The Flash Season 3: 10 Things You Might've Missed In 'Flashpoint'

3. Iris Is Barry's Lightning Rod

The big emotional climax of the episode comes when Barry is struggling to beat The Rival in a fight because he is forgetting his memories of being The Flash. Thanks to some words of encouragement from his beloved Iris, however, he regains his lost memories and is able to take The Rival down. This might seem like a classic ‘love conquers all’ Hollywood ending, but actually it references a concept from the comics.

In both Flash: Rebirth and, yes, Flashpoint, it is explained that a speedster needs a “lightning rod”, a tether to their regular reality which will guide them home when they go traversing the Speed Force and other timelines. In the comics, Iris is the love of Barry’s life and so acts as his lightning rod.

Though this isn’t explained here, it is clear to comic fans that this is intended to be the case on the show, as well.