Force energy of other speedsters, permanently stripping them of their power. This ghoulish quirk seems to be an upgrade of a previous power Wally unlocked when he first learned about the Speed Force – a technique sometimes referred to as speed drain. This ability allows him to siphon the kinetic energy of other fast-moving objects, and Wally has done some truly vile things with this power, including turning a murderous teen speedster into a living statue. To make it even more twisted, after robbing the rogue of his ability to produce kinetic energy Wally put him in the Flash Museum, forcing the murderer of Bart Allen to very slowly spend eternity as his own crime exhibit piece.

This isn’t even the first time the Speed Force has created an apocalyptic nightmare scenario. In the Dark Nights: Death Metal tie-in issue The Multiverse Who Laughs, the Darkest Knight envisions an Earth where the Flash attempts to share the Speed Force with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, his attempt at altruism yields catastrophic results, as he evolves the human race into “vicious speed monsters.” Societies rise and collapse within seconds, and humanity reaches its heat death within the span of a single breath. Like the Jedi of the Star Wars universe, the Flash-Family must be careful in how they utilize the Force that grants them godlike abilities – lest they become consumed by the dark side of its power.

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About The Author


Dorian Reyes Black
(92 Articles Published)

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Dorian Reyes Black is a writer for the comic book news section for Screen Rant. Having attended San Diego Comic-Con every year since 2004, he stays current on all the latest news relating to the world of superheroes, science fiction, and high fantasy. Aside from comics, Dorian also has a passion for filmmaking, having graduated with a degree in Film and Electronic Arts from CSULB with an emphasis in production. He wrote, directed, and produced his first feature while still in college, has worked on several television pilots, and even appears in Jon Schnepp’s endearing documentary The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? Dorian is currently a pop-culture news host for Nerdbot Media and a contributor for Nightmarish Conjurings.

An avid cosplayer, Dorian Black can be found throughout social media hosting and managing events while masquerading as Batman, Superman, Pin-Head, Casey Jones, and SHAZAM (yes, the character’s real name is Captain Marvel). He has experienced some of the wildest nerd nightlife that America has to offer, meeting some truly talented fandom-inspired innovators in the entertainment industry along the way. When Dorian is not on the clock, he is also a big fan of photography—behind the camera, in front of the camera, and photo editing on his tablet.

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