- Grodd, you take the mammoth - and I'll take the pretty one. How you doing, Iris?
- — Flash
The Flash (Volume 4) #17 is an issue of the series The Flash (Volume 4) with a cover date of April, 2013. It was published on February 27, 2013.
Synopsis for "Gorilla Warfare, Part 5: The Way Home"
Grodd believes that the power of the Speed Force is his destiny, and to have The Flash rob him of that destiny enrages him. And now that it is clear that the Flash's friends are there in the Speed Force with them, he gives his enemy a choice to die or watch them die first. In his element, Flash believes that he has the upper hand, and chooses neither.
Meanwhile, Grodd's gorilla army continues to use the elders' power to create the illusion of a destroyed Central City in order to prevent the US Army from intervening in their attack. However, the Central City Police Department has managed to break into the stadium where the gorillas have set up their base, and make an effort to disconnect the projection equipment. Watching from the Mirror World, Golden Glider decides to give them a hand. With Turbine's help, she succeeds in pulling the transmitters up into the Mirror World, freeing the elder and the people of Central City from the gorilla's plans.
With that, the military discovers that Central City is still there, and crosses the bridge into the city. Seeing their plans fail and the US Army coming for them, the gorillas discover that Grodd has abandoned them, and decide to return to their home in Gorilla City. Some of them spot Solovar's body, and realizing that their forefather is still alive - though barely - they take him back too.
In the Speed Force, meanwhile, Flash gains an unexpected advantage when the woolly mammoth charges them. Making a quick change, he swaps Grodd for Iris just in time to save her from being trampled, and to make the gorilla take the brunt of the mammoth's momentum. As the mammoth carries Grodd off into the unknown reaches of the Speed Force, Barry gathers Iris and the other survivors into their tank, and drags them back to Central City.
In the Mirror World, Turbine is fascinated by the illusions that Mirror Master can create. Mirror Master and Glider decide that Turbine might make a good addition to the Rogues, while warning Captain Cold that he is not their leader anymore. Before they deal with those issues, though, it is time to get the civilians they rescued back to Central City.
Elsewhere, Dr. Darwin Elias returns to the ruins of his lab, and opens a secret compartment in the floor, where some of his technology remains intact. Coldly, he warns the flash that things are about to get serious.
Back at the Central City Police Headquarters, Barry explains how he lost his memory of what happened to him after he was sucked into the speed force along with Iris. That's his story, anyway. Darryl Frye, however, knows that Barry was lying, because he returned weeks before Iris did. Still he allows his adopted son to keep his secret.
On his way home, Barry bumps in to Iris, whose memory of being in the Speed Force has actually been lost, though she retains some vague memories. Iris is quickly put off when Patty Spivot rushes over and plants a kiss on Barry's lips. He assures her that everything is going to be okay.
One month later, though, a new threat will be coming.
Appearing in "Gorilla Warfare, Part 5: The Way Home"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Gorillas
- Dr. Darwin Elias
- Reverse Flash (First appearance as Reverse-Flash)
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Central City
- Gem City Bridge
- Elias Laboratories
- Mirror World
Concepts:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The Flash: Gorilla Warfare.