Mark Waid and Salvador Larroca’s The Flash: Terminal Velocity is a Comic You Should Be Reading

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Welcome to Comic You Should Be Reading, a weekly feature where I recommend a great comic – whether it’s a single issue, an ongoing series, or a special event – for both seasoned comic book readers and those just getting started.

Comics have had an interesting decade, with some great moments. We’ve recently seen classic heroes like Wally West make a comeback after being sidelined when Barry Allen, the original Flash, was brought back to life. The Flash’s story has become richer as the idea of the Speed Force has developed, and the whole Flash family of heroes is now stronger than ever.

You know, as a long-time Flash fan, it’s easy to think things like the Speed Force and the whole Flash Family have always been part of the mythos. But it’s actually pretty cool to realize they’re not that old! A lot of what makes the Flash great today – even bringing back fans like me who’ve been around forever and attracting new players – really started with one amazing storyline back in the ’90s. It was called “Terminal Velocity,” and it was created by Mark Waid with art from Salvador Larroca and Carlos Pacheco (plus a ton of other talented artists!). Seriously, that story completely changed the Flash and everyone around him, and we’re still feeling the effects decades later. It really set the stage for everything that came after.

Terminal Velocity Takes Place Right After Zero Hour

To fully appreciate the story in “Terminal Velocity,” it helps to know what was happening in the DC Universe at the time. In 1994, the DC Universe was reeling from Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, a major event in the series of Crises that often threatened the entire universe. This particular Crisis involved a lot of time travel, as two powerful forces attempted to rewrite history. Wally West, who had recently become the Flash after the loss of his mentor Barry Allen during the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, desperately tried to prevent this timeline reset.

Wally West always felt overshadowed by the legacy of Barry Allen, so when a threat that could destroy everything emerged, he immediately dedicated himself to stopping it. He understood the odds were stacked against him, but that’s the nature of being a Flash. He ran at top speed to combat a wave of decay originating from the future. Unfortunately, he pushed himself too far and vanished, leaving only his costume behind – a chilling echo of Barry Allen’s fate. The ‘Zero Hour’ crisis continued without him, and the remaining heroes were left to finish the fight while grieving the loss of their friend.

Fortunately, a new speedster had just appeared, offering much-needed help to the heroes. Bart Allen, the grandson of Barry Allen from the future, called himself Impulse. He’d traveled back in time hoping to find a cure for the accelerated aging caused by his incredible speed. Although Wally and Bart didn’t get much time together before the Zero Hour crisis, the young hero would become a key figure in Flash stories, especially in the arc called “Terminal Velocity,” for many years to come.

Wally West wasn’t actually dead, despite what his friends thought. He was transported to a strange place where he experienced powerful memories of the past and troubling glimpses of what was to come. This journey reaffirmed his identity as the Flash, solidifying the role he’d worked so hard to achieve. But the end of his time-traveling experience showed him events from his near future, setting the stage for the storyline in “Terminal Velocity” and introducing an idea that would dramatically change the established mythology.

Wally West Faced the Loss of His Humanity

There were moments when the heroes reached their maximum speed and wondered if it was wise to go faster. The potential risks and uncertainties of doing so were usually best left unexplored. However, when Wally West returned from his travels through time after the Zero Hour event, he developed a new fear that profoundly affected him. He didn’t just foresee the death of someone he cared about and learn about a danger posed by the terrorist group Kobra—he also had a disturbing vision of losing his own humanity if he continued to push his speed limits.

This situation was a new challenge for the Flash. Usually, speedsters worry about being fast enough, but now Wally West had to hold back to avoid losing control. He faced this while trying to protect his city and the people he cared about from a dangerous terrorist group, and he didn’t always succeed. For example, early in the story, Wally pushed himself too hard during a fight with Kobra, partly because of the impulsive actions of the young hero Impulse, nearly costing Impulse his life.

Wally West was secretive, but it was becoming obvious that something new was happening to him whenever he pushed his speed limits. He’d struggled with self-doubt and had to overcome his own limitations to surpass his mentor, always driven to get faster, even when he didn’t realize it. Now, he felt like his speed was overwhelming him and that time was slipping away.

He found himself in a difficult predicament, which made having a supportive family even more crucial. However, before he could focus on that, he needed to understand the powerful threat he was facing. He realized he needed guidance, and it became clear that others could also learn from understanding the history of this force.

Mark Waid Introduced Fans to the Speed Force

Barry Allen sometimes feared he’d been exposed to a mysterious energy while running at super speed. However, it wasn’t until Wally West also became incredibly fast that fans truly began to understand what this energy – the Speed Force – actually was. It’s a core part of The Flash’s story now, so it’s hard to ignore this important turning point, even when avoiding spoilers. Everything surrounding it in the ‘Terminal Velocity’ storyline was new territory, at least for most of the people involved.

Readers and the Flash discovered more about a mysterious new threat through Max Mercury, a speedster already known in the DC Universe who’d come out of retirement. He joined Wally West, Jay Garrick, and Johnny Quick to fight Reverse-Flash, who was disguised as Barry Allen. While Wally wasn’t immediately convinced by Max’s methods, he did follow his advice, even if he didn’t fully embrace Max’s philosophical approach to super speed.

Following his encounter with the strange new force at the end of Zero Hour, Wally began to appreciate Max’s guidance and actively sought to understand the Speed Force. He realized how valuable it was to have someone with so much experience as a speedster, especially as they delved into this unknown world. This made Max Mercury crucial to the events of “Terminal Velocity” and positioned him as a key mentor, particularly to the young hero Impulse.

As a Flash fan, “Terminal Velocity” was a huge deal because it finally explained where all these different speedsters came from. It wasn’t just random powers anymore; it tied everything back to this bigger thing called the Speed Force. It felt like all the separate stories suddenly clicked together, making the whole speedster mythos in DC way more solid and interesting. Honestly, that unification was the second biggest takeaway from that storyline, and it really shaped how The Flash and his adventures were written for years after.

Wally West Was the First to Form the Flash Family

Over time, Wally West had cultivated a support system including friends like Hartley Rathaway and his girlfriend, reporter Linda Park, who were crucial in the fight against Kobra. While these allies were valuable, they weren’t yet the established “Team Flash” that fans would later recognize. Wally realized he needed other speedsters – not just to succeed in his current mission and control his powers, but also to ensure Central City was protected even if something happened to him. Events like Zero Hour had introduced new heroes like Impulse to the DC Universe, but Wally understood that more help was needed to safeguard the city and continue the legacy.

Wally West faced a similar challenge after Barry Allen’s disappearance – he had to carry on the Flash legacy largely on his own. This led him to carefully choose a successor, ensuring they had the support needed to succeed. This focus on support ultimately created the idea of the Flash Family. While speedsters had teamed up before, like in the story “Return of Barry Allen,” those partnerships were usually temporary. The storyline “Terminal Velocity” was different; it not only brought speedsters together to fight a shared enemy, but it also forged a lasting bond, establishing them as a true team and family.

Wally West, who had previously learned from veterans like Jay Garrick and Johnny Quick, now mentored a new wave of speedsters, including Impulse and Jesse Quick. The Flash’s legacy expanded with more heroes appearing in various Flash-related comics. The introduction of new Flash Family members during major Flash storylines became a beloved tradition, and it all began with the story arc called “Terminal Velocity.”

Mark Waid wrote many great Flash stories, but “Terminal Velocity” is arguably his most memorable. It honored the history of The Flash while also setting up an exciting future for Wally West, attracting a new generation of readers – including me – and keeping them hooked.

You should read it.

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2025-11-16 00:16