- Doctor's advice: When you're in the middle of a war...don't stand still.
Flashpoint (Volume 2) #5 is an issue of the series Flashpoint (Volume 2) with a cover date of October, 2011. It was published on August 31, 2011.
Synopsis for "Flashpoint, Chapter Five of Five"
As the final battle rages, Professor Zoom looms over the Flash. Enraged, Barry demands to known what he had done to the timestream to create this world. However, to Barry's surprise, Zoom had done nothing. Using his connection to the Reverse Speed Force, Zoom reveals that it was Barry who had created this universe, stopping Zoom from killing his mother. Doing so had shattered history, causing the world of Flashpoint to occur. Barry breaks free from Zoom's grasp and the two begin their fight before Batman stops them. He figures they need to "remove Thawne from the equation", but the madman beats Batman to a pulp, declaring that it was backwards, that Barry had done that to his own equation. He, then, reveals to Barry that because of his alteration to the Speed Force while he was traveling it, he became a living paradox, free from history and free to do whatever he sees fit. As he gloats that Barry can't kill him, he's shown a loophole when Batman skewers him with a sword.
As the other heroes regroup, they learn that the Enchantress is working with Wonder Woman and is plowing through the Atlantean soldiers. They're soon joined by Grifter and the Resistance, however the Enchantress slays the gathering before mortally wounding Batman. Her rampage is stopped by the arrival of Subject One, who lands and disperses her energies before focusing on Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Despite his arrival, along with Grodd, things got worse - the Atlanteans had plans for sinking Britain was going to end up splitting the Earth in half. The resulting explosions kill most everyone there, save Barry and the dying Thomas. Before passing on, Thomas gives Barry a letter to give to Bruce. With one last nudge, Barry races into the timestream, only to be pulled back to his home where his mother waits.
In his home, Barry reveals that it was his fault that this world came to be and that he can't accurately fix things without the Cosmic Treadmill. She tells him that if he got to her by using her as some sort of lightning rod, he could do the same to his other self. Barry becomes hesitant, not wanting to lose her again, but she asks a question that gets him to change his mind: how many people had died because of this? She finally gets him to just let go of her and he chases after his past self. He is able to catch up to him and, reluctantly, stops him and attempts to hop back into the timestream. However, he sees three timelines in doing so - normal DCU, Vertigo and Wildstorm - and is confronted by a mysterious woman, who reveals that the three universes were splintered into three to allow an invasion to arrive. However, she needs the three unified and uses Barry to do so, costing him something valuable.
Soon, Barry wakes up in his office, realizing everything was fixed. He, soon, races to the Batcave to confront Bruce. There, he reveals what had happened, feeling bad that he allowed it to occur. Bruce reassures him slightly by saying he would have done the same thing. Barry, then, realizes he still has fond memories of being with his mother. Bruce, wistfully, suggests it was a gift of sorts to make things feel better for him. In return, Barry gives Bruce the letter Thomas gave him. In shock, Bruce reads it and finds himself reading it intently, bringing himself to tears before thanking him for doing so.
Appearing in "Flashpoint, Chapter Five of Five"
Featured Characters:
- The Flash (New Earth)
- The Flash (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (See Notes)
- Batman (Thomas Wayne) (Dies)
Supporting Characters:
- Superman (Flashpoint Timeline)
- Cyborg (Flashpoint Timeline)
- Element Woman
- Nora Allen
- The Resistance
- Captain Thunder / S.H.A.Z.A.M.
- Billy Batson (Mentioned only)
- Mary Batson
- Freddy Freeman
- Pedro Peña
- Darla Dudley
- Eugene Choi
- Tawky Tawny
- The Outsider
Antagonists:
- Professor Zoom (Dies)
- Amazons
- Atlanteans
- The Enchantress (Dies)
- Gorillas
Other Characters:
- Batman (Bruce Wayne of Prime Earth) (First appearance) (See Notes)
- Pandora (First appearance)
- Prime Earth cameos
- Animal Man (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Apollo (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Batgirl (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Cyborg (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Grifter (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Midnighter (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Resurrection Man (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Sinestro (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Static (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Supergirl (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Superman (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Swamp Thing (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (Prime Earth) (First appearance) (Cameo)
- New Earth cameos
- Atrocitus (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Batman (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Catwoman (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Cyborg (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Deathstroke (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Hawkman (New Earth) (Cameo)
- The Joker (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Lex Luthor (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Sinestro (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Superman (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Wonder Woman (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Vertigo Universe cameos
- Animal Man (New Earth) (Cameo)
- John Constantine (Vertigo Universe) (Cameo)
- Shade, the Changing Man (Earth-85) (Cameo)
- Swamp Thing (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Traci Thirteen (New Earth) (Cameo)
- Wildstorm Universe cameos
- Apollo (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Grifter (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Maul (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Midnighter (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Voodoo (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Warblade (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
- Zealot (Wildstorm Universe) (Cameo)
Locations:
- Flashpoint Timeline
- Prime Earth (First appearance)
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Flashpoint and The Flash: A Celebration of 75 Years. It is also reprinted in original pencils in Flashpoint Unwrapped.
- The versions of Barry Allen and Bruce Wayne seen after Barry wakes up in his office are the Prime Earth incarnations, making their respective debuts.
- The cameo characters listed under Other Characters appear on the two-page spread depicting the merging of timelines.
- The three timelines seen in the two-page spread are New Earth (the mainstream DC Universe), the Vertigo Universe (the DC Universe characters who were published under DC's Vertigo imprint), and the Wildstorm Universe.
Trivia
- Traci Thirteen appears as a member of the Vertigo Universe even though she never appeared in any Vertigo publications (though her father, Doctor Thirteen, did). Additionally, Swamp Thing and Animal Man had both returned to the mainstream DC Universe by the time of Flashpoint's publication.
See Also