DC's Future State event will supersede the publisher's regular line for the first two months of 2021, introducing future versions of DC's most popular heroes – including a new Flash from somewhere in the multiverse.
As it turns out, DC just revealed the nature of the new Flash a little early – and they'll make their debut in December before Future State starts. The new Future State Flash will in fact be an adult version of Kid Quick, the Kid Flash analog of Earth-11, who will appear alongside the rest of that world's Teen Titans-style team Teen Justice in the upcoming DC's Very Merry Multiverse anthology one-shot in a story from writer Ethan Cohen and artist Eleonora Carlini.
Kid Quick is Jess Chambers, a non-binary genderfluid sidekick to Jesse Quick, the super-speedster of Earth-11's Justice Guild.
Meet Teen Justice
"I think that's why we're here. The Flash character fans have seen teased as part of Future State is, in fact, a grown-up Kid Quick, who's an analog for the idea of Kid Flash in a world where Jesse Quick is the definitive speedster," Cohen tells ScreenRant, who revealed the members of Teen Justice alongside concept art by Carlini.
"A Titans-type team always has a super-fast member, but there are so many Flash characters in the DC Multiverse, we knew anyone we added to that category had to be really different from the rest: not just Wally West with curves," Cohen continues. "I suggested that Kid Quick could be Earth-11's first genderfluid character, and once editors saw Eleonora Carlini's terrific take on the character design, there was suddenly a lot of interest in them for stories beyond the Merry Multiverse Special in December."
Earth-11 is a world where DC's most famous characters are gender-swapped, so Batwoman and Superwoman are the main heroes of that world, alongside Aquawoman, Jesse Quick, and so forth. As such, the heroes of Teen Justice are also gender-swapped versions of classic Titans characters.
"Teen Justice is a new super-team on Earth-11, the world where there's a Justice Guild instead of a Justice League and the heroes are gender-flipped versions of the heroes of the traditional DC Earth," Cohen explains.
"And while a lot of E-11's history is a fairly straightforward reflection of the mainstream DCU, things are different enough that Teen Justice may in fact be the first kid-hero team in that world, so their mentors have no experience in how to deal with the dynamics of their sidekicks and proteges setting out as their own independent team," Cohen states. "The membership of Teen Justice includes Aquagirl (Jacqui Hyde), Supergirl (Laurel Kent), and Robin (Talia Kane), who all only seem familiar. Aquagirl is this world's Aqualad, Supergirl and Robin are the children of Superwoman and Batwoman, respectively."
But there are more surprising takes on some classic DC characters as well, including Donna Troy and Klarion the Witch Boy – with gender-swapped Earth-11 identities.
"More-offbeat characters I doubt anyone would expect are Donald Troy – Titans fans know better than to ask 'Who is...'" Cohen jokes. "Zatara's protege, Klarienne the Witch Girl, inspired by a Kirby creation given bigger life by Peter David and Grant Morrison, so you know we're in seriously weird territory."
What to expect from DC's Merry Multiverse
Cohen also offers up a taste of what the Teen Justice story holds, from a hint at who the villain will be, to teasing some other Earth-11 story cameos.
"A New Year's celebration. Alien Starfish, which are a beloved tradition for super-team debuts. Mind-controlled heroes fighting their sidekicks," Cohen cryptically teases.
"And a super-team origin story that has no need for any pre-existing knowledge of the multiverse or appearances by the Justice Guild. And a few unexpected gender-flipped cameos for old-school DC diehards."
While Cohen says DC is excited about the characters of Teen Justice – especially Carlini's designs – don't expect anyone besides Jess Quick to show up in Future State. However, Cohen clarifies, they could come back in another format.
"While Kid Quick's the only Teen Justice character making their way into Future State that I know of, the reaction Kid Quick and the whole team's debut story by me and Eleonora has gotten from DC Editorial (led by our editor, Michael McCalister, who put me and Eleonora together and made sure other people saw the story and the designs) gives me hope that the whole team could play a larger part in the DC Multiverse's present and future," Cohen explains.
Here's a gallery of the Teen Justice character designs.
DC's Merry Multiverse one-shot is due out December 9.
Check out the full DC Future State line-up, including the Justice League, Superman, and Batman lines.
