Savitar took down three speedsters in The Flash Season 3 episode 9, “The Present.” Barry, Wally, and Jay Garrick were no match for the fastest Flash the speed force has ever known. Barry got rid of Savitar for now, but a look into the future suggests it won’t be long until the god of speed rises again.
THE FLASH SPOILERS AHEAD
Jay tells Barry he thought Savitar was just a myth and warns Barry that Savitar is coming after him because he sees his growing speed as a threat to the speed force. But we also learn Savitar completely controls Alchemy and calls on Julian to do his dirty work. Their connection stems from the Philosopher's stone, which Julian found during a deadly expedition in India. After being taunted with visions of his dead sister, he became obsessed with finding the stone because he believed he could bring her back to life. But once he found the stone, he began to experience blackouts and a controlling voice inside his head: Savitar.
“Savitar was the first man ever granted speed. Over time, he became the god of motion, the fastest of us all. Before savitar graces an earth with his presence, he sends a predecessor to prepare for his arrival. He’s preparing for a battle with you. You are threatening his power. If Savitar has come for you once, he’ll be back,” Jay tells Barry during the episode.
Once Barry defeats Alchemy and discovers it’s Julian behind the mask, he brings the Philosopher's stone back to Star Labs. After Cisco opens the box and Savitar appears, they realize Savitar needs a medium to manifest himself, which in this case, is the Philosopher's stone. They sync up Julian’s brain with the stone to create a communication link with Savitar.
“Hello, Barry. It’s been awhile. None of you are on your knees. It's a smart to bow before a deity,” Savitar says, speaking through Julian’s body. “To be a god you just have to make people believe you are. I hold the power of life and death over all of you. I know our fears I know your weaknesses. I know you better than you know yourselves. I know you're destinies. One shall betray you. One shall fall. One will suffer fate far worse than death. This is the knowledge I have for you about your everlasting damnation. I am the future Flash. Everything you took from me I want it back. And I’m going to take it back, then I will destroy you. You did this to me. You trapped me in eternity. Your future self, you did this to me, Barry. And now the age of my revenge rises. You will feel my wrath. The wrath of savitar.”
After Savitar’s whole spiel, Jay suggests the only way to get rid of the stone is to throw it into the speed force. Together, they are able to successfully dispose of the stone (for now), but Barry doesn’t end up back in 2016 Central City. He’s five months in the future, and he sees something very concerning. He watches Savitar kill Iris as his future self pleads for him to spare her life. Savitar puts a blade through Iris’ chest and she dies in Barry’s arms.
This episode raises many questions moving forward. Who is Savitar speaking of when he warns Barry of a traitor? H.R. and Caitlin are at the top of the list there. Savitar also says someone will die, and we can only hope he’s talking about someone other than Iris. Jay is under the impression the future Barry saw isn’t set in stone. But with all that’s happened with Flashpoint, Barry isn’t so easily convinced. Iris’ impending death does explain why the Central City Citizen newspaper clipping from “Invasion!” showed a different author that wasn’t Iris West Allen.
With this new five-month time restriction to save Iris, Barry’s beef with Savitar will likely continue throughout the entire season, just like Zoom did last year. This will certainly be a huge time-traveling test for Barry. If Jay hadn’t pulled Barry back into the speed force, who knows what he could have done to the timeline.
Do you think Barry can save Iris, or is her destiny already set in stone? Let us know in the comments below.
