The Flash (Volume 4) #39 is an issue of the series The Flash (Volume 4) with a cover date of April, 2015. It was published on February 25, 2015.
Synopsis for "Power Loss"
When Central City was attacked by the Crime Syndicate and the Society, the heroes disappeared. There was a blackout, and in that blackout, a certain man had finally had relief from the constant buzz of all the electricity. He had been tortured by that sound for years, in agony. When the heroes returned and the blackout ended, the buzzing returned, and with it came a rage in him. While the buzzing hurt him, it also gave him the power to make things quiet.
Now, Iris West continues to pursue her story on just how The Flash seems to have changed. To get more information, she has tapped a source from within the Central City Police Department: Patty Spivot. While Patty knows the Flash's identity, Iris does not, and as such it hurts her to have to admit that she saw the Flash practically maim a criminal called Napalm at the bank yesterday. Despite her unwillingness to believe what Iris saw with her own eyes at the scene, Patty admits that she's been looking into the death of a college kid whose death appears to have been the work of a speedster. Patty insists, though, that they need hard evidence if they're going to bring a case against him, promising to use the CCPD's tracking technology to get some of that evidence.
Barry Allen, meanwhile - having taken over the identity of his own self, twenty years in his past - is trying to tie together the deaths of certain victims among those that Iris discovered had been collected following the Syndicate's attacks. Because of his foreknowledge, Barry knows that these particular killings are the work of a man called Overload, who would go on to kill hundreds. With this chance to relive his past, Barry hopes he can bring these victims to justice - so long as he can find something to pinpoint Overload's location before he can disappear and be lost as he was when Barry first encountered him, twenty years ago. Fortunately, he finds a link quickly: more than one of the victims seems to have horse hair on their persons. Overload has some connection to horses. When Patty catches him working on the case, Barry lies that it's just an old case he's trying to close, and excuses himself, unaware that Patty has activated the GPS tracker in his phone, surreptitiously.
Meanwhile, in the Speed Force, the present's Barry Allen is climbing to the summit of a great mountain, hoping to regain his lost powers, led by the scientist William Selkirk. Unfortunately, as they ascend, they are attacked by giant robotic flying dinosaurs.
Back at Central City, the mayor announces the launch of a free, citywide wifi grid, courtesy of LexCorp. Unfortunately, the signal from the towers erected for this purpose will surely increase the buzzing in Overload's head. The Flash arrives at the press conference, sure that this is where Overload's major attack will occur - he just has to find the man to stop him. Soon, he spots Overload, standing next to his horse Alastair, and speeds over, punching him in the face, and chastising him for what he is about to do. He recalls how the attack that happened in his past killed 207 people and disabled all electronics within the area, preventing him from using surveillance to identify the killer. This time, he has found Overload - and intends to kill him. However, his promise of death is overheard.
In the Speed Force, Barry is caught up in the jaws of one of the flying creatures, but is saved, fortunately, by Selkirk and the Singers. Once recovered, they approach the sumnmit of the mountain, where stands a temple to the Speed Force, as promised. Selkirk admits that he'd promised the Speed Force for decades before he learned how to call down its lightning. Barry wonders why Selkirk never used it before, to escape the Speed Force himself. Selkirk responds that knowing how to do something isn't the same thing as being able to do it. Examining the drawings on the walls, Barry realizes that calling down the lightning requires a lightning rod of some kind - and according to the drawing, that lightning rod is him. As soon as he realizes what's going on, Barry is clubbed into unconsciousness with the butt of a rifle.
Meanwhile, Patty and Iris are disturbed to have heard The Flash promise to kill. He promises that the man is a killer who deserves death. Patty pleads with him, explaining that the guilty need to be arrested, tried, and convicted through the proper channels. Losing his resolve for a moment, Barry considers her words, but hardens again, promising to save everyone by killing this man. Patty grabs his arm, and when he swings for his killing blow, she is launched forward, dislocating her shoulder. Realizing he's hurt her, Barry tries to apologize, but Iris warns him away from her. In the meantime, the mayor activates the signal towers, which empowers Overload - who unleashes that energy into the Flash, as the lightning of the Speed Force is called down to strike his past self, elsewhere.
Appearing in "Power Loss"
Featured Characters:
- The Flash (Flashback and main story)
- The Flash (Future)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Overload (Flashback and main story)
- William Selkirk
Other Characters:
- Deathstorm (Flashback only)
- Hyena (Flashback only)
- Killer Frost (Flashback only)
- Multiplex (Flashback only)
- Taylor Singer (Dies)
- Johnny Singer
- Napalm (Mentioned only)
- Singh (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Central City
- Speed Force
- Speed Force Temple
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The Flash: Savage World.
Trivia
- The books in the bookstore where Iris and Patty meet are all titled with comically lazy titles, such as "Not the Bible!!" and "The Big Book of Books! Vol 2: Books!"