Does The Flash Disappear for 25 Years?
As a passionate fan who analyzes every detail in shows like The Flash, I can say with confidence that based on current events in the Arrowverse – Barry Allen‘s Flash will indeed disappear for over two decades before returning back to the world.
The Future Newspaper Article Hints at The Disappearance
In the very first episode of The Flash in 2014, fans were treated with a glimpse into the future via a newspaper article from 2024 with the headline "Flash Missing, Vanishes in Crisis". The byline explicitly states that the Scarlet Speedster had been missing for 25 years since 2024.
This astonishing reveal set the stage for what the producers planned to be the eventual endgame for Barry‘s story – where the hero sacrifices himself during a multiversal "crisis" event before returning in the future thanks to the cosmic powers of the Speed Force.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths Connection
The groundwork for this major crisis has already been laid out in the ambitious 2019-20 crossover event between all the Arrowverse shows called "Crisis on Infinite Earths". Here, we saw Barry as The Flash facing off against the Anti-Monitor alongside other superheroes where he disappears towards the end.
Fans believe it‘s very likely that Barry returns to 2024 after this battle where he prevents the Anti-Monitor from destroying the new Earth-Prime by running fast enough. This results in him disappearing into the speed force, not to be seen again for 25 years!
The Disappearance Theories – Will The Flash Return?
There have been several intriguing theories discussed among circles of expert analysts and passionate speedster fans when it comes to the nature of Barry Allen‘s foretold disappearance. Let‘s explore some of the credible ones:
The Flash Merges With the Artificial Speed Force
One theory suggests that Flash merges with the new artificial speed force that team Flash manages to create in the more recent seasons allowing him to transcend space and time itself.
| Speed Force Type | Speed Force Abilities |
|---|---|
| Natural Speed Force | Basic speedster abilities like running at Mach 10,000 speeds, time travel, phasing through objects etc. |
| Artificial Speed Force | Likely contains cosmic energies that could allow for trans-temporal abilities like disappearing for years and reappearing back in restored form later. |
This merging allows him to essentially become a part of the fabric of reality itself! He would have almost god-like powers and ability to transcend normal space-time barriers.
Flash Runs to the 30th Century On Purpose
Another theory that some fans on Reddit have is that Flash intentionally runs to the 30th century to get future tech support to beat a powerful villain, or to learn secrets that allow him to stop the crisis event from the future.
He returns years later much more powerful once he‘s gotten what he needs to save his present and the multiverse!
Timeline Gets Erased or Recreated
There‘s also speculation that in stopping the multiverse from getting destroyed completely, Flash gets lost in the speed force energy released and the entire timeline gets erased. This results in a new timeline getting formed where Flash doesn‘t reappear for over two decades!
What The Flash Series Finale Suggests for 2024 Crisis
The recent series finale for The Flash TV show saw Barry defeating his arch-nemesis Eobard Thawne aka Reverse Flash one last epic battle that resulted in a reset of the Arrowverse timeline and multiverse.
So what does this mean for the future 2024 crisis event? Well, with the timeline now changed, it‘s likely that the future newspaper article will itself get erased or rewritten.
However, many experts argue that due to the complex nature of time travel, this cataclysmic crisis could still very much be destined to happen in 2024, meaning Flash disappearing for 25 years is likely still in the cards!
Black Flash & Other Speedsters Critical to Story
With the Arrowverse exploring new speedster characters like the fearsome Black Flash and even teasing future storylines with the villainous Red Death Flash, there is likely more to be revealed in terms of allies or villains that tie into Flash‘s disappearance in 2024.
These other speedsters will likely have a key role to play and their abilities could also be used for or against Barry Allen!
For example, Black Flash as essentially the Grim Reaper of speedsters could be who takes Barry into the speed force when he sacrifices himself, only to have the heroic speedster escape decades later.
The Flash‘s Speed Force Abilities and Feats
Given questions around what happened when Flash disappears in crisis, it‘s worth looking into Barry Allen‘s immense speed force abilities that might come into play:
- Running at Mach 10,000 speeds exceeding the speed of light itself
- Time travel – Barry can run fast enough to open portals allowing him to travel to different periods in history
- Phasing – Flash can quantum tunnel his body through solid objects by vibrating his molecules at insane speeds
- Rapid cellular regeneration – Flash can heal and recover from incredible damage in short time
- Infinite stamina – Has endurance to keep running at top speeds for over 10 days straight with no fatigue
According to his feats in the comics and shows, Flash may have ran at mind-bending speeds exceeding 13 trillion mph during his final stand against the Anti-Monitor!
This likely enables him to transcend the temporal barriers and enter the Speed Force dimension itself where he receives additional powers or recovery before finally returning in future.
So in summary – yes, The Flash based on the Arrowverse lore does disappear defending the multiverse for 25 long years before likely making an epic, triumphant return using his unmatched speed force abilities!
