After Barry Allen survived the lightning strike, he could harness the Speed Force, a force that holds the multiverse together, allowing him to travel at great speeds and even break the time barrier. The Flash is undoubtedly one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, meaning equally powerful, cunning and intelligent villains oppose him. If the Flash harnessed their powers and abilities, he could give himself an upgrade.
Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, the Reverse Flash and nearly every one of Flash’s rogues possess a power, ability, or technological device that the Scarlet Speedster could use to increase his superheroic effectiveness. However, some of these powers come at a cost, dangerous to both the user and anyone they affect.
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10 Negative Speed Force
Reverse Flash
The Flash uses the Speed Force to run fast, travel through time, generate energy, and much more. Naturally, as his opposite, the Reverse Flash channels the Negative Speed Force. On the surface, these two multiversal forces provide their avatars with similar powers; both are speedsters after all.
However, if the Flash used Reverse Flash’s Negative Speed Force, he could siphon the speed from speedsters who use the positive Speed Force and most importantly, change the timeline without any repercussions. Reverse Flash proved he could manipulate time without creating branching universes when he fought the Flash Family in Flash: Rebirth.
9 Super Strength
Girder
Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, Girder first appeared in DC Comics when Wally West was the Flash. Wally had carried the Flash mantle for well over a decade, so he was a veteran speedster at this point. However, all the speed in the world couldn’t help Wally defeat a man with metallic skin. Girder is like a grotesque version of the X-Men’s Colossus, possessing steel-like skin and super strength.
The Flash is fast, and the Speed Force grants him a protective barrier in case he slips and crashes into a wall. However, an upgrade from Girder could allow Flash to fight evil Kryptonians, Martians or other threats that require both speed and strength.
8 Weather Manipulation
Weather Wizard
The Weather Wizard uses his wand to manipulate the weather. He may seem like a true magician, wielding his wand like DC’s most powerful magic-users, but the Wizard’s wand is actually technological in nature. During the New 52, Weather Wizard and the Rogues al gained actual superpowers based on their weapons. The Wizard and Flash’s powers would mesh beautifully.
Flash generates energy thanks to the Speed Force and Weather Wizard can conjure up storms. The Flash could merge the two abilities and create a giant storm of Speed Force energy that could either damage a lot of enemies at once or possibly create new speedsters.
7 Super Intelligence
Thinker
The Flash is physically one of the most powerful DC Comics characters. It’s hard to compete with someone who runs at the speed of light (although the Rogues certainly try month after month). While Wally West possessed the ability to read texts quickly and retain a lot of knowledge, the effects were temporary, and he’d soon forget everything he learned in that heartbeat.
The Thinker is an interesting Flash foe who uses his enhanced brain rather than cold guns or the Negative Speed Force. The Flash TV episode “The Speed of Thought” presented a Flash who used both speed and heightened intelligence, resulting in a nearly unstoppable speedster, albeit one who lacked empathy.
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6 Energy Constructs
Cobalt Blue
Cobalt Blue was the final villain of The Flash TV series, appearing just a few episodes before the series finale. Audiences spent little time with the villain, but knew his alter-ego, Eddie Thawne, well. Cobalt Blue’s origin and powers in DC Comics are very different from his live-action counterpart. In the comics, Cobalt uses a talisman to run fast and generate constructs made of energy.
The Flash could create swords made of electricity in the TV series, but comics Flash usually sticks to running fast. If the Flash possessed Blue’s talisman, he could create a speedster/Green Lantern hybrid; a hero who runs at the speed of light while generating energy constructs.
5 Life-Force Drain
Cicada
In DC Comics, Cicada ran a cult of would-be speedsters, draining life force to generate superspeed. Barry Allen has used a form of life-draining powers before when he became the Black Flash in Flash: Rebirth and the Black Racer in a Justice League “Darkseid War” tie-in comic. In both cases, the Flash could kill whoever he touched and siphon the speed from fellow Flash Family members.
If the Flash possessed Cicada’s power, he’d struggle to find heroic uses. The power literally drains people’s life. If the Flash ever became a villain, contacting Cicada should be priority number one. With Flash’s speed, no one could stop him from draining other’s life force and gaining even more speed.
4 Telepathy
Gorilla Grodd
The Flash doesn’t need martial arts training to fight. He relies on his speed when battling villains like the Rogues. The Flash is faster than almost every other DC character, but he still struggles against other speedsters who can potentially match his speed. In those cases, the Flash could use Gorilla Grodd’s telepathy.
Speed isn’t always enough, and the Flash could become a truly unstoppable force if he could predict his opponents’ actions. With telepathy, the Flash could read the Reverse Flash’s mind, using his speed to maneuver himself into perpetually advantageous positions.
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3 Mirror Dimension
Mirror Master
While Flash travels at superspeed, Mirror Master can cover great distances using reflective surfaces that act as gateways to the Mirror Dimension. If the Flash had control over the Mirror Dimension, he could also basically teleport between mirrors.
The Mirror Dimension in DC Comics also possesses similar mechanics as the realm of the same name in Marvel Comics. Mirror Master frequently traps the Flash in the Mirror Dimension where he has complete control over the environment. If the Flash were ever losing a fight, bringing his opponent into a controlled space where they couldn’t escape would ensure him an even quicker victory than usual.
Zoom
Zoom debuted during Wally West’s tenure as the Flash. Eobard Thawne was the original Reverse Flash, Barry’s opposite, and Hunter Zolomon challenged Wally in a similar capacity. Unlike almost every other speedster, Zoom doesn’t use any Speed Force. Instead, thanks to an explosive accident involving the Cosmic Treadmill, Zoom manipulates time around himself, creating an illusion of speed.
The Flash sometimes struggles against Zoom because he has to be faster than time itself. If Wally West could replicate the Cosmic Treadmill accident, the Flash could control his own speed and the surrounding time, making hi truly untouchable.
1 Cold Gun
Captain Cold
Captain Cold bravely challenges the Fastest Man Alive with nothing but his wits, criminal genius, and a sci-fi cold gun that reduces anything to the absolute zero temperature. Captain Cold leads the Rogues, instilling a sense of honor in the team and usually refrains from killing people unless he has to. The Flash often struggles to combat the effects of the cold gun as its beam can slow the Flash down regardless of his speed.
If the Flash ever lost a portion of his speed, he could use the effects of a cold gun in tandem with his own abilities. The Flash could freeze his villains, making him even faster by comparison. Cold’s gun is especially effective against speedsters, and the Flash Family should consider using it against villains like Reverse Flash and the Rival.
The Flash can harness the Speed Force and travel through time, but upgrades from his greatest villains could enhance his powers even further. Read More