There is no happily-ever-after for Wally West in Heroes in Crisis No. 9
By Monita Mohan
Wally and Wally in Heroes in Crisis No. 9 (Credit: DC Comics)
Wally’s Brave Decision
It takes a mature character, and an even more mature creator, to accept that just because Wally West is a hero (or, was a hero), it doesn’t mean that he gets a free pass for the murder of countless innocent lives at Sanctuary. Wally must be brought to justice, just like all the other criminals that DC’s superheroes arrest. Though Booster Gold and Harley Quinn, both characters needlessly tormented throughout this series due to Wally’s actions, do get a semblance of a happy ending, Wally’s crime must face its punishment. The last panel we see of Wally West, he is languishing in a jail cell, awaiting his fate, whatever it will be. For a character desperately looking for his happy ending, that ride into the sunset continues to elude him. There’s a reason for that, at least within the context of this series.
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The accidental deaths at Sanctuary weren’t even the worst part of what Wally did – covering his tracks, proceeding to frame two other innocents for the crime and leaking personal information about the other patients were undoubtedly shocking decisions made by a traumatised Wally, which is why he is still portrayed as a sympathetic character in Heroes in Crisis No. 9; at times it feels a little too sentimental. But when will we see this character again? And how will the Justice League and those directly affected by the murders react to Wally?