Summary
- Dark fanart explores Superman’s bleak alter ego in Flashpoint, showcasing his potential for destruction.
- Flash’s time-travel attempt creates a war between superheroes, sending Superman down a grim path.
- Flashpoint story changes DC universe, portraying Superman as a government prisoner with a darker origin.
The Flashpoint alter of Superman has been explored in new fanart. Shared by @bosslogic, the dark take on DC’s Man of Steel reveals a creepier side of the hero, pushing him towards a much bleaker existence. The classic storyline is an impressive showcase of the Flash’s powers and limitations, but it also makes DC’s symbol of hope a symbol of destruction.
On Instagram, @bosslogic shared their take on Superman’s life in the alternate universe created by the Flash’s attempt to travel through time, which created the division between DC’s Post-Crisis universe and the New 52 Universe. It paints a grim picture of the kind of world Superman could have ahead of him.
After trying to go back in time to save his mother, the Flash finds himself in a universe where his superhero allies are at war with one another. This causes a larger conflict, including a war between Aquaman and Wonder Woman, while the speedster faces Reverse Flash to undo the damage he has caused.
Related
How does The Flash perceive time, when he is running across massive distances?
The Flash can run across thousands of miles in a matter of seconds, but he can also perceive seconds as if they were minutes or hours long. So when he runs from New York to Los Angeles in seconds, does Flash literally have to run that entire distance one step at a time, like a normal person would, and it just seems faster to everyone else? Or does he have the ability to shift that perception so as not to drive himself crazy with boredom?
Flashpoint Created More Problems Than Solutions
DC Comics Were Changed in More Ways Than One – in Both Fiction & Reality
The main Flashpoint story was published in 2011. The primary series came from the creative partnership of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. It had major ramifications for DC’s comic universe at the time, allowing it to be restarted and kicking off the controversial New 52 era. This twist on the Multiverse also allowed for other publications to be added to DC’s main universe, including Wildstorm and Vertigo stories and characters. In addition to the universal changes, the world of Flashpoint story also created a grim origin story for Superman, making him a prisoner of the government instead of a beloved hero.
Captured by the government upon his arrival in Metropolis from Krypton, Superman was emaciated when discovered by Flash, Batman, and Cyborg. As Project: Superman, the Man of Steel is a far cry from his usual self. He had not been exposed to the Earth’s sun and, thus, did not have powers until his release from the facility. This provides the hero with a much darker origin involving imprisonment instead of being raised by loving parents in Smallville before becoming an iconic hero in Metropolis. The war in the Flashpoint universe had all the potential to destroy the world as it was known there, leaving a wake of death.
Superman’s Future Isn’t Only His To Create
Flashpoint proved that each hero’s life was intertwined with the choices of others. Flash’s one seemingly small change creates a ripple effect culminating in war. Given the explosion of Captain Atom and death of Cyborg, there’s no question that Superman could have been the only DC hero left standing in the aftermath. This fanart from Michael Cho shows the dark potential the events of Flashpoint had, leaving the Man of Steel a haunting shell of the hero fans have loved for decades. Superman’s Flashpoint redesign reveals how truly weak Kal-El can be if not given the power-ups that allow him to be the hero he is.
Source: @bosslogic/Instagram
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.