This page is for the Dark Flash, Walter West.
For Wally West, the third Flash, see the Wally West page.
One thing makes the difference…
Walter West is identical to Wally West. However, Walter has blue eyes. Wally has green eyes. Walter is a more intense version of Wally. Walter is also appears to be about ten years older with a lightning bolt shaped scar on the left side of his face. Walter was more powerful than Wally when they met. Walter had devoted himself to the study of speed.
The key difference between the two men is Walter’s Linda was killed by Kobra. Walter was not able to save her. He became ruthless. Walter blamed himself for Linda’s death. He thought he had been too easy on his enemies. The loss of Linda resulted in Walter turning to Savitar for training in the use of the Speed Force. Walter was an adept student. He learned all of Savitar’s speed secrets. Upon completion of his training, Walter killed Savitar. Walter embarked on an anti-crime tear so vicious and single-minded he was pursued by law enforcement agencies. He wanted to make all criminals pay dearly for the loss of his Linda.
Kadabra made the world forget Linda in an attempt to destroy Wally’s anchor to the world. Linda was the one reason Wally had not been pulled into the Speed force. Walter’s Linda was also his beacon. When she was murdered, he lost a significant part of himself.
Wally’s Linda arrives on Walter’s world after escaping from Kadabra. Walter and Linda share a joyous reunion. However, Linda realizes this isn’t here Wally when she sees Walter’s blue eyes. This realization is confirmed when the authorities show up and Walter changes into his flash costume and violently decimates the group of officers. Piper intervenes. Linda is able to escape. As she runs, she sees Walter’s image on wanted poster throughout the city. As she wanders through the city, she sees a statue erected in memory of her sacrifice. She finally arrives at her own tombstone. However, Walter finds her at the graveyard.
Proving again that she is Wally’s beacon, Wally also arrives at the site. The two confused West boys face-off. Linda is able to confirm Wally’s identity. A crazed Walter arrives and is able to trap Wally. Wally reveals elements of their shared history in an attempt to show Walter he is an alternate version of him. This enrages Walter. Walter whoops Wally. Linda saves the day by distracting Walter. However, Kadabra arrives and separates the two Flashes.
After escaping, Wally merges with Walter in an attempt to ensure they can defeat Kadabra. While merged the two Flashes share memories. Wally is calming Walter down. However, Walter’s rage is affecting Wally. Walter is able to end the merger. He takes the opportunity to deal a death blow to Kadabra. However, before he does, he realizes Wally achieved his goal. Walter has been calmed down by the merger. Meanwhile, Walter realizes he is not holding Kadabra. Kadabra is off apparently casting a spell that kills Wally and Linda.
Walter attacks. Kadabra delivers a thunderbolt straight to Walter’s chest. However, Walter is able to metabolize the wound. Kadabra strikes Walter seven more times as he continues to advance. The cellular regeneration causes Walter to appear to age. After the last strike, Kadabra disappears. Believing he caused Wally and Linda’s death, Walter erects tombstones. Using the knowledge he gained while merged with Wally, Walter departs his world for Wally’s home. Wearing a new costume and lightning bolt shaped scar on his face, he intends to hunt down Kadabra and avenge Wally and Linda.
Walter arrives a few days after the other speedsters return from their battle in the 30 century with Cobalt Blue. Jay is the first member of the Flash family to encounter Walter. Walter is able to save Jay, three police officers and Angela Margolin from a booby trap Jay believes was set by Dr. Alchemy. Jay approaches Walter. However, Walter leaves Jay. Jay calls in Impulse, Max Mercury and Jesse Quick to intercept Walter. Walter is able to elude them also. Walter finds Dr. Alchemy. After a short battle, Walter uses his power to accelerate Alchemy’s neurons and slow his cerebral cortex. Alchemy passes out from the pain.
Walter comes to Jay’s house. He proposes that Jay patrol Keystone City and he will work Central City. He asks Jay to vouch for him as the Flash. Jay agrees after Walter removes his mask. Walter leaves. He zips through Angela’s office and leaves flowers. The people of Central City are excited and proud to have this new Flash patrolling their streets. Walter builds a lightning bolt shaped obelisk with no doors or windows outside of the Flash museum. This serves as his home away from home.
After the funeral for a police officer who was murdered by the Folded Man, Walter runs Angela to Paris. Walter has been taking Angela her for the past four weeks. However, he still has not revealed who he is to her. Walter senses something. Bart is spying on Walter. He is vibrating to make himself invisible. Walter and Angela leave. Bart reports back to Max and Jesse.
Angela and Walter arrive in Keystone. They meet with Devlin Bridges owner of the company Edwin Gauss, the Folded Man, stole his technology from. Gauss attacks while Walter is in the office. Gauss is able to trap Walter in the fourth dimension. However, Walter is able to vibrate out. He eventually defeats Gauss. Max, Jesse and Impulse are still attempting to obtain information on Walter. At the Obelisk, Impulse realizes there is an underground chamber. The speedsters find items from Wally West’s house. They also find things Wally inherited from Barry Allen. At Angela’s office, Walter and Angela share their first kiss as Max, Jesse and Impulse arrive. The three speedsters confront Walter with the information they obtained from his secret chamber. Bart lives up to his name once again as he zips behind Walter and removes his mask. Max, Jesse and Bart are stunned as they realize they are looking at an older version of Wally.
Replicant, a new villain wielding the powers of the Rogues Gallery, has faced off against Walter. He has been contracted by the Rogues to take down Walter. While Replicant is attacking Walter and Angela in Venice, he is teleported away by Kadabra. Kadabra was observing the battle and realized the new Flash was Walter. He offers Replicant the chance to become his assistant. He believes they have a common objective. He tells Replicant the Wally/Walter/Linda alternate Earth story. However, as Replicant is digesting this story, Zoom arrives and declares he is in charge of this group.
Professor Zoom quickly defeats the other speedsters using the Neuron Gauntlet. Kadabra intends to go after Angela. However, Zoom disagrees. He shows disbelief in Kadabra’s claim that he made the world forget Linda. Replicant breaks up the argument. Walter arrives and the villains spring their trap. Walter is trapped within Replicant’s mirrored form. Walter is able to extract himself from Replicant. Zoom grabs Walter as Kadabra taunts Walter about the death of Linda. However, Walter appears to have no knowledge of Linda Park. Zoom repeats to Kadabra that he never believed the magician actual made world believe Linda disappeared. Kadabra is infuriated. He reverses the spell. Linda reappears. Finally, Zoom reveals himself to actually be Wally West. Wally pounces on Kadabra. Meanwhile, Replicant reaches for the gauntlet. However, this is actually a device Piper created for Wally. The gauntlet was actually just a container for a nanovirus designed by Piper to trap Replicant.
Kadabra is casting a final spell. Wally and Walter are not able to vibrate through the field Kadabra is generating. Linda suggests they use mirrors. Just as Kadabra is finished casting the spell meant to erase all the speedsters, the mirrors reflect the magic back at Kadabra. Kadabra forgets everything.
Later, at the Central City Police Department, Wally is clarifying the whole story to Angela. He tells how he and Linda were not vaporized by Kadabra on Walter’s Earth. Wally had already started vibrating them for their return to his Earth. They saw the final battle between Kadabra and Walter. They saw Walter depart his Earth. However, Wally was unable to find his way home. When they finally did return home, Linda was still immaterial and forgotten by the world. However, Wally was still able to see and speak to Linda. To save Linda, who was fading away, Wally and Jay came up with the Zoom scheme to trick Kadabra.
Wonder Woman and Superman arrive. They reveal Walter’s presence is causing a rift in Hypertime. Everyone in the room sees a “ghost” of a variant Jay Garrick. Superman tells them Walter could inadvertently cause our universe to crash into another. Superman and Wonder Woman allow Walter six more hours on our world. During this time Walter takes Angela to Rome. Several hours later, as more signs of Hypertime bleed begin to manifest, Walter departs for his world. Walter arrives in on a world without superheroes. He enters a comic book store where he is comforted by a book containing an image of Angela with the caption I remember you, Walter. I’ll always remember.
“Other” Speed Force Abilities
- Superior ability to vibrate through obstacles
- Enhanced strength
- Ability to be in multiple places (performed CPR on three people at once)
- Ability to steal speed
- Can shift speed in a localized area (was able to accelerate the neurons and slow the cerebral cortex of Dr Alchemy. Causing Alchemy to pass out from the pain)
- Was able to sense Bart spying on him (Bart was vibrating to render himself invisible)
- Accelerated cell growth to heal damage to his body (Side-Effect: Causes quicker aging)