The Wally Question (C2E2 2013 Edition)

[speedster]

I attended C2E2 in Chicago today and, in a DC panel, someone enviably asked about Wally West.

Of course, the standard "never say never" and "anything can happen" non-answers were given (and, really, what are people expecting anyway). However, Bob Harris did throw this nugget of info out:

"[Wally's] name comes up frequently in meetings."

To me, that reads that they are up for using him, but just want to make sure they do it in the right way and won't step on what is being done with the other Flash characters.

They also all, but confirmed a Crime Syndicate "Earth 3" exists and will be the focus of an upcoming storyline in the DCU (details of which will be revealed in a month or so's time.

[golddragon71]

Interesting...
although (and I'm not trying to be Mr. Conspiracy theorist here) but there is a possibility that "Wally's name comes up in meetings because A: The fans keep asking about him and B: they mention him at meetings to decide "OK, if the fans ask, "what about Wally West?" what do we tell them?"

[speedster]

You know, despite the internet's insistence that the DC powers that be hate the fans (really, what a stupid thought), I doubt Harris would have said anything if Wally conversations were not at least semi-legit in terms of storytelling.

I wouldn't be surprised if Wally isn't being talked about. Clearly, people want to see him back. But given the current status of the New 52, Wally simply doesn't fit without giving the character a complete overhaul like they did with Jay Garrick. However, unlike Jay, Wally is the more popular character and an overhaul might do more bad than good.

If I was a huge Wally fan, I would want DC to wait and bring him into the New 52 with a strong debut and take on the character instead of just throwing him in any which way to shut people up.

[golddragon71]

While I don't think TPTB at DC "hate" the fans, I do think that they've been unnecessarily dismissive of the tenured fans of the company who've been reading the books faithfully for the last 25-30 years.

That said, I do think it's to DC's detriment that they've kept Wally off the board as long as they have. Also I feel that Wally's re-integration could be pulled off without losing much of the elements that made him popular in the first place. Last week i think I came up with a pretty good proposal as to how this could be done.

short version:
1. Wally is a junior CSI under Barry (ala Greg Sanders under Gil Grissom.)
2: Barry gives Wally a chem analysis assignment which puts him at the rack of chemicals.
3:Weather Wizard starts whipping up storms
4: Barry fights WW and during the fight his Speed Force energies mix with WW's Storms.
5: Wally is Struck by Speed-Force infused Lightning during battle and given Super-Speed
6: Barry gives Wally an identical uniform to his and they (for a while at least) play at "Flash is so fast he can be at two places at once!" (besides Wally's an adult and there's already a Kid Flash present)
7: Wally's relationship with Linda can be maintained but we may have to lose Jai and Irey.
8: Wally maintains the same differences in powers and personality to what Barry had.
a. Barry can Ghost through Walls by vibrating Wally can Vibrate but the Kinetic energy left behind causes said walls to explode.
b. Barry is Mr. Slow and Methodical. Wally is not IMPULSE but he's very impatient and tends to barrell in headlong!
c. Both have the Speedster's pause effect but While Wally's just let's him effect the existing environment, Barry can "see" all the effects of all changes made or unmade.
9: When It comes out that there are indeed two Flash's Wally Alters his costume slightly. (most likely to what he had prior to Flashpoint. at that point Barry's uniform reverts to Infantino design)

[dallinturner]

I've never been particularly attached to Wally, so I don't really have a horse in this race, but I have to ask long-time Wally fans: Which is better, leaving Wally out completely or bringing him back in a completely different form (like making him younger and the new Impulse, or turning him into a girl or something like that)? I think you should be able to take some comfort in knowing DC hasn't ruined him.

[Calazans]

Apr 29, 2013 12:03:33 GMT -5 dallinturner said:

I've never been particularly attached to Wally, so I don't really have a horse in this race, but I have to ask long-time Wally fans: Which is better, leaving Wally out completely or bringing him back in a completely different form (like making him younger and the new Impulse, or turning him into a girl or something like that)? I think you should be able to take some comfort in knowing DC hasn't ruined him.

I'm also not a huge fan of Wally and I don't want to see him taking off Barry's place again. I don't want to see two Flashes on Earth One and obviously I don't wanna see Barry dying again. I really don't see a place for Wally on New 52 Earth 1.

I like the Grant Morrison's Multiverse idea, in which there's a universe with 1990's versions of DC heroes. Kyle as Green Lantern, Wally as Flash, Connor as Green Arrow etc. I started reading DC comics on the 90's, but these are not my favorite Green Lantern, Flash and Green Arrow. However, I'd love to see them in a paralel universe. I would read their stories.

I really hoped the reboot would create a new multiverse and spread the many versions of the heroes among them. One universe in which Jay is the Flash, on another Wally is the Flash (and Max Mercury is his mentor), Barry as the Flash on Earth 1 and Bart as the Flash of the Legion, for instance.

I really hope DC won't put Wally as a supporting character on Barry's stories, because that would gonna screw with what has been done with Barry only to present some distorted version of Wally.

Fans of Wally and fans of Barry would lose.

[dillonmania]

I can't speak for Wally fans, but as a Top fan his complete erasure from the DCU leaves me with two conflicting feelings: glad that he isn't being butchered, but also hurt and upset that DC thinks he needs to be replaced. I wouldn't be surprised if at least some Wally fans feel something similar.

[golddragon71]

I hadn't even noticed that Top had been erased i just figured they hadn't gotten to him yet.

as to the Wally vs Barry sitcuation I really don't see why it has to be One or the other. Superman has had several titles as has Batman There's no reason DC can't come up with a second Flash title devoted to Wally's adventures in Keystone City (ie: the pre new52 proposed Speed Force or, Flash Family...or All-Flash or any other name that could be differentiated slightly so that Barry's Title "The Flash" could be the flagship Speedster comic with the secondary one being about Wally, Jay's solo adventures on Earth 2 a New52 version of Max Mercury perhaps etc.....)
As I said on Facebook, I'm sick of all this Either/or crap! there's more than enough room for two Flashes in the DCU the only problem is finding someone who has the imagination to realize it.
(On the other hand this board seems to have plenty of members with more than adequate imagination (far more so than DC's current powers-that-be seem to have!)

[dillonmania]

Yeah, the Top has been replaced by Turbine (otherwise there would be two spinning Rogues named Roscoe). Which is one reason I no longer buy the book.

[golddragon71]

Funny sisenote my nephew was playing on DC Universe Online and he encountered the Top for the First time (Dillon usually hangs out in Metropolis a few Blocks north of Centennial Park)

[dillonmania]

That's what I've been told! I haven't played the game yet myself because my computer is perpetually short on memory and it can't be installed, but I want to (I've already purchased the Flash expansion pack). People have said he's the chattiest Rogue