Why Barry Allen is Awesome
By batmannflash 58 Comments
Today I'll be explaining why I think Barry Allen (my 2nd favorite hero) is awesome.
1. He's a Great Guy
Like Superman, Barry Allen is a hero who's a great public icon and has a kind heart. I like vigilantes and anti-heroes, but I also like how Barry's just a straight up hero that everyone loves. He's a great people person and likes to interact and protect the people of Central City. He doesn't just beat up his villains and send 'em to jail. He also genuinely tries to help them. He tries to rehabilitate them and check up on their progress. As proved in "Blackest Night," he has great hope. Barry always has hope in everyone that "all will be well."
2. His Powers
The first person most will think of when talking about super speed is The Flash. I like Barry because he's so powerful and his powers are always incredibly entertaining to watch on the panels. By comic book logic, the applications of his super speed is very creative. He gets to phase through objects, turn invisible, create strong winds, travel through time and other dimensions. I'm always in awe of him doing multiple things in under a second.
3. The Flash Family
The Flash family is one of the most lovable "families" in comics. It seems that everyone in the Flash family has a laid-back personality and are approachable people. Notable members include Jay Garrick, Wally West, Bart Allen, Iris West II, Max Mercury, and Jesse Chambers. The most famous one is Wally West. In comics, Wally is probably the most successful successor to an already famous superhero. After Wally took on the role as the Flash, many didn't want Barry to come back. I have to admit, Wally did an admirable job. The Flash family is so well written and includes a couple big names, which adds to how cool Barry Allen is.
4. The Rogues Gallery
Flash has one of the best villains in comics. They're characters that you have to read about in order to understand how good they are. The Rogues are colorful, creative, and interesting villains with codes. Read Rogues Revenge if you want to see how cool they are. Outside of the Rogues, you have Professor Zoom and Gorilla Grodd. Both are great characters, especially Professor Zoom. He is like Flash's Joker. The two have clashed to create some amazing stories, especially Flashpoint.
5. Flashpoint (SPOILERS FOR FLASHPOINT)
This point is about the quality of the story. This point isn't about whether or not the New 52 was a good idea. It's the basis of the story. All Barry wanted to do was save his mom from dying. Because of that, the entire world was basically torn apart. What gave me new perspective on Barry was that he had choose saving the world over his mother. He saved his mom but had to see her disappear once again in order to do what's right. That just struck a chord in me. Throughout history, Barry has made multiple sacrifices in order to save the entire world or even the universe.
6. Origin
Credits goes to @knightfall225 for mentioning this great point only after I published this blog. I agree so much with this. He said:
"Barry's origin is one of my favorites. The whole story about his dad being wrongly convicted of murdering Barry's mom is very sad. Then when Barry gets his powers he uses them because he has a reason to. To make sure all criminals are held accountable for their actions and not letting innocent people get hurt. It kind of adds on to how it doesn't matter how fast Barry runs he will never solve his mothers murder as quickly as he wants to. This is what moved Barry all the way up to my top 10 heroes of all time!!"
Now back to me talking. I totally agree with this. And Barry's origin is even better when you realize that Professor Zoom killed his mother.
7. Iris West
This section is dedicated to Iris West Allen, who is my favorite comic book girlfriend ever. She and Barry make a fantastic couple. She's smart, loyal, and incredibly caring for Barry. And in turn, he loves her. Iris, said to be his "lightning rod," makes him a stronger character. Because of Iris, we get to see him grow, be happy, but also cry and break down. I hope that the New 52 brings Iris back with Barry. I can see that in the story arc of "Reverse," they're slowly bringing them back together. Unlike other comic book relationships, Iris+Barry is a stable relationship that you're always rooting for.
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