WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD!
Now that you’ve had time to digest everything that was packed into that nearly three hour movie, let’s get to what matters:
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS FLASH WARNING BRUCE ABOUT?!
Judging by how Batman V Superman ended, there’s a couple of different routes Snyder and co can take in bringing the Justice League to the big screen. If you’ve been reading my recaps on The Flash and other DCTV shows, then you’ll know that I like to start with the facts.
The Flash
Not too far into the film, Bruce is visited by Barry Allen, The Flash. During his brief visit, the Flash warns Bruce, saying, among other things, that “Lois is the key!” The Flash also pleaded with Bruce, shouting “Find us!” Bruce didn’t really have time to react as he was plastered in his chair. I mean, who wouldn’t be?
BRUCE, LISTEN TO ME
IT’S LOIS, LOIS LANE. SHE’S THE KEY
AM I TOO EARLY? I’M TOO EARLY
YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT HIM, YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN RIGHT ABOUT HIM
FIND US, YOU HAVE TO FIND US
The Flash was also not wearing his traditional costume and instead wore what looked like to be an armored suit. The helmet covering his face retracted, revealing that he was indeed wearing his traditional costume under the armored suit. For those who have seen the show and have read the comics, it’s no secret that the Flash has the ability to travel through time with use of the Speedforce. Still, we don’t exactly know how powerful this cinematic iteration of Barry Allen will be. For example, maybe he’s not fast enough to travel through time, yet.
In any case, I think it’s clear that the armored suit wasn’t only for protection, but instead a sort of power boost for the Flash. Wrapping up the facts, we know the Flash travelled back in time to warn Bruce of a future where things aren’t going so great. In an effort to change the future, the Flash is hoping that Bruce shapes up and forms the Justice League.
Cyborg
Now that the facts surrounding Flash’s visit are out of the way, let’s go over Cyborg’s origin. In the file Bruce obtained from Lex, we saw a video of Cyborg’s creation, meaning by the time the events of Batman V Superman come around, Cyborg is already running around S.T.A.R. Labs. However, there’s something about Cyborg’s origin that some fans may have missed.
A Mother Box is essentially a super computer developed by the folks of New Genesis. A long time ago, a brutal war between the Old Gods ended in the creation of “The Fourth World.” This place came into existence separate from the universe as we know it. Since then, the two worlds that occupy that space have been locked in an eternal war. These two worlds are known as Apokolips and New Genesis. Mother Boxes are found on New Genesis and are sometimes referenced as living computers. They are comprised of an element called Element X and have also been known to sacrifice themselves for a greater cause.
In the context of Batman v. Superman, it would appear that Dr. Stone used a Mother Box on his son and created Cyborg. This would render Cyborg to be a huge asset to the Justice League because of his knowledge and access to tech not of this world. This tech would also allow Cyborg to combat anyone from New Genesis and Apokolips, but more importantly, it would allow him to create and access Boom Tubes which brings us back to how Flash was able to reach Bruce.
As for how Dr. Stone was able to get a hold of a Mother Box, we don’t know. Perhaps Lex has already captured Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, and is keeping him somewhere secret. Miracle is the son of the ruler of New Genisis. After being traded to Darkseid as part of a peace treaty, Free escaped to Earth and has used the planet as a sort of hiding place from Darkseid. If this is the case, it could be that Lex was using him as a bargaining chip upon Darkseid’s arrival.
A Future Without the Justice League
Fans of The Flash may be wrong in thinking Barry simply ran so fast he traveled back in time. I think the right frame of thinking here is that Cyborg is responsible for opening the Boom Tube, and that, combined with Flash’s speed, allowed time travel to be possible. This duo may be the only heroes left in a future where the Justice League never formed. It would explain where the Flash got the armored suit from (Cyborg), and it would explain why the Flash went too far back in time. The calculations of time travel may be difficult, but it would also be increasingly difficult if both Cyborg and the Flash were working against the clock.
Darkseid
In this future without the League, there is a threat so large that Cyborg and Flash see no other alternative than to warn Bruce in the past with the hope that they can change the future. A threat this large brings only a few possibilities to mind.
At the end of Batman V Superman, Luthor says something along the lines of “the bell has been rung.” Something is coming. As far as alien threats go, and because a Mother Box may be involved, I would have to go with the theory that Darkseid is coming. Darkseid would be a perfect villain to set up the Justice League films (there are two announced so far).
Injustice
One common theme found in Batman V Superman is that Lois is Superman’s world. Nothing matters more than her, and Lex was able to take advantage of that weakness. I counted maybe four instances where Lois was built to be the driving force behind Superman’s good will and belief in humanity. Should Lois die, or should Superman be tricked into killing Lois, then we can expect Superman to go into a very dark place.
The Injustice storyline involves a timeline in which Superman becomes a ruthless tyrant, controlling the entire planet. This alternate timeline fits very well within the context of Bruce’s nightmare he had in the desert. If you noticed, all of Superman’s mercs were wearing “S” patches on their shoulders. Along with the mercs, Batman also encountered Parademons. In the comics, Parademons act as Darksied’s personal soldiers. They are genetically created in labratories on Apokolips from Human DNA. They are also usually sent in advance to planets Darkseid wishes to invade. The DC cinematic universe would go into a very dark place if it were to suggest Superman is using Human DNA on Earth to create an army.
The biggest supporting evidence behind this is The Flash saying “You were right, you’ve always been right about him.” This suggests that Batman was right in not trusting Superman for the majority of the film.
A Combination of Both
Who knows? Maybe Darkseid does arrive on Earth and Batman fails at protecting Lois. After defeating Darkseid, it would be entirely possible for Superman to become they tyrant we’ve seen in Injustice. Let’s also remember the Omega symbol that Bruce saw in his “Knightmare.” The Omega symbol is usually tied to Darkseid.
We also have to remember that it will take years to see how all this plays out. The best thing about all this is that DCU is just getting started.
Have any other ideas? Comments? Theories? Don’t be afraid to comment below! Thanks for reading!