In a horrifying twist, DC just revealed the death of Barry Allen in the new lore of Absolute Flash. Since the first issue of this new series, Barry's involvement in Wally West's origin has been teased as a tragedy. Now fans know exactly what happened, and it's beyond dark.

In the very first use of his powers, Wally accidentally killed Barry...

In a preview of Absolute Flash #3 - from Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles, Adriano Lucas and Tom Napolitano - Wally reveals that after gaining his powers in an experiment gone wrong, he ran away from something that was chasing him. That 'something' turns out to be Barry Allen, who is dragged for miles in Wally's superspeed wake, tearing the flesh from his bones.

In regular DC lore, Barry is Flash's uncle, mentoring him as a hero and helping to raise him. Wally eventually succeeded Barry, taking the Flash codename, and the two have fought alongside each other countless times. However, in a world tainted by Darkseid's evil, Wally isn't Barry's sidekick - he's his killer.

Unlike DC's main continuity, the Absolute Universe isn't the kind of place where heroes die only to be resurrected. This is almost certainly the last fans will see of poor Barry Allen.

Wally West's Flash Origin Killed Barry Allen

We Now Understand How Wally West's Flash Can Become a Villain

DC's Absolute Universe launched in 2024 as an entire reality warped by Darkseid. This is a version of DC Lore where evil, rather than justice, is the foundational force of the universe, with iconic heroes at a major disadvantage, including being stripped of their traditional allies. One of the most surprising things to fans was that Absolute Flash would be following Wally West from the very beginning - a hero who took decades to become the Flash in mainstream continuity. From the start, fans have been asking what happened to Barry Allen in this universe.

Absolute Flash #1 introduced Wally as an army brat with few friends, experiencing major issues with his dad. Kindly scientist Barry Allen took Wally under his wing, resulting in Wally visiting Barry in the middle of an experiment-gone-wrong that granted him powers and left him being pursued by this world's version of the Rogues, now a special ops team rather than a gang. Now, fans know why Wally is being hunted - in the very first use of his powers, Wally accidentally killed Barry, exposing him to lethal friction.

It's a horrifying, tragic way for Wally to begin his life as a superhero, with his powers now forever tied to the death of perhaps his only friend. It's the perfect new lore for the Absolute Universe, turning Wally into a traumatized fugitive rather than a beloved sidekick. Interestingly, issue #2 showed two potential futures - one where Wally ends up a superhero, and one where he's a villain. It's now clear how he could end up using his powers for evil, given that he killed someone within the first second of possessing them. Fans wondering how the Absolute Universe would handle Barry Allen just got the darkest answer possible, as Absolute Flash reveals what really happened to Wally West's mentor.

Absolute Flash #3 is coming from DC Comics May 21, 2025.