"The End" Week: Impulse #89!

I am super-not-up on my DC continuity, which may be exacerbated by no longer buying DC figures. (I did get one this last year, a character we'll see later this week!) But I think they've rolled today's character back to his old status quo, and for once I absolutely approve! From 2002, Impulse #89, "...Godspeed." Written by Todd DeZago, pencils by Carlo Barberi, inks by Terry Austin.

Impulse and his pal Carol return from the far future, around the year 6200 or so, in time for Jay Garrick vs. Rival, already in progress. Rival--which is a solid name for him--was a fairly recent addition, I think; like Jay's Reverse-Flash. Rival had also taken the role of Jay's wife Joan's primary care physician, and was treating her for cancer. Wait, that should be in quotes, he planned to slowly murder Joan with 'treatments,' to torture his lower-case rival. A furious Jay was kicking his ass all over the countryside, literally; Joan feared he would kill Rival. Impulse might not have been able to articulate it, but was disturbed at the sight of one of his mentors, somebody who had always seemed calm and collected, lose it.

After catching and losing Jay a couple times, Impulse catches up to him in the Sahara, and manages to stop Jay from beating Rival to death. But Rival explains, he was merely part of a larger plan, namely whatever the hell was going on in Flash. Moreover, he had returned from the speed force, but needed a host body, and had taken Max Mercury's! Rival slips them, and makes a beeline for Jay's house, but not to kill Joan: he steals the time capsule Impulse and Carol had come back in.

The rest of the issue is Impulse and Carol having a heart-to-heart: she wanted to take things slow, but I honestly doubt she's appeared since, since in DC comics if you lose your own title, you may as well kiss your supporting cast goodbye. (Looking it up, hmm, Carol Bucklen...son of a bitch, I was halfway kidding!) And Bart hangs out with his new family, the Garricks--Max Mercury, and Rival with a time machine? Max would barely appear again, and I'm not sure Rival did. Still, DC did do one thing right: Impulse has reappeared in recent years, in his 'classic' look and impulsivity. Good for him.