Warning: Spoilers for The Flash #15The Speed Force may be known in DC lore for giving the Flash his iconic super-speed, but it also grants its speedster users healing properties – and one hero just revealed a healing factor that’s a cut above the rest. The Flash’s son, Jai West, can now harness the Speed Force in a unique way that makes him effectively immortal.
The Flash #15 by Simon Spurrier, Vasco Georgiev, Matt Herms, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou follows Wally West and his family on a camping trip in Skartaris, a mysterious land teeming with dinosaurs and otherworldly magic. Suddenly, their vacation is interrupted when a lizard woman attacks them. The assailant throws a spear at Jai that impales him in the chest, sending him flying.
This attack would have killed an ordinary person, but Jai’s connection to the Speed Force that he inherited from the Flash allows him to heal in a surprising way, showcasing his versatile abilities that set him apart from other speedsters.
The Flash’s Son Cheats Death With His Shocking New Healing Factor
Jai West Uses the Speed Force to Rebuild Himself When He’s Impaled
After the lizard woman’s fatal strike, Jai’s mother Linda panics as she believes her son to be dead. However, much like the Flash, Jai can’t be taken out that easily. As it turns out, Jai is able to mend his injury by rearranging his molecules. This power feat is the result of his Shaper abilities, which lets him “shape” himself in innovative ways. In the past, he’s used his Shaper abilities to teleport, and now he’s realized that he can shape himself to heal as well. Jai officially has one of DC’s most useful healing factors, allowing him to cheat death.
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Jai’s relationship with the Speed Force is complicated, to say the least, considering how differently it manifests in him than most other speedsters. Rather than being granted with super-speed like the rest of his family, Jai initially channels the Speed Force into super-strength. That original usage is portrayed in this issue, with Jai ripping a tree from the ground to get revenge against his attacker. Now, though, he’s unlocked new possibilities for his powers beyond strength. Jai’s discovery of his power-set didn’t come easily, of course; in fact, he learned about his Shaper abilities during another near-death experience.
The Speed Force Manifests Differently in The Flash’s Son
Jai West’s Cosmic Powers Make Him DC’s Most Unique Speedster
Jai West begins to explore his Shaper abilities in The Flash #5 by Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr., as he spawns animated homunculi from his body without any apparent control over the process. Inspector Pilgrim – later revealed to be the future version of his younger brother, Wade – pays him a visit and explains that the strange entities he’s producing permit him to jump between Speed Force conduits, such as the Flash. He also hints at other uses of his powers, which Jai will uncover in due time. What Jai had long thought to be super-strength was actually a result of him inadvertently reshaping himself.
Jai West was first seen using his super-strength in
The Flash
#231 by Mark Waid and Daniel Acuña, when he and his twin sister Irey debuted as superheroes alongside the Flash.
Jai’s Shaper powers are put to the test when he and the Flash encounter cosmic beings known as the Stillness. They recognize that Jai is a Shaper, and seem to quickly dispose of him as they deem him “disgusting”. The Flash is outraged at the apparent death of his son, but before he can unleash an explosion of anger, Jai appears by his side and assures him that he’s fine. Instead of being killed by the Stillness, Jai had split into homunculi, then rebuilt himself good as new. This feat alludes to his eventual healing factor, proving Jai’s latent potential as a Shaper.
The Flash’s Kids All Show Incredible Potential With Their Superpowers
Wally West’s Children May Surpass Him as Heroes Someday
Jai’s vast arsenal of powers differing from the rest of the speedsters in DC lore helps him stand out in his super-powered family as one of the strongest members. Still, despite the limitless possibilities of his Shaper status, Jai doesn’t have an interest in being a hero. The Flash #5 ends with Jai admitting to the Flash that he no longer wants to be a superhero – yet he’s continued fighting alongside his family when the situation calls for it. If Jai does return to heroism to follow in his father’s footsteps, he has what it takes to eventually surpass the Flash.
The DC Universe’s next generation of speedsters is already set to outpace their predecessors, and the Flash’s son is a cut above the rest thanks to his newfound invincibility.
The Flash’s older son isn’t the only one of his children who could surpass him, as all three of his children have astounding potential beneath their youthful exteriors. For instance, Irey’s god-level speed has enabled her to pull off feats that even Wally can’t, including her mastery of vibrational intangibility. Furthermore, Wade may still be a baby in the present-day, but his future self displays incredible intelligence as a science detective. The DC Universe’s next generation of speedsters is already set to outpace their predecessors, and the Flash‘s son is a cut above the rest thanks to his newfound invincibility.
The Flash #15 is available now from DC Comics.
The Flash
The Flash is the superhero name given to the DC Comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the “speed force” to overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.
