The Rumour Mill: The Return of the Flash, But Not the One You Are Thinking [UPDATED]

A while ago, I called it that Rick Remender would be the new writer for Booster Gold. I put this together from a few scraps of information, and a tonne of gut feeling. Sadly Rick sent me a message to let me know that he is only one for one arc, so that made me sad

I’m going to try it again though. I am remarkably good at putting together little scraps of info, and figuring out upcoming plots. You never want to watch a murder mystery with me! Today’s prediction is one that I have had on my mind for several months now, and have been meaning to post about here.

By now everybody knows that Barry Allen has returned from the “dead”. I use inverted commas because it will most likely turn out that he never really died at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, and some shaky explanation will be given to explain where he has been. Barry Allen returned at the end of Final Crisis #2, and Geoff Johns is going to be writing a new mini series about this incarnation of the Flash.

Wally West returned last year at the end of the JLA/JSA crossover The Lightning Saga. Several members of the Legion of Super-Heroes travel to the present to resurrect an ally via lightning rods. The locations the Legion travels to include the spots where Barry Allen and Wally West gained their powers as well as the last spots on Earth where Barry appeared before his death. Both Batman and Hal Jordan realized this fact and believed Barry’s return is imminent. However, they instead retrieved Wally, Linda and his twin children, Iris and Jai, who appeared to have aged several years. Wally was immediately offered membership in the Justice League, which he accepted. Brainiac 5 implied West’s return was a freak accident and that they still retrieved the correct person they wanted and he was encased in one of the lightning rods used in the resurrection ceremony.

The resurrection of Wally West happened at a time when most titles in the DC universe were supposed to be aligned with each other, through the weekly Countdown comic. At seemingly the same time as Wally west died, Bart Allen had been killed over in The Flash. Bart died due to a machine built by Inertia which drained the Speed Force from him, leaving him surrounded by the Rogues and leading to the appearance of the Black Flash. Bart fought the Rogues before chasing after Inertia. After catching and beating Inertia, Bart again fought the Rogues. Panicked, Captain Cold, Heatwave, and Weather Wizard strike him down fatally.

Want to know what I think:

Bart Allen’s essence was absorbed into the legionnaires’ lightening rod, which they took back to the future with them. This lightening rod later appeared in an issue of Superman written by Geoff Johns. Superman asked why they had the rod, what they were doing with it, but a battle broke out, and we didn’t get the answer.

Geoff is writing Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds. I think that Bart Allen’s essence will return from the lightening rod, and he will save the day. Braniac 5 knew what was going to happen to Bart, that is why he sent the legionaire back to EXACTLY this time.

Expect to see FC:Lo3E followed up by a new ongoing title called The Flash and the Legion of Superheros.

You all owe me a beer if I am right

[Update]

In the weirdest and creepiest coincidence, I just read the latests LITG (which will be discussed tomorrow in this week’s Comic Book Upskirt) and read this:

One San Diegoer tells me, “I was waiting at the Aspen booth at Comic-Con getting a sketch done by current Legion Artist Francis Manapul, when Geoff Johns came over and interrupted to talk to him for a second. Johns had a copy of the first trade from his first Teen Titans trade, and handed it to Manapul, which Manapul said, ‘I eventually did get my hands on a copy and read it last night.’ The two of them talked about Bart Allen for a couple of minutes, with Manapul being very complimentary of how he was written. Johns looked around, saw people were watching, and turned his back and the two of them continued to talk inaudibly for about 10 minutes about something before Johns left.

“Combine that with the vague question that Johns asked at one panel: ‘Does anyone miss Bart Allen?’ and there has to be something there.”

I dunno. You can’t spend ten minutes having a friendly chat without people reading something into it.

I would like to specify that I have honestly been thinking about posting this for a long time, and had not read the LITG article before at all.

That is just plain screwed up. Hey DC: give me a shout if you need some less predictable plots

[/update]

[Update 2]

Kevin Huxford has reported over at his awesome Schwapp blog that this exchange was heard at DC’s WW:Chicago Panel

Will they bring back Bart Allen? “You have read the first issue of ‘Legion of Three Worlds,’ right?” Didio asked, and Johns hid his head in his hands.
“I haven’t read it,” Wayne said. “It hasn’t come out.”
“No plans at this time,” Didio came back. “How did I cover, Geoff?

Someone is going to owe me a beer!!![/Update 2]

Related posts:

1. The Rumour Mill: Rick Remender is the New Writer of Booster Gold … [UPDATE]
2. The Rumour Mill: Rick Remender is the New Writer of Booster Gold …
3. When You Argue on the Internet, There Are No Winners! [Updated]
4. The Daily Review - Green Lantern #32
5. SDCC 2008 - Update #2