To catch up on the previous "Flash" chapter, pick up a copy from your local comic book store, or you can read the summary in the article located here.

In this issue titled ‘Black Hole Rising, Part one,’ Meena returns to see Barry. However, as we’ve seen in previous issues, Meena is working with the organization named Black Hole. This organizations motive isn’t entirely clear, but they have caused trouble for Barry in the past.

With Meena’s return, things seem to be looking up for the Scarlet Speedster. With them both being a scientist and Speed Force users, they seemed to be a perfect fit for one another.

That is until Meena captures Barry and Wally at an abandoned train station with the help of Black Hole.

Meena's return

The comic starts off with Meena in S.T.A.R. labs with a friend of hers named Warren. Warren is trying to convince Meena to join a group of people that are interested in talking about the Speed Force. Meena, however, declines his offer because it is forbidden by S.T.A.R. labs to do so. Warren continues to attempt to persuade Meena to join his group because according to Warren, the speed force has a voice that is reaching out to all of the people within this group. As Meena leaves, Warren tries to chase her down, but he’s stopped by a bolt of lightning that hits Meena during the Speed Force storm.

Meena tells this story to Barry to explain how she always felt safe being in control and that because the Speed Force gave her powers that she had no understanding of, she felt frightened. It motivated her to build the Speed Force training center so that she could learn more about it. Barry interjects as Meena tries to express her gratitude towards him for helping her with her mission and reminds her that he saw Godspeed kill her and other two speedsters.

Meena, looking away from Barry, tells him that she still thinks about the other speedsters and that she feels guilty because she lived, but they died. As Barry tries to console Meena about what happened, Kid Flash, Wally, appears. Teary-eyed and surprised, Wally jumps towards Meena and gives her a hug.

Barry and Wally ask Meena how she’s still alive after they thought Godspeed had killed her.

She explains that she was absorbed and trapped into the Speed Force. She doesn’t elaborate on how she escapes, but after learning about the Speed Force explains that she came back with the purpose of saving Barry. According to her, the clash between Speed Force and the Negative Speed Force is killing him. Barry, skeptical, asks if she learned this from the Speed Force. She tells them that the Speed Force gave her the ability to track the Speed Force within other people. She can feel the two energies within Barry clashing with one another and is aware that his body is suffering because of it.

Wally asks Barry if this is true, and he explains to Wally that his body does feel drained when he uses his powers.

When Barry runs with Wally, the effects are not as bad, but he realizes that it is only a temporary solution. Meena interjects and asks Wally and Barry to trust her and promises that she can explain everything if they follow her.

Testing the Negative Speed Force

Barry, Meena, and Wally end up at the Central City Demolition Derby where Meena asks Barry to run with a device connected to his head to test the effects of the Negative Speed Force. Since the derby is desolate and wrecked, it allows Barry to use his Negative Speed Force abilities to their full potential without hurting anyone. Wally is skeptical of Meena but decides to run with Barry for the sake of collecting the data to help Barry.

As Barry and Wally run through the derby, the Flash begins to lose control and destroys cars around him as he outruns Kid Flash. Wally catches up to Barry to stop him from hurting himself. Barry is persistent to run so that Meena can get enough data, but Wally responds by saying, “I don’t care what Meena wants! I care about you! What are you going to do Barry? You going to fight me? You going to send me to the hospital like Thawne did?!”

Barry responds by saying that he would never hurt Wally and he stops himself and thanks, Wally. Wally scolds Barry and tells him that he needs to take things slow, the advice that he always gives to him. Meena then interrupts their conversation and exclaims that the test was a success.

Annoyed, Wally asks why Meena won’t tell them exactly where she’s been and why she’s obsessing over the Negative Speed Force. Meena claims that she only wants to help Barry and apologizes to Wally. Barry tells her that he and Wally have been having trust issues lately. He lets her know that they know she’s their friend and that they need more friends with everything going on in their lives.

Kick back and relax

Back at a pub in Central City, Detective Morrow and Burns try to help Kristen, Barry’s partner at Iron Heights, relax. She begins to rant on about how she misses the CCPD and how much she hates working at Iron Heights. She tries to take her mind off of the situation by asking the detectives about their cases.

The detectives tell her that they're trying to catch a ghost.

According to them, there is a mystery crime boss moving in on Copperhead’s territory. There also seems to be an informant working with the CCPD whose been keeping tabs on Copperhead since she made her way back into Central City. Interested in the case, but discouraged that she’s still stuck in Iron Heights, Kristen asks the detectives to remind her about, “kick back and relax."

Negative Flash

Back at the derby, Barry with his arm around Meena views the sunset as Wally inspects one of the broken cars. Barry remembers that the last time they viewed the sunset together was the day that Meena was sent to the Speed Force. Barry apologizes to Meena for what happened, and she reminds Barry that what happened with Godspeed and the Speed Force storm wasn’t his fault.

Although he understands Meena’s point of view, he still believes he should be a greater hero because despite the factors that he knows are out of his control. Meena responds by telling Barry that once the Speed Force storm hit her that she lost all of the control that she had in her life, so he had to learn to accept the things that she could not change. She tells Barry that he has to do the same for himself. Barry understands that Meena is right, but he also holds a fear that if he eases up on his work as a hero, then those he cares about will have to pay the price. As the sun sets on the two, Meena looks into Barry’s eyes and tells him, “Barry... you... you are so gullible."

Suddenly, Black Hole soldiers surround the three speedsters and shoot Flash and Kid Flash which renders them immobile.

As one of the soldiers tie Barry up, he tries to reason with Meena by telling her working with Black Hole isn’t the answer to her mistrust in him or his mistakes, However, Meena interrupts him and tells him that her actions have nothing to do with him. As the guards point their guns toward Kid Flash, Meena places her mask over her head and begins to run around the Flash. As black lightning and harsh winds surround the Flash, he begins to screams in agony. When the dust finally settles, Meena reveals herself to the Flash and Kid Flash as the new Negative Flash. Black lightning surrounds her body as she looks upon the duo with all white eyes and her black veins bulging through her face. Meena has taken all of the Negative Speed Force powers that were once in Barry, and now she has claimed it for herself.
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