Welcome back to Elemental Crisis Book I. Last time, it seems that Kid Flash's Zen techniques are going nowhere with Flash in terms of learning to master the Element of Fire. It's clear Flash's comfort zone rests somewhere else, but before they have time to start finding this out, White Canary comes in and reveals the have located Malefor. And the news gets worse from there, because he's in Central City, sending Red Death after Iris West-Allen. Flash will not tolerate anything happening to his family, and runs off to defend Iris. And to prevent him from doing anything reckless, the rest of the team dashes off after him. So, what awaits at the Bentley Building? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the offices of the Central City Citizen, a newspaper run by Iris West-Allen, who came here from the Pipeline to catch up on some paperwork and articles for the next morning's edition. But as she's working, the lights in the room begin to flicker and eventually die out entirely. A little unnerved, Iris West-Allen grabs a flashlight from her desk and checks the office, only to see through the glass of the door that power has been cut to the entire building. This just spooks her more.)
Iris West-Allen: Hello?
(As Iris West-Allen looks around the room, a strange sight eventually catches her eye, the water in the tank for the office coffee pot is for some reason floating. Being the wife of the Flash, she knows this signature all too well. There's a speedster in the room, and as far as she knows, now that Thawne is gone, there's only one left)
Iris West-Allen: Barry?
(But that's when familiar red lightning enters can be seen behind her, as someone else enters the room)
Red Death: Not quite.
(Hearing the voice, Iris West-Allen turns around only to be surprised when she sees Red Death, causing her to drop the flashlight)
Iris West-Allen: Who are you? And what are you doing here?!
Red Death: Now, Iris. Is that any way to greet your fiancé?
(Iris West-Allen is about to make a comment on that, but from it, she immediately recognizes the voice, and is completely stunned by who it is)
Iris West-Allen: Eddie?
(Now that she knows his identity, Red Death removes his helmet revealing himself to indeed by Eddie Thawne)
Red Death: The one and only.
Iris West-Allen: But... how? You died to erase Reverse Flash from the timeline!
Red Death: Well, that's fair. I should probably clarify that I'm not your Eddie Thawne. But don't get it twisted, I am Eddie Thawne.
Iris West-Allen: How is this happening?
Red Death: (Slightly surprised) Is this one of those worlds that hasn't discovered the Multiverse yet?
Iris West-Allen: (Realizing that was a dumb question) Of course it's the Multiverse. That stuff always gives me a headache.
Red Death: Looks like you and my Iris had that much in common.
(At this point, Iris West-Allen's phone goes off, and she gets a brief glimpse at it, it's a series of texts from Flash. They read in this fashion:)
"Don't freak out, but there's a guy who looks just like Eddie Thawne after you. I'm on my way. If he gets there first, keep him talking."
(Realizing she needs to get Red Death talking, Iris West-Allen starts formulating a plan)
Red Death: I can see your curious. I'm going to guess you're trying to figure out the suit of armor.
Iris West-Allen: That... had occurred to me.
Red Death: Well, the story begins with our final confrontation with my descendant, Eobard.
(With that, the scene transitions back to the final confrontation between the original Team Flash and Reverse Flash, back nearly ten years ago. Eddie Thawne realizes he is the only one who can stop Reverse Flash, but rather than stab himself, Eddie Thawne stabs Reverse Flash while he's monologuing.)
Red Death: It was admittedly a desperate move, trying to kill him. But then, the last thing I could have expected happened.
(Suddenly, the Reverse Flash's red lightning starts arcing it's way into Eddie Thawne, infusing him with super speed. After about a moment of panicking, Eddie Thawne realizes what he needs to do and starts running, running back in time and stopping Eobard's parents from meeting, preventing him from existing in the first place while somehow leaving him as a speedster.)
Red Death: I don't know how it happened, but once I returned to the present, I was able to keep this new power.
(Now the scene shows an alternate version of Flash dashing around the city with Eddie Thawne, now wearing a white and gray suit with a blue gem in the center, stopping crime and rogue metahumans)
Red Death: Barry taught me everything he knew, and with that, I became Cobalt Blue, the first officer of the Central City Police Department's Metahuman Crimes Unit, the speedster with a public identity to counteract Barry's vigilante thing. And for a while, things were good. As a team we stopped the deadliest of foes: Zoom, Godspeed, Savitar, The Thinker, Cicada, none of them stood a chance against the Flash and Cobalt Blue.
(The scene shifts again, now showing Flash and Eddie Thawne fighting over something, or rather, someone)
Red Death: But that's when everything started going wrong. The city had fallen in love with the Flash, despite having a respectable hero in Cobalt Blue. Barry couldn't take it that we were still engaged. We were both in love with you, Iris. But then, it happened.
(The scene shifts again, revealing Flash and Iris West-Allen getting married, with Eddie Thawne looking on the scene from the window with rage in his heart)
Red Death: You fell for Barry.
(Fast forward a little bit and we see Eddie Thawne has shed his Cobalt Blue moniker, and is working with a familiar figure to construct his now iconic suit of armor)
Red Death: I swore I would have my revenge. And soon enough, I found someone in Gotham City who had as much hatred for the Flash as I did. Dr. Thomas Wayne agreed to help me craft a suit to take down Barry, since his wife and son were killed in a clash Barry and I had had with Savitar. I knew Wayne didn't trust me. So once the suit was finished, I murdered him. The first life I'd ever taken.
(The scene shifts again, now showing Flash and the newly armored Red Death clashing across Central City, reigning destruction wherever they go.)
Red Death: My return to Central City was not exactly a quiet affair. The world called it the Flash War for a reason. I was through holding my punches against Barry. He'd taken everything from me, so I was going to take everything from him.
(In the next scene, the Flash War is over, with Red Death holding Flash by the neck, crushing his throat)
Red Death: Including his life.
(After that scene, Red Death stands looking over the ruined Central City)
Red Death: Unfortunately, my revenge cost me more than I expected. The city, no, the world I'd worked to protect was dead.
(At this point, a purple light appears behind Red Death, who turns around to reveal Malefor standing there)
Red Death: And then he came. Malefor, the Dark Master. He told me he was looking for warriors to help take his revenge. In exchange for my assistance, he promised to restore my world to it's glory, but free of the Flash.
(And in that moment, Red Death and Malefor shake hands, solidifying their deal)
Red Death: How could I refuse?
(And with that, the scene transitions back to the present, with Red Death standing before Iris West-Allen)
Red Death: Unfortunately, your husband stole a part of the power Lord Malefor needs to fulfill his plans.
Iris West-Allen: I have a bad feeling I know how this is about to go.
Red Death: Sadly, you're probably right. (Puts his helmet back on) I'm going to have to watch you die again.
(With his threat made, Red Death prepares the classic speedster instrument of instant death, a superfast vibrating hand. His hand made into a weapon of instant death, Red Death advances on Iris West-Allen, prepared to kill her. But on that ominous note, we transition to just outside Central City, where Flash is dashing into action)
Flash: Hang on, Iris... (Seemingly to the Speed Force itself) Please don't let me be too late...
(And as Flash dashes back towards Central City, our tale ends for today)
And that looks like a good spot to end for today. And finally we get the origin for Red Death. I hope this one is at least a little bit more satisfying than the one the CW gave us. I tried to infuse as much of Red Death's comic origins as I could, while throwing in a little bit of my own flare, using Thomas Wayne rather than Bruce Wayne for example. And of course I had to call back to Cobalt Blue, but giving him a different means for that name than the CW did. Having him be a metahuman police officer with a public identity would certainly explain the white and blue suit with no identity concealment whatsoever. So, it looks like Iris is just about doomed. Will Flash make it in time to save her? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!