Flash Forward #6 gave Wally West something he had been desperately missing for a while now. DC just brought back his children in one of the wildest ways imaginable. In a bitter twist, the completion of the family unit would come at the cost of something very near and dear to the speedster. But, in the end, Wally decided to take the plunge and do whatever was necessary to see Jai and Iris be happy. Even if they might never get to understand what kind of sacrifice that their father had to go through to get them to this very moment. *Spoilers for Flash Forward #6 are coming up.*

So, Wally is confronted with trying to stop a great darkness from overrunning the multiverse. He figures out that the inconsistencies caused by worlds powered by fear are causing the trouble. Also, his own fear of never getting to see his kids again is at the center of the conflict. He decides to sit in the Mobius Chair to allow his children to return home and become a family. But, the chair will take away his ability to feel those emotional connections. So, it becomes a monkey’s paw-like situation where doing the right thing will have disastrous effects on the hero personally.

In an added twist, Wally gets Dr. Manhattan’s power as a result of sitting in the chair. Darkseid War saw the character leave some of his power with the chair and now the speedster has access to all of that knowledge. DC has been saying that the Flash would have a big role to play in whatever is going to happen this summer. The reveal of the Dr. Manhattan twist in promotional materials sent most fans into a frenzy. But, now Wally is out in search of a kindred spirit and who knows what he will find on his journey.

(Photo: DC Entertainment)

DC’s upcoming summer event focuses on all sorts of different generations in the company’s history. All of that time and reality jumping will lead to stories where fan-favorites and underused concepts can get some time in the sun. The speedster having access to Manhattan’s powers will likely help tie all of these strange generations together. Non-linear time is a bit of a Watchmen specialty. With Heroes in Crisis still fresh in everyone's minds, it remains to be seen if the all-seeing power will be enough to save the day this time.