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Speed Force

The Speed Force

Species: Interdimensional sentient Force

Played By: Jesse L. Martin (as "Earth-1 Joe West"), Candice Patton (as "Earth-1 Iris West"), John Wesley Shipp (as "Earth-1 Henry Allen"), Michelle Harrison (as "Earth-1 Nora Allen"), Rick Cosnett (as "Eddie Thawne"), Danielle Panabaker (as "Earth-1 Caitlin Snow"), N/A (as "child of Earth-1 Ronnie and Earth-1 Caitlin"), Robbie Amell (as "Earth-1 Ronnie Raymond"), Wentworth Miller (as "Earth-1 Leonard Snart"),

First Appearance: "Fast Enough" (The Flash 1x23)

Appearances: Arrow | The Flash | Crisis on Infinite Earths^note(Arrow)

The Speed Force is the sentient extra-dimensional source of Barry Allen and all speedsters' powers and the key to honing in on their ability to affect the fabric of reality.

During the events of Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Speed Force accidentally gets poisoned by the newly appointed Spectre, Oliver Queen. The Speed Force would eventually die as a result, but later gets resurrected by Team Flash.

For tropes relating to the Speed Force after it permanently takes on the form of Nora Allen, see the "Nora" folder below.

Above Good and Evil: The Speed Force isn't bothered whether a speedster is "good" or "evil". They'll only terrorize the speedster if the speedster pisses them off.
Accuser of the Brethren: In Season Three, it's really pissed off at Barry for creating Flashpoint, not really caring about his guilt or his efforts to atone, and resolves to Be as Unhelpful as Possible in retaliation. In the finale, it forces Barry into an early retirement by making him occupy Savitar's prison to stabilize the Speed Force's energy, though it claims it won't be the hellish experience for Barry that it was for Savitar, Wally, and Jay.
Accomplice by Inaction: It did not stop the Reverse-Flash or Zoom when they killed Barry's parents.
Achilles' Heel: It needs a speedster to occupy the prison Barry made for Savitar inside of it. Otherwise, it becomes unstable and will start damaging the physical world.
All-Powerful Bystander:
- It could easily help Barry by cutting off the connection of the evil speedsters he faces and yet it refuses to do so — it only did it once and that was after Eobard killed Nora.
- It admits to Barry it could've stopped Flashpoint from happening, but allowed it to happen just so Barry could learn the consequences of abusing his powers — no matter the personal collateral damage to Team Flash.
- In Season Three, Savitar is imprisoned in it, but it doesn't do much to keep him in. In fact, it invests much more energy into keeping Wally and later Jay imprisoned in Savitar's place.
Back for the Dead: The Speed Force as Nora appears again in "Death of the Speed Force" in a dying state. It was revealed Barry accidentally damaged it when he had Oliver make him reach his full potential to restore the multiverse.
Back from the Dead: The Speed Force is brought back to life in The Flash 7x03.
Blue-and-Orange Morality:
- It doesn't distinguish between good and evil speedsters accessing its powers, although it will cut them off if they cross certain lines, but it will be exceptionally harsh to any good speedster who fails to live up to its very high standards.
- Eobard Thawne went back in time and ended up killed Nora and the real Harrison Wells, amongst others and meddled with events for his own ends. Yet when Barry goes back in time to save his mom, the Speed Force seems more outraged for Barry having a moment of weakness than the unrepentant actions of a cold-blooded murderer.
- It scolds Barry for giving his speed to Zoom, even though he did it to save Wally's life, something Barry lampshades.
- It doesn't seem to understand why the Misery Builds Character aesop it tried to teach Barry would fail to stick when Henry was killed only a few days after - especially when was in similar circumstances to Nora's murder.
Break the Haughty: Although not boastful, it exhibits a lack of concern for Barry's challenges as its champion and disregards his emotions. It was only when Barry confronted it about its behavior towards him and his loved ones and it became a victim of the crisis before being revived by Barry and his loved ones that it realized the importance of showing compassion towards Barry and all of humanity. This newfound understanding was further reinforced during the conflict with the other newly created forces.
Character Development: The entity shows a concerning disregard for Barry's struggles as its champion and appears to be indifferent towards his emotions and perhaps humans in general. Only after Barry confronts it about its behavior towards him and his loved ones, and it becomes a victim of a crisis before being revived by Barry and his loved ones, does it finally comprehend the importance of demonstrating empathy towards Barry and all of humanity. This newfound realization is strengthened during the altercation with the other recently formed forces.
The Chooser of the One: The Speed Force chose Barry to be the Flash. It also forces him into an early retirement in the Season Three finale because the Speed Force will collapse in on itself without an occupant in the prison Barry made for Savitar, and it decides that Barry should be the one to occupy it.
Combo Platter Powers: The Speed Force can bestow Super-Speed and all the powers that come with it upon humans, see the full course of time and space, cast illusions, and even simulate the effects of Leonard Snart's Cold Gun.
Dead Person Impersonation: It has projected itself using four deceased people that Barry knew, namely: Nora Allen, Eddie Thawne, Ronnie Raymond, and Leonard Snart.
Early-Bird Cameo: It is the bolt of lightning that struck Barry during the night he got his powers — over two years before its existence is officially confirmed.
A Form You Are Comfortable With: The Speed Force manifests as people close to Barry and locations Barry knows. As of season 6, it appears to default to his late mother, Nora.
God in Human Form: It appears before Team Flash in the aforementioned human form in Season 7, asking for their help when it becomes overpowered by the Forces of Nature created after its resurrection.
God Is Dead: When the Spectre bestows a tremendous boost of power to Barry to enter the Speed Force after the Anti-Monitor destroyed all known existence, the cosmic energy is not only powerful enough to poison the Speed Force, but kills it in a matter of weeks. This leaves Barry and other speedsters with reserve speed power that'll be gone forever unless they find an alternative. Season 7 has Team Flash managing to bring it back to life.
God Is Flawed: For all its omnipotent and mysterious plannings, the Speed Force never takes into account the emotional turmoil it puts on Barry and cares very little for the tragedy his life, all calming that it's necessary for The Needs of the Many. It reaches it's breaking point when Barry has finally had enough and calls the Speed Force out on everything it has ever done. It ends up rendering the Speed Force to tears.
I Will Punish Your Friend for Your Failure: It deliberately goes out its way to make Barry's loved ones be the ones who suffer most when he misuses his power. This is later deconstructed, as while Barry did learn from those failures, it also caused him to secretly begin resenting the Speed Force, which eventually made him susceptible to Bloodwork's corruption.
In Mysterious Ways: It's been implied to do this, in any case. The motivation behind Eddie Thawne's Heroic Suicide was his adamant belief that There Are No Coincidences, and despite whatever Eobard Thawne espoused to Barry, his actions during Season 1 were damaging to the timeline. It's all but stated that the Speed Force let Eobard run amok because it knew his actions would eventually lead to Eddie killing himself to stop him, erasing Eobard from existence.... which backfired spectacularly since by waiting so long to deal with Thawne, it created a villain who will simply not die.
Jerkass Gods: The Speed Force can get really nasty when it's angered. It's also not above with playing with the fates of Barry's loved ones just to teach him a lesson — it let Zoom get away with killing Henry just to see if Barry really did learn how to cope with tragedy.
Kick the Dog: For some reason, it really doesn't like Wally West, with it's treatment of him in "Into the Speed Force" being just plain cruel. It seems to be on better terms with Wally in "Death of the Speed Force" after gaining a spiritual connection to it.
Love Is a Weakness: Although it never explicitly admits to this belief, it seems evident that the entity disregards the harm caused by malevolent speedsters to Barry's close ones and appears indifferent to his distress. However, after experiencing certain events that make it realize the inevitability of death and accountability, the entity eventually changes its perspective.
Misery Builds Character: It tries to get Barry to see that just because he's a hero, he's not immune to tragedy. Unfortunately, it chose to do this just a couple of days before Zoom killed Henry, which broke poor Barry.
Never My Fault: It condemns Barry for creating Flashpoint, even though it didn't stop Zoom from killing Henry and putting Barry in the state of mind to do so.
No Sympathy: The Speed Force is way too detached from humanity as it doesn't seem to understand or care about the grief or suffering of others; it understands that personal loss is something to be mourned but it doesn't seem to understand just how devastating it can be. Probably justified in that, as an omniscient Sentient Cosmic Force, the lives, deaths, and emotions of individual humans are hard for it to comprehend. Eventually, Barry gets fed up with it and calls it out on everything it's done.
Not Quite Dead: It's revealed that due to her connection with Barry, Iris carried a spark of the Speed Force after it was gone. This was enough to allow Team Flash to bring it back.
Not So Stoic: The Speed Force becomes emotional for the first time as Barry calls out on everything it has ever done to both him and his loved ones. It can't come with a retort, because it knows he's right.
The Omniscient: The Speed Force is aware of everything that is happening, from the different Alternate Timelines to every part of The Multiverse.
Omniscient Morality License: All the Speed Force cares about is keeping things "just", regardless of the expense it will take on other living souls.
Place Beyond Time: The Speed Force seems to be this, as it was not only aware of the Flashpoint timeline, but also of Leonard Snart's Heroic Sacrifice which took place at the Vanishing Point which is outside of time.
The Powers That Be: It works in very mysterious ways. It saw fit to strip Eobard Thawne of his powers after he killed Nora, but it didn't do anything to stop Zoom despite all of the mindless carnage he caused, other than sending Time Wraiths after him.
Royal "We": It always refers to itself as "we" when talking to Barry, probably because it uses multiple avatars to do so.
Secret Test of Character:
- The whole point of the Speed Force trapping Barry in "The Run Away Dinosaur".
- It's implied that it let Zoom kill Henry to see if Barry truly learned how to cope with tragedy.
- Savitar killing Iris is implied to be yet another test.
Sentient Cosmic Force: The Speed Force is demonstrated to be sentient when it speaks directly to Barry through avatars of people he loves. The Speed Force even gives him a What the Hell, Hero? speech for giving up his speed in exchange for a single life, when he could have used it to save many more lives. Also, the only way the Speed Force will give him his speed back is if he comes to term with his mother's death.
Barry: I'm talking to the Speed Force? Isn't that like saying I'm having a conversation with gravity, or light, or...
So Proud of You: It admits to being proud of Barry.
Stern Teacher:
- Sent a Time Wraith after Barry the first time he misused his powers in "Flash Back". Unfortunately, Barry didn't take the hint.
- It's much harder on Barry in "Into The Speed Force" because it's mad that Barry created Flashpoint - it let it happen just so Barry could see the consequences of his actions.
Time Abyss: The Speed Force is at least as old as the universe itself, and will last at least that long as well.
Speed Force: When the first subatomic particle sprang forth from the Big Bang to form reality as you know it, we were there. When the last proton decays, stops vibrating, and plunges the universe into heat death, we'll be there too.
Übermensch: The Speed Force has a set of morality and standards exclusive to itself.
Worf Had the Flu: Season 7 has it become severely beaten by similar forces that were created upon its revival, but as it turns out, it had just returned to existence and was disoriented and caught off-guard by those Forces of Nature. When they duke it out again, the Speed Force's Human Form stomps them again and again due to having existed and experienced untold amounts of years whereas they had just came into existence.
Warrior Therapist: The Speed Force is apparently one. On both visits, Barry spends the entirety of his time in it resolving his issues. However it tends to not be very effective due to it's Blue-and-Orange Morality and No Sympathy attitude.

"Nora" / Speed Force's Human Form

Speed Force

The Speed Force's human body

Species: Extra-dimensional energy source

Other Aliases: Nora Allen, Speed Force Nora, Big Nora

Played by: Michelle Harrison

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x5, as human form)

Appearances: The Flash

The Speed Force in human form. After being resurrected from being a casualty of Crisis, the Speed Force permanently adopts the form of Barry's mother, Nora Allen. From henceforth the Speed Force is primarily referred to by other characters as "Nora", or "Speed Force Nora" to distinguish her from Nora West-Allen.

A Form You Are Comfortable With: Due to most frequently using the form of Nora to help Barry cope with stress in the past, this led the Speed Force to permanently adopt this form when entering the physical world.
Ambiguous Gender Identity: Due to the Speed Force for the most being a formless entity who has taken on numerous appearances, it is technically genderless. However due to taking on the more longterm form of Nora, everyone has taken to referring to the Speed Force as female.
Big Good: Eventually picks this role back up after Season 7.
Big Bad: Of the first half of Season 7.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Along with the other forces, she's a force of nature rather than a metahuman enemy.
Doppelgänger Gets Same Sentiment: Barry cannot overlook the fact she looks just like his mother, leading to a lot of difficult and awkward interactions initially.
Face–Heel Turn: She becomes determined to kill the other Forces of Nature putting her into opposition to Barry.
Heel–Face Turn: Despite a brief stint as an antagonist, it eventually sees the light and returns to the heroes' side.
Hopeless Boss Fight: The one time Barry tries to take her on, she proves that while he might be the World's Strongest Man amongst speedsters, he is ultimately no different from them as like all speedsters, his powers came from her and she is as much of a god who he can never hope to oppose in a direct fight as she would be towards other speedsters. She doesn't even have to get her hands dirty with him: She's so fast that she can see Barry as though he seems to be barely moving at all, and his lightning bolt doesn't even get tanked. She absorbs it and then uses it to nearly kill Alexa in a single attack. It's pretty telling that Barry doesn't even try to fight her again until he is backed up by the other Forces of Nature, clearly realizing the hopelessness of trying to fight the source of his powers.
Genki Girl: As Nora, they often act very chipper, particularly when helping their ward.
God in Human Form: As Barry's late mother, no less.
Heel–Face Turn: Barry eventually makes her see reason and she once again becomes an ally.
In-Series Nickname: After initially being addressed as "Speed Force", they later take to simply calling her "Nora" though adding "Speed Force Nora" to distinguish her from Nora West-Allen (who affectionately refers to her as "Big Nora).
The Omniscient: In a sense. They don't know much about the new Forces, but know much about the workings of the universe and are able to detect human emotions on some level.
Shock and Awe: Much like the speedsters she empowers, she can fire lightning as an offensive attack.
Strong and Skilled: Unlike the other Forces of Nature, who has only just came into existence and has little to no actual combat experience, the Speed Force has been around ever since the Multiverse existed, meaning that when she takes all 3 of them on directly without being caught by surprise, she expertly uses her powers to throw them around again and again, and is only hit whenever she's taken by surprise.
Spider-Sense: They can detect when Barry is feeling stressed and will come to his aid when possible.
Super-Speed: Being the source of the Flash's power, they're even faster than he is.
Unwanted Assistance: They frequently offer aid to Barry, whether he asks to or not, but begins to give him space when they learn about what bothers him.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Is only a villain due to wishing to restore balance to the cosmos.

Speed Force Avatar

Barry Allen / The Flash

See Arrowverse: Barry Allen

Speed Force Enforcers

Time Wraiths

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/time_wraith.png

Species: Time Wraith

First Appearance: "Flash Back" (The Flash 2x17)

Appearances: The Flash

The Speed Force's temporal agents, horrifying creatures that hunt speedsters that alter the timeline.

Ambiguous Situation: How they act is a bit enigmatic. Eobard Thawne implies that they only appear under certain circumstances and that just trying to alter time isn't enough to cause their presence but on the other hand makes a few comments that it was just chance that Barry ran into one and gained its attention. Though it's implied the Speed Force itself sent it after Barry.
Chekhov's Gunman: Initially appearing as a Villain of the Week, they return in the Season Two finale and prove instrumental in finally beating Zoom.
Clock Roaches: Speedster messing with the timeline too much? These guys will take care of the anomaly.
Co-Dragons: They are the Speed Force's most loyal enforcers.
Dark Is Not Evil: At their core, they just want time to not be torn apart by paradoxes-the ones who show up to investigate the Heroic Sacrifice of Barry's time remnant ignore Barry in favor of Zoom, presumably because they recognized he did that paradox to save the multiverse.
Dragged Off to Hell: It's revealed this is basically what they do to their victims when they do it to Zoom after his defeat.
The Dreaded: Even Eobard Thawne is scared witless of these guys. Seeing what they did to Zoom when they found him, it easy to see why.
Expy: Of Dementors, as lampshaded repeatedly by Cisco and Hartley.
Humanoid Abomination: They look like Dementors and freely inhabit, and travel through, time itself.
Immune to Bullets: The police fired countless rounds into the wraith without harm. The Time Wraiths may even be Nigh-Invulnerable, as Eobard mentions that no one, even in the future, has found a way to stop them.
Long Bus Trip: They have not returned ever since Wally was rescued from the Speed Force in Season 3, until "What's Past is Present".
Man of Kryptonite: Any one of them can "eat" Barry's speed and immobilize him.
Not So Invincible After All: Most attacks are useless against them, but Hartley discovers that they can be destroyed by low frequency sound.
Our Ghosts Are Different: In their case, they're Clock Roaches "employed" by The Speed Force.
Outside-Genre Foe: A race of ghost-like, supernatural entities that exist in the time stream would fit more with a show like Doctor Who than The Flash.
Super-Speed: One of them can easily keep up with the Flash and even Eobard Thawne doesn't think he could shake them.
Super-Strength: Oh yes. Just one of them was able to start breaking into a containment cell in the particle accelerator in order to get to Caitlin, Cisco, and Hartley. Even Girder was unable to even dent such a cell, so the Time Wraiths clearly have a formidable level of strength.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Their decayed appearance evokes the comics' Black Flash, the Grim Reaper of all speedsters. After what they did to Hunter Zolomon, they seem to be the Black Flash's predecessors in this continuity.
Weaksauce Weakness: Low-frequency sound is fatal to them, as the Time Wraith attacking Barry finds out.

Black Flash

Species: Time Wraith^note

Past Aliases: Zoom, The Speed Demon, The Fastest Man Alive, "Jay Garrick", "The Flash", "The Crimson Comet"

First Appearance: "The Legion of Doom" (Legends of Tomorrow 2x10)

Appearances: The Flash | Legends of Tomorrow

"The Flash pulled me from the timeline. He held me captive for months and when I finally got loose, I found myself pursued by something. I..I thought it was a time wraith, the monsters that hunt speedsters who mess with time. But whatever is hunting me is far worse than a time wraith. It can sense the Speed Force. And it's trying to kill me!"

—Eobard Thawne

The Grim Reaper of speedsters. The Time Wraiths' personal wetworks agent, the creature sent in when a speedster's abuse of time is so extreme that the Wraiths themselves are concerned to get involved. It wears a black version of the Flash's suit, which covers its entire body like a cancerous growth, and has a Nightmare Face which appears half disintegrated.

The Black Flash is the "devolved" form of Earth-2's Hunter Zolomon, the Big Bad of The Flash Season Two.

See Arrowverse: Hunter Zolomon page for tropes relating to his previous self.

see Smallville: Other Major Villains page for the Earth-167 character who bears its name and background

Achilles' Heel: Being frozen solid is enough to at least temporarily destroy him. It's implied that this isn't a permanent solution, however (the Black Flash was seemingly destroyed before, but returned nonetheless).
Adaptational Nonsapience: It could speak and had a will of its own in the comics, but here it's a mindless Wraith controlled entirely by the Speed Force.
Adaptational Species Change: The Black Flash in the comics was allegedly some kind of supernatural entity, being the speedster equivalent of The Grim Reaper. Here, he was once the metahuman speedster known as Hunter Zolomon before being transformed into a zombie-like being called the Black Flash.
All There in the Manual: In-Universe, the name "Black Flash" is never spoken or referred to by any of the characters. Eobard usually refers to him as "that thing", and Barry calls him by the name he had when he was a human: Hunter Zolomon. Finally averted in The Flash Season Three finale, when Savitar explicitly refers to him as "Black Flash".
Ambiguous Situation: Black Flash has the same red lightning as a user of the Negative Speed Force, but there's no other indication he has a connection to it.
Arrow Catch: He pulls this on Merlyn.
Badass in Distress: In "Doomworld", Thawne manages to trap him in a cell with the Spear of Destiny. However, in "Aruba", Sara depowers the Spear and sets him free, (or rather prevents him from being imprisoned) allowing him to finish his mission of killing Thawne.
Be Careful What You Wish For: When Zoom wanted to become more powerful and stave off death, becoming an undead mindless beast destined to spend untold amounts of time, possibly eternity, as an enforcer for the Time Wraiths probably wasn't what he had in mind.
Body Horror: As expected of what basically amounts to a rotting corpse stuck inside a Flash suit.
The Brute: He is the Speed Force's most powerful and terrifying enforcer.
The Bus Came Back: He gets dragged off into the Speed Force by the Time Wraiths at the end of Season Two, but he later reappears as the Black Flash and starts hunting Eobard Thawne.
Chest Insignia: It's much the same as Eobard Thawne's, though the black briefly turned white when he first became the Time Wraiths' servant.
Clock Roaches: He serves the Speed Force, hunting time anomalies, with his primary target being Eobard Thawne.
Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: He is never directly referred to as the Black Flash. Eobard calls him "that thing", and Barry calls him by his old name, Hunter. Savitar breaks the trend in "Finish Line", presumably by virtue of his future knowledge.
Composite Character: In the comics, Zoom and the Black Flash are two distinctly different characters; here, Zoom becomes the Black Flash.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Eobard Thawne spends most of Legends Season Two running from this guy because he's afraid of being caught by him. Once the Black Flash manages to grab him, we see why, as he kills Thawne in about two seconds flat.
Dark Is Not Evil: Despite his monstrous appearance and the monstrous villain he once was, the Black Flash is not evil, but merely an enforcer of the Speed Force's will without bias or cruelty.
Death of Personality: All traces of Hunter Zolomon's personality seem to have been lost following his transformation, leaving him as a mindless beast. Granted, he was a sociopathic, utterly vile monster who wanted to destroy The Multiverse, and now he only tries to stop rogue speedsters, so this was probably for the best.
Demoted to Dragon: He's now the Speed Forces enforcer and has no mind of his own.
Determinator: It doesn't matter where or when Thawne goes, the Black Flash will find him.
Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Thawne tries to turn him into a trophy by using the Spear of Destiny to lock him in a cell. Once freed, he wastes no time in hunting Thawne down and killing him with a single blow.
The Dreaded: He's sent after the time aberrant Eobard Thawne, who is utterly scared shitless of him even after his partners figure out a way to hide from him. With how bad Eobard himself is, this is really saying something.
Dumb Muscle: He doesn't serve any function beyond finding and killing rogue speedsters. It's quite likely his once impressive mind has decayed along with his body.
Early-Installment Weirdness: When Hunter got transformed into the Black Flash, his insignia became red-and-white, as it is in the comics. However, this was jettisoned in favor of a red-and-black insignia, which is used from his second appearance onward.
Ex-Big Bad: A very dark version of this trope. After his defeat by the Flash he's been reduced to an unthinking, running corpse that nonetheless still has a presence in our heroes' lives.
Evil Makes You Ugly: He was a Hunky Mr. Fanservice pre-Karmic Transformation.
Facial Horror: Hunter's half-rotted face is given some lovely close-ups.
Fate Worse than Death: He's stuck in a decaying body and forced to serve as its mindless slave for all eternity. Ironically, his fate worse than death was to become Death.
Fragile Speedster: More so than the other speedsters. He's faster than the other speedsters, but much more susceptible to their weaknesses as seen with him getting easily killed by an ice blast from Killer Frost.
Glass Cannon: He's able to overpower and kill other speedsters with ease, but his durability leaves much to be desired. He's Punched Across the Room by Thawne and easily frozen to pieces by Killer Frost, resulting in his death.
Greater-Scope Villain: Of Legends Season Two, as the Black Flash's quest to erase Eobard Thawne from existence is what drives Thawne to create the Legion of Doom and hunt down the Spear of Destiny in order to rewrite reality and escape his foe's wrath.
The Grim Reaper: In the Season Two finale, Zoom becomes the Arrowverse's version of the Black Flash.
Handicapped Badass: He's blind, likely due to his eyes rotting away. It doesn't make him any less dangerous.
Humanoid Abomination: The Black Flash is an undead speedster with decaying flesh.
Implacable Man:
- He is literally Death for speedsters; Eobard Thawne's attempts to outrun him are ultimately futile, and even hiding from him by not using the Speed Force is implied to be a temporary solution at best. Thawne believes that the only surefire way to permanently escape the Black Flash is to rewrite reality itself to undo his fate.
- When Barry returns to the Speed Force to save Wally, the Black Flash appears (presumably summoned by the Speed Force to force him to leave Wally) and is as nigh unstoppable as when he was Zoom.
Irony: Zoom once boasted that he had "beat the rules" of the Speed Force. Now, he's the Speed Force's enforcer, targeting speedsters who broke its rules as he did.
I Was Quite a Looker: He was a very handsome man before the Time Wraiths got to him.
Karmic Transformation: He's now as ugly and monstrous on the outside as he was on the inside as well.
Knight of Cerebus: When this guy shows up, expect things to get a lot more serious.
Laser-Guided Karma: Forced to atone for his crimes as Zoom, the Black Flash's main focus is to find Eobard Thawne, a man who should've died long ago for more reasons than one.
Limited Wardrobe: He's still wearing the same outfit he was dragged off with in the Season 2 finale, broken mask and all.
Living Motion Detector: Due to being blind, he is unable to sense anything at all unless it's moving above a certain speed, at which point he can zero in on it.
Logical Weakness: He can sense any living thing by its movement. If a target remains still, he's caught flat-footed.
Loss of Identity: All traces of Hunter Zolomon are long gone, with the Black Flash being nothing but a servant of the Speed Force who operates purely on animal instinct.
Meaningful Name: Before he became the Black Flash his name was HUNTER.
Movie Superheroes Wear Black: Justified, as he's literally the Arrowverse version of the Black Flash, the embodiment of Death for speedsters, meaning it would be strange if he didn't wear black. However, while he initially gained a red-and-white Chest Insignia as in the comics, it's become red-and-black when we see him fully in action, and his boots are black rather than red.
Our Zombies Are Different: His transformation into the Black Flash reduced him to a zombie-like speedster with decaying flesh and operating on raw animal instinct. He has none of his humanity left, being only able to scream and growl. However, he's still a far cry from any traditional zombies, including Zombie Girder or the ones that the Legends faced in "Abominations". The Black Flash only hunts one individual in particular, and has no desire to devour him, only to end him.
Outside-Context Problem:
- The Black Flash is something entirely new that Eobard Thawne has never encountered before.
- As mentioned above, he is summoned by the Speed Force to stop Barry from saving Wally.
Pay Evil unto Evil: In the Legends Season Two finale, "Aruba", it erases Thawne from existence by performing Thawne's favorite move of speed-stabbing.
Power at a Price: As elaborated on in Took a Level in Badass below, transforming into the Black Flash turned the former Hunter Zolomon into an even more powerful and terrifying speedster, but at the cost of becoming little more than an animalistic beast for the Speed Force to send after its enemies.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Although he retains his black suit after becoming the Black Flash, it receives red highlights. He also leaves behind red lightning while he runs instead of blue from the Velocity drug. Ironically, he's less evil as the Black Flash than he ever was as Zoom; Zoom was a deranged sadist, the Black Flash is just the Speed Force's attack dog.
Same Character, But Different: He was once the evil Earth-2 speedster Hunter Zolomon/Zoom, but now, he's a zombie-like speedster who serves the Speed Force and hunts anomalies like Eobard Thawne, with all of his humanity (what little he had) gone so that he's reduced to raw animal instinct. When Barry encounters him in the Speed Force, he instantly recognized him, even saying his old name in fear.
Serkis Folk: He's rendered entirely in CGI, probably to enhance the Uncanny Valley effect of his movements.
The Speechless: As the Black Flash he doesn't speak, just screams and growls, suggesting that he's not even capable of speech anymore. Given his decayed physiology, it's entirely possible he doesn't even have vocal chords anymore.
Super-Persistent Predator: The Black Flash stalks Thawne no matter where on Earth or where in time he goes. He finally catches up to his quarry in the Season Two finale of Legends.
Took a Level in Badass: After becoming the Black Flash and taking on Time Wraith characteristics, he appears to have become even more powerful than before. Eobard is utterly terrified of him, and Barry just barely survives a confrontation with him, and only then because it's implied that the Speed Force may have allowed it.
Touch of Death: Possibly in the Legends Season Two finale: After he fatally speed-stabs Eobard Thawne, instead of just dropping dead, Thawne, and the depowered Spear of Destiny that he was holding, start slowly disintegrating until they disappear entirely. This implies that whatever the Black Flash does when he has someone in his grasp, it's more than just killing them.
True Neutral: The Black Flash doesn't take sides, he just goes after any Time Aberrations with no personal bias.
Uncertain Doom: Even though Black Flash was frozen and shattered by Killer Frost in Season Three, the chance that he could be reconstructed by the Speed Force was still there. With the Speed Force gone, however, Hunter Zolomon might finally be well and truly dead.
Was Once a Man: Zoom's humanity was already highly questionable, but as the Black Flash, he is without a doubt no longer human.
Wolverine Claws: Played with. He still has claws on his gloves, but he prefers to just force his whole hand through his victims.
Worf Had the Flu: Even with his incredible speed and power, he's as vulnerable to cold as any other speedster, and in fact seems to be more vulnerable to it than he was as Zoom.^Explanation Killer Frost proves this in the Season Three finale of The Flash seemingly killing him with a concentrated burst.

The Negative Speed Force

Negative Speed Force

Species: Extra-dimensional energy source

First Appearance: "Snow Pack" (The Flash 5x19)

Appearances: The Flash

"It's a little bit...negative."

—Eobard Thawne

A Negative version of the Speed Force which is accessed by tapping into negative emotions such as anger and hatred. Originally believed to be created by Eobard Thawne, but it later revealed to be a Force of Nature as old as existence.

For tropes related to the Negative Speed Force as a sentient and villainous character, see the Cobalt-97 folder below.

Age Lift: In the Rebirth comics, it's revealed that the Negative Speed Force is indeed a creation of Eobard Thawne with him also being its generator. While this was initially the case with the show, it was later retconned to be an eternal force of nature much like the Speed Force, making it eons older than its comics counterpart.
The Corrupter: It corrupts anyone who uses it with hatred, turning them into villainous versions of themselves. Nora found this out the hard way when she used it to go back in time by making her hate her father, who had stranded her back in her time and forbade her from returning after learning of her partnership with Reverse-Flash.
Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Thawne, of all people, is reluctant to share its secrets with XS because of the sheer danger it presents to one's mind.
The Dark Side: It's a Speed Force fueled by The Power of Hate, and using it does not do wonders for a speedster's mental state.
Demonic Head Shake: Speedsters connected to the Negative Speed Force can vibrate their face to disguise themselves, but this is done menacingly with their red glowing eyes.
Evil Knockoff: Subverted. It was originally believed to be a knockoff Speed Force created by Eobard Thawne, but it's later revealed its been around for eternity and that Thawne just unknowingly tapped into it.
Evil Sounds Deep: Anyone who uses its power or is possessed by it gains a demonic tone of voice.
Greater-Scope Villain: As the reason for Eobard Thawne becoming a speedster, it by extension is responsible for everything that happened in the series, since the current timeline is all Thawne's doing.
Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Subverted. It was originally believed that the Negative Speed Force was a relatively recent creation by Thawne, in contrast to the omnipresent Speed Force that has been present since the beginning of existence. Later it's revealed that the Negative Speed Force is just as eternal as its Positive counterpart, with Thawne mereley tapping into it and mistakenly believed he had created it.
Place Beyond Time: Similar to the positive Speed Force, it exists beyond time, but it also shelters its users from changes to the timeline.
The Power of Hate: The Negative Speed Force is fueled by negative emotions like hate and rage.
Power Parasite: The Negative Speed Force leeches positive energy like tachyons from the regular Speed Force and converts it to negative energy for power.
Red Is Violent: The timestreams of the Negative Speed Force are bright red, and any speedster connected to it gets red lightning and glowing red eyes.
Time Abyss: Much like the Speed Force, the Negative Speed Force is later revealed to have existed since the beginning of time.
Voice of the Legion: Negative Speedsters can disguise their voices with vibration but theirs is usually more distorted and demonic sounding. The same goes for everyone it forces to be its avatar.

Cobalt- 97 (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 9)

Cobalt-97

Species: Negative Speed Force's sentience

Other Aliases: The Negative Speed Force, "The Crystal"

Played by: Unknown (voice), Jesse L. Martin (as Joe West), Jon Cor (as Mark Blaine), Jessica Parker Kennedy (as Nora West-Allen)

First Appearance: "Negative, Part 2" (The Flash 8x20, as a crystal)

Appearances: The Flash

A strange blue crystal that houses the Negative Speed Force's sentience. It is able to possess people to use as hosts and displays a vendetta against Barry for killing its avatar, Eobard Thawne.

Adaptational Intelligence: The Negative Speed Force of the comics never displayed sentience and the ability to talk.
Adaptational Villainy: Going hand-in-hand with Adaptational Intelligence, while the comics Negative Speed Force did enable Thawne to commit his atrocities, there wasn't any indication that itself was actively evil. This version is shown to be sentient and is every bit as evil as Thawne is, while its greater power allows it to be far more destructive.
Big Bad: Of Season 9's "A New World" four-parter arc, the final arc of the final season. While it does later delve into a Big Bad Duumvirate with Eddie Thawne/Cobalt Blue, the Negative Speed Force is the true mastermind that orchestrated everything. The conflict starts and ends with the Negative Speed Force, and once the Cobalt-97 crystal housing its sentience is destroyed, all threats have ended and Eddie is no longer antagonistic.
Blue Is Heroic: Inverted. It's very evil, and when it decides to stalk the heroes and possess their loved ones in the final arc of Season 9, it's associated with the color blue as well as crystals made of cobalt.
Characterisation Marches On: The Cobalt-97 crystal version of the Negative Speed Force is vastly different from when it was just an energy source that Thawne tapped into, where it seemed like just a mindless force of nature. In its Cobalt-97 form it's recharacterized as a Sentient Cosmic Force, and one that is very intelligent, vengeful, and sadistic, being a Manipulative Bastard willing to do anything and everything to kill Barry Allen. These two very different depictions of the Negative Speed Force are even given different colors, with the old Negative Speed Force being red, while Cobalt-97 and its energy is blue.
The Chessmaster: Orchestrates the resurrection of Eddie Thawne, and sets everything up for him to succumb to the temptation of becoming the new Negative Speed Force Avatar.
Chooser Of The Chosen One: Much like the (Positive) Speed Force chose Barry, the Negative Speed Force chose Eobard Thawne to be its avatar, latching onto his burning hatred. After Eobard's death in Season 8, it revives Eddie Thawne to serve as its new avatar in order to kill Barry.
Composite Character: The Cobalt-97 crystal takes the place of the Blue Flame that empowers Cobalt Blue in the comics.
The Corrupter: It is able to use various hosts to corrupt the people they are close too. Its grand plan is to corrupt Eddie by tempting him with the life he lost and his despair over losing Iris, to turn him into the new Negative Speed Force avatar.
Deal with the Devil: How it convinces Eddie to accept becoming its new avatar: kill Barry Allen, and he can have the life with Iris that he so desperately wants.
Death of Personality: Implied, once the Cobalt-97 crystal is destroyed by Eddie, the Negative Speed Force's sentience stops exerting an effect and its voice ceases. The Negative Speed Force itself still exists, but (for now at least) no longer has an active consciousness.
Demonic Possession: The Cobalt-97 crystal possesses the bodies of various people close to Barry in order to target him.
Dragon Their Feet: Played with. The Negative Speed Force is not explicitly Thawne's Dragon, but it is his most prominent "ally" against Barry Allen, and it continues to antagonize him in various ways into Season 9 of The Flash, long after Thawne was killed.
Evil Counterpart: To the Speed Force, especially to match the Speed Force's physical form called "Nora". While the Speed Force / Nora created a body of her own and chooses Nora as A Form You Are Comfortable With, the Negative Speed Force does not have a physical form and instead must rely on possessing the bodies of others in order to interact with and influence the Earth. There's also its goals, with the Speed Force binding the current timeline together and preventing any alternate timelines that deviate too far, while the Negative Speed Force is happy to erase the whole timeline from existence and kill everyone in it.
Evil Gloating: It goes into great detail on what it intends to do to Barry and his friends, while taunting them over their helplessness.
Evil Sounds Deep: Has a very deep demonic sounding voice when talking inside Eddie Thawne's mind.
Human Shield: Essentially the reason why it possesses those close to Barry. As it loves gloating about, Barry and/or Team Flash can't remove the Cobalt-97 crystal without killing their friend or family. Though most of them end up Taking a Third Option to this Sadistic Choice.
It Can Think: Initially the Negative Speed Force seemed like a mindless force of nature to contrast the Positive Speed Force, but later on it's revealed it too is sentient. In the form of Cobalt-97, it can inhabit a host, have full on conversations, and is shown to be very manipulative and cunning.
It's Personal: After Thawne was Killed Off for Real in the last arc of Season 8, the Negative Speed Force wants nothing more than to kill Barry in turn (along with everyone he cares about).
Manipulative Bastard: It shows itself to be very manipulative, preying on emotions of others, as well as being deceptive and capable of impersonating those it possesses.
Necromancer: It resurrects Eddie Thawne back from the dead so that he could serve as its new avatar.
Omnicidal Maniac: It's goal is to kill Barry and extinguish the Speed Force, which will result in the entire timeline being destroyed along with everyone in it, essentially the end of temporal existence.
Physical God: Much like the Positive Speed Force, it has powerful reality warping powers. It can revive people from the dead, possess people, and even create an entire false life around one person.
Power Echoes: Those possessed by the Negative Speed Force gain a reverb to their voice.
Revenge: Its primary goal in the last arc of the final season is revenge against Barry for killing its avatar (Thawne) for good, seeking to kill him and everyone close to him. To this end, it goes as far as to revive Eddie Thawne to make him its new avatar.
Sadist: Describes in great detail what it intends to do to Barry and his friends, including "gutting [Iris] like a fish and [her] little baby too". It also laughs when telling Khione that the only way to stop it is to kill Mark, due to inhabiting his body.
Sentient Cosmic Force: Has shifted over to this in its Cobalt-97 form, displaying the ability to think and talk, as well as a very evil personality.
The Sociopath: Through Cobalt-97, the Negative Speed Force reveals itself to be destructive, self-absorbed, and deceptively helpful whenever needed. The closest it comes to feeling sorrow over the loss of its avatar is feeling personally insulted that someone would dare take one of it's tools away, and it's pretty quick to jump from Eobard to Eddie when the opportunity comes.
Voice of the Legion: Whenever it possesses someone, it speaks in a more distorted version of their voice with a reverb. As a voice in Eddie's head it sound outright demonic.
Villainous Breakdown: In the final battle against Barry, it ends up screaming in desperation to convince Eddie to kill him when it realizes he's being swayed by Barry's words.

Negative Speed Force Avatars

Eobard Thawne / The Reverse-Flash

See Arrowverse: Eobard Thawne

Cobalt Blue (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 9)

Edward "Eddie" Thawne / "Dr. Malcolm Gilmore" / Cobalt Blue

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cobalt_blue.jpg

"It's funny. Returning from the dead really has a way of making you realize the mistakes you made in your old life. My mistake was being a nobody."

Species: Meta-human

Played By: Rick Cosnett

First Appearance: "A New World, Part 1" (The Flash 9x10)

Appearances: The Flash

Initially, a man living in 2049 with the name of Dr. Malcolm Gilmore, who for mysterious reasons had an uncanny resemblance to Eddie Thawne. After one fateful night, he discovers he is actually Eddie Thawne himself, Back from the Dead, having been resurrected by the Negative Speed Force.

See this page for tropes about his previous life in Season 1.

Adaptational Heroism: This version of Cobalt Blue started off as a true blue hero, where a set of extraordinarily tragic turn of events had him falling to villainy. But even then he eventually turns away from evil with a Hazy-Feel Turn.
Adaptational Superpower Change: Cobalt Blue in the comics is not purely a speedster, with his power stemming from the Blue Flame, which primarily grants him Hard Light constructs and being a Power Parasite. His Super-Speed is in fact a byproduct of the latter, with him leeching speed off organic speedsters. In the show, Cobalt Blue is a genuine speedster empowered by the Negative Speed Force, with no mention of the Blue Flame. His Power Parasite nature does get a Mythology Gag though where he proceeds to drain the speed out of all of the other evil speedsters to empower himself.
Ascended Meme: Fans have been speculating and/or petitioning for Eddie returning to life as Cobalt Blue for years. The writers finally decided to make it happen in the final season.
Amnesiac Hero: When he is introduced, he has no memories of his life as Eddie Thawne.
Back from the Dead: He is Eddie Thawne revived in 2049 by the Negative Speed Force, with memories of his old life gone.
Big Bad Duumvirate: He and the Negative Speed Force become this for the final arc of the final season of the show. Though it's primarily the Negative Speed Force calling the shots, with Eddie eventually pulling a Hazy-Feel Turn and betraying it.
Despair Event Horizon: He passes it in the second-to-last episode of Season 9, after learning that his Heroic Sacrifice was in vain, and that Iris, the woman he loved, had moved on and made a life with Barry. This, and seeing the life he could have had with her, leaves him screaming in rage and despair...and leaves him open to the corruption of the Negative Speed Force.
The Dragon: Was initially this after becoming the Negative Speed Force avatar, but eventually he starts making his own decisions and even pulled The Starscream when he betrays the Negative Speed Force by crushing the Cobalt-97 crystal and forming a truce with Barry.
Energy Absorption: He is able to steal the speed of other speedsters, which he uses to take power from Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Savitar, and Godspeed in the final battle.
Face–Heel Turn: In the final arc of Season 9, the Negative Speed Force revives him and works to corrupt him into becoming its new avatar. It succeeds thanks to a combination of him being reminded of everything he lost, being rejected by Iris, the despair of learning his sacrifice failed to kill Eobard, and his desire to regain what he believes he is owed, all at the nudging of the N.S.F.
Fallen Hero: Eddie Thawne was once a noble and heroic police detective, but the incredible pain he felt upon his resurrection caused him to turn to the dark side and give in to the Negative Speed Force.
Final Boss: After becoming Cobalt Blue and siphoning the power of multiple villains, he becomes Barry's last opponent and the final villain of the show.
Green-Eyed Monster: His jealousy of Barry he had in his old life is reignited greater than ever, after seeing the life that he never had that he believes Barry stole from him.
Hazy-Feel Turn: Barry manages to talk Eddie down, convincing him they can end the cycle of violence together by co-existing. Eddie states though that as the avatar of the Negative Speed Force, he and Barry won't always see eye-to-eye going forward, but he's at least willing to try co-existing with him.
He Who Fights Monsters: Thanks to the corruption of the Negative Speed Force, he ends up becoming as consumed with hatred toward Barry as Eobard Thawne, who he sacrificed his own life to stop.
A Lighter Shade of Black: Compared to both Eobard and the Negative Speed Force, he's a lot less evil than they are. Barry firmly believes Eddie is a good man and in the end is able to reason with him, showing Eddie isn't Beyond Redemption after all.
My God, What Have I Done?: When he realizes he was the one causing the singularities to open and was responsible for killing Daisy Korber who gets sucked into one of them.
Mythology Gag:
- He is revived in the final arc and is known as "Malcolm Gilmore" (until he regains his memories as Eddie Thawne). This, in addition to the Negative Speed Force comes to him in the form of a blue crystal for him to use, is a reference to how he was known as Malcolm Thawne in the comics, who was also known as the villainous speedster Cobalt Blue.
- At one point he uses a lightning sword, which is his signature weapon in the comics, albeit without the trademark flame.
Screw Destiny: As Cobalt Blue, he has embraced this belief, deciding the life that he never got to live is rightfully his to take by force.
Thinking Up Portals: He can create singularities that act as portals. They are similar but different to breaches made by Vibers, as singularities can connect points not only through space but also through time.
Tragic Villain: Ultimately was a good but broken man driven past the Despair Event Horizon before finally giving into the temptations of the Negative Speed Force.
Voice of the Legion: As the avatar of the Negative Speed Force, he's able to utilize this.

Other Speed Forces

Artificial Speed Force

After the death of the Speed Force, Barry and Team Flash create a machine that generates a Speed Force to take its place. It works but Goes Horribly Wrong, as the Artificial Speed Force lacks emotion and is fueled by cold logic, which it bestows upon Barry Allen.

Brainwashed and Crazy: Barry under the Artificial Speed Force's effects becomes devoid of emotion, being completely cold and logical. This puts him at odds with the rest of Team Flash.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The Artificial Speed Force eventually turns a speedster's lightning trail orange.
Emotion Suppression: What it ultimately does to Barry, making him cold and robotic with no inkling of emotion.
Evil Knockoff: More neutral than straight up evil, but nonetheless a knockoff Speed Force created by Barry.
Gone Horribly Right: Team Flash tried to create a replacement Speed Force, they took precautions to not involve any emotions out of fear of it interfering with its creation. This resulted in a Speed Force that caused its users to be devoid of emotion too, running solely on cold-hard logic.
Replacement Goldfish: Created by Team Flash in an attempt to replace the deceased Speed Force. It does not go too well.
Small Role, Big Impact: It's only featured in two episodes, but its creation came at the cost of Nash sacrificing himself, as well as leading to the rebirth of the Speed Force and the Forces of Nature.

Forces of Nature

In General

The Strength, Sage and Still Forces

Species: Interdimensional sentient Forces

First Appearance: "Mother" (The Flash 7x3)

Appearances: The Flash (2014)

During the eve of Mirror Monarch's victory over Central City Barry Allen finally realized what he needed to recreate the original Speed Force; the love he shared with his wife Iris West-Allen. Together the two rebirthed the original Speed Force from a spark left behind in Iris when she was temporarily a Speedster. However unbeknownst to them Barry and Iris inadvertently created three new Forces along with the Speed Force; the Strength Force, the Sage Force, and the Still Force.

The war against the Forces lasted for several weeks and nearly put existence itself at risk until Barry realized that, instead of driving the Forces apart, they should be coming together. After reconciling with themselves and a rampaging Speed Force the four Forces were able to stop a rampaging Force Storm created by their presence. Now the four reside within the Speed Force helping to empower Barry and make him even faster then before.

Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: After making peace with each other the Forces decide to leave Earth and reside in their own realm so they can build a new life together and empower their "father" The Flash from afar. That said they can return to Earth if they want and help out, though it's noted that the other Forces have to work overtime to keep their realm from falling apart.
Big Bad Ensemble: The Forces, along with their "sister" the Speed Force, serve this for the God Complex story arc that makes up Season 7's first half. Their rampage throughout Central City and their eventual war against the Speed Force ends up putting the entire world at risk from a Force Storm they inadvertently created.
The Cavalry: After a whole season of them being Out of Focus, the Positive Forces return in the Season Eight finale to empower Barry so that he can fight the Negative Avatar Thawne on more even ground.
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Each of the new Forces are represented by a different form of colored lightning much like their father the Flash. The Strength Force is blue, the Sage Force is purple, and the Still Force is green.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Along with Nora, they are forces of nature possessing human hosts rather than ordinary metahumans.
Evil Twin: Like the Speed Force, they also end up with their own Negative counterparts, with the Still force at least also being created by Thawne.
Family of Choice: They consider each other to siblings that are part of a family, with Barry as the 'father' who birthed them.
Heel–Face Turn: Barry realizes in the finale of their storyline that none of the Forces are truly evil and the problem is that they keep being separated from each other rather then reconciling. Barry is able to convince them to help him stop the rampaging Speed Force Nora and, after reconciling, the four leave Earth peacefully.
Multinational Team: Alexa is Hispanic, Bashir is Arabic, and Deon is African-American. In conjunction with Barry and Nora who are Caucasian-American.
No-Sell: When battling their Avatars Fuerza and Psych for the first time The Flash tries to throw lightning at them. Not only does this not hurt them they end up absorbing the electricity into their bodies. This is an early hint of their connection with The Flash.
Our Phlebotinum Child: Barry created the Forces via the Artificial Speed Force machine, so they consider him to be their father.
Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: As the Forces of Nature just came into existence, while they're all extremely powerful, they lack the experience the Speed Force has in using their godly powers for battle. Although they could seriously injure her when they ganged up on her and caught her off-guard, when she is fully aware of them and taking them seriously, they prove no match for her even working together as she repeatedly manages to nearly kill them, with the only shots they take being the ones they inflict on her by surprise. It ultimately takes Bashir using his more subtle powers rather than engaging her head-on to beat her by making her see the error of her ways.

Hosts

Alexa Rivera / Fuerza / Strength Force

Alexa Rivera / Fuerza

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Strength Force

Played by: Sara Garcia

First Appearance: "Central City Strong" (The Flash 7x04)

Appearances: The Flash

Initially appearing as a humanoid monster, she is later revealed to be the host of the Strength Force.

Brawn Hilda: As Fuerza, she's a giant muscular woman, and she's not depicted as attractive while in this form.
HULK MASH!-Up: Fuerza is a human woman capable of Hulking Out to a large muscular brawn with strength on par with Superman and able to No-Sell even the most powerful attacks.
Make Way for the New Villains: In the first episode of season 7's new arc, she kills Abra Kadabra just as Flash had gotten through to him.
Meaningful Name: Cisco names her after the Spanish word for "strength".
Nice Girl: Alexa is easily the most likable out of the human hosts of the forces.
No-Sell: She takes an antimatter bomb point blank and is no worse for wear.
Serkis Folk: Her Fuerza form is a completely CGI creation.
Super-Strength: The host of the Strength Force, making her one of the strongest characters in existence.
Superpowered Evil Side: Her Fuerza form is depicted as a Hulk-esque split personality that she has no control over.

Bashir Malik / Psych / Sage Force

Bashir Malik / Psych

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Sage Force

Played by: Ennis Esmer

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x05)

Appearances: The Flash

A metahuman with tremendous mental prowess, he manipulates his foes into experiencing their greatest fears. He is revealed to be the host of the Sage Force.

Adaptational Nationality: Comics wise he is from the fictional European nation of Zandia (possibly located in the Mediterranean). Here he is quite clearly non-white (Asian), with a very traditional Arabic name. He may even be a Turkish American going off his actor's ethnicity.
Combat Tentacles: He learns how to make magenta-colored energy tentacles (called "magentacles" by Cisco) later. They're fast enough to get to The Flash before he can dodge or block them.
Composite Character: The design of his mask and his ability to create tentacles of psychic energy from it are less like Psych from the comics and more like the Psycho Pirate as he initially appeared after Rebirth.
Deadpan Snarker: He gets quite sarcastic when taunting the heroes.
Freudian Excuse: His biological parents died, his adoptive parents were Corrupt Corporate Executives who tried to frame him for their illegal activities and ran away before also dying. He ended up broke, thinking his college friends would never help him, and now he's pissed at the world.
Hard Light: He is able to create magenta colored psionic energy tentacles (or "magentacles"), which can be used as Combat Tentacles to grab and knock about enemies.
Heel–Face Turn: Eventually turns over a new leaf and becomes one of Team Flash's allies.
Malevolent Masked Man: He tends to wear a purple mask while masquerading as Psych.
Mind Rape: His M.O. is to trap his victims in nightmarish hallucinations that often show their greatest fears to his victims.
No-Sell: He completely negates a lightning strike thrown by Barry.
Power Echoes: He speaks with a distorted reverb.
Purple Is Powerful: His powers manifest with a purple coloration, either with him emitting purple lightning or his victims eyes turning purple when under his influence.
Sadist: He appears to relish causing grief and suffering onto others.
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: Tends to talk like this, but at times switches to more casual wordings when he gets snarky.

Deon Owens / Still Force

Deon Owens

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Still Force

Played by: Christian Magby

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x05)

Appearances: The Flash

A metahuman with temporal manipulation powers.

A Form You Are Comfortable With: Rather "A form I am comfortable with". He always looks like he did in 1998.
Ascended Extra: Unlike his Force siblings who were Put on a Bus since the middle of season 7, Deon becomes a recurring character in the eighth season because his Time Master powers give him a unique position to try and tend to Iris' time sickness.
Badass Fingersnap: He often does this to freeze time or unfreeze it.
Career-Ending Injury: He was on his way to become a professional football player when an injury destroyed his chances.
Color Motif: Green, the color of Still Force particles that he emanates.
Jaded Washout: As an adult he never got over loosing his chance at a football career in high school, when given Time Master powers, all he wanted to do was go back and relive the day before that happened over and over again.
Jerk Jock: Presumably due to Acquired Situational Narcissism, once he got over his obsession with reliving his glory days and realized there were bigger things at stake his cockyness died down.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Jefferson Jackson. Both black high school football players, both had their life plans ruined by accidental injuries, both ended up as mechanics, both got superpowers that were highly dependent on other superpowered individuals, both found a second chance in a short lived friendship with Team Flash, both desperately looking for a team... the list goes on. However, while Jax Refused the Call at first and wanted a quiet, normal life, Deon fully embraced his newfound powers immediately.
Time Master: Has temporal manipulation powers which include freezing time and time travel.
You Can't Fight Fate: While he can travel through time, stop it or trap people in a "Groundhog Day" Loop, he can't change what has already happened.

Negative Forces of Nature

Negative Still Force, Negative Strength Force, Negative Sage Force

Negative Still Force Played by: Christian Magby

Negative Strength Force Played by: Sara Garcia

Negative Sage Force Played by: Ennis Esmer

Much like the Speed Force has an antithesis, it's revealed the other Forces have a Negative counterpart too. For unexplained reasons, they all have the same appearance as their Positive counterparts and hence are played by the same actors.

Ambiguous Situation: It is unclear if they are duplicate avatars of the Positive force hosts, or if they actually took over the host bodies that their Positive counterparts used.
Big Bad Ensemble: Alongside Eobard Thawne, they become the main villains of the third arc of The Flash Season 8. Though they go Out of Focus once they empower Thawne where he serves as the season's Final Boss.
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Interestingly, unlike the Positive and Negative Speed Forces, which have yellow and red lightning respectively, the other Negative Forces all have the same coloration of lightning as their positive counterparts.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: To their Positive Force counterparts from the previous season. While the Positive Forces were mostly misguided rather than being outright villainous, the Negative Forces are straight up evil and relish in the mischief they cause. In addition, the Positive Forces are depicted as being far more human with each having individualism, while the Negative Forces act as though they are higher entities and speak as one like The Dividual.
Create Your Own Villain: They accuse Barry of this, citing that when Barry cut off Thawne's connection to the Negative Speed Force, this upset the cosmic balance, forcing the Negative Forces’ hand.
Deadpan Snarker: When Barry finds Thawne in the Negative Speed Force being transformed, they tell Barry that Thawne "can't come to the phone right now."
The Dividual: They all act like they have a linked consciousness, all having the same personality and even finishing each other's sentences.
Evil Doppelgänger: They all manifest with the same physical appearances as their Positive counterparts, only they behave with evil intent.
Evil Knockoff: Much like the Negative Speed Force, they serve as the antithesis to their Positive counterparts and are fueled by negative emotions.
Evil Versus Evil: Negative Still Force comes into conflict with Eobard Thawne while depowered, and then murders him by ageing him into death.
Hidden Villain: Despite being the cause of Iris' time sickness, it isn't until very late in season 8 that the heroes (and the audience) even learn of their existence. They use this fact to their advantage when Negative!Deon masquerades as his positive counterpart to the heroes.
Karma Houdini: Once they empower Thawne into the new Negative Avatar, the other Negative Forces all disappear and never face any retribution. Even when the Negative Speed Force is dealt with a whole season later, there is no mention of what happened to these guys and they are presumably still out and about.
Offscreen Villainy: In Season 9, while the Negative Speed Force is terrorizing the heroes on Earth, the Negative Forces were attacking the Positive Speed Force and weakened her to the point where Barry becomes her only anchor sustaining her life.
Out of Focus: They disappear once Thawne is empowered into the Negative Avatar. They are still around by the next season, where it's mentioned they are attacking the Positive Speed Force offscreen, but they do not appear in person ever again.

Characters / Arrowverse: Speed Force & Forces of Nature

Edit Locked

Speed Force

Species: Interdimensional sentient Force

First Appearance: "Fast Enough" (The Flash 1x23)

Appearances: Arrow | The Flash | Crisis on Infinite Earthsnote (Arrow)

Speed Force

Species: Extra-dimensional energy source

Other Aliases: Nora Allen, Speed Force Nora, Big Nora

Played by: Michelle Harrison

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x5, as human form)

Appearances: The Flash

Speed Force Avatar

Speed Force Enforcers

Species: Time Wraith

First Appearance: "Flash Back" (The Flash 2x17)

Appearances: The Flash

Black Flash

Species: Time Wraithnote Metahuman before being taken into the Speed Force in May 2016

Past Aliases: Zoom, The Speed Demon, The Fastest Man Alive, "Jay Garrick", "The Flash", "The Crimson Comet"

First Appearance: "The Legion of Doom" (Legends of Tomorrow 2x10)

Appearances: The Flash | Legends of Tomorrow

The Negative Speed Force

Negative Speed Force

Species: Extra-dimensional energy source

First Appearance: "Snow Pack" (The Flash 5x19)

Appearances: The Flash

Cobalt-97

Species: Negative Speed Force's sentience

Other Aliases: The Negative Speed Force, "The Crystal"

Played by: Unknown (voice), Jesse L. Martin (as Joe West), Jon Cor (as Mark Blaine), Jessica Parker Kennedy (as Nora West-Allen)

First Appearance: "Negative, Part 2" (The Flash 8x20, as a crystal)

Appearances: The Flash

Negative Speed Force Avatars

Edward "Eddie" Thawne / "Dr. Malcolm Gilmore" / Cobalt Blue

Species: Meta-human

Played By: Rick Cosnett

First Appearance: "A New World, Part 1" (The Flash 9x10)

Appearances: The Flash

Other Speed Forces

Artificial Speed Force

Forces of Nature

The Strength, Sage and Still Forces

Species: Interdimensional sentient Forces

First Appearance: "Mother" (The Flash 7x3)

Appearances: The Flash (2014)

Hosts

Alexa Rivera / Fuerza

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Strength Force

Played by: Sara Garcia

First Appearance: "Central City Strong" (The Flash 7x04)

Appearances: The Flash

Bashir Malik / Psych

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Sage Force

Played by: Ennis Esmer

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x05)

Appearances: The Flash

Deon Owens

Species: Metahuman/Host of the Still Force

Played by: Christian Magby

First Appearance: "Fear Me" (The Flash 7x05)

Appearances: The Flash

Negative Forces of Nature

Negative Still Force, Negative Strength Force, Negative Sage Force

Negative Still Force Played by: Christian Magby

Negative Strength Force Played by: Sara Garcia

Negative Sage Force Played by: Ennis Esmer

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Appearances: Arrow | The Flash | Crisis on Infinite Earths^note(Arrow)

Species: Time Wraith^note