Eleven died because I was late. The Speed Force is ruptured, and I've been slipping time for decades. The more I run, the more I lose. So I'm running back. I'm running back to fix it all. And to make sure--succeed or fail--idiots like you never hurt anyone again. 
- — The Flash
The Flash (Volume 4) #31 is an issue of the series The Flash (Volume 4) with a cover date of July, 2014. It was published on May 28, 2014.
Synopsis for "Through a Glass Darkly"
In Central City, a thug named Rick is chased down by a man in a containment suit who fills his lungs with spores, and kills him. The murder is caught on camera by some bystanders, and Barry Allen has to warn them not to show it to anyone else, as it is now evidence. Barry recognizes the perp in the photo as Black Mold, an criminal who uses mold spores to kill, though he has been inactive of late. Impressed, Captain Frye comments that Barry might get his full reinstatement to the crime lab if he keeps solving cases this fast.
Suddenly, Iris West rushes up needing to talk to Barry, and explaining that everyone already knows it was Black Mold who committed the crime - the witnesses had Instagrammed their photo already. She came for other reasons, though. She came to ask if he would help her out with her nephew Wally, whose behaviour reminds her too much of her brother Daniel's at the same age. As Iris pesters Captain Frye for a comment, Patty Spivot comments that Barry hardly has time to take care of a teenager when he's barely slept in days. He's been working himself ragged trying to help rebuild the city as the Flash.
Later, at the Central City Police Station, Barry checks on the evidence room to see if he can recover any of the items that were stolen by looters. Fortunately, the evidence list remains intact. Looking at it, he suspects that recent crimes using weapons that were confiscated there as evidence were stolen. David Singh marches in to the evidence room reminding that he had only just pulled Barry out of the basement. Barry explains that he thinks there's a connection to the Black Mold case. He had already tracked down the real Black Mold in the hospital after he got beaten half to death by the Crime Syndicate. There's no way he could be the real perpetrator. However, he has found a link between this case and the murder using one of Mogul's snow-guns last week. Both victims were arrested together seven years back - and two other members of their gang have been found dead recently - murdered using other weapons stolen from the evidence room. The likelihood is that one person has all of the weapons. Singh warns Barry to pursue this case on his own time.
Sixteen years from now, The Flash manages to get back to just the right moment, outside the Museum of Natural History, where Mirror Master interrupts a charity event and holds the mayor's wife hostage in the Mirror World demanding all valuables in exchange. In the confusion, Barry thrusts Darryl Frye, who is in attendance, into the Mirror World as well, warning that more are about to join him.
Now, Barry follows the trail of the crimes to one of the murder scenes, only to be stopped in his tracks by the very officers who arrested the thugs that were killed there. They explain that the scenes seem to have been wiped. However, it's late, and Barry is late too, for his appointment with Iris and Wally, who are waiting in Civic Park.
Wally isn't happy to see Barry, given that he's the one who busted him for anti-Flash vandalism. Barry demands to know what Wally has against the Flash, and the boy responds that the Flash put his uncle Daniel in jail, and failed to help his mom when she was murdered in the Syndicate's attack. Angrily, he storms off and waits in the car. Iris insists that her nephew is a good kid - though she must admit that she doesn't know much about him, despite the fact that he's her brother Rudy's son. In any case, he could be a good kid. Sighing, Barry wonders if she knows anything that Wally does like. She suggests sports - though she isn't sure about that - and Wally suggests that he can get them both some Diamonds tickets for Thursday. Happily, Iris hugs him in thanks.
In sixteen years, Mirror Master warns that his mirrors are all one-way. No one who gets put in will be able to get out. However, he doesn't know Chief Frye is in there with him, and the lawman puts his gun to the crook's head. Saving himself, Mirror Master leaps through the mirror, leaving Darryl and the Mayor's wife stuck inside. Immediately, Barry swipes his Mirror Gun, and passes it to Frye. Despite appearances, Barry explains that he has come to help Mirror Master. He explains that a freak earthquake is about to roll through and shatter all of the mirrors - and if Barry hadn't moved everyone else into the Mirror World just now, everyone present would be killed by the shards of glass. As proof, he provides the next day's newspaper - four years old to him.
He explains that the Speed Force has ruptured, and he has been slipping time for decades. The more he runs, the more he loses - so he's running back in time to fix all of the errors he made - when he was too late to make the save. This was one of them. As the rumble of the earthquake begins, Barry leaves, and Mirror Master is trapped in his own hall of mirrors. As the rumble grows more powerful, the glass shatters, and Mirror Master is cut to ribbons.
Appearing in "Through a Glass Darkly"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mirror Master (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Detective Parker
- Detective Seborn (First appearance)
- Black Mold (Mentioned only)
- Crime Syndicate (Mentioned only)
- Daniel West (Mentioned only)
- Rudy West (Mentioned only)
- Mogul (Mentioned only)
- Pica (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Central City (Appears in flashforward and main story)
- CCPD Headquarters
- Civic Park
- Museum of Natural History (Appears in flashforward Only)
- Mirror World (Appears in flashforward Only)
- Oscar's Autoshop
Items:
- Mirror Gun (Appears in flashforward Only)
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The Flash: Out of Time.
- This issue was preceded, in continuity, by The Flash Annual (Volume 4) #3.