Warner Bros. has big plans in mind for Ezra Miller's The Flash. Not only will the Scarlet Speedster play a prominent role in the Justice League movie this November, but he'll also be the star of another upcoming DC Extended Universe film, The Flash: Flashpoint. This new movie will adapt the comic book storyline of the same name and introduce a dramatically different version of the DC Universe on the big screen.
By now, the "Flashpoint" name probably rings a bell with a lot of DC fans, as this isn't the first time the comics have been adapted for a different medium. But if you're not sure why this story is so significant, here's everything you need to know about the epic superhero crossover that's inspiring the blockbuster movie. Spoilers for the comics story follow.
Many DC comics have offered glimpses of dark, alternate versions of the DCU, but few have had the impact or staying power of Flashpoint. In the Flashpoint timeline, the world has been brought to the brink of destruction by a prolonged war between Atlantis and Themyscira. As Wonder Woman and Aquaman's armies fight on, only Barry Allen retains any memory of the world as it once existed. But with his speed powers gone, Barry is forced join forces with heroes like Batman, Cyborg and Shazam to fix the timeline and restore the true DCU.
Flashpoint hinges on the revelation that it was actually Barry himself who caused this new timeline. The amnesic Barry eventually remembers that he used his speed to travel back in time and save his mother from being murdered by Reverse-Flash. That act caused a major butterfly effect, forcing Barry to accept that time isn't to be meddled with, no matter how noble the meddler's intentions.
Half the fun of the Flashpoint universe is seeing iconic DC characters twisted and warped by the altered timeline. There is no Justice league to speak of in this world. Aquaman and Wonder Woman are both too busy fighting each other to serve as heroes. Superman has spent his entire life trapped in a government facility, leaving him emaciated and terrified of the outside world. Hal Jordan never inherited the Green Lantern ring because Abin Sur never perished. In the absence of these heroes, Cyborg emerged as America's greatest metahuman protector.
But perhaps the most memorable subversion to take place in the Flashpoint timeline involves Batman. In this world, Bruce Wayne was killed by the mugger that fateful night, leaving his parents grief-stricken. Thomas Wayne instead serves as the Batman of this world, while Martha Wayne was driven so mad by her grief that she became the Joker. Thomas was motivated to help Flash not out of a selfless sense of heroism, but a desire to restore a world where his son still lives.
Flashpoint also revolves heavily around the never-ending rivalry between Flash and Reverse-Flash. Eobard Thawne may not be the culprit behind Flashpoint, but he's all too happy to take advantage of the chaos Barry Allen caused.
Flashpoint was a five-issue mini-series written by Geoff Johns, drawn by Andy Kubert and published by DC in summer 2011. That mini-series was accompanied by several dozen tie-in comics, all of which expanded the world of Flashpoint and the roles of characters like Batman, Green Lantern, Captain Cold and Deathstroke in the larger conflict.
Flashpoint served as a culmination of Johns' Flash storylines, building on Barry's resurrection in 2008's Final Crisis and return to prominence in 2010's Flash: Rebirth. At the time, Barry shared the Flash mantle with former sidekick Wally West, but by the time Flashpoint wrapped, Barry was back to being the DCU's only Flash.
Flashpoint also acted as a catalyst for DC's New 52 relaunch. The final issue of Flashpoint saw Barry defeat Reverse-Flash (with a little help from Batman) and travel back in time again to undo his mistake. In the process, he caused the DC Universe to merge with the Vertigo and Wildstorm universes, resulting in a new, unified DCU where all three worlds co-existed. DC used the New 52 as an opportunity to streamline their continuity and relaunch their entire comic book line in September 2011.
The effects of Flashpoint are still being felt throughout the DCU, even as the New 52 relaunch has made way for the current DC Rebirth status quo. Recent stories have revealed that Flash wasn't actually the one who altered the makeup of the DCU at the end of Flashpoint, but rather Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan. Flash and Batman even traveled to the Flashpoint universe moments before its final destruction, giving Bruce the priceless opportunity to see his father again.
Flashpoint has already served as the basis for two major DC projects outside of the comics. The 2014 direct-to-DVD animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is closely based on the comic book storyline, even to the point of setting up a series of New 52-inspired films in its wake.
The CW TV series The Flash(spoilers!) also adapted the events Flashpoint, albeit in a much looser form. The Flash's Season 2 finale ended with Grant Gustin's Barry traveling back in time to save his mother, much as his comic book counterpart did. However, The CW's vision of the Flashpoint timeline was a much less drastic departure from the norm, differing only in very specific ways. While the Flashpoint timeline itself was erased by the end of the Season 3 premiere, Barry's actions continued to have far-reaching consequences for the remainder of the season.
It's expected that the Flashpoint movie will be a much more direct adaptation of the source material, along the lines of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. It's even speculated that Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will reprise the parts of Thomas and Martha Wayne from 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, taking on more prominent roles this time around. Some fans also speculate that Flashpoint will act as a soft reboot of sorts for the DC Extended Universe, with the ending paving the way for a new series of films that don't necessarily follow the tone or continuity of previous DCEU projects.
Several recent DC video games have also included nods to Flashpoint. Both 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us and its 2017 sequel, as well as 2015's Batman: Arkham Knight, feature downloadable character skins inspired by the world of Flashpoint.
Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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