Speed Force: More Than Just Physics
When you first hear the term "speed force", what crosses your mind first? It would be completely fair if you think of physics at first, because it is physics. However, in the DC Universe, it is more than that.
What is Speed Force in the DC Universe?
Speed Force has a lot of known names. If you ever hear of speed dimension, speed field, speed heaven, speed force wall, timestream, the light, fourth dimension, positive speed force, deep change, or hyperheaven, they mean the same thing. Basically, speed force is an energy field based around velocity and movement. Hence the word "speed". This force grants speedsters their powers. Some of the people who were granted powers by this force were Barry Allen, Johnny Quick (literally in the name), and Max Mercury.
Speed Force Points of Interest
Speed Force is practically a place, so there are a lot of other things that one can find "inside". There are various islands in it, and here are some of the interesting locations to note.
The Starting Line of Speed Force
The name is, indeed, The Starting Line. It is located deep inside, and to make it easy, it is the big bang of speed force. We can also say that this is the core of the force that connects it to time and space.
Timestream
Even though it is known as an alias of speed force, it is also a location inside the force. It can be seen in the sky when one looks up from a large open area filled with floating rocks.
Savage World
Due to some time leak, this place is literally what it is. It is formed by a jungle with various animals, people, and objects from different times, even those who are already extinct like dinosaurs, and those from the future like cyborgs. There is one safe place for humans in the speed force called "Outpost". In this area, the time stops. The people who live here simply don't age.
The Powers of Speed Force
The powers that the speed force has and grants to the speedsters include:
- Running at superhuman speed (the most obvious one). We always recognize the Flash as the fastest human alive, so this clearly falls under the list.
- Obtaining superhuman physical characteristics, which consist of heightened stamina, agility, healing, senses, mental capacity (wow), and sometimes strength. This also includes providing protective aura around the speedster to protect them from bodily harm from their own speed.
- Faster thinking. Apparently the speedsters can think exponentially faster than normal humans, which would be really helpful whenever you need problem solving skills (although the Flash we know isn't usually known for that...).
- Emitting speed force energy in the form of colored lightning. Usually, one can see it in yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, indigo, or white. Some speedsters can control this lightning and use it for the greater good, including healing and energy blasts.
- Manipulating time, but this only applies to some speedsters, not all of them. Stopping and moving the time back and forth are possible.
- Some magical properties that remain a mystery.