In the latest issue of The Flash, a time-traveling Wally West discovered that a new hero may be destined to become part of the Flash family.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from The Flash #771 by Jeremy Adams, Kevin Maguire, Howard Porter, Berat Pekmezci, Bryan Hitch, Max Raynor, Scott Kolins, Tom Derenick, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Brandon Peterson, Michael Atiyeh, Steve Wands, on sale now.
Wally West’s latest journey through the Speed Force hasn’t exactly been the most stable ride for him. But he got a brief reprieve when he wound up in the future again, this time inhabiting the body of his son, Jai, where he had a moment to speak to his daughter, Iris, as an adult. In the process, Wally learned (much to his relief) that his children grow up to become happy, healthy adults.
And as The Flash #771 reveals, Jai will apparently date Gold Beetle in the future, a hero Wally already briefly met. much to his chagrin. Wally had been hopping around through time and space, trying to expunge whatever was sickening the Speed Force. But his latest jump brought him to the near future where he got a chance to sit down with Iris and have a father-daughter conversation about how he did as a parent. To his great surprise and relief, Iris explained that she and Jai grow up just fine, with Wally doing a wonderful job as their dad. But when Wally sees Iris’ wedding ring it prompts him to ask about Jai’s love life.
Since he was inhabiting his son’s body for this particular jump, he didn’t get the chance to talk to him about his life in the future. But after some gentle pleading Iris explained that while Jai wasn’t married, he was dating a time traveler. She also explained that this woman in particular was very close to giving Wally an ulcer in the future. Wally knows a few time travelers, but only one of them fits that description. He realized that his son ended up in a relationship with the Gold Beetle.
It isn’t too much of a surprise that Jai would end up romantically involved with a time-traveler. Speedsters have a long history of time-travel so it would be convenient for one of them to date someone who understands how perilous that particular ability is. But it also means that Gold Beetle, a very colorful character, could potentially become more to the Flash Family than just a girl that Jai is dating. And based on the fact that Wally is said to know her in the future, it can be surmised that the relationship is quite serious, with Jai having perhaps already divulged their secret identities to Gold Beetle.
The way Iris explains it, Flash and Gold Beetle work together occasionally, so they have a professional relationship if not a personal one. But it also sounds like her adventurous nature can tax even Wally’s patience. It certainly sounds like a kind of family drama, but certainly not as bad as it could be.
Regardless, with the information that Wally has gleaned from his daughter in the future, it is almost certain that the time-traveling Gold Beetle is destined to enter into a much closer relationship with the entire Flash family.
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