Flash (DC Comics character)

"The Flash" redirects here. For other uses, see Flash (disambiguation).

Flash
File:Flash Pack.jpg Jay Garrick, Bart Allen, and Wally West on the cover to The Flash (vol. 2) #208. Art by Michael Turner.
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
Created by	Gardner Fox Harry Lampert
Characters	Jay Garrick Barry Allen Wally West Bart Allen

The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (1940).

Once nicknamed the Scarlet Speedster, the Flash possesses "super-speed," which includes the ability to run and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and seemingly violate certain laws of physics. Thus far, four different characters, each of whom somehow gained the power of "super-speed", have assumed the identity of the Flash: Jay Garrick (1940-), Barry Allen (1956-1986), Wally West (1986-2006, 2007-), and Bart Allen (2006-2007).

The second incarnation of the Flash is generally considered the first hero of the Silver Age of comic books and the superhero has remained one of DC‘s most popular ever since. Each version of the Flash has been a key member of either the Justice Society of America or the Justice League, DC’s all-star teams. Wally West has recently rejoined the Justice League.

The Barry Allen version of the character (with Wally West elements) was featured in a live action television series in 1990, starring John Wesley Shipp. The Wally West version of the Flash is featured in the animated series Justice League.

Publication history

Golden Age

The Flash first appeared in the Golden Age Flash Comics #1 (Jan. 1940), from All-American Publications, one of three companies that would eventually merge to form DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, this Flash was Jay Garrick, a college student who gained his speed through the inhalation of hard water vapors (later retconned into heavy water vapors), and who wore a winged metal helmet reminiscent of the mythological Greek god Hermes. He is notable as the first super-speedster in comics, and one of the first to have a single super-power as opposed to multi-powered heroes such as Superman.

Garrick was a popular character in the 1940s, supporting both Flash Comics and All-Flash Quarterly (later published bi-monthly as simply All-Flash); co-starring in Comic Cavalcade; and being a charter member of the Justice Society of America, the first superhero team, whose adventures ran in All Star Comics. With superheroes' post-war decline in popularity, Flash Comics was canceled with issue #104 (1949). The Justice Society's final Golden Age story ran in All Star Comics #57 (1951; the title itself continued, as All Star Western).

Silver Age

In 1956, DC Comics successfully revived superheroes, ushering in what became known as the Silver Age of comic books. Rather than bringing back the same Golden Age heroes, as Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics, unsuccessfully tried to do, DC reimagined them as new characters for the modern age. The Flash was the first revival, in the aptly named tryout comic book Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956).

This new Flash was Barry Allen, a police scientist who gained super-speed when bathed by chemicals after a shelf of them was struck by lightning. He adopted the name The Flash after reading a comic book featuring the Golden Age Flash. After several more appearances in Showcase, Allen's character was given his own title, The Flash, the first issue of which was #105 (resuming where Flash Comics had left off).

The Silver Age Flash proved popular enough that several other Golden Age heroes were revived in new incarnations. A new superhero team, the Justice League of America, was also created, with the Flash as a charter member.

"The Flashes of Two Worlds"

The Flash also introduced a much-imitated plot device into superhero comics when it was revealed that Garrick and Allen existed on fictional parallel worlds. Their powers allowed them to cross the dimensional boundary between worlds, and the men became good friends. Flash of Two Worlds (The Flash vol.1 #123) was the first crossover in which a Golden Age character met a Silver Age character. Soon, there were crossovers between the entire Justice League and the Justice Society; their respective teams began an annual get-together which endured from the early 1960s until the mid-1980s.

Allen's adventures continued in his own title until the advent of Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Flash ended as a series with issue #350. Allen's life had become considerably confused in the early 1980s, and DC elected to end his adventures and pass the mantle on to another character. Allen died heroically in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 (1986). Thanks to his ability to travel through time, he would continue to appear occasionally in the years to come.

Modern Age

The third Flash was Wally West, introduced in Flash #110 (Dec. 1959) as Kid Flash. West, Allen's nephew by marriage, gained the Flash's powers through an accident identical to Allen's. Adopting the identity of Kid Flash, he maintained membership in the Teen Titans for years. Following Allen's death, West adopted the Flash identity in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 and was given his own series, beginning with The Flash vol. 2, #1 in 1987. Many issues began with the simultaneously glad and rueful catchphrase: "My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive. I'm the Flash."

Due to the Infinite Crisis miniseries and the "One Year Later" jump in time in the DC Universe, DC canceled The Flash vol. 2, in January 2006 at #230. A new series, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, began on June 21 2006. The initial story arc of this series, written by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo with art by Ken Lashley, focused on Bart Allen's acceptance of the role of the Flash.

Flash: Fastest Man Alive was canceled with issue #13. In its place The Flash (vol. 2) was revived with issue 231, with Mark Waid as the initial writer. Waid also wrote All-Flash #1, which acted as a bridge between the two series. DC had solicited Flash: Fastest Man Alive through issue #15. All Flash #1 replaced issue #14 and The Flash vol. 2, #231 replaced issue #15 in title and interior creative team only. The covers and cover artists were as solicited by DC, and the information text released was devoid of any plot information.

Fictional biographies

While several other individuals have used the name Flash, these have lived either on other parallel worlds, or in the future. Garrick, Allen and West are the best-known exemplars of the identity.

Jay Garrick

Main article: Flash (Jay Garrick)

Jason Peter "Jay" Garrick was a college student in January 1940 who accidentally inhaled heavy water vapors after falling asleep in his laboratory where he had been smoking. As a result, he found that he could run at superhuman speed and had similarly fast reflexes. After a brief career as a college football star, he donned a red shirt with a lightning bolt and a stylized metal helmet with wings (based on images of the Greek deity Hermes), and began to fight crime as the Flash. His first case involved battling the "Faultless Four", a group of blackmailers. Jay kept his identity secret for years without a mask by continually vibrating his body while in public so that any photograph of his face would be blurred. Although originally from Earth-Two he was incorporated into the history of New Earth following the Crisis on Infinite Earths and is still active as the Flash operating out of Keystone City. He is a member of the Justice Society.

Barry Allen

Main article: Flash (Barry Allen)

Bartholomew "Barry" Henry Allen was a police scientist with a reputation for being very slow, deliberate, and frequently late, which frustrated his fiancée, Iris West. One night, as he was preparing to leave work, a lightning bolt shattered a case full of chemicals and spilled them all over Allen. As a result, Allen found that he could run extremely fast and had matching reflexes. He donned a set of red tights sporting a lightning bolt (reminiscent of the original Captain Marvel), dubbed himself the Flash (after his childhood hero in the comic books, Jay Garrick), and became a crimefighter. In his civilian identity, he stored the costume compressed in a special ring via the use of a special gas that could compress cloth fibers to a very small fraction of their normal size.

Wally West

Main article: Wally West

Wallace Rudolph West was the nephew of Iris West and Barry Allen by marriage, and was introduced in The Flash #110 (1959). When West was about ten years old, he was visiting his uncle's police laboratory, and the freak accident that gave Allen his powers repeated itself, bathing West in electrically charged chemicals. Now possessing the same powers as his uncle, West donned a copy of his uncle's outfit and became the young crime fighter Kid Flash. After the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Barry Allen was killed, Wally took over as the fastest man alive. Following the events of Infinite Crisis, Wally, his wife Linda, and their twins left Earth for an unknown dimension. Wally, his wife and twins were pulled back from the Speed Force by the Legion of Super-Heroes. This set the stage for Wally West's return as the Flash after the events of The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #13 (see Bart Allen), in All Flash #1, and with The Flash (Vol. 2) series, which resumed with issue #231 in August 2007.

Bart Allen

Main article: Bart Allen

Bart Allen as the fourth Flash. Variant cover of The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 (2006). Art by Andy & Joe Kubert

Bartholomew Henry Allen II ("Bart") was the grandson of Barry Allen and his wife Iris. Bart suffered from accelerated aging and, as a result, was raised in a virtual reality machine until Iris took him back in time in order to get help from the then-current Flash, Wally West. With Wally's help, Bart's aging slowed and he took the name Impulse. After he was shot in the kneecap by Deathstroke, Bart changed both his attitude and his costume, taking the mantle of Kid Flash. During the events of Infinite Crisis, the Speed Force vanished, taking with it all the speedsters save Jay Garrick. Bart returned, four years older, and for a year claimed that he was depowered from the event. However, the Speed Force had not disappeared completely, but had been absorbed into Bart's body; essentially, he now contained all of the Speed Force. Bart's costume is Barry Allen's cloned Flash suit in the form of Wally West's suit. Bart Allen was recently killed by the Rogues in the 13th and final issue of The Flash: Fastest Man Alive.

Others to carry the mantle of the Flash

Jesse Chambers

Main article: Jesse Chambers

Daughter of the speedster Johnny Quick, Jesse Chambers became a speeding superhero like her father. She later met Wally West, the Flash, who would ask her to be his replacement if something were to happen to him, (as part of an elaborate plan on his part, trying to force Bart Allen to take his role in the legacy of the Flash more seriously). She briefly assumes the mantle of the Flash, after Wally enters the Speed Force.

Unnamed Allen of the 23rd Century

The father of Sela Allen, his wife and daughter were captured by Cobalt Blue. He was forced to watch his wife die and his daughter become crippled. As he and Max Mercury killed Cobalt Blue, a child took the gem and killed Allen. This Flash was one of the two destined Flashes to be killed by Cobalt Blue (Eobard Thawne).

Sela Allen

File:SelaAllen.gif

Sela Allen as the Flash of the 23rd century.

Sela Allen is an ordinary human in the 23rd century until Cobalt Blue steals electrical impulses away from her, causing her to become as slow to the world as the world is to the Flash. Hoping to restore her, her father takes her into the Speed Force. When her father is killed, she appears as a living manifestation of the Speed Force, able to lend speed to various people and objects but unable to physically interact with the world.

John Fox

File:JohnFox1.gif

John Fox as the Flash.

When Manfred Mota resurfaced in 27th century, John Fox, a tachyon scientist, traveled back in time to gain aid from the three Flashes who had defeated Manfred before. He failed to make contact but the time travel left him with superspeed. He used a combination of various previous Flash costumes to create his own costume. After defeating Mota he was sidelined by the invention of speed metal. He began searching the timestream for a time where he could belong, briefly replacing a time-displaced Wally West in the 20th century before finally settled in the year 85,265 where he joined the Justice Legion. In issue #2 of the 2007 Booster Gold series, there is a panel depicting Dr. Thirteen's group breaking the fourth wall by complaining about the Architects' only using popular "fellows" in new comics, John Fox was mentioned by name.

Blaine Allen

File:BlaineAllen1.gif

Blaine Allen as the Flash of the 28th century.

Blaine and his son lived on the colony world of Petrus in the 28th century. In an attempt to end the Allen blood line, Cobalt Blue injected Allen's son Jace with a virus. Lacking superspeed, Jace was unable to shake off the virus. In despair, Blaine took his son to the Speed Force in the hopes that it would accept him. It took Blaine instead, and gave superspeed to Jace so that he could shake off the sickness.

Jace Allen

Jace Allen gained superspeed when his father brought him into the Speed Force to attempt to cure him of a virus injected into his body by Cobalt Blue in an attempt to end the Allen bloodline. In memory of his father, Jace took up the mantle of the Flash and continued the feud against Cobalt Blue.

Kryad

After an alien creature invaded Earth, a history buff named Kryad traveled back in time from the 98th Century to acquire a GL power ring. He failed, so he tried to capture The Flash's speed instead. After being beaten by Barry Allen (The Flash #309,May 1982), he went back further in time and used the chemicals from the clothes Barry Allen was wearing when he gained his powers. Kryad gave his life to defeat the alien creature.

Alternate versions

File:FlashEarth-D.gif

Tanaka Rei from Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths. Art by Paul Ryan and Bob McLeod.

In the final issue of 52, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-2". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-2, including the Flash among other Justice Society of America characters. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but the Flash is visually similar to the Jay Garrick Flash. Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-2.

A variant of the Flash - a superfast college student named Mary Maxwell - was seen in the Elseworld book Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating The Flash.

Tanaka Rei

The Flash of Earth-D, Rei was a Japanese man who idolized Barry Allen, whose stories only existed in comic books. Rei was inspired by Allen to become the Flash, much like Allen was inspired to become the Flash by his idol, Jay Garrick. Allen and Rei met during the Crisis on Infinite Earths when Barry was coming back from the 30th century and arrived in the wrong universe. As that earth was under attack by the shadow demons, Barry called on the Justice League and Tanaka called on the Justice Alliance, his world's version of the Justice League. They built a cosmic treadmill and made an evacuation. The Justice League left, but 39 seconds later, Earth-D perished.

Rei made his only appearance in Legends of the DC Universe: Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Lia Nelson

The young, female Flash of the Tangent Universe is not a speedster, but instead "the first child born in space" and a being made up of and able to control light. As a side effect, she can move at the speed of light, which actually makes her faster than most of the other Flashes, as only Wally West has ever survived a Light speed run without becoming trapped in the speed force. She recently reappeared in Justice League of America #16, somehow summoned out of the paper 'green lantern' of her universe- an artifact that survived the Crisis that erased the Tangent Universe from existence. Lia Nelson also appeared in Countdown: Arena battling two versions of the Flash from other Earths within the Multiverse. In the 52-Earth Multiverse, the Tangent Universe is designated Earth-9.

Powers and abilities

All incarnations of the Flash can move, think, and react at superhuman speeds; and vibrate so fast that the Flash can walk through walls.

However, when Barry Allen pushed himself further (while imploding the Anti-Monitor's chief weapon during the Crisis on Infinite Earths) he appeared to waste away as he was converted into pure kinetic energy, traveled back in time, and was revealed to be the very bolt of lightning that gave him his powers. He could run on thick snow clouds. Most unusual was Allen's complete control of his molecules, allowing him to vibrate through solid matter and, on one occasion when transformed into a mirror, "melt" himself and reform as a human to defeat his foe, the Mirror Master.

Wally West has said more than once that Barry Allen was the Flash most experienced with time travel. However, Wally has been shown to have a connection to the Speed Force, an extra-dimensional energy source, which provides his powers and gives him several other abilities. While all speedsters are powered by the force, West mainlines the power from the force itself and cannot be cut off from the source, unlike the others. He can use the Speed Force to create a costume for himself, and can either impart his high velocities to other people and objects already in motion or steal the velocity they possess. Jay Garrick also possesses this ability to some degree; he stole speed from Black Adam in order to defeat the villainous Johnny Sorrow, and he has threatened to steal Bart Allen's (formerly Impulse and Kid Flash, and for a short while the Flash) speed on at least one occasion when he was misbehaving. West can vibrate through objects; in the past, West would cause whatever he vibrated through to explode, but has recently shown an ability to avoid this side effect. Although not nearly as precise as Allen when he used his cosmic treadmill, West has shown to be able to traverse time and dimensions with his own powers, like Allen in Showcase #4 in 1956. However, Wally now accelerates to the point that he is skirting the very edge of the Speed Force dimension, and can traverse along the timestream to specific points as they become visible, much like watching a movie in fast forward or reverse (however, he must have a particular speedster's vibratory signature to search for and lock onto, or be very familiar with the vibration of that time period). He is the only speedster to survive a Light Speed run; all others have either died or been absorbed into the speed force.

On several occasions, the Flash has been shown in various races against Superman to determine which one is faster (or as part of a mutual effort to thwart some type of threat); these races, however, often resulted in ties because of outside circumstances. However, it has been shown that Superman is generally much faster than Flash. The races were on foot, meaning Superman was not allow to fly, but most believed that he could fly much faster than running.

Speedsters may at times use the ability to speed-read at incredible rates and in doing so, process vast amounts of information. Whatever knowledge they acquire in this manner is usually temporary (Bart Allen seems to be the exception, though in earlier years, Max Mercury believed that Bart's speed learning would not stick).

Flashes and other super-speedsters also have the ability to speak to one another at a highly accelerated rate. This is often done to have private conversations in front of non-fast people (as when Flash speaks to Superman about his ability to serve both the Titans and the JLA in The Titans #2). Speed-talking is also sometimes used for comedic effect where Flash becomes so excited that he begins talking faster and faster until his words become a jumble of noise (Wally West once became so surprised that he generated a small sonic boom with his voice).

Awards

The comics and characters have been nominated for and won several awards over the years, including:

• 1961 Alley Award for Best Cover (Flash #123)
• 1961 Alley Award for Best Single Comic (Flash #123 by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino)
• 1963 Alley Award for Cross-Over of DC Heroes for The Brave and the Bold (with Hawkman)
• 1964 Alley Award for Best Short Story ("Doorway to the Unknown" in Flash #148 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino).
• 2008 Salou Award for Best Super Hero (Flash- Danny Holmes by BUAFC)

Appearances in other media

Main article: The Flash in other media

Throughout his 60 year history, the Flash has appeared in numerous media. The Flash has been included in multiple animated features, such as Superfriends and Justice League, as well as his own live action television series, and some guest star appearances on Smallville. There are numerous video games that feature the character.

In the Challenge of the Superfriends Series which ran from 1978-1979, he appears in every episode and has spoken lines in only twelve out of the sixteen episodes of the series. He also had two arch enemies from the Legion of Doom, Captain Cold and Gorilla Grodd.

The Flash also appeared for one season (1990-1991) on the CBS network starring double-Emmy Award winner John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen. Produced by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo, the series was a mild amalgamation of the Barry Allen and Wally West vesrions of the comics in that the female lead was Tina McGee (portrayed by Amanda Pays) and Wally's need for large amounts of food after expending so much energy running all over Central City was transferred to Barry. After his lightning-induced chemical accident, Barry got into crime fighting after the death of his police officer brother, Jay; it is presumed that Jay was named for the original comic book Flash Jay Garrick. A handful of the Scarlet Speedster's rouges gallery made guest appearances throughout the series: Captain Cold (Michael Champion) ("Captain Cold"), Mirror Master (David Cassidy) ("Done With Mirrors"), and the Trickster (Mark Hamill) ("The Trickster" and "Trial of the Trickster"). The Flash also fought a clone of himself wearing a blue costume.

A few episodes were written by comics legend Howard Chaykin and the tv costume was designed by Dave Stevens (The Rocketeer). While a critical success and vigorously backed by the network, the series had the dubious distinction of being aired against ratings powerhouses The Cosby Show on NBC and FOX's The Simpsons. If that wasn't enough, the FLASH was preempted by Christmas specials and the Desert Storm war in Iraq and constantly moved all over the schedule that it couldn't find its audience and thus cancelled after its first and only season. Warner Brothers released the series in a 6-disc DVD box set on January 10, 2006.

Rogues

Main article: Rogues (comics)

See also: List of Flash enemies

Like Batman, the Flash has a reputation for having fought a distinctive and memorable rogues gallery of supervillains. In the Flash's case, some of these villains have adopted the term "Flash's Rogues Gallery" as an official title, and insist on being called "Rogues" rather than "supervillains" or similar names. At times, various combinations of the Rogues have banded together in order to commit crimes or take revenge on the Flash, usually under the leadership of Captain Cold.

The Rogues are known for their communal style relationship, hanging out together and operating under a pretty strict moral code, sometimes brutally enforced by Captain Cold. Such "rules" include "no drugs" and, except in very dire situations or on unique occasions, "no killing".

Considering the blue collar nature of the Flash's Rogues, more than a few have protested the inclusion of Professor Zoom and Abra Kadabra, often labeling them psychotic, as time travel generally works against their crimes and, at least in the original Zoom's case, they found him dangerous and all-too willing to kill.

In contrast, several new Flash villains have been considered Rogues, including Murmur, DoubleDown, and Peekaboo, but they play second fiddle to new incarnations of Captain Boomerang, Zoom, Mirror Master, and Inertia (a variation on Reverse Flash, clone of Impulse)

References

• Hyperborea.org: Flash
• “How Do You Kill A Legend?” Flash #309 (May 1982) - Cary Bates
  
• “Chain Lightning Part 2: Time Like a River...” - Flash vol. 2 #146 (March 1999), Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn
• “Chain Lightning Part 3: Shooting the Rapids...” - Flash vol. 2 #147 (April 1999), Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn
• “Generations” - Flash 50th Anniversary Special (1990), Mark Waid
• “Race Against Time Part 3: Speed Metal” - The Flash vol. 2 #115 (July 1996), Mark Waid
• DC One Million #1 (November 85,271/1998) - Grant Morrison
  
• “The Sacrifice” - Speed Force #1 (November 1997), Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn

Notes

1. ^a Dan Didio on the New Flash Team (newsarama.com)
2. ^b The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 (dccomics.com)

External links

• The Flash's Official Website
• The Flash at Internet Movie Database
• Crimson Lightning - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.
• Alan Kistler's Profile On: The Flash - An analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler.
• Golden Age Flash Toonopedia entry
• Silver Age Flash Toonopedia entry
• Alan Kistler's Guide To The Crisis
• The Flash: Those Who Ride The Lightning - Fan site with information about the super-speed characters of the DC Universe.
• How to Make The Flash Into an Awesome and Lucrative Franchise - A passionate blogger makes his case.
• Index to Barry Allen's Earth-One adventures
• Comic Book Awards Almanac
• comicfoundry.com Conversation with Flash writers Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo about Bart Allen as the new Flash
• Stan Lee's Flash Profile for one Elseworld version of the character
• Due Giorni Alla Fine - Utterly random and inexplicable, The Flash appears on the cover of the Italian edition of the cult novel, Just a Couple of Days