Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #15The next generation of superheroes is on the rise, and at this rate, it won’t be long until the Justice League’s leadership is handed off from the Trinity to a fresh face. DC may have just confirmed who this future leader will end up being, as the Flash shares who he thinks is destined to take charge of the Justice League one day.
In The Flash #15 by Simon Spurrier, Vasco Georgiev, Matt Herms, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, the Flash’s daughter Irey – also known as the hero Thunderheart – visits him at the Justice League Watchtower while she’s meant to be with the rest of their family. Her presence causes problems as she interferes with Justice League operations, yet the Flash sees potential in her future on the team.
Wally tells Irey: “Someday you’re gonna lead these clowns – we both know that.” The Flash’s words hint at Thunderheart becoming the leader of the Justice League in DC’s future, and she’s already being set up as a perfect fit for the role.
The Flash’s Daughter Will Lead the Justice League in DC’s Future
Thunderheart Is the Perfect Choice to Command the Next Generation of Heroes
Thunderheart may be young, but as her hero name implies, her heart is sparking with energy that fuels her heroic potential. The path of a superhero calls to her, and in The Flash #14, she acts on this calling. When the Flash’s mission in Skartaris to stop Weather Wizard doesn’t meet her expectations, she steals her father’s Justice League membership card to force her way onto the super-team and embark on a mission she feels is more worthy of her efforts. The card initially rejects Irey’s energy signature, so she uses the Speed Force to mimic the Flash’s and is then accepted as a Justice League hero.
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Irey being recognized as a superhero of the Flash’s caliber suggests that she’s capable of being a legitimate Justice Leaguer in her own right. Moreover, once she’s infiltrated the Watchtower, the role she plays further solidifies that she was born to lead. As the Flash embarks on a mission across the globe to investigate a psychic anomaly, Irey takes over the communications from Red Tornado and dictates where Wally should go to advance his investigation. Thunderheart’s initiative and deductive reasoning reveal that she has the leadership chops necessary to command the Justice League someday, just as the Flash has predicted.
Thunderheart’s Powers Already Make Her a Flash-Level Speedster
Wally West’s Daughter Possesses Super-Speed That Rivals His
The present-day heroes who helm the Justice League are the Trinity – Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman – and the three of them are all formidable fighters on the battlefield. As such, to replace them, the team’s future leader would need a similarly high power level. Luckily, Thunderheart fits the bill thanks to the speed that she’s inherited from the Flash. Wally West may be the fastest speedster in DC lore, but Irey’s power-set – including her keen attunement to the Speed Force, demonstrated by her aura manipulation – grants her the potential to outpace the Fastest Man Alive if she hones her skills properly.
Irey’s mastery of vibrations trumps Wally’s, proving that she could be a better Flash than him.
Originally, Irey’s Speed Force connection didn’t manifest as speed as the Flash’s did, and she instead could use vibrations to phase through objects. She’s since accessed speed, though, and combining these two abilities has pushed her to new heights even her father can’t reach. In The Flash #4 by Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr., Thunderheart unleashes god-level power by phasing through a criminal while simultaneously moving at super-speed. She turns intangible in one microsecond, then solid in the next, then intangible again. Irey’s mastery of vibrations trumps Wally’s, proving that she could be a better Flash than him.
Thunderheart’s Future as the Flash Affirms Her Justice League Potential
If Irey West Can Be the Flash, She Can Lead DC’s Top Team
Irey West’s destiny extends beyond simply leading the Justice League. In a story from The Flash: One-Minute War Special #1 by Jeremy Adams and George Kambadais, she appears as the official Flash of the future. Not only that, but she’s also confirmed to be the strongest Speed Force user in history, surpassing every Flash before her – including her own father. Of course, the continuity of the DC Universe is constantly in flux, so the future is never set in stone. Still, the fact that she’s considered Flash status even in one possible future cements her as the ideal pick to lead the Justice League.
A future version of Irey West also appears in
The Flash
#771 by Jeremy Adams, Berat Pekmezci, and more – available now digitally and in collected formats from DC Comics!
For the time being, Irey remains Thunderheart, and she certainly has a lot to learn before she’s tasked with leading DC’s premier super-team. Until then, she’s making a name for herself in the Justice League despite her inexperience. Beyond the pages of The Flash, Irey is currently working with the League in Batman / Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner. Batman himself confiding in Thunderheart shows that even the Trinity views her as a genuine hero. Now that she has Batman’s seal of approval, the Flash’s hope that Thunderheart will lead the Justice League might eventually come to fruition after all.
The Flash #15 is available now from DC Comics.
