Godspeed (comics)

DC Rebirth

Godspeed first makes an appearance during one of Barry Allen's visions, claiming he would kill them all.^[1]

August Heart is a colleague of Barry Allen from the Central City Police Department. Heart's brother was murdered by a career criminal and his killer was let free due to the evidence being destroyed when Barry and his lab were struck by lightning. When August confronts the Black Hole, a group who had stolen a van containing equipment from S.T.A.R. Labs, he recognizes their symbol as the same one spray-painted near his brother's crime scene. August is shot at but before the bullet could hit him or Barry can save him, August is struck by lightning from a Speed Force storm.

Now a speedster, August knocks out his shooter. After Barry reveals himself to be the Flash, August creates his own costume and becomes Barry's partner, also wishing to use his powers to solve his brother's murder. After defeating Black Hole, they witness another Speed Force storm strike more citizens, turning them into speedsters.^[2] August helps Barry round up any new speedsters who use their newfound powers as criminals. The two meet Dr. Meena Dhawan, a new speedster who has helped create a Speed Force training center to help the new speedsters control their powers. When Barry and Meena return after recruiting more speedsters, they find an injured August who tells them that a new speedster called Godspeed killed the speedster criminals and took their speed.

A recovered August brings two of the recruits with him in order to storm the Speed Force storm-infused Dr. Carver. After Barry and Meena's 'day off', Godspeed arrives at the training center where he is confronted by Meena. As Avery Ho, one of the speedster recruits, escapes to get the Flash, Godspeed kills Meena and two of the recruits and takes their speed.^[3] When Godspeed kills Billy Parks, the main suspect in August's brother's murder, Barry realizes that August is Godspeed.

Barry confronts him and August reveals that he is indeed Godspeed and had given up on the justice system, deciding to become judge, jury, and executioner, killing his brother's murderer. August reveals that when he was near the speedster criminals, he could feel the Speed Force within them connecting with him. He decided to take their powers from them, resulting in their deaths and August being injured. After realizing that it was possible to siphon another speedster's speed without killing them (evident when he, Barry, Meena, and two recruits took Dr. Carver's speed), August tried it again on Meena and the two recruits. However, it garnered the same results as the first time.

With his increased speed, August Heart reveals he can create a double of himself and be at two places at once, though it takes a physical toll on him. Barry uses this to his advantage and escapes. August proceeds to interrogate the other Black Hole members about his brother's death, but kills them all when he receives no information. When the speedster recruits safely give their speed to Barry and Wally to stop Godspeed, August arrives and is able to take Avery's speed. Barry chases after Godspeed who reveals that he will head to Iron Heights and do the one thing Barry could not, kill his enemies, including Eobard Thawne. However, the new Kid Flash (Wally West II) intervenes and helps the Flash in taking down Godspeed, who is later incarcerated in Iron Heights.^[4]