Wally West and Barry Allen have something in common. They are both so-called speedsters, gaining super-speed after being exposed to a combination of lightning and chemicals. It takes a villain such as Cobalt Blue from DC Comics to put a stop to them. Wielding a magical blue sword that steals energy from our two heroes, we have an interesting antagonist that could literally cut short the lives of these speedsters.
This is explained in a one-shot comic called Speed Force. This is the first time we see Cobalt Blue, the DC villain, as he attacks both Barry Allen and Wally West. The attack starts in the Central City Zoo. (I guess this represents the Central Park Zoo?) Their enemy wields a sword with a blue flame that can slice through anything, such as the bars of animal cages. What is more alarming, though, is that it can also slice through both Flash and Kid Flash. Although the two speedsters are normally able to vibrate their molecules to allow for things to pass through them, the sword is worse than it appears. Apparently, the weapon steals their speed when it touches them. The narration in the comic explains that the blade is made from a sort of energy construct.
The speed of our two heroes is tested when Cobalt Blue allows a cheetah to escape, which immediately chases after an innocent bystander. When neither Barry nor Wally are able to stop the animal from attacking her, a zookeeper steps in and uses a tranquilizer dart. The two of them retreat to Barry’s apartment, and to their surprise, they find Cobalt Blue is there and he knows their secret identities. He says that he knows this because the magic blue flame told him. He was there to steal their speed, but had to antagonize them in order to force them to use their powers. It is only when they are using their powers that their speed can be stolen.
Long story short, Barry and West are able to use his energy against him. As it consumed him, Wally for a moment sees underneath Cobalt Blue’s mask and recognizes a familiar face before the fire claimed him. He was completely gone, and all that was left was questions. Barry feels for a moment that perhaps that he isn’t even human. Wally teases Barry about his love of Jazz and hot dogs, which makes him human, regardless of where his speed comes from.
The story ends here, concluding the first appearance of yet another DC villain with a magical sword. But the sword’s magic is blue though! A plot-hole is that, while Barry and West were trying to stop the cheetah at the zoo, there is no explanation of where Cobalt Blue went or why he left. If he truly was there to steal their powers, he could have done it while they were weak. Why did he leave? Regardless, you need to own this one-shot comic. It features multiple stories, including one with Jesse Quick. What do you think of this villain?