Confession time: Wally West comes clean in Heroes in Crisis No. 8

How was Wally West involved in the Sanctuary massacre? With one issue left in the series, the real killer behind the murders is revealed in Heroes in Crisis No. 8.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Heroes in Crisis No. 8

The massacre at Sanctuary has been plaguing the heroes of the DC Universe since the start of Heroes in Crisis. After Booster Gold discovered that the Wally West who had been killed in the superhero facility was five days too old, speculation was rife about how Wally was involved in the murders. Now, the secret is out. Wally West comes clean with one last confession to reveal the real killer in Heroes in Crisis No. 8. The question is, how will this exposé affect the DC Universe?

In the penultimate issue of the series, Wally openly talks about his struggle to accept the loss of his family. The set-up in Sanctuary doesn’t help his cause, either. Being isolated from other heroes allows Wally to wallow in his own misery. During his three weeks at the facility, Wally became consumed by the notion that he was alone in his loss and his depression. To retain his sanity, Wally stole the Sanctuary tapes and found out how his fellow heroes were suffering. Their confessions overwhelmed him; to the extent that Wally lost control of the speed force and killed almost all the patients.

Wally West in Heroes in Crisis No. 8 (Credit: DC Comics)

All barring Booster Gold and Harley Quinn. The rest of Wally’s confession in Heroes in Crisis No. 8 is a contrived attempt to tie up the plot. Time travel can be messy business, especially when creators’ fall into causal loops. Heroes in Crisis No. 8 definitely does. Wally’s attempts to cover up his actions are far more devious than the accidental killings. Him setting up fellow Sanctuary patients Booster Gold and Harley Quinn is particularly galling.

Wally’s characterization in Heroes in Crisis No. 8 is riddled with flaws, not least because he decides to travel forward in time to stage a cover-up, rather than risk going back to before the massacre. His lack of remorse makes his characterization akin to the worst kind of supervillain in comic books. If he is suffering a psychology breakdown, there should have been a better way to showcase it within the comic’s pages.

For a character who has always been a beacon of hope and light, this treatment of Wally West is a bold and shocking move by DC executives. Fans, however, will not be pleased with this turn of events. Will Wally be brought to justice, or will his name be besmirched forever? Whatever the case, redemption is not in the offing for this speedster in Heroes in Crisis.