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{{Infobox comics character <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
| image =Black Flash.png
| caption =Black Flash, as appeared in ''The Flash'' #140 (June 1998). Art by Pop Mhan (pencils), Chris Ivy (inks), Tom McCraw (colors)
| character_name = Black Flash
| publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| debut = ''[[The Flash (comic book)|The Flash]]'' vol. 2 #138 (June 1998; cameo)<br/>''The Flash'' vol. 2 #141 (September 1998; full)
| creators = [[Grant Morrison]]<br/>[[Mark Millar]]<br/>[[Ron Wagner]]
| species = [[Metahuman|Meta]]-[[Zombie]]
| alliances = [[Rogues (comics)|Rogues]]
| previous_alliances =
| aliases = Black Flash, Flashback, Backflash, Slow Lightning
| supports=
| powers = [[Speed Force]] includes:
*Immense [[superhuman]] [[speed]], agility, durability and reflexes
*Time manipulation, role as [[psychopomp]] to speedsters
*[[Immortality]]
*Molecular acceleration
*Energy absorption
*Dimensional travel
*[[Time travel]] 
*Electrokinesis
*Intangibility
}}

The '''Black Flash''' is a [[comic book]] character from [[DC Comics]]. Created by writers [[Grant Morrison]] and [[Mark Millar]], and artist [[Ron Wagner]], the character had cameos in ''The Flash'' vol. 2 #138 (June 1998),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=61784 |title=''Flash'' #138 at the Grand Comics Database |publisher=Comics.org |access-date=2011-04-25}}</ref> before appearing in full in ''The Flash'' vol. 2 #141 (September 1998).

==Fictional character background==
=== Original depiction ===
The Black Flash essentially fulfills the same role as [[Death (DC Comics)|Death]] for those who possess super-speed in the DC Universe, returning the speedster to their power source: the [[Speed Force]]. It is reportedly seen before the deaths of [[Barry Allen]] and [[Johnny Quick (Johnny Chambers)|Johnny Quick]]. [[Max Mercury]] has also seen the Black Flash while having had several near-death experiences.

The specter speedster came for [[Wally West]] to draw back to the Speed Force, but instead took [[Linda Park (comics)|Linda Park]]. Having seen portents of Wally's death, Max Mercury and [[Jesse Quick]] intercepted Wally before reaching the museum where Linda was waiting, with Linda thus being struck by the lightning that was meant to kill Wally. It later returns to try to take Wally again, freezing time except for those who possess a connection to the Speed Force. Max Mercury, [[Jay Garrick]], and Jesse Quick all attempt to assist Wally by distracting the Black Flash; Wally finally defeats the Black Flash by racing the creature to the end of time, to a point where Death would have no meaning, causing the creature to dissipate.

The Black Flash appears to [[Bart Allen]] when the Flash loses his powers while battling the Rogues at the [[Getty Center]]. Despite a clash with [[Inertia (DC Comics)|Inertia]] (another possible candidate for the Black Flash), Bart is killed shortly thereafter by the panicked Rogues when it appears Bart would win, even without powers.

The Black Flash is later revealed to represent the Speed Force's dark aspect, which is responsible for the empowerment of Wally's children. His connection to death is limited to those connected to the Speed Force. While an issue{{Volume needed|c=y|date=April 2009}} of ''[[Captain Atom]]'' suggests [[Death of the Endless]], the [[Black Racer (DC Comics)|Black Racer]], and [[Nekron]] are all aspects of the same force, [[Neil Gaiman]] (creator of Death of the Endless) disagrees with this idea, stating that his creation is the ultimate personification of Death. DC Comics, however, tends to depict each character as a separate entity with no connection or relation to each other, seemingly giving merit to the idea presented in ''Captain Atom''.

During the ''[[Final Crisis]]'', Wally theorizes that the Black Racer pursuing himself and Barry is in fact the Black Flash.

The Black Flash's charred corpse was found in [[Iowa]] by two boys in ''[[The Flash: Rebirth]]''.<ref>''The Flash: Rebirth'' #1 (April 2009)</ref>

The Black Flash is sent hunting after the Force Barrier's destruction, killing [[Psych (comics)|Psych]] and attacking [[Steadfast (comics)|Steadfast]] and [[Fuerza (comics)|Fuerza]].<ref>''The Flash'' vol 5. #76 (August 2019)</ref> [[Hunter Zolomon]], cosmically-ehanced with the Sage Force, Strength Force and Still Force, takes Barry into the Forever Force to which the Black Flash chases Barry and Zoom to kill, hoping to heal the Speed Force. Zoom later sacrifices himself in order to finally heal the Speed Force, trapping the Black Flash.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Flash vol 5. #81|last=Williamson|first=Joshua|publisher=DC|year=2019}}</ref>

=== Barry Allen ===
{{main|Barry Allen}}
The second Black Flash is '''[[Barry Allen|Bartholomew "Barry" Allen]]''' due to Professor Zoom altering the Speed Force for a time.<ref>''The Flash: Rebirth'' #2 (May 2009)</ref><ref>''The Flash: Rebirth'' #3 (June 2009)</ref><ref>''The Flash: Rebirth'' #4 (August 2009)</ref>

=== Eobard Thawne ===
{{main|Eobard Thawne}}
The third Black Flash is the reanimated corpse of '''[[Eobard Thawne]]''' equipped with a [[Power ring (weapon)|power ring]] as a member of the [[Black Lantern Corps]].<ref>''[[Blackest Night: The Flash]]'' #1 (December 2009). DC Comics</ref><ref>''Blackest Night: The Flash'' #2 (January 2010). DC Comics</ref><ref>''Blackest Night: The Flash'' #3 (February 2010). DC Comics</ref><ref>[[Johns, Geoff]] (w). [[Reis, Ivan]] (p), Albert, Oclair (i). ''[[Blackest Night]]'' #8 (March 2010). DC Comics</ref>

==Other versions==
An original incarnation of the Black Flash, '''[[Jesse Chambers|Jesse Quick]]''', appears in ''[[Ame-Comi Girls|Ame-Comi Girls: Featuring Duela Dent]]'' #3.<ref>''Ame-Con Girls: Featuring Duela Dent'' #3</ref>

==In other media==
===Television===
An original incarnation of the Black Flash, '''[[Hunter Zolomon (Arrowverse)|Hunter Zolomon]]''', appears in the [[Arrowverse]] series ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'' (2014).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/25/the-flash-the-race-of-his-life-review|title=The Flash: "The Race of His Life" Review|date=May 24, 2016|access-date=July 21, 2016}}</ref><ref name="BlackFlashArrowverse">{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2017/01/08/the-flash-black-flash-returns-teddy-sears-season-3/|title=The Flash's Zoom to Resurface as Black Flash, on Multiple CW Shows|publisher=TV Line|last=Mitovich|first=Matt|date=January 8, 2017|access-date=January 8, 2017|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211222615/https://tvline.com/2017/01/08/the-flash-black-flash-returns-teddy-sears-season-3/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Schedeen|first1=Jesse|title=DC's Legends of Tomorrow: "Aruba" Review|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/05/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-aruba-review|website=IGN.com|date=April 4, 2017|access-date=February 28, 2018}}</ref>

===Video games===
* The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in ''[[Justice League Heroes: The Flash]]''. [[Wally West|Wally West / Flash]] is chased by the Black Flash when the player dies. Escaping the Black Flash is increasingly difficult after each death.
* The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in ''[[Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure]]''.
* The Eobard Thawne incarnation of the Black Flash appears as an alternate skin for [[Barry Allen|Barry Allen / Flash]] in ''[[Injustice: Gods Among Us]]''.
* The original incarnation of the Black Flash appears in ''[[DC Legends]]''.

===Miscellaneous===
A demonic version of the Black Flash (also known as the [[Speed Demon (DC Comics)|Speed Demon]] and [[Black Racer (DC Comics)|Black Racer]]) appears in ''[[Smallville Season 11]]'' #12. It seeks out [[Bart Allen|Impulse]] and [[Jay Garrick]]'s souls, but comes into conflict with the former and [[Clark Kent (Smallville)|Superman]]. As the fastest of the two speedsters, the Black Flash primarily focuses its attention on Impulse until the latter sacrifices himself to destroy the demonic speedster, which goes on to inspire Garrick to come out of retirement and form the [[Teen Titans]].<ref>''Smallville Season 11'' #12</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/black-flash.html Profile on Black Flash]

{{Flash}}
{{Mark Millar}}
{{Grant Morrison}}

[[Category:Characters created by Grant Morrison]]
[[Category:Characters created by Mark Millar]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1998]]
[[Category:DC Comics male supervillains]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can manipulate time]]
[[Category:DC Comics monsters]]
[[Category:Fictional personifications of death]]
[[Category:Zombies in comics]]
[[Category:Flash (comics) characters]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Black Flash|access_date=2026-02-27}}