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The Flash

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"The Flash" redirects here. For other uses, see Flash.
Flash
File:FlashFamily01.jpg
Cover of The Flash vol. 2, # 208 (2004), featuring Wally West, Jay Garrick and Bart Allen as Kid Flash. Art by Michael Turner
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceFlash Comics #1 (1940)
Created byGardner Fox
Harry Lampert
CharactersJay Garrick
Barry Allen
Wally West
Bart Allen

The Flash is a name shared by several DC Comics superheroes. 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 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 (1940-1956), 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 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 (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 the multi-powered 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 cancelled 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

File:Barry Flash.jpg
Barry Allen by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert

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"

Left to right: Wally West, Bart Allen as Impulse, Jay Garrick, Johnny Quick, and Max Mercury (background), from Flash vol. 2, #97. Art by Mike Wieringo

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 #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, who was introduced in Flash #110 (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 Flash 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 cancelled The Flash vol. 2, in January 2006 at #230. A new series, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, began on June 21 2006. Written by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo and drawn by Ken Lashley, this series reveals Barry's grandson Bart Allen to be the heir to the Flash mantle.

Flash: Fastest Man Alive was recently cancelled with issue #13. In it's place The Flash (vol. 2) will be revived with issue 231. Mark Waid will be writing the series, as well as an All-Flash special that will precede its return.[1]

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. For information on these characters see List of superheroes named The Flash

Jay Garrick

Main article: Flash (Jay Garrick)

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 Roman god Mercury), 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. He is still active as the Flash, and operates out of Keystone City.

Barry Allen

Main article: Flash (Barry Allen)

Bartholomew "Barry" 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 in his ring, which could eject the compressed clothing when Allen needed it and suck it back in with the aid of a special gas that shrinks the suit.

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.[2] This sets the stage for Wally West's return as the Flash after the events of The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #13 (see Bart Allen).

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

Bart Allen 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, and was absorbed into Bart's body, making it such that Bart contains 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.

He is expected to show up back in the 31st century with 'Legion of Three Worlds' as that storyline is currently developing.

Powers and abilities

All incarnations of the Flash can move, think, and react at superhuman speeds. All possess an aura that prevents air friction from affecting their bodies and clothes while moving.

Barry Allen was believed to be the fastest of all known Flashes, and was known to have travelled faster than the "speed of thought". 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, travelled back in time, and was revealed to be the very bolt of lightning that gave him his powers. Barry Allen possessed several other abilities that Jay Garrick and Wally West have not always been able to duplicate. 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.

File:Flashlg.jpg
Barry Allen as the Flash. Art by Alex Ross

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 extradimensional 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. Wally has, on several occasions, sped faster than light and been pulled into and exited the Speed Force by his own volition. He can create his costume out of pure kinetic energy, 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 now 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 this to be a controlled ability as he can pass through objects without any ensuing explosion. 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).

Occasionally, the top speeds of the Flashes are light speed, although Barry Allen and Wally West have been shown to have sped faster than light (as mentioned previously). 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 (or indeterminate results). However, in recent races between Wally and Superman, West has been shown to be the faster of the two(Justice Oct 2006). As explained in The Secret of Barry Allen, Wally's ability to tap into the speed force allows him to reach greater speeds than Superman. It should, however, be noted that the Silver Age Superman was much faster than the current one.

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:

Alternate versions

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.[3] Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-2.[4]

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.

Appearances in other media

Early animated appearances

A version of the Flash guest-starred in the animated series, The Adventures of Aquaman in 1968. Flash appeared off and on in the Super Friends series throughout its run from 1973 to 1985. Flash appeared in Challenge of the Super Friends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.

In 1979, he appeared in the live-action Legends of the Superheroes specials, played by actor Rod Haase.

The Flash TV series (1990-1991)

Main article: The Flash (TV series)

The Flash was a live action CBS television series that starred John Wesley Shipp and Amanda Pays. The Flash featured in the series was an amalgamation of the silver-age Flash, Barry Allen, and the modern-age Wally West. The only resemblances between the TV Barry Allen Flash and the comic book Barry Allen Flash were his name, his profession as a forensic scientist, and his love interest Iris (who was very short lived as a love interest in the television series). Most of the elements in the television show were taken directly from the main story line in the first Wally West Flash comic books: The S.T.A.R. labs researcher Tina McGee, her and her husband's research into speed, her husband's allegedly fatal accident with their speed research, the Flash's ravenous appetite, heat problems (which were mitigated by the TV show Flash suit), and speed limit on the order of the speed of sound were all elements from the main Wally West comic book storyline.

The Flash's most famous villain in the series was the Trickster, played by Mark Hamill, which oddly foreshadowed Hamill's subsequent success at voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and, later, the Trickster in Justice League Unlimited . Captain Cold, played by Michael Champion, and Mirror Master, played by David Cassidy, also appeared in their own episodes. The complete series was released as a DVD set by Warner Bros. in 2006.

Justice League of America pilot (1997)

The Flash (Barry Allen) was in a CBS live-action pilot called Justice League of America, portrayed by Kenny Johnston. The pilot did not air in the United States.

DC Animated Universe

The Flash appeared in Superman: The Animated Series, voiced by Charlie Schlatter, in the second-season episode "Speed Demons". As in the traditional comic book storylines, the Flash and Superman race to find out who is faster, but the Weather Wizard gets in the way, which causes the two to work together. He also appears in Batman: Gotham Adventures #25 due to a theft in Central City leading him to Gotham.

The Flash in the Justice League animated series is voiced by Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor on the television series Smallville). This Flash is Wally West; however he is an amalgamation of Barry Allen and Wally (in Justice League Unlimited, Wally is a forensic scientist, which was Barry's profession. Wally in the comics is an auto mechanic). Michael Rosenbaum also voiced Kid Flash for a Fall 2005 episode of Teen Titans animated series entitled "Lightspeed". He later appeared in a cameo in the episode "Calling all Titans" and then he reappeared fully in the episode "Titans Together".

Some fans criticized the Justice League animated series characterization of the Flash, mainly due to the chauvinistic dialogue in early episodes. However, others argued that he provided a needed foil to the other characters; his humorous attitude and setting reflects Silver Age roots. The importance of the Flash as the "heart" of the Justice League was shown in the episode "A Better World", when his death in an alternate timeline triggered a series of events which turned that alternate League (the "Justice Lords") into virtual dictators of Earth. He has also proven key in saving the day in a few episodes, such as Divided We Fall, in which he defeated the fused Brainiac/Lex Luthor when all the other six founding Justice League members could not. In the process, he was drawn into the Speed Force (the first explicit use of the concept in the DCAU), and barely managed to escape. The episode Flash and Substance is centered on the opening of the Flash Museum. Many of the Flash's rogues make cameos in this episode, while focusing on Captain Boomerang, Mirror Master, Captain Cold, and The Trickster (voiced by Mark Hamill). Linda Park also appears as a reporter covering the museum opening. Mirror Master alludes that Wally West may not have been the only Flash stating to the rest of the Rogues, "We've all been stopped by a Flash."[5]

Smallville

File:Smallville-run2.jpg
Bart Allen races Clark Kent in the Smallville episode "Run"

The Flash made guest appearances in the television series Smallville, in the fourth-season episode "Run" (first aired October 20, 2004) and in the sixth season in the episode "Justice" (first aired on January 18, 2007). He is played by Kyle Gallner. He is portrayed as a self-centered teenager who uses his powers for personal gain. He goes by the name Bart Allen, but is shown to be carrying multiple ID cards also identifying him as Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West. His speed in during his first episode run with Clark makes it clearly apparent that his super-speed ability and potential surpasses Clark's completely as he is seen running backwards but able to keep Clark completely at bay as he attempts to tag Bart. Beyond that, Bart merely uses more of his power and disappears completely in plain sight of Clark, leaving him behind bewildered but content. Their mutual respect made it apparent that they had become friends towards the end (as Superman and Flash are good friends in the future), with allusions being made to forming a "league" one day. It is mentioned that he got his powers through an accident, rather than genetics as in the actual comics, though it should be noted that at least one of the Flash has gotten his powers through an accident.

Although commercials for "Run" billed him as "the Flash", he is never called by this name in the episode. Instead, in "Justice", he has been given the codename "Impulse". Like in the comics, Bart did not pick this name himself. In his second appearance, Bart has grown up some, but maintained roughly the same personality. However, he is now using his powers to help others. Along with Aquaman, Green Arrow and Cyborg, he now works to stop one of Lex Luthor's evil side project, 33.1.

Film

In December 2004, David S. Goyer was attached to write and direct a superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character The Flash.[6] Goyer expressed interest in having actor Ryan Reynolds portray Wally West,[7] with Reynolds expressing his own interest in the role.[8] In June 2005, Goyer was still developing the first script draft for The Flash and had yet to finalize negotiations with Reynolds.[9] In February 2007, Goyer departed from the project, citing creative differences with the studio.[10] Goyer's script was considered dark-themed,[11] including both Barry Allen and Wally West as The Flash and drawing on seminal comicbook runs by Mike Baron, Mark Waid, and Geoff Johns.[12]

Later in February 2007, director Shawn Levy was announced to be attached to The Flash and to oversee the writing of the new draft, which would use elements of Goyer's script.[11] Ryan Reynolds expressed his interest once more in the role of The Flash if the new script's incarnation was Wally West.[13]

Other appearances

File:Flash01.jpg
The Flash in The Batman.
  • In the Simpsons episode New Kids On The Bleech, Comic Book Guy dresses up like the Flash and even stated, "No one can outrun The Flash" until he gets stuck into an open manhole.
  • In 2002, the lead con-man character in the movie Catch Me If You Can played by Leonardo DiCaprio used the alias "Barry Allen" to elude G-man Tom Hanks in reference to his love for the comic book.
  • In the 2003 movie Daddy Day Care, Jimmy Bennett plays a boy who thinks he is the Flash and refuses to take off his costume, plus a sugar rush actually allows him to go super speed for a while.
  • In 2004, NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal gave his teammate, Dwyane Wade the nickname "Flash" (one of O'Neal's nicknames was "Superman").
  • The band "Jim's Big Ego" has a song entitled The Ballad of Barry Allen, about the Flash.
  • In the first season of the hit TV series Lost, the character Walt Lloyd is seen reading the Spanish version of a Flash comic "Flash/Green Lantern: Faster Friends #1" on several occasions. In the third season episode "Catch–22", Charlie and Hurley are seen debating the question of whether the Flash could defeat Superman in a footrace.
  • During WrestleMania 20, Rey Mysterio wore a 'Flash-like' costume.
  • In the novel Assault on the Senses, three characters share their names with three Flash alter egos--Jay, Barry and Wally--and each have personalities representitive of the character they're respectively inspired by.
Main article: List of superheroes named The Flash
Main article: List of characters who move at superhuman speeds

While the Flash had a number of speedy predecessors in mythology, he was the first super-speed hero in comic books.

Rogues

Main article: Rogues (comics)

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".

References

  1. ^ Rogers, Vaneta (2007-07-15). ""MARK WAID RETURNS TO THE FLASH"". Newsarama. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
  2. ^ Justice League of America (vol. 2) #10
  3. ^ 52, no. 52, p. 13/3 (May 2, 2007). DC Comics.
  4. ^ Brady, Matt (2007-05-08). ""THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GRANT MORRISON"". Newsarama. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  5. ^ Justice League Unlimited, episode #31 Flash and Substance.
  6. ^ Claude Brodesser (2004-12-16). "WB shines Flash light". Variety. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Clint Morris (2004-12-18). "Exclusive Interview: David Goyer". Moviehole.net. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Wizard World L.A.: Ryan Reynolds". Comics Continuum. 2005-03-20. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Jeff Otto (2005-06-05). "Goyer on Flash & Thor". IGN. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "No Flash for David Goyer". ComingSoon.net. 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ a b Borys Kit (2007-02-05). "News 'Flash': Levy to helm". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Goyer Ankles The Flash". IGN. 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ David Sgargetta (2007-02-09). "Exclusive Interview : Ryan Reynolds". Moviehole.net. Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Notes

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