After seeing The Flash, I found myself wondering, if someone were to create a time machine today, would people be willing to use it? After years of movies, books and comics all warning us about the perils of time travel?
Unfortunately, you just know the answer is yes. We’re nothing if not stubborn—if not flat-out dumb—when it comes to the perils of mucking around with dangerous technology. Maybe we shouldn’t feel bad. After all, the Flash did it, despite being warned not to by no less than Batman. If a member of the Justice League doesn’t have the self-restraint to keep from messing with the past, what hope do any of us have?
But that’s the thing. Even with his super speed and sleek new supersuit, Barry Allen still couldn’t prevent himself from becoming stuck in the past and doing incredible damage to boot. Traveling through time is dangerous! But if you still don’t believe me and the Flash’s big screen escapades weren’t enough to convince you, maybe reading about some other superheroes who found themselves lost in time might?
1) Zeroed Out
Time Displaced Hero: A Silver Age Dick Grayson Robin finds himself in the 1990’s where he fights alongside Tim Drake’s modern Robin.
The Story: The events of Zero Hour have caused time to break and a teenage Dick Grayson finds himself transported to modern Gotham City. Dick bumps into Tim Drake, and the two Robins put aside their chronological confusion to track down a jewel thief. What can we say, the Batman Family is obsessed with justice, and they won’t let the collapse of time stop them from catching crooks.
Cautionary Chronology: While technically this time-displaced team-up didn’t seem to cause any permanent damage, this all came about as the result of Zero Hour—the freakin’ Crisis in Time. Considering everything that did to the DC Universe, can we really say this little incident didn’t cause problems? Compared to Zero Hour, they would likely seem like nothing, but that doesn’t mean they were nothing.
Where To Read It: 1994’s Robin #10
2) Many Happy Returns
Time Displaced Hero: Kara Zor-El’s original Silver Age incarnation finds herself in 2002, where Linda Danvers tries to help her adapt to the 21st century.
The Story: Time has been rearranged, causing Kara Zor-El to land in modern day Leesburg instead of DC’s Silver Age. When young Kara learns that she’s destined to die in DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, she decides to change history by returning to the Silver Age in Kara’s place. Yeah, that’s not going to end well.
Cautionary Chronology: This entire storyline is a “fish out of water” story where Kara’s Silver Age sensibilities are put to the test in our modern world and Linda’s 21st century grunge attitude causes problems in the happy-go-lucky world of DC’s Silver Age. Fortunately for them, they have heat vision to rely on when things get sticky. Do you?
Where To Read It: 2002’s Supergirl #75-80
3) Mean, Green Time-Travel Machines
Time Displaced Hero: Kyle Rayner accidentally travels back in time to the beginning of Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern career. Of course, when Kyle returns to the present, he accidentally takes Hal with him. Like you do.
The Story: When a young Hal Jordan finds himself stranded in the late 1990’s, he’s forced to come to terms with his future actions as Parallax. He tries to reconnect with old friends like Carol Ferris and his Justice League teammates, but the knowledge of his future actions becomes too much to take, causing Hal to snap.
Cautionary Chronology: Everyone thinks about what traveling through time could do to the world and the timeline as a whole—but no one really thinks about how much it can also mess with the person doing it. Hal learns about his future as Parallax and loses it. Young Barry Allen discovers his mother was murdered in another world and nearly destroys everything trying to save her. It’s not worth it.
Where To Read It: 1998’s Green Lantern #100-106
4) Like Husband, Like Wife
Time Displaced Hero: The Flash and his wife, Iris West-Allen, are transported to the 30th century—only this time, the time shenanigans aren’t technically the Flash’s doing.
The Story: Iris West-Allen learns the truth about her origins—she’s actually a time-traveling refugee from a war torn 30th century! As a baby, Iris was sent back in time so she could survive a potential nuclear holocaust and time travel has allowed her to finally be reunited with her birth parents.
Cautionary Chronology: It’s not just traveling to the past that’s dangerous. It turns out water is a precious commodity in the 30th century, leading to Barry almost being arrested for “stealing” a drop of liquid and fights breaking out in the street over literal spilt milk.
Where To Read It: 1971’s The Flash #203
5) Future Shock
Time Displaced Heroes: Seven Legionnaires from the 31st century find themselves stranded in our present day.
The Story: The Lost Legionnaires are forced to make the best of being stuck in the year 2011, while fighting a mysterious virus that they may be carriers of. How do you avoid time paradoxes while stopping a virus without the use of your future technology?
Cautionary Chronology: In Legion Lost #7, the heroes attempt to blend in by modeling themselves after the Kardashians. How they survived the issue is beyond me.
Where To Read It: 2011’s Legion Lost #1-16
The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, is in theaters June 16th. Visit our official Flash hub for more news, interviews and videos about the Flash!
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros., nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
