Summary
- The Flash encounters a new anti-speedster weapon that exists as a place, not an object, challenging even his super speed.
- Wally West is drawn to the Gallery, a serene location that poses a threat as it erases his memory the longer he stays, putting him at risk of being trapped there.
- The Gallery becomes the Flash's version of Black Mercy, an illusion-inducing plant, as it ensnares Wally in a state of bliss that speed cannot break.
Warning: Potential Spoilers for The Flash #4DC has unleashed a new anti-speedster weapon that leaves even the King of Speed, The Flash, struggling to keep up. Unlike any conventional gadget seen before in the DC Universe, this formidable weapon takes on a unique form, existing more as a place than a conventional object. This mind-bending development is just another example of the bizarrely fantastic journey writer Si Spurrier is taking the Scarlet Speedster on.
The Uncoiling, all while wrestling with the unsettling issue of becoming "unstuck from reality" and slipping through various planes of existence.
Notably, Wally finds himself repeatedly drawn to the Gallery, a place of pure serenity that paradoxically emerges as the greatest threat to Flash. Although The Gallery initially made its debut in The Flash #3, its second appearance in The Flash #4 suggests Wally will be making recurring and potentially ominous visits in the unfolding narrative.
The Gallery is One of Flash’s Biggest Threats
Following Wally's initial encounter with the Gallery, he finds himself unable to shake the lingering thoughts of the place, which granted him an unprecedented sense of peace. As revealed in Flash #3 and #4, the Gallery is described as a location situated "At the end. At the end of the lowest vibration of all," extending beyond the confines of time and space. An unnamed entity Wally encounters in this mystical space explains that in the Gallery, measurement, memory, and movement are stripped away, creating an environment where the pure essence of the "now" can exist. Therefore, it stands as a sanctuary of the present moment.
The Gallery's uniqueness lies in its garden-like manifestation adorned with statues representing Wally's loved ones. Despite the unparalleled tranquility that envelops Flash in this ethereal space, it harbors an inherent danger: the longer Wally lingers, the more he loses touch with his own identity. The present becomes his sole existence, and he gradually forgets everything about himself, even his beloved ones, despite their tangible statues surrounding him. The perilous impact on Wally's memory renders the Gallery a substantial threat, yet this is not the sole danger it poses. Rather, it's the combination of its impact on Wally's memory and addictive peacefulness that could lead to Flash becoming willingly trapped here.
The Gallery is the Flash’s Version of Black Mercy
The Gallery is swiftly morphing into The Flash's equivalent of Black Mercy, the latter making its debut in Superman Annual #11 (1985) by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Black Mercy, a plant with the ability to craft an illusion of a person's perfect life by manipulating pleasure centers in the brain, ensnares them in a blissful yet imprisoning dream. Similarly, the Gallery appears to be casting a comparable effect on Wally, rendering him entrapped in a state of serenity that no amount of speed can liberate him from. Wally risks finding himself willingly ensnared within the Gallery's pleasant clutches, making it one of The Flash's greatest looming threats.
The Flash #4 is available now from DC Comics.
The Flash #4 (2023) |
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