# DC's Identity Crisis Ongoing Thread (Open Spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 16, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100 "2004-08-16T17:39:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/141 "2004-10-24T23:48:14Z")
Just got the issue (it was sold out at my usual place so I had to go hunting on the weekend). Captain Boomerang’s death came a bit earlier than I expected. I think they made it clear that he’s a part of the conspiracy to murder JLA relatives, but that he went on his own going after Jack Drake and the conspirator decided to “booby trap” his victim rather than let one of his co-conspirators get found out. And they both seem quite dead, although with the exception of Firestorm and Sue Dibny, people seem to be able to survive quite a bit of punishment in this series and still survive… being hanged, being shot in the face, being stabbed through the chest (Flash this time, not Firestorm)… As for how Boomerang Jr. got super-speed, I have a question. I know Wally can lend his powers at will, but could he or Barry lend them by a blood transfusion? Maybe in the past, when Baby Boomer was young, he got hurt in a conflict and Barry saved him by donating blood, and then Captain Boomerang gave the kid up for adoption so he wouldn’t get hurt again… that’s my theory, anyway. Anyone agree? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/142 "2004-10-25T02:11:02Z")
OK, **shy guy** , I fixed the spoiler tags. For future ref (and for other readers), you would get faster action if you would hit the REPORT THIS POST button (the little exclamation point in the upper right corner of each post.) Otherwise, you’re relying on the possibility that a Mod might read the thread. The one slight hitch is that you can’t report your own post. The remedy is to report the post above it, and just tell us that you want us to fix the spoiler in the next quote… if that’s clear? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/143 "2004-10-25T05:45:10Z")
> [@Daniel](#): > > Just got the issue (it was sold out at my usual place so I had to go hunting on the weekend). > > As for how Boomerang Jr. got super-speed, I have a question. I know Wally can lend his powers at will, but could he or Barry lend them by a blood transfusion? Maybe in the past, when Baby Boomer was young, he got hurt in a conflict and Barry saved him by donating blood, and then Captain Boomerang gave the kid up for adoption so he wouldn’t get hurt again… that’s my theory, anyway. Anyone agree? Issue #2 alluded to some past adventures (like the Silver Age LS) where the villains would somehow switch bodies with the heroes and go on rampages to tarnish the heroes’ good names. Chances are, in one of these stories, Boomerang inhabited Barry Allen’s body and got his freak on at super-speed. No clue who the mother was, though. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/144 "2004-10-25T05:57:57Z")
That wouldn’t explain why Boomy Jr. looks so much like the Captain though, or why he seems to have inherited the senior Boomy’s skill. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/145 "2004-10-25T14:18:55Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > Still, Barry having a son he never told anyone about would be really weird. Also, Boomerang really seems to think of himself as the kid’s father, and he didn’t have anything to do with raising him, so I’m actually doubting the Barry-as-father theory for now. Of course, I also have absolutely no other theories as to what’s in the letter Ollie gave to Wally. What about Barry-as-grandfather, i.e. a daughter he never told anyone about? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/146 "2004-10-25T17:13:46Z")
> [@](#): > > What about Barry-as-grandfather, i.e. a daughter he never told anyone about? My first thought is that she wouldn’t be old enough to have given birth to someone as old as Boomy Jr. is now. But since Barry’s got the whole time travel weirdness going on, you might be right. Maybe Boomy Jr. is the son of Barry Allen… _and Captain Boomerang_. Was there ever a story where Barry was changed into a woman or something? If so, I’d hate to be Wally when he reads that letter. Oh, and thanks for the edit, C K Dex. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/147 "2004-10-25T23:00:17Z")
> [@shy guy](#): > > Maybe Boomy Jr. is the son of Barry Allen… _and Captain Boomerang_. Was there ever a story where Barry was changed into a woman or something? Headline: PREGNANT TRANSGENDERED FLASH GIVES BIRTH TO FUTURE ARCH-FOE! subhead, Flash: “We’ll add this little incident to the things Mankind Will Forget when Gorilla City completes that memory wipe technology.” ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/148 "2004-10-26T12:21:43Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Headline: PREGNANT TRANSGENDERED FLASH GIVES BIRTH TO FUTURE ARCH-FOE! subhead, Flash: “We’ll add this little incident to the things Mankind Will Forget when Gorilla City completes that memory wipe technology.” When asked for comment, the Flash could only add this : “These things never happen to Green Lantern.” ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/149 "2004-10-26T17:31:02Z")
One thing about this issue, and it ties in with the threat to Lois. Maybe those notes and the gun were’nt actually sent by the killer, but by somebody else who is trying to protect them quietly? After all, letting Lois know she was a possible victim was sure to put Clark and the JLA on high alert and why would the killer want to give Jack a gun? Of course, we had learned in **Robin** that Jack had military training, so he’d be able to handle a gun. Maybe it _was_ a setup to get rid of Boomerang, and if Jack died so much the better, but if not, there could be a later opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/150 "2004-10-26T17:55:40Z")
I think things went down exactly as they were meant to between Jack Drake and Captain Boomerang. Whoever set them up knew neither one was likely to miss. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/151 "2004-10-27T11:54:12Z")
I just read all the IC issues yesterday, and I love it. I’ve never really read any DC Superhero stuff before, so after I finished I had to go look up who Hawkman, Zatanna, Black Canary etc were. It’s like sitting down and watching a soap opera, having no idea who anyone is or what’s been happening. Here’s my question: In IC#4 when we see Jean’s flashback, the culprit has the rope around his neck and is holding something in the hand we can see. It doesn’t look like blindfold material, so what could it be? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/152 "2004-10-27T20:22:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Here’s my question: In IC#4 when we see Jean’s flashback, the culprit has the rope around his neck and is holding something in the hand we can see. It doesn’t look like blindfold material, so what could it be? Looks like the blindfold to me. It turns out this week’s Flash actually doesn’t have anything to do with Boomy Jr.'s parentage. [spoiler]Barry’s letter is about an experience he had with the Top. Long story short: he went to the League and asked them to muck with Top’s brain to make him a good guy. They do, and it works, but he goes insane shortly after. Wally decides that he’s going to give the Top his mind back, and the issue ends with him going to see Zatanna. Also of note: Linda Park was in Opal City when Sue Dibney was killed. According to Nightwing, she checked out of her hotel 12 hours before Sue’s body was found. Linda hasn’t appeared at all in IC, which is the only thing that keeps me from theorizing a Linda Park/Jean Loring partnership.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/153 "2004-11-04T01:10:18Z")
> [@](#): > > this week’s Flash actually doesn’t have anything to do with Boomy Jr.'s parentage. I disagree. It took me a #@!\* week to get a copy of it … FIVE comic stores were all sold out of this month’s Flash within the first day … but I finally got it. I think this month’s IC and Flash implied pretty strongly where Baby Boomerang came from. IC #5 shows us both that the younger Boomerang is likely not Boomerang’s son, and that he has super speed. This month’s Flash profiled The Top, a Barry Allen villain who had the ability to spin at speeds that rivaled Barry’s speed when running. It said he came back from the dead – powers in tact – and took over the body of Barry Allen’s dad. While in the new body – the body of a man whose family members seem to have little trouble getting super-speed powers and passing them on to future generations – he hooked up with Golden Glider. Many earlier IC books said GG was Baby Boomer’s mom. And The Top is connected to the IC storyline because he was one of the many villains the JLA brainwashed (and then some). So… right now, it looks like The Top fathered the younger Boomerang, passing on his own speed powers and the genes from a speedster family. The only thing we don’t know yet is why the heck the elder Boomerang is involved in this at all. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/154 "2004-11-04T05:30:46Z")
> [@](#): > > So… right now, it looks like The Top fathered the younger Boomerang, passing on his own speed powers and the genes from a speedster family. The only thing we don’t know yet is why the heck the elder Boomerang is involved in this at all. See, that thought occured to me, but my problem with that is the same as yours: if Boomerang isn’t really Boomy Jr.'s father, why on earth is he so attached to him? It’s not a case of Boomerang adopting the kid or something, because Boomerang clearly didn’t raise him. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/155 "2004-11-04T06:33:09Z")
Not to mention that they look an awful lot alike. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/156 "2004-11-04T07:17:33Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Not to mention that they look an awful lot alike. Unfortunately, under Rags Morales’s pencil, that’s not as major a point as it might be. They also look an awful lot like Ollie, Mirror Master and Jack Drake. On the other hand, I think unlike those three, Boomerang and ‘Baby Boomer’ are **meant** to look alike. (In issue 4 is when I noticed it. Specifically look at MM in the first pannel of the sequence of him and Merlyn playing Risk, Digger & Son when they’re talking (the page before the Evil Genius ad), Jack when Tim decides not to go on patrol with Batman, and Ollie when him and Hal are sitting on Hal’s grave, under the statue of Hal in his GL uniform. Jack and Boomerang are the most alike. Jack looks like Digger might have 10 years ago.) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/157 "2004-11-04T13:48:33Z")
> [@Daniel](#): > > So… right now, it looks like The Top fathered the younger Boomerang, passing on his own speed powers and the genes from a speedster family. The only thing we don’t know yet is why the heck the elder Boomerang is involved in this at all. But Boomerang, Sr. didn’t know he wasn’t the father. He’d obviously had a relationship with GG, thus his acceptance of Junior. Plus, you factor in his proclivity with boomerangs. It wasn’t until later in the day, when Junior displays his speed, that Senior discovers it. His reaction seems to indicate that he doesn’t know where it came from, either - he may just think it’s some weird combo between him and GG (btw, who’s Golden Glider?). ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/158 "2004-11-04T14:10:20Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > But Boomerang, Sr. didn’t know he wasn’t the father. He’d obviously had a relationship with GG, thus his acceptance of Junior. Plus, you factor in his proclivity with boomerangs. It wasn’t until later in the day, when Junior displays his speed, that Senior discovers it. His reaction seems to indicate that he doesn’t know where it came from, either - he may just think it’s some weird combo between him and GG (btw, who’s Golden Glider?). Correct me if I’m wrong, but Jr. said ‘Golden Glider wasn’t really my mother, was she?’ or an equivalent, and Digger confirms that she was not. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/159 "2004-11-04T14:40:00Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Correct me if I’m wrong, but Jr. said ‘Golden Glider wasn’t really my mother, was she?’ or an equivalent, and Digger confirms that she was not. True. And when the idea of GG/CB relationship is first introduced, Calculator says - or at least strongly implies - that it’s all a lie that Calculator got into the papers, either as a favour to Digger, or because he payed him. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100/160 "2004-11-04T18:45:55Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > True. And when the idea of GG/CB relationship is first introduced, Calculator says - or at least strongly implies - that it’s all a lie that Calculator got into the papers, either as a favour to Digger, or because he payed him. This still leaves us with the question of who the mother was. As far as I can recall there were/are 3 female speedsters in the DCU. Jesse Quick, and the two Russian women from Red Trinity and Blue Trinity, one of whom was also nicknamed Lady Flash for a while. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dcs-identity-crisis-ongoing-thread-open-spoilers/260100.md?page=9)