The Flash Season 3 crossover episode was packed full of action, but one of the most compelling reveals has nothing to do with The Dominators. Barry told Oliver that Flashpoint not only changed the past, but also has serious implications for the future. And once again, we see The Central City Citizen Newspaper clipping. Only this time, Iris West-Allen isn’t the author. It’s someone else entirely.
The author’s name is Julie Greer and it didn’t appear her name sounded familiar to Barry. In the comics, Greer was a television reporter at KN News in Keystone City. Aside from the author change, there’s nothing different about the article that we first saw in Eobard Thawne’s (Harrison Wells at the time) secret room in STAR Labs. The text still describes a battle with Reverse-Flash where Green Arrow, The Atom and Hawkgirl came to help. The headline is the same: ‘The Flash Missing, Vanishes In Crisis.’
The changes to the newspaper clipping means Barry and Iris may not live happily ever after like this season has suggested so far. They may not get married, like Barry thought they were destined to. This revelation is “going to have further complications,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told TV Line.
What Barry really did to the timeline remains to be seen, but it’s possible the message Barry sent Rip Hunter from 2056 is connected to all this. We now know the message has something to do with Flashpoint, which we can assume is also why the newspaper changed. Future Barry also warned Rip not to trust The Flash.
A war is coming Captain Hunter. And at some point you are going to be called back to Central City to fight it. So you need to know that while you and your team have been in the temperate zone, I made a choice that affected the timeline. As you know, whenever you alter the past those changes affect the present and get compounded in the future. When you return, you will be in the new timeline I created where everyone's past and everyones future has been effected, even yours. When you come back, don't trust anything or anyone, not even me.
In the message, Barry tells Rip Hunter that his future and past have changed. This could be why Rip may have taken off on a secret mission of his own, either for personal reasons or to help The Flash fix the future.
What do you think Barry really did to the timeline? Let us know in the comments below.
The “Invasion!” crossover continues with Arrow at 8 p.m. Nov. 30 on The CW.
