#Rudy isn't a 'gets drunk and then gets mean' type of abuser. this guy is methodical about it

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

just saw your bart posts where Tim is freaked bc bart is less than human due to the speed force

I’m relatively new to the comics scene; are there any storylines where the reason for Wally’s estrangement w his parents is because they’re weirded out by his powers?

like a “speedster gothic” type take where their son has been replaced by this Thing(tm). it may look like wally and laugh like wally and geek out like wally but it’s not their son, it’s this super powered freak that’s trying to replace him?? Bc I think that’s a more realistic take on these well-meaning but extremely traditional Midwestern couple upholding the status-quo that have been confronted with a supernatural horror masquerading as their child (esp if we explore the take that wally was in a coma after the accident… he wakes up and is simply Not Wally anymore, at least not to them) rather than making them randomly verbally and physically abusive alcoholics like fanon often does.

So. Multiple things.

"well-meaning but extremely traditional mid-western couple" is extremely inaccurate I'm afraid. Wally also wasn't in a coma (that's a YJ animated thing) and they didn't know about his powers until he was well into his teenage years. Also, "randomly verbally and physically abusive alcoholics" is not a fanon thing, it's extremely canon.

Just for starters though: Rudy would not be freaked out if Wally displayed supernatural abilities. Rudy would be thrilled. Because Rudy is a member of cult and the only reason he married Mary and had Wally is because the cult told him to. His son was going to be 'powerful' and 'special'. Which is half the reason Rudy was so abusive (he literally hits Wally all the time in canon. Especially as a child but even as an adult. Even going so far as to bring other cultists to jump Wally in his own house) to Wally because Wally was just a normal average kid. If Wally was doing spooky shit Rudy would be ecstatic.

Uh, but yeah Rudy is fucking insane. Threaten to poison the little league coach to let Wally on the team insane. Run a child labor camp filled with landmines insane. Hire a hitman to murder his wife insane. THESE ARE ALL CANON THINGS HE HAS DONE.

Now, Mary isn't physically abusive but she is financially and emotionally abusive. She drained Wally's bank account after he won the lottery in like a week. She really only cares about appearances. She will nitpick the hell out of Wally to make sure he reflects well on her. She was also thrilled about Wally's powers btw. As long as he was public about his identity. She wants the world to know that her son is a hero. Her son is better than everyone else.

So yeah, I just don't really think it'd work considering Rudy actively wants Wally to display supernatural abilities and Mary acts like a pageant mom. Also hella inaccurate to say that Wally's parents are only abusive in fanon. Rudy's behavior could rival the goddamn joker, he's an actual sociopath. Mary is more subtle about it but goddamn, she isn't who she pretends to be.