Godspeed (comics)

Godspeed
	Textless cover of The Flash #6 (November 2016).; Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Cameo appearance:The Flash: Rebirth #1 (August 2016); Full appearance: The Flash #3 (September 2016)
Created by	Joshua Williamson; Carmine Di Giandomenico
In-story information
Alter ego	August Heart
Species	Human
Place of origin	Central City
Team affiliations	Central City Police Department ; Rogues
Abilities	Superhuman speed, agility, reflexes, strength, durability, stamina; Self-duplication; Electrokinesis; Vortex creation; Speed Force conduit, aura, theft; Accelerated healing; Enhanced senses; Intangibility and phasing; Speed scout; Energy construct creation; Time-space manipulation;

Last updated July 22, 2019

Godspeed (August Heart) is a supervillain, and later an antihero, appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.

A supervillain or criminal mastermind is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.

An antihero or antiheroine is a main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions that are morally correct, it is not always for the right reasons, often acting primarily out of self-interest or in ways that defy conventional ethical codes.

A comic book or comicbook, also called comic magazine or simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually, dialog contained in word balloons emblematic of the comics art form. Although comics has some origins in 18th century Japan, comic books were first popularized in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 1930s. The first modern comic book, Famous Funnies, was released in the U.S. in 1933 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor comic strips, which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics. The term comic book derives from American comic books once being a compilation of comic strips of a humorous tone; however, this practice was replaced by featuring stories of all genres, usually not humorous in tone.

The fifth season of the American television series The Flash, which is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, premiered on The CW on October 9, 2018, and concluded on May 14, 2019, with a total of 22 episodes. The season follows Barry, a crime scene investigator with superhuman speed who fights criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities, as he deals with the consequences of his future daughter's time traveling. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow. The season was produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, with Todd Helbing serving as showrunner.

The Flash is an American superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns, airing on The CW. It is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. It is a spin-off from Arrow, existing in the same fictional universe. The series follows Barry Allen, portrayed by Grant Gustin, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed, which he uses to fight criminals, including others who have also gained superhuman abilities.

Bradley Darryl Wong is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in M. Butterfly, becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theatre World Award for the same role. He was nominated for a Critic's Choice Television Award for his role as Whiterose in Mr. Robot, also earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Publication history

Created by writer Joshua Williamson and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico, Godspeed first appears in a cameo in The Flash: Rebirth #1 (August 2016), as part of the DC Rebirth. He makes his first full appearance at the end of The Flash #3 (September 2016).

Carmine Di Giandomenico is a comics artist. In 1995 he drew the limited series Examen for publishers Phoenix. Then he drew an issue of Conan the Barbarian (1997) for Marvel Italia, written by Chuck Dixon.

DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC Universe to a form much like that prior to the "Flashpoint" storyline while still incorporating numerous elements of The New 52, including its continuity. It also saw many of its titles move to a twice-monthly release schedule, along with being released at US$2.99.

The Flash is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. Since 2010, the series focuses on Barry Allen, the second Flash, who was the original focus from 1959 to 1985. Prior to Barry's return, the series depicted the adventures of Wally West, the third Flash, from 1987 to 2006 and 2007 to 2008. Bart Allen, the fourth Flash, also appeared as the lead for 13 issues between 2006 and 2007. The series began as a Silver Age of Comic Books revival of Flash Comics from the Golden Age, which featured original Flash Jay Garrick, and continued the numbering of Flash Comics with a new title and Barry replacing Jay.

Fictional character biography

Godspeed first makes an appearance during one of Barry Allen's visions, claiming he would kill them all.^[1]

The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #4, created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciler Carmine Infantino. Barry Allen is a reinvention of a previous character called the Flash, who appeared in 1940s comic books as the character Jay Garrick.

August Heart is a colleague of Barry Allen from the Central City Police Department. Heart's brother was murdered by a career criminal and his killer was let free due to the evidence being destroyed when Barry and his lab were struck by lightning. When August confronts the Black Hole, a group who had stolen a van containing equipment from S.T.A.R. Labs, he recognizes their symbol as the same one spray-painted near his brother's crime scene. August is shot at but before the bullet could hit him or Barry could save him, August is struck by lightning from a Speed Force storm.

The Central City Police Department (CCPD) is a fictional police department servicing Central City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Flash books.

Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories is a fictional scientific research facility and organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Superman #246 and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.

Now a speedster, August knocks out his shooter. After Barry reveals himself to be the Flash, August creates his own costume and becomes Barry's partner, also wishing to use his powers to solve his brother's murder. After defeating Black Hole, they witness another Speed Force storm strike more citizens, turning them into speedsters.^[2] August helps Barry round up any new speedsters who use their newfound powers as criminals. The two meet Dr. Meena Dhawan, a new speedster who has helped create a Speed Force training center to help the new speedsters control their powers. When Barry and Meena return after recruiting more speedsters, they find an injured August who tells them that a new speedster called Godspeed killed the speedster criminals and took their speed.

Speedster (fiction) type of superhero possessing superhuman speed

A speedster is a character whose powers primarily relate to superhuman speed. Primary abilities shared by all speedsters include running at speeds far in excess of human capability and resistance to the side effects that result from such velocity. In almost all cases, speedsters are able to physically attack opponents by striking them while at high speed to impart huge amounts of kinetic energy without suffering harm. A variety of other powers have been attributed to speedsters depending on the story, the origin of the power, and the established continuity and rules of a given universe.

A recovered August brings two of the recruits with him in order to storm the Speed Force storm-infused Dr. Carver. After Barry and Meena's 'day off', Godspeed arrives at the training center where he is confronted by Meena. As Avery Ho, one of the speedster recruits, escapes to get the Flash, Godspeed kills Meena and two of the recruits and takes their speed.^[3] When Godspeed kills Billy Parks, the main suspect in August's brother's murder, Barry realizes that August is Godspeed.

Barry confronts him and August reveals that he is indeed Godspeed and had given up on the justice system, deciding to become judge, jury, and executioner, killing his brother's murderer. August reveals that when he was near the speedster criminals, he could feel the Speed Force within them connecting with him. He decided to take their powers from them, resulting in their deaths and August being injured. After realizing that it was possible to siphon another speedster's speed without killing them (evident when he, Barry, Meena, and two recruits took Dr. Carver's speed), August tried it again on Meena and the two recruits. However, it had the same results as the first time.

With his increased speed, August Heart reveals he can create a double of himself and be at two places at once, though it takes a physical toll on him. Barry uses this to his advantage and escapes. August proceeds to interrogate the other Black Hole members about his brother's death, but kills them all when he receives no information. When the speedster recruits safely give their speed to Barry and Wally to stop Godspeed, August arrives and is able to take Avery's speed. Barry chases after Godspeed who reveals that he will head to Iron Heights and do the one thing Barry could not, kill his enemies, including Eobard Thawne. However, the new Kid Flash (Wally West II) intervenes and helps the Flash in taking down Godspeed, who is later incarcerated in Iron Heights. It is not known whether August still maintains a connection to the Speed Force, as it was hinted that all who were hit during the Speed Force storm’s powers may be temporary. ^[4]

Powers and abilities

Godspeed shares the same abilities as any other speedster, having both shown to have super speed and the ability to generate cyclones by rapidly spinning his arms. He also has the ability to forcibly take another speedster's speed, which is shown when he ran around a speedster (or speedsters) at extreme speed, resulting in Godspeed gaining their speed, but at the cost of injuring himself and killing the speedster(s). This occurs when the speedster(s) he takes speed from was not/were not willing to let go of their powers (as shown when Barry and Wally were able to take the speed from several speedsters safely and when Godspeed was able to take Avery's speed without killing her).

Godspeed also has the ability to create a clone of himself by dividing the Speed Force in him. However, extended use of this clone will result in intense pain, and the copy will then destabilize, with its portion of the Speed Force returning to the original Godspeed. Like other speedsters, Godspeed can run up to 10 times the speed of light by entering the Speed Force.

In other media

August Heart/Godspeed appears in season five of The Flash , portrayed by Kindall Charters and voiced by BD Wong.^[5] As seen in his self-titled episode "Godspeed", he is portrayed as the first supervillain that Nora West-Allen faces in the year 2049. This version of the character is an intern of Mercury Labs who gets his powers after replicating Zoom's Velocity-9 drug, with his plan to create a new version that would make his powers permanent. He is eventually defeated by Nora, guided by Eobard Thawne, and incarcerated.

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References

↑ The Flash Rebirth #1
↑ The Flash #1–3
↑ The Flash #4–5
↑ The Flash #6–8
↑ "'The Flash': First Look At Godspeed Revealed". comicbook.com. February 23, 2019.

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[1] The Flash Rebirth #1

[2] The Flash #1–3

[3] The Flash #4–5

[4] The Flash #6–8

[5] "'The Flash': First Look At Godspeed Revealed". comicbook.com. February 23, 2019.

Godspeed
Textless cover of The Flash #6 (November 2016). Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Cameo appearance:The Flash: Rebirth #1 (August 2016) Full appearance: The Flash #3 (September 2016)
Created by	Joshua Williamson Carmine Di Giandomenico
In-story information
Alter ego	August Heart
Species	Human
Place of origin	Central City
Team affiliations	Central City Police Department Rogues
Abilities	Superhuman speed, agility, reflexes, strength, durability, stamina Self-duplication Electrokinesis Vortex creation Speed Force conduit, aura, theft Accelerated healing Enhanced senses Intangibility and phasing Speed scout Energy construct creation Time-space manipulation