Mercury University

So I want to try and pitch this to DC as a back-up or as a pretige edition maxi-series, something like 12 issues.

Where do superspeedsters go to learn the ropes? At Mercury University, a school at the end of time, DC 1,000,000's universe.

It'll follow the adventures of Max Allen, the son of the great Bart Allen, the Flash of the 21st Century, an era that is revered in Flash history. If Jay Garrick is Greek Myth, Barry Allen is Classic Literature, and Wally West the Pulp Paperback, the Bart Allen's life as the Flash is the thing of Classic Rock Pop History.

Max has lived as Kid Flash, sidekicking to his dad for awhile, and is now of an age to attend the superspeed school on Mercury in the distant future. Young, and still somewhat new, we get to learn who Max is outside the costume in an environment where everyone is the Flash, living between seconds.

Max makes friends with Turtle Boy (slow kid, son of 25th Century Flash, who's influencial and rich), who has no powers without the technology from his dad and a girl from the Legionnaires 30th Century, descendent of the Quick Family, and fan of all things Flash.

The faculty is plucked from all across time as well. John Fox is the Coach, wounded vet and all around nice guy and great teacher, who is mostly ignored because of his injury.

Jesse Quick from our near future, grown into the role of teacher, she emits calm and experience.

A younger Jay Garrick teaches basic maneuvers, Max Mercury teaches the fundamentals of superspeed science, a young Savitar is a new teacher, eager and optomistic, but darkness dwells in him.

The Rogues also plague the fastforward community that lives at mach 10 on Mercury. Pop culture becomes instant culture, iC, and is immediately processed, the entire planet hooked into a wireless hive mind. This leaves certain individuals living on the outside that move too slow to even notice.

Cold. Heat. Mirror. Tricks. TopSpin. Magic.
The outlaw rebels of Mercury, they loot and plunder, left in the dust of society. The Flash has to slow down to even percieve them.

The Flash of the era, that has replaced John Fox after Despero shattered his leg, is a living energy field, barely human and nearly unable to stop moving long enough to speak. He has given up his consciousness to a greater good.

A plan has been set into motion, and like the falling of dominoes, every moment moves all of Mercury into the descent of the consuming Sun, the Speedforce folded in on itself causing a massive black hole supernova mutant Sun Eater. Sentient, yet unable to see the devouring of all reality as a bad thing.

Max & friends must learn the lesson of moving slow, to stop and look, to process information and see the patterns, identifying the trouble that speeding your way through life makes sure you miss. All of Infinity & Eternity rest on their shoulders.

We watch as Max goes through year after year at the school, learning and growing, from emo-ish, long haired, shy and sensitive, hands in his pockets, looking down at his feet. He's tall and thin, dark brown hair hanging in his face.

Turtle is the baseball cap wearing nerd, interested more in tinkering in his lab with experimental futuristic technology, than being cool. He doesn't have time to run with the popular crowd. He thinks slow and is picked on for it, but it's his greatest strength.

Jane Quicke. Tomboy, old school Legion fan, historical geek, spends hours at the Flash Museum sketching. She's often too in her own head to pay attention, so is always dodging at the last minute, surviving by her instincts, whether she knows it or not.

John Fox always wears his jacket. His clothes are more loose, dressed down and casual. He was the Flash through some insane days, a founding member of JLA 1,000,000, although always looked down upon, discriminated by his un-evolved TwenCen biology.

Jay Garrick is oblivious, all young and full of spitfire, nothing gets him down. He's a throwback to the dawn of superheroics. An ancient relic who usually gets made fun of by cynical students, only he's so slow, comparitively, that he doesn't get it, but he's no dummy. Sharper than he lets on. 40's style, organic material, no sheen, just cloth.

Jesse Quick is no-nonsense, business skirt, the ultimate female role-model, very passionate with a dose of feminism. She commands respect by her walk and stature. She dresses modestly, but her presence makes it sexy.

Savitar is the detached, aloof, teacher. Only there to access the mysteries of speed, spending all his waking moments consumed by formulas and theories. He's dishevelled, but seemingly harmless. A true academic, and yet, something seems off. Too in his own head.

Max Mercury, who Max Allen was named after, is a legend, a master, a whisper that kids share exaggerrated tales about. No one knows what he's doing, or where he's gone, but he's waiting & watching. This is Max Mercury before he retires to his first appearance in Flash vol. 2 as a subway vendor. He's middle aged and handsome. A George Clooney in spandex, completely in control of his surroundings, calm and at peace, co-existing in a flow with all things.

Think Harry Potter for the Flash family. The unfortunate reality of being born before 30th Cen (at least) is the prejudice of the times. All of Mercury pride themselves on beinging faster, smarter, more connected. Our main cast is part of the "slower school" of pre 30c people.

However some people remember that millenia as the last true ago of heroes, so they are included in, but most Mercurians don't have the patience to learn anything from them at such slow speeds.

Max Allen will learn that stopping and observing, the critical mind, is the strength of being a Flash. He uncovers a plot, with hired merc Rogues doing the dirty work in plain sight, everyone too busy to care.

When the speedforce finally consumes itself, will it destroy all of DC 1million's reality? Or can Max and his slow friends save the day?

Sometimes being the Fastest Man Alive doesn't save the day.