"Mother, May I": In a flashback, a young Barry Allen is stranded in the middle of the highway with his mother. Annoyed at it, she's able to fix the car and get it running again. Years later, his co-workers try to get him to drink coffee or he'd pass out from exhaustion. In thoughts, Barry reveal
Well, when you pass someone by that needs help, Barry, you can stop. Nora Allen
The Flash: Rebirth #5 is an issue of the series The Flash: Rebirth (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 2010.
Synopsis for "Mother, May I"
In a flashback, a young Barry Allen is stranded in the middle of the highway with his mother. Annoyed at it, she's able to fix the car and get it running again. Years later, his co-workers try to get him to drink coffee or he'd pass out from exhaustion. In thoughts, Barry reveals that he's always been out of step with everyone and felt that way even more once he became the Flash, though he knows that he isn't and never will be.
In the present day, Jay, Barry, Wally, Max and Bart prepare to battle Professor Zoom. Bart, Wally and Barry hold down Zoom long enough for Jay to use his helmet to create a sonic boom, launching Zoom clear out of Central City. Max and Bart catch up to Zoom, though he counters with his own sonic boom just by snapping his fingers, sending the duo flying.
Back in the West household, Jai and Iris are still affected by Zoom's manipulations last issue. At this point, Iris realizes what's been wrong with them - that, as twins, they shared the same bond with the Speed Force, and they've been fighting over that bond ever since. Iris wishes to stop their stupid fighting and ends up absorbing Jai's connection to the Speed Force, rendering her unconscious. Jesse arrives soon after, revealing to Jai and Linda that it was Johnny Quick that lead her here and that Iris is said to be the next generation of speedsters. She then revives Iris by using her speed formula.
In the battle, Zoom easily overwhelms the other speedsters and attempts to kill Jay using his own helmet until Iris and Jesse knock Zoom away. With the added help, Wally decides to use a trick with the Speed Force to heal their injuries and restore their costumes. In the process, Wally modifies his Flash uniform, Jesse abandons the Liberty Belle costume for one closer to Johnny Quick's and Iris - much to Bart's surprise - takes up the name and uniform of Impulse. As the speedsters fight, Zoom reveals that the Speed Force isn't just for simple speed acceleration, it's knowledge, evolution and youth.
Zoom pulls Barry away and the two go on a massive race. As they do, Zoom reveals that every horrible thing that happened to him in the past - breaking his arm in the sixth grade, buring down his house in Fallville, the death of his dog when he first moved to Central City - as well as the death of Barry's mother was all done by Zoom himself. He reveals that his negative Speed Force allows him to alter time itself and decides to deliver the ultimate blow on Barry - by killing Iris before they even met...
Appearing in "Mother, May I"
Featured Characters:
- The Flash (Barry Allen)
- The Flash (Wally West)
- The Flash (Jay Garrick)
- Kid Flash (Bart Allen)
- Max Mercury
- Impulse (Iris West) (First appearance as Impulse)
- Liberty Belle
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Nora Allen (Flashback only)
- Patty Spivot (Flashback only)
- James Forrest (Flashback only)
- Iris West (Flashback only)
Locations:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The Flash: Rebirth.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References