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This page covers the DC comicbook hero Flash also known as Wally West , Jay Garrick , Barry Allen , Bart Allen , The Fastest Man Alive , Walter West , Scarlet Speedster , The Flash . If this is not the page you were looking for check here.
The Fastest Man Alive, the mantle of the Flash has been assumed by 4 different heroes over the years. All the heroes have been linked
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Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick
The first Flash was Jay Garrick, a Golden Age hero who gained his super-speed from exposure to radioactive "heavy water" as a student. He used his powers to fight crime in his hometown of Keystone City, and was one of the founding members of the Justice Society Of America (JSA). After World War II, Garrick retired, only to be brought back into action by the second Flash, Barry Allen. Jay Garrick has been kept active and in his middle years through various means over the decades (his body is that of a fifty-year old, though he is over ninety), and still occasionally puts on the costume to fight crime. He has been a stalwart member JSA in every incarnation alongside Alan Scott (Green Lantern I) and Ted Grant (Wildcat). He lives with his wife, Joan.
Barry Allen
The second Flash was Barry Allen, and many believed that this character introduced the Silver Age of comics. A police detective who was accidentally doused with chemicals, which themselves had been charged by a stray lightning bolt, was the source of his super-speed. Inspired by his boyhood hero (Jay Garrick), he took up the name of The Flash and began fighting crime in Central City and around the world. Arguably the most powerful of the Flashes, he was able to travel through time under his own power. Through his ability to vibrate at different frequencies, he stumbled onto Earth-Two, signaling the beginning of the The DC Multiverse. Later, with the help of the Cosmic Treadmill, he was able to control his time travel, living with his wife Iris West in the future before returning to the present during the first Crisis. He died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, using his speed to destroy the Anti-Monitor's antimatter tower, thus saving the Earth. It has been revealed, however, that his spirit remains, living on in the "Speed Force" that gives all speedsters their power, even emerging from the Speed Force during Infinite Crisis to help pull Superman Prime to another dimension.
Wally West
Wally
The third Flash was Wally West, nephew of Barry Allen's wife, Iris Allen West. By a coincidence that was never fully understood, Wally gained his powers in exactly the same way that Barry Allen got his - an electrified chemical bath while he was touring his hero Barry Allen's lab. West was thrilled to have a chance to be a hero, and immediately became Flash's sidekick, Kid Flash. As he went through puberty, however, his body started to reject his powers, and running any faster than the speed of sound would cause him great pain. He retired from hero work, but took up the Flash name after the death of Barry Allen. He eventually regained control over his powers, and nearly equaled Barry Allen in terms of ability. With the help of Max Mercury, Wally is the first Flash to successfully tap into the full power of the Speed Force and return. Wally West traveled to an unknown dimension during the Infinite Crisis, attempting to stop Superboy Prime from destroying the world. Before he vanished, his wife, along with their newly born twin children, grabbed onto him. It is believed that the four still reside in the unknown dimension.
Bart Allen
The next Flash was Bart Allen, the grandson of Barry Allen from the 30th Century. Born with super-speed, Bart aged at a frightening rate, and had to be cared for and educated through virtual reality. As a result, he grew up to be a teenager in only a few years, without any real sense of danger. He was brought to the present by his grandmother, Iris, who sought Wally West's help in teaching the boy. Wally dubbed Bart "Bart Allen" due to his lack of forethought and consideration of danger. Impulse had an interesting career as a teen hero, acting as a member of Young Justice before donning the mantle of Kid Flash as a Teen Titan. During the Infinite Crisis, he and the other speedsters tried to force Superboy Prime into the Speed Force. They were successful in pushing Superboy Prime out of their dimension for a short while, but the exact location that they sent him is still unknown. Bart returned hours later, aged by nearly half a decade. The only speedster able to access the Speed Force, he has taken up the name and costume of The Flash, albeit reluctantly.
In issue #13 of The Flash, a powerless Bart fought a sizable portion of his Rogues Gallery while Val, his love interest and expert scientist, attempted to turn off a machine (Built by Inertia to steal the speed force)that was currently harnessing the entire speed force. Bart fought the Rogues until the speed force was discharged, but Bart didn't survive the ordeal.
The Return of Wally West
On a mission the Justice League Of America and Justice Society Of America didn't understand, the Legion Of Super-Heroes were prepared to sacrifice one of themselves in order to bring Wally West back. They managed to bring him back along with his wife and twins. The twins seemed to have aged a little, also manifesting unique powers.
Powers
The Speed of Flash
All of the various Flash incarnations share a few powers common to all of them. These include the ability to move superhumanly fast, increased reaction time, incredible stamina allowing him to run long distances without tiring, the ability to think at a superhuman rate to match his movements, wounds heal at a superhuman rate, ignoring certain laws physics such as friction and other laws related to movement. The Flash is also able to vibrate incredibly fast allowing to accomplish such feats as melting through ice.
All of The Flashs' powers are connected to a source known as the Speed Force. The Speed Force allows them survive and perform amazing feats whiling traveling at incredible speeds. The Speed Force has also allowed various Flashs to accomplish time travel and manipulation. The Speed Force also grants a large variety of other abilities.
Kingdom Come
Flash features in the else world Kingdom Come. Set in an alternate time line, where Superman has retired from being a superhero due to the new metahumans methods of justice being more favoured, nearly all of the older heroes, like Flash, have lost their credibility. The Spectre shows Norman McCay Key Stone City, which he describes as a utopia where a scarlet blur protects he streets from all crime no matter how petty. This version of Flash in constantly moving and only ever seen as a blur of red with the trade mark World War II style helmet Jay Garrick used to sport, although a name is never put on the Flash so I is imposable to know who it is. Like several other heroes, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Flash has become almost maddened on his quest for justice thus forcing him into his constant state of movement, Spectre describes him saying,
"He lives between the ticks of a second. He is the Flash"
Another use of this constant speed is that countless strata of reality are open to him. This allowed him to reach through Spectre's powers and pull McCay into their dimension allowing them to see him. A girl is also seen sporting the Kid Flash costume, presumable Iris West, which may indicate the Flash being Wally West. She is part of Batman's small faction group determined to give control back to humanity.
Other Media
The Flash TV Series
The Flash TV series was a live action show which ran on CBS between 1990-1991. It starred John Wesley Shipp as the hero and co starred Amanda Pays as the lead roles. The show was created by the writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo Danny Elfman also composed the main title theme. The show ran along with some of the story lines of the silver age comics, but several other aspects were taken from the Wally West Flash comics including the limitations of his powers and high metabolism.
The pilot episode includes an accident in which Barry Allen’s (John Wesley Shipp), a Central City police forensic scientist, laboratory is struck by lightning bathing Allen in electrified chemicals. With the help of S.T.A.R Labs scientist Tina McGee Allen soon discovers that he has a super charged metabolism giving him super human speed given to him as a result of the accident. Tina modifies a red S.T.A.R Labs deep sea diving suit which can withstand massive amounts of pressure. Barry Allen’s first act as the Flash is to avenge the murder of his brother Jay, a Central city Motor cycle officer, who is also named after the Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick.
The series continued with The Flash taking on manly human foes like mob bosses, gangsters and corrupt officials. Until several of The Flash’s more colourful super villains were brought into play a part in the show. The most well know being The Trickster, played by Mark Hamill, (who also played a part as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and would later go on to play The Trickster again in Justice League Unlimited) and his sidekick Prank, played by Corinne Bohrer, Captain Cold, played by Michael Champion and Mirror Master, played by David Cassidy all of whom also appear in their own episode.
Unfortunately all these special appearances were too little too late and due to too much competition from other networks and the shows falling ratings because of basketball games and bad breaking coverage as a result of the Persian Gulf War the show was cancelled after a season of shooting .
Superman: The Animated Series
This is the first animated series where Wally West is given the title of the Flash . In an episode called speed demons Superman and The Flash both take part in a race around the world for charity, unawares that they are generating energy for the evil Weather Wizard. Flash is portrayed as cocky and selfish, which is noted by Superman but later he finds that behind this Flash is a hero too. The Flash was voiced by Charlie Schlatter.
Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
The Flash
This animated series stars Wally West as The Flash (voiced by Michael Rosenbaum) as one of the seven founding members of the Justice League. This incarnation of Wally is very similar to that of Superman: The Animated Series as a flippant almost adolescent hero often tending to annoy some of the League members. The series cashes in on Wally’s sense of humour in many cases having him provide the comic relief from the other more stiff members. Although in some instances he is seen complaining about his now persona of a “teenage sidekick”. Flash also has his super high metabolism also providing several gags through out the series. Flash’s endorsement of the “Lightspeed” candy bar play homage to that fact as Flash is seen in several occasions eating the bars, which have also been known to have an image of The Flash on them adding to the ironic humour.
Although Flash provides the lighter hearted side of the series he also has some major run ins with major villains. He stars through out the episode "Divided We Fall," in which he manages to take down Lex Luthor who has fused with Brainiac by building up enough speed by running around the world and then crashing into him, then using his infinite mass punch. As a result of the speed used to destroy Lex and Brainiac Flash is called into the Speed Force but is pulled out by the remaining six founding members.
Others such episode include, "Flash and Substance,” where several rouges from The Flash gallery make an appearance to try and destroy Flash on “Flash Appreciation Day” the main battle between them also takes place in a museum dedicated to The Flash, “The Great Brain Robbery” where The Flash switches bodies with Lex Luthor and also “I Am Legion” where Flash is shown to have feelings for Fire.
This incarnation of the Flash is seen to have a lot in common with the X-men character Iceman, someone who is commonly portrayed as a slacker and joker but when using their powers to their fullest is one of the stronger members of the league.
The Justice League.
Justice League Appearances
Teen Titans
Kid Flash appears in the Teen Titans animated series voiced by Michael Rosenbaum. Although The Flash’s true identity is never given in this series it would be implied that he is Wally West as Rosenbaum voiced Wally West as The Flash in Justice League/Justice League Unlimited. To further back this up the character has many similar traits as Wally West if not the same, like his laid back attitude to work and his Flirtatious nature. One of the only notable differences between him an his comic book counter part are his green eyes, in the comics Wally West has bright blue eyes.
Kid Flash
Kid Flash first appears in the episode “Light speed”, where Kid Flash is seen ruining the H.I.V.E Five’s evil robbery of a museum . Kid Flash soon begins to flirt with the groups leader Jinx and tries to get her to try to turn away from evil, but his words are ignored. The H.I.V.E. soon capture Kid Flash and keep him prisoner in cage. When Jinx is interrogating him she asks him whom he is working with, when he states, “I work alone these days” which would imply he was working with The Flash. Kid Flash escapes the captures demonstrating some of his powers like his ability to re vibrate his molecules through walls and creating wind vortexes using his hands. Jinx and Kid Flash would later have a romantic relationship.
Kid Flash also appears in the episodes “Calling All Titans” in a screen shot of all the Titans. It also transpires that Kid Flash has a communicator and the Titans have been in contact with him. In “Titans Together” Kid Flash is also seen with Jinx, now a member of the Titans, trying to infiltrate The Brotherhood of Evil’s base.
Smallville
Bart Allen Outruns Clark Kent
Flash (Bart Allen) first appears in the fourth season - episode five - "Run". In the episode it becomes clear early on that Bart is a common thief who uses his ability to run at superspeeds (faster than Clark Kent himself) to take advantage of people by stealing whatever he desires. When Clark breaks into his apartment however he finds fake identities with the names, Jay Garrick, Wally West and Barry Allen. After some confrontation and Bart getting caught by Lex, he seems to have changed his thieving ways. Unlike Clark however, Bart is seen as embracing the powers he has been given and wishing to use them. The episode ends with Clark asking Bart to stay, and Bart replies only if Clark can catch him (of course Clark failed and it was thought Bart might never return).
But the two have a run-in again in the sixth season - episode eleven - "Justice". In this episode Bart saves Chloe who believes it to be Clark, as who else can superspeed. Bart seems to have grown even faster than he previously was and now makes a mockery of Clark. Bart tries to be accepted by Clark as an "amigo" but Clark disallows this as he is still filled with mistrust for the former thief. We soon discover that Bart is stealing information from Lex's 33.1 facilities for his comrade, Oliver Queen, and Lex is on to him. And soon after Bart is outsmarted and captured by Lex who remembers Bart, and seeks revenge. Bart is then kept in a specially designed cage that will fry him if he stops for even a millisecond, Lex turns it on because of Bart's defiance towards him. So Bart is forced to run for perhaps hours. Clark finally saves him by the time he is slowing from exhaustion and has been suffering a nosebleed for some time already. After this, Bart is returned to his joking, hungry self (as he needs plently of calories to keep him going). He then departs with the rest of his team, under the codename Impulse, working to stop Lex Luthor's activity around the globe.
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