How time travel works in the DC universe ?

[TheDarkKnightReturns]

I don't read Flash comics and all I know about time travel comes from Star Trek. I know time travel works differently in the DC universe. So I have a few questions. When the Flash or his rogues does all that time travelling work, is the time line being affected ? Can the Flash have total control over his powers to basically change details he does not like such as preventing the death of someone like Damian Wayne ? How come nobody in the Justice League ask the Flash to prevent some events from happening such as the events of Forever Evil ? I need to know. Flash readers help me please.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

I don't read Flash comics and all I know about time travel comes from Star Trek. I know time travel works differently in the DC universe. So I have a few questions. When the Flash or his rogues does all that time travelling work, is the time line being affected ? Can the Flash have total control over his powers to basically change details he does not like such as preventing the death of someone like Damian Wayne ? How come nobody in the Justice League ask the Flash to prevent some events from happening such as the events of Forever Evil ? I need to know. Flash readers help me please.

The concepts change with each story they're told in.

The last big event was Flashpoint, where Barry trying to save his mother caused a ripple that spread outward from the center, changing the nature of the universe itself.

[Tupiaz]

The concepts change with each story they're told in.

The last big event was Flashpoint, where Barry trying to save his mother caused a ripple that spread outward from the center, changing the nature of the universe itself.

The stories with Flash seems to be concentrated about Flash and his powers.

[GlennSimpson]

One thing that is often the case is the "butterfly effect" gets way out of control. To the point where one has to assume just the act of traveling to the past has a disruptive effect on reality.

[TheDarkKnightReturns]

One thing that is often the case is the "butterfly effect" gets way out of control. To the point where one has to assume just the act of traveling to the past has a disruptive effect on reality.

But when time travellers from the future come to the present to fight Flash, what happens with that butterfly effect ? It should affect them and their future right ?

[BohemiaDrinker]

Although this is not set in stone, a "rule" that constantly appears is that you can't change the past. You can participate in it, but not really change it. This is seen in a lot of time travel stories such as Return of Barry Allen, The (horrible) Flash Rebirth, Obsidian Age and The Return of Bruce Wayne.

Now, even in instances where the past is changeable, Super-hero ethics states that time travel is not to be messed with; a somehow recent event that comes to mind being when Kyle Rayner assistant Terry was linched by a bunch of Homophobic and Kyle asks Wally (then Flash) to use the cosmic treadmill and prevent it, which he denies.

So, overall, rules change depending on the story (and method used for Time Travel: there's science, magic, raw power, etc), but the most common take is that of a closed time loop.

[Pharozonk]

If time travel is dangerous to the timeline, the Legion of Superheroes doesn't seem to care all that much.

[BohemiaDrinker]

If time travel is dangerous to the timeline, the Legion of Superheroes doesn't seem to care all that much.

Maybe if they did, they wouldn't be so constantly rebooted.

[Pharozonk]

Maybe if they did, they wouldn't be so constantly rebooted.

The constant reboots would explain why they never learn their lesson. It's a vicious cycle!

[GlennSimpson]

But when time travellers from the future come to the present to fight Flash, what happens with that butterfly effect ? It should affect them and their future right ?

With the exception of something like the Legion, arguably for all we know, it does

[JackDaw]

So, overall, rules change depending on the story (and method used for Time Travel: there's science, magic, raw power, etc), but the most common take is that of a closed time loop.

Yes, didn't Geoff Johns do an entire run on Booster Gold demonstrating that past couldn't be changed? (Have to ask because not read any Geoff Johns stuff for years.)

I suppose that gives some of us slight hope that "Barry Allen" might actually become the real Barry Allen sometime soon?

[GlennSimpson]

Yes, didn't Geoff Johns do an entire run on Booster Gold demonstrating that past couldn't be changed? (Have to ask because not read any Geoff Johns stuff for years.)

I suppose that gives some of us slight hope that "Barry Allen" might actually become the real Barry Allen sometime soon?

Hold your breath.

[Poe]

That Geoff Johns run on Booster Gold is one of my favorite DC runs of all time. Fun.

[Zero Hunter]

Yes, didn't Geoff Johns do an entire run on Booster Gold demonstrating that past couldn't be changed? (Have to ask because not read any Geoff Johns stuff for years.)

I suppose that gives some of us slight hope that "Barry Allen" might actually become the real Barry Allen sometime soon?

Some events yes. Some smaller things could be changed without really causing to many ripples, but bigger events that have more fallout could not. The main story that showed this was when Booster kept trying to keep the Joker from shooting Barbara Gordon and kept failing over and over because of how big an impact Barbara had on the DCU when she became Oracle after she lost the use of her legs.

[NexusTenebrare]

There was a thing during the New52 Legion of Superheroes and Legion Lost that something was blocking time-travel, but I don't remember this ever getting resolved and since then there's been a few of time-travel stories. So I guess they're just going to ignore that ever happened.