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Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #13The DC Universe is full of couples worth gushing over, but the Flash’s relationship with his wife, Linda Park-West, stands out as the strongest DC romance. Their relationship has spanned decades, and they’ve now faced their biggest obstacle yet as a couple and emerged from it more in love than they’ve ever been. In one sentence, the Flash proves why his romance is the best that DC Comics has to offer – and why it will never be broken.
The Flash #13 by Simon Spurrier, Ramón Pérez, Pete Pantazis, Matt Herms, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou concludes Wally West’s latest cosmic adventure as he saves his family from the clutches of the Arc Angles and makes amends with them. They help him replenish the Deep Change, mending its wounds from the Crown of Thawnes, and the Speed Force is restored to its normal state. When they’re back home, Wally affectionately asks Linda how long he’ll love her, and she replies, “Till time stands still…and everything after.”
The phrase “until time stands still” in reference to the Flash’s love for his wife has been echoed throughout this story, and the new addition at the end of the sentence makes it especially poignant. Time did stand still in this arc, and Wally’s love for Linda didn’t waver, which means their love has no limit. The Flash’s relationship with Linda Park-West can survive whatever challenges come its way, as it has countless times before.
The Flash’s Love Story Is One of DC’s Most Underrated
Wally West and Linda Park Belong Together – And the Universe Knows It
The Flash’s romance may not be as iconic as Superman’s, yet it deserves far more recognition. They didn’t start on the best footing when Linda’s cutthroat reporting grated on Wally’s nerves, but they eventually fell in love after getting to know each other. Wally inspired Linda to let loose and have fun, and in turn, Linda inspired Wally to become the man she believed he could be. They became husband and wife in The Flash #59 by Mark Waid and Paul Pelletier back in 2000, and since then they’ve had three children and enjoyed years of marital bliss.
Linda Park made her first appearance in 1989’s
The Flash
#28 by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRocque, available now both digitally and in collected formats from DC Comics!
Every relationship has its ups and downs, of course, though nothing keeps the Flash’s down for long. For example, Wally and Linda once made a deal with Neron to give up their love for each other, and their love ultimately defeated him. DC’s New 52 reboot went so far as to erase Wally and his family from continuity – but they were restored years later, against all odds. Wally and Linda overcome every hardship that tries to get between them, making their relationship more powerful than most. Their love is so powerful, in fact, that it’s considered one of the Flash’s greatest superpowers.
Thanks to the Speed Force, the Flash and Linda Park Are Soulmates
Panels from The Flash #111 by Mark Waid, Oscar Jimenez, José Marzan Jr., Tom McCraw, Gaspar Saladino, and Kevin Cunningham
All speedsters in the Flash family are fueled by the Speed Force, and the Flash himself is no exception. The Speed Force grants him his speed, though this speed can come at a deadly price. If he pushes himself beyond his natural limitations, the Flash can vanish into the Speed Force, dying the way Barry Allen did. Luckily, unlike Barry, Wally West has a lightning rod that tethers him to reality: Linda Park. The Speed Force’s power connects Wally and Linda on a spiritual level and officially elevates them to soulmate status.
Although the Flash having a “lightning rod” to keep him grounded was popularized by Barry Allen and Iris West’s romance in
The Flash
on The CW, it was Wally West who originated this concept in 1996’s
The Flash
#111.
In The Flash #100 by Mark Waid, Carlos Pacheco, Salvador Larroca, and Oscar Jimenez, Wally disappeared into the Speed Force and was presumed dead, only to miraculously reappear by Linda’s side. He became the first speedster to ever accomplish this extraordinary feat, and he did so simply by thinking about Linda. As Wally’s lightning rod, Linda is the beacon that guides the Flash home.However far the Flash runs across time and space, he always finds his way back to the woman he loves thanks to their Speed Force connection. Until now, that is, as cosmic forces threaten to separate them permanently.
Cosmic Horrors Try to Tear Wally and Linda Apart
Things haven’t been easy for the Flash and his wife as of late. Since the birth of their third child, a son named Wade, Wally and Linda have grown distant as their own internal conflicts fester within them. Wally is overwhelmed with balancing his responsibilities as a hero and family man, while Linda struggles with post-partum depression that worsens when Abra Kadabra strips away her emotions. These conflicts culminate in Wally, already full of doubt, watching in horror as Linda claims to not care about him. Heartbroken, the Flash decides she’s better off without him and isolates himself in the Gallery, relinquishing his memories of her.
Wally and Linda’s love persists even after time stands still, and it always will.
The Flash’s attempt to push his loved ones away nearly results in the destruction of time. Once he’s forsaken his ties to reality, the Arc Angles manipulate the now hollowed-out Flash into doing their bidding and poisoning time at its source. In the aftermath, when all seems lost, a manifestation of Linda’s stolen feelings appears and reminds Wally that he is loved. No force in the universe, from Abra Kadabra’s mind control to the Arc Angles, can sever their unbreakable bond. Wally and Linda’s love persists even after time stands still, and it always will.
The Flash’s Relationship Is Stronger Than Ever Before
Wally West’s Unbreakable Bond with His Wife Saves the Universe
After the Flash’s romantic reunion with Linda, they decide to assist the injured Deep Change – time’s source, and the source of the Speed Force that links them. Joined by their kids, they heal the Deep Change by holding hands and channeling their love. Wally and Linda’s love isn’t just strong enough to endure time standing still; it’s strong enough to make time move again. The Flash and his wife are the only couple in the DC Universe who can revitalize the flow of time with the power of their love for one another, putting the rest to shame.
The Flash Is Splitting into Two Separate Heroes in the Biggest Change to His Powers of All Time
The Flash is about to undergo a shocking transformation that will allow him to finally be in two places at once, redefining his powers forever.
Now that they’re together again, the Flash and his family are embarking on a much-needed family vacation in their next adventure as part of DC’s All In era, which will allow Wally and Linda to reconnect in the wake of everything that’s happened. Their marriage is already in a better place, seeing as this issue features Wally opening up to Linda rather than keeping his feelings bottled up, and they’ll only keep improving from here. Not even the end of time can tear the Flash and Linda Park-West apart, proving beyond any doubt that their love will last forever.
The Flash #13 is available now from DC Comics.
The Flash
The Flash is the superhero name given to the DC Comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the “speed force” to overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.
“}]] Flash’s love is officially the DCU’s strongest. Read More