WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Flash #1!

Absolute Flash has finally arrived, and while fans have been treated to a wealth of stunning cover art and sneak peeks, the official release of the issue marks our first in-narrative look at Wally West’s Flash costume. However, this reveal also introduces a dark and morbid twist to Barry Allen’s legacy.

...Wally, in a morbid way, continues Barry's legacy by donning a suit eerily similar to the one Barry died in.

Absolute Flash #1 by Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles, Adriano Lucas, and Tom Napolitano is a thrilling ride from start to finish, as the Absolute Universe adds an intense twist to Flash lore. First and foremost, it’s clear that Wally has his superspeed powers, though how he acquired them remains a mystery.

Additionally, Wally stands as the only speedster in this universe, but, in a pleasant surprise, Barry Allen still plays a role in the narrative. However, what initially seems like the beginning of a heartwarming mentor-mentee relationship between Barry and Wally takes a dark turn when fans are shockingly shown Barry’s skeletal corpse—wearing a costume eerily similar to Wally’s Flash suit.

The Dark Significance of Barry Allen’s Suit in Absolute Flash

Comic Page Comes From Jeff Lemire’s Absolute Flash #1 (2025) – Art by Nick Robles

The first thing to know about Absolute Flash #1 is that it features several time skips, ranging from 24 hours to a year. In the “one day ago” flashback, fans see Wally seeking out the kind-hearted army scientist after a fight with his colonel father. This leads to Wally accidentally interrupting Barry mid-experiment, caught in what appears to be an electrical storm and wearing a somewhat futuristic suit. Upon seeing Wally, Barry urgently yells at him to run, and the scene cuts off there.

Fast forward 24 hours, and fans follow Wally running through a desert, seemingly having a panic attack. Eventually, he takes shelter in a cave, but the moment takes a shocking turn when Robles’s art reveals the charred corpse of Barry Allen in the cave near where Wally is curled up on the ground. While this revelation is shocking in itself, what makes it even more significant is the eerie similarity between the strange red spandex suit Barry was wearing during his experiment and the Flash costume Wally wears in the future.

Wally West’s Flash Costume: A Dark Tribute to Barry Allen's Legacy

Main Cover by Nick Robles for Absolute Flash #1 (2025)

After the reveal of Barry’s corpse, the comic jumps ahead a year, showing Mirror Master observing Wally West on his computer monitors. On one screen, Wally wears his Flash costume, predominantly red, white, and black, with jacket and pants resembling Michael Jackson’s Thriller outfit, though Wally’s jacket features a lightning-like symbol. This outfit bears a striking resemblance to the one Barry's corpse was seen wearing. In essence, Wally is wearing a costume inspired by Barry’s, and despite Barry not being the Flash in this universe, Wally, in a morbid way, continues his legacy by donning a suit eerily similar to the one Barry died in.

ABSOLUTE FLASH #1 is available now from DC Comics!