Flashpoint Explained: How DC Comics Launched The New 52

Originally published June 16, 2023. This article covers the plot and consequences of the DC comic book event Flashpoint.

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Barry Allen is The Flash, also knows as the Fastest Man Alive. His connection to the Speed Force gives him the power to run faster than light, produce lightning, and so much more. But somehow, Barry wakes up one day in his CSI office and all of his powers are gone. Even stranger, his mother Nora Allen is alive. Everything is different, and he’s not sure why.

The Flashpoint Event completely changed DC comics. It was the precursor to The New 52, and a massive comic book event in and of itself. But who was changed most by the event? And how did it all happen? Let’s get into the details.

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The Flash

Somehow, Barry Allen doesn’t have his powers. It’s also his mother’s birthday, and he promised to take her to dinner! Except, last he remembered, his mother was murdered years and years ago. With everything drastically different, Barry tells his mother that he is The Flash, a member of the Justice League.

While he expects her to be surprised, the real surprise is that she’s never even heard of Superman. She’s never heard of Green Lantern, either! Luckily, she does know about Batman. So Barry Allen gets in a car and drives his way to Gotham City to talk to Bruce Wayne. If only there wasn’t traffic!

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Batman

Barry Allen finally makes his way into the Batcave, and it’s practically empty. There’s a single gun and a family portrait. Just as Barry realizes that something’s off, Batman tackles him. Barry screams, “Bruce, it’s me!” But Bruce is dead. He was the one who died in the alley that night. Instead, his father became the Batman.

In all of his grief, Thomas Wayne’s Batman became brutal, relentless, and heartless. Flashpoint Batman even kills criminals. Once Barry Allen tells him about his original universe, Thomas realizes that there’s a universe where Bruce survives. He promises to help Barry become The Flash again. The experiment nearly kills both of them, but it works.

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Cyborg

It seems like everything is different. The whole world is in disarray. Europe is flooded. Themyscira and Atlantis are at war. Hal Jordan is dead after dropping nuclear weapons on the UK. But finally, Batman and The Flash are ready to fight. They want to make this world a better place, and The Flash is certain that the only way to do that is to find Superman.

Luckily, Cyborg is still connected to all the digital information in the world. He’s able to track down the hidden documents that reveal what happened to Kal-El’s ship when he crash landed on Earth. Cyborg agrees to help The Flash, so long as he helps end the Amazonian and Atlantean War.

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Superman

Deep underground, the American government trapped an alien. He’s kept under the light of a red sun, de-powered, and cut off from human contact. The only contact he knows is the metallic touch of probes and invasive surgeries. Ever since he landed on Earth, he’s been the government’s experiment.

Using his super-speed, The Flash breaks Superman’s cell. The team works together to get Kal-El into the sunlight. Barry Allen is relieved. Finally, there will be a way to end the war. Except, that’s not what happens at all. Soldiers rush out ready to capture Superman again. So, in the blink of an eye, Superman flies away. “There goes our big savior,” says Batman.

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Shazam!

The Flash is a quick thinker. Sure, Superman can’t help. However, there’s someone just as powerful. His name is Billy Batson, and secretly, he can turn into Shazam, a hero with the power of the gods! Of course, even Shazam has changed in this alternate universe.

Rather than just being one boy named Billy, Shazam is a group of six kids and their pet tiger. Cyborg, Batman, and The Flash are able to convince the kids to join the fight. The heroes do all they can to stop the war. The kids give everything and Billy Batson even gives his life. Without Billy, the kids then lose their powers. It seems all hope is lost until Superman returns to join the fight.

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 Professor Zoom

During all the chaos, Eaobard Thawne zooms in. Thawne, AKA Professor Zoom, just laughs. He reveals the truth: Barry caused all of this by going back in time and saving his mother Nora.

In the original timeline, Barry Allen only became an investigator to try and solve her murder, and he only became The Flash because of his CSI experiments! Without The Flash, there was no Justice League. And without the Justice League, the whole world was thrown out of balance. The only way for The Flash to save the day is to sacrifice his mother to save millions.

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DC Comics Launches The New 52

Barry Allen talks with his mother one last time, and gives her a hug goodbye. Then, he resets the timeline. Most things went back to “normal.” Naturally, there were still a few major changes. For one, it was the launch of “The New 52.” Furthermore, this new iteration of the DC Omniverse gave many of the characters revamped storylines and relationships. One of the most notable changes was a budding new romance between DC’s power couple, Superman and Wonder Woman.

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The Flashpoint Event completely restarted the entire DC universe.

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