Dark Flash

In the 2023 feature film The Flash, Dark Flash manifests within the Chronoball—the temporal arena where time loops intersect. This appearance represents the tragic revelation of a future, corrupted version of the alternate 2013 Barry Allen who spent decades trapped in endless time loop attempts to save Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Batman (Michael Keaton) during General Zod's invasion. In DC Comics lore, Dark Flash's central narrative unfolds during 'The Dark Flash Saga' (The Flash Vol. 2 #152–#159), where Walter West—an alternate-timeline Wally West who failed to save his wife Linda Park from Kobra—crosses Hypertime to step into Earth-0 while the main Wally West is lost in the Speed Force.

The appearance of Dark Flash is a pivotal exploration of grief, obsession, and the devastating consequences of altering historical events. In the 2023 film, Dark Flash's refusal to accept tragic deaths disrupts the multiverse, threatening the destruction of entire realities. His presence forces the younger 2013 Barry Allen to realize that certain events cannot be changed, leading the younger Barry to sacrifice his own life to erase Dark Flash and preserve the timeline. In comic history, Walter West's tenure as Dark Flash highlights the thin line between justice and vengeance, serving as a dark mirror to Wally West before Walter leaves Earth-0 to navigate Hypertime in search of his own timeline.

The visual design of Dark Flash emphasizes physical trauma and dark corruption. In the 2023 movie, decades of continuous temporal loops inside the Chronoball cause Kryptonian armor fragments and sharp temporal debris to fuse directly into his skin and suit, giving him a jagged, blackish-grey, spike-covered appearance. In contrast, the comic book incarnation of Walter West wears a dark crimson-and-silver speedster costume instead of the traditional scarlet and gold. Walter is also distinguished by a prominent lightning-shaped scar running across his face, acquired during his intense training under the speedster Savitar.