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What Do The Flashpoint Teasers Mean?!

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We speculate the meaning behind the teaser images released by DC for their upcoming Flash-centric event.


It was last April that we got our first taste of Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert’s upcoming Flash-centric event, Flashpoint. It was in the back of The Flash #1, and it got our hearts racing with possibilities and theories as to what this storyline could be about. Then things went dark. We heard nothing about Flashpoint for nearly a year. A week and a half ago the fires of speculation where reignited again by Geoff Johns and DC’s The Source blog, as a number of new teaser images for Flashpoint where posted on DC Comics’ official website.

So now we’re going to take each of these new puzzle pieces and try to give some explanation to each. We’re also going to detail some of the repercussions that could spin out of such an event if it were to occur. As an added note: this article is meant purely for speculation purposes. We have no idea what will actually happen in Flashpoint, nor the ramifications of such events.
 == TEASER ==

Teaser #1


This is the first teaser released by DC and at face value seems like the most obvious. What is the most famous spaceship in the DCU? Answer: Kal-El’s transport to Earth from Krypton. However, what if this teaser is instead referring to Abin Sur’s spaceship that crashed on Earth and lead to Hal Jordan being the first human to receive a power ring?

The repercussions of that event never happening would be far-reaching, to say the least. For one, if Abin Sur never died, Sinestro might never have rebelled against the Green Lantern Corps for not believing the Blackest Night prophesies following Abin’s death. Therefore, if Blackest Night came true in this new timeline, it would be Abin and Sinestro fighting side-by-side against the flying dead. Maybe the White Lantern would even choose Abin as its champion.

Furthermore, humans from Earth might never have been inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. Humans have always been looked down upon by species across the galaxy because of their stubbornness and recklessness. It wasn’t until Hal Jordan joined the Corps that aliens got a better viewpoint of the human race: learning that our drive, determination and resistance to fear can be a true source of inspiration. If Abin never crashed, Hal would have never received a ring, and humans would probably never have been invited to join the Corps. That means Guy Gardner, John Stewart and even Kyle Rayner would never exist as Corpsmen.

But on the flip-side of the coin, if Hal never got a ring then Parallax would never have possessed him, leading to the near decimation of the GLC. So there’s one point in this alternative timeline working out for the better in regards to the Green Lantern Corps mortal safety.

Teaser #2

 
What would Gotham be without its Dark Knight? The simple answer: an absolute crap-shoot. In fact, if a timeline shift where to occur and Bruce Wayne wound up running a casino, odds are he’d be just as corrupt as the people he puts away now as Batman. And maybe that's what will happen. The original Flashpoint teaser in Flash #1 showed the Flash fighting a shadowy Batman with red eyes. Maybe he spends his days running a casino, while his nights are spent terrorizing the citizens of Gotham.

How about if Batman was never born at all? In light of Grant Morrison's Return of Bruce Wayne, the ramifications would be sweeping. Because of Bruce's travels through time, his legacy now dates way back, to say the least. Not only would Bruce never becoming Batman affect the lives of Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne and Barbara Gordon (to name a few), but the Miagani bat-people tribe would have never been created either. It was that snowball effect of legacy that gave Bruce Wayne the edge over defeating Darkseid in a battle through time and space. If that never happened, Darkseid probably would have won in Final Crisis and the universe would now not exist. Period. 

Teaser #3 


This teaser is the reason why I believe the spaceship one mentioned above belongs to Green Lantern. At first I thought this referred to Martian Manhunter, but then I looked at the original teaser for Flashpoint (way back in Flash #1) and saw the giant metal door with the “S” shield on it. Now I believe this teaser is meant for Superman.

Superman is the linchpin of the DC Universe. If he were imprisoned in a cell for experimentation since the moment he crashed down in Smallville, the DCU would be a much different place. To put it into simpler terms: the DCU would be owned by Lex Luthor.

Crime and corruption would run rampant in this version of the DCU. Singling out a number of significant events that would spiral out of such a monumental shift in reality is impossible. The entire DCU would be a completely different place if Kal-El never grew up with the love, care and attention of Ma and Pa Kent.

Jimmy Olsen would also be dead by now.

Teaser #4 

 
What we’re thinking for this one is that there was a ring switcheroo. In the original Flashpoint teaser there was a yellow Flash costume (presumably Reverse Flash’s) busting out of the ring on Barry Allen’s finger. He looked surprised. Our guess is that someone, possibly Eobard Thawne, is parading around wearing the regular scarlet speedster costume. Hell, maybe in this alternative timeline Eobard Thawne is the Flash, with Barry Allen the new evil Reverse-Flash. Geoff Johns has been giving a lot of face time to Thawne and his quest to ruin the life of Barry Allen in the Flash series as of late. Maybe this is his latest sick trick on poor Allen. This could also be the main plot of the Flash-centric series, Flashpoint.

Teaser #5 


We’ll be honest, we’re not sure where this one will lead. Obviously this arranged marriage would place Aquaman and Wonder Woman as the new King and Queen of Earth. They would control both sea and land with an army of Atlanteans and Amazons. Basically, Aquaman and Wonder Woman would be the new Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie. Only their power will actually make a difference. The entire world would be ruled with a strict militaristic governing body mindset. If anyone stepped out of line they would get got. Aquaman and Wonder Woman are hardcore like that. Being honest, this is probably the most interesting of the possible timeline shifts in Flashpoint. We’re all for Aquaman ruling the world and being shacked up with Wonder Woman.

Conclusion 

That about wraps it up. We hope you enjoyed our theories on the Flashpoint teasers. Odds are we’re way off on our speculation. But we won’t know until Flashpoint launches in May. Now if you have a better idea of what these teasers mean, let us know in the comments below!  
 

Update 

DC released the list of titles we can expect. 

Whatever Happened to Gotham City?

FLASHPOINT: BATMAN KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1-#3

Whatever Happened to the World’s Greatest Super Villains?

FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE & THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE OUTSIDER #1-#3

Whatever Happened to the Aliens?

FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR THE GREEN LANTERN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: PROJECT: SUPERMAN #1-#3

Whatever Happened to Science & Magic?

FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN & THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #1-#3

Whatever Happened to Europe?

FLASHPOINT: EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: WONDER WOMAN AND THE FURIES #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #1-#3

Everything You Know Will Change in a Flash

FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #1-#3

Filed under:
Batman
Flashpoint
Geoff Johns
Barry Allen
Abin Sur
Professor Zoom
Hal Jordan
Aquaman
Flash
Wonder Woman
Superman
Green Lantern Corps
47 Comments
Posted by Dracade102

This looks MUCH more interesting than I thought earlier... I need to collect them all.

Posted by noj

Flashpoint is going to be straight up awesome! I wonder if it will be a smaller event comic limited to the mini and maybe the Flash series, or if it will have tie-ins to other major books as well?

Posted by never_again

When I first saw the crash landing one I assumed it meant Superman but it makes a lot more sense to be Abin Sur, nice one. 
 
Getting quite excited about this now

Edited by buttersdaman000

I LMAO'D when you said 'Jimmy Olsen would also be dead  by now'
HAHAHA so freakin true

Posted by FadeToBlackBolt

I'll read anything with Wally in it.

Posted by red knight of the north

I think it much like what happen in Doctor who Turn Left episode one event effecting another with things slow getting worse and worse or something to that effect, but time reality shifts are so tricky the to under stand in fiction different writers have different rules. but any who that my theory!

Posted by crowncoke

WonderWoman and Aquaman?  What about Wonder Girl and AquaLad?  I could see the elder mentor of each pushing this as a union to keep the 2 nations from waring with one another...
Posted by skaarason

i hope zoom will be back and we get our 4 flash's but also more from out of time like bart as kid flash and as flash like stuff just a whole team of flash's from different time lines  !!!!!!!!!

Posted by longbowhunter

I love the Flash. I love Geoff Johns. How can this possibly be nothing short of awesome. Good job with the theories as well!
Posted by Rowen545

The Batman aspect could also be the simple act of Bruce Wayne's parents not dying. Without that he may have grown up spoiled (even though his parents seem to have a very positive reputation) and eventually uses his money to take advantage of people at casinos and as Batman. Or he is Batman on a smaller scale?

Posted by Hadez

This a DC series outside of GL i'll actually read

Posted by PrinceIMC
@crowncoke said:
"WonderWoman and Aquaman?  What about Wonder Girl and AquaLad?  I could see the elder mentor of each pushing this as a union to keep the 2 nations from waring with one another... "

Donna and Garth? Heh, we all know who'll wear the pants in that relationship.
Posted by ndholite

Which flash gonna "run" this comic...??? Wally West or Barry Allen...??? I think I gonna read this one... Interesting teaser...

Posted by ImperiousRix

Errr, although this certainly looks great as an event book, I honestly liked the way the  current Flash series was going as it was.  I'm a little leery to have the series already jumping off into directions like this when the new Flash on-going is just getting its footing. 
I guess only time will tell.

Edited by nowhereman1306

So what if it isn't an alternate reality as much as it is Thawne being his usual evil self and going back in time to change these specific events and it is up to the Flash(es?) to return things to the way they were/are?

Posted by Jordanstine
Posted by TDK_1997

I like the one with the marriage of Aquaman and Wonder Woman.

Online
Posted by Video_Martian

This is the only upcoming comic from DC that I'm actually anticipating.

Posted by GT-Man

Hmm
Posted by leokearon

Sounds like DC's What if... 

I hope it is better than Marvel's recent attempts were basically the story you got (no matter who crappy it was) was the best case scenerio.

Posted by JonesDeini
@buttersdaman000 said:
" I LMAO'D when you said 'Jimmy Olsen would also be dead  by now' HAHAHA so freakin true "
Indeed, folk. Interesting stuff, look forward to seeing this play out. 
Posted by Silkcuts

WOW.... that is a RUSH!

Posted by Virus_Warning

Hm....sounds rather interesting...
-Virus

Posted by goldenkey

just face it.  No one has an idea what the F*&K is going on here.  I will say this.  Aquaman and Wonder Woman is an excellent idea, but if they are saying the marriage was made to prevent war then my guess is these two are not going to like each other much.  I bet they got a kid tho, Wonder Lad

Posted by TheMinister707

Anybody else thinking of "Twilight of Super-heroes"?

Edited by NightFang

Sounds interesting.

Posted by gammasan55

I'm thinking it's a world where there's only one big name super hero on Earth. The Flash. If WW and Aquaman are royalty they won't be fighting crime, no GLs if Abin didn't crash, Superman being an experiment, and Batman possibly being no better then any of his rouges it sets up an interesting world where only the Scarlett Speedster can save the world.

Posted by mickoreo_LZ

Geoff Johns is a great writer so there is no reason this event won't be super deadly awesome

Edited by busterblader

Quick question:
I don't get comics where I live so I've missed out on some recent events but did the story involving a group of future heroes themed after current flash rouges get resolved?  I remember seeing a panel on an article at this site where in those same characters where viewing screens with current & past wonder woman being compared, something related to the return of Bruce Wayne and other recent stories stating the 21 century had become corrupted.  What if these teasers are the result of the flash putting things right but going horribly wrong?  Such as preventing the death of batman, the Miagani never come to be leading to Bruce Wayne never became a hero (and the Wayne's don't become the international super corporation but are still well of with their casinos) 
 
I smell a retcon.

Posted by transportive

This sounds like it could be pretty interesting, if nothing else!
 Being a big Bat-book fan, I'm going to be curious to see if they touch on the changes in the lives of those that Bruce has changed. The ones you mentioned being some of the big ones, of course.

Posted by AMP - Seeker of Lost Knowledge

  A few years ago, I had an interesting idea for a comic book mini-series about my interest about Atlantis and amazons along with play from SHAKESPEARE with a twist. In FLASPOINT's Teaser #5: "Their Marriage Was Arranged to Prevent War",  I felt my ideal story was taken away from me AND that I can never produce it in this lifetime (depending on how popular FLASHPOINT becomes)... 
 
 Either I am going to come up with a new idea for my story, change it, or write a fan-fiction based on this alternate time-line. Who am I to complain when you have a all-star writer against an guy who is trying to become a writer himself...
 
Then again, I guess GEOFF JOHNS might have been inspired by this pics from past issues from DC:

Posted by fACEmelter88

Whose excited....i am. Who is this guy on the motorcycle though, i think hes called Hot Pursuit or something. I can't wait to see what Superman is like.

Posted by GenesisX
@noj:  I think it'll have tie-ins with batman, superman, and wonder woman. Not sure about Green Lantern.
Posted by JonesDeini
@GenesisX said:
" @noj:  I think it'll have tie-ins with batman, superman, and wonder woman. Not sure about Green Lantern. "
Eh, if this isn't self contained I'm not reading it...interested as I am. I refuse to do tie ins I have more pressing matters to put my finances toward. 
Posted by waruikumo

Morrison and Final Crisis put the multi-verse back in to effect right (awesome idea).   
 
So what to the legit creators of DC do?  Create a new Universes with in the Multi-verse,  Flash was the first DC character to break through and contact the JSA (earth 1?) earth.  So now that it's back (Multi-verse) it makes sense he is the man to boldly go where none has gone before (recently).  
 
Flash breaks through the dimensional wavelength, and ends up in one of multiple DCU's where things are different.  Abin doesn't crash, Wayne runs casinos, Kal never crash landed, Martian Manhunter was used as a guinea pig (ha, humans probe the alien take THAT X-Files). 
 
If I'm even a quarter right, it proves why Marvel is lame (in both senses disabled and un cool) and why DC continues to be the best thing in capes.   
 
I'm really sorry to Pak, Abnett & Lanning, and the few legit Marvel writers.  But the comics that are more merchandise properties and slaves to the status quo, are garbage.  They put out books to take up shelf space at comic stores, to block other companies.  Seriously OMIT?  You really went there after Grim Hunt? Really? 
 
I'm terribly sorry for that rant.  I got WAY away from my self.  

Posted by 00 Raiser
@Jordanstine: I hope not. Marvel's What If's leave a bad taste in my mouth. Who am I kidding Marvel in general has left a bad taste in the comic book world.
Posted by Eyz

Why did the comments section turn into another useless Marvel Vs DC debate??
 
Anyway, I love "alternate universes" storylines and I always thought the Flash needed an event centric.
Glad to see both, under Geoff Johns nonetheless!
 
 
For some strange reason, the whole Flashpoint makes me think of the House of M event at Marvel's some years ago.... Will we see Flashpoint-issues under the other various DC characters?`(specially with most mini and maxi series ending, like Generation Lost, Brightest Day, Time Masters, etc..)

Edited by Superguy1591

The possible Hal Jordan, Superman and Aquaman and Diana storyline look like they'll be really interesting.  The Batman and Barry Allen version, not so much.  
 
As you've said, Hal and Superman never becoming superheroes has a huge effect on the DCU. Without Hal the universe would've been destroyed by now. Hal and the Lanterns keep peace through out the entire universe. Without Superman there are no superheroes. If Supes never dons the cape where would other people get the inspiration to fight for good as masked heroes? Also,  I can't possibly see anyone else heading the Justice League. Batman isn't a team guy and certainly not a leader and, chances are, Martian never gains the other heroes trust without Supes. Also, could you imagine what would happen if Superman, after years of torture, was let loose on the DCU without the Kent's morale upbringing? OHHHHH MANNN!!! Talk about WW Hulk to the breaking point.  
 
And Diana and Arthur married is interesting, she most feel like a fish out of water (HEYYYOOOHHH!!!) in Atlantis. Also, both of these two are hot heads. They don't like taking orders from others. It would be sweet to see them go at it.  
 
I can't wait.  
 
Wally can move through multiple dimensions. I can see Johns writing it in a way that has Wally lost in time and space and he's trying to find his way back home, but he walks into multiple alternate universes. 

Posted by entropy_aegis

Cant wait to see bruce wayne ,hopefully it'll shut up damian wayne haters once and for all.
Posted by Darthtravis

Like GL, this series is meant to increase Flash's status in the DCU as well as his popularity as Johns begins making plans for the Flash movie, and I am not complaining.  Love the Flash.

Edited by Theodore

House of M... AHEM I mean Flashpoint...
 
 
 
I am super excited about this though, FIFTEEN, COUNT EM! FIFTEEN MINIS! AAAAAAAAAAAAND one-shots too! DC is breakin my bank.

Posted by Whitley

I will throw another possibility out for Teaser #4 
 
Suppose for a second that it is not Diana that Aquaman marries, but rather Diana's mother. Way back in the Obsidian Age set of stories, Mera talks about how Arthur was attracted to blondes (like Gannamae), because they were considered outcasts in Atlantis.  
 
Diana is the result of their union. She has the ability to breath underwater along with all of the Amazon strength. Between the Amazon and Atlantis training she would have, Diana would be the single deadliest person in that DCU. 
 
I think there would still be a Justice League but the Lineup would look a lot different maybe something like: Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Alpha Centurion, Flash, Martian Manhunter and Firestorm.

Posted by G-Man

I just updated the original post. I assume you guys saw the list DC released Friday? 

Whatever Happened to Gotham City?

FLASHPOINT: BATMAN KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1-#3

Whatever Happened to the World’s Greatest Super Villains?

FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE & THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE OUTSIDER #1-#3

Whatever Happened to the Aliens?

FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR THE GREEN LANTERN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: PROJECT: SUPERMAN #1-#3

Whatever Happened to Science & Magic?

FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN & THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #1-#3

Whatever Happened to Europe?

FLASHPOINT: EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: WONDER WOMAN AND THE FURIES #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #1-#3

Everything You Know Will Change in a Flash

FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #1-#3

Staff
Posted by darksoul7th

This is gonna be great!

Posted by batmanary

Aquaman ruling the earth. OUTRAGEOUS!

Posted by SnowyMountain

Geoff Jones usually manages to write some pretty interesting stuff so I'll probably check it out.  I do hope that it's Wally West and not Barry Allen though, but it's not likely.  I know a lot of fans love the fact that Barry is back and all, but when I was reading the comics, it was Wally in the driver's seat and the fact that Barry is back sort seems to diminish Wally's feats and accomplishments. 

Posted by kevin88wk

for superman it would explain a lot sence when we saw his father and other cryptonian's they didn't to be as superior as superman, showing that superman was probably tested on and stuff

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