The Flash (
Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen) is a
fictional character, a
superhero in the
DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the
Flash. The character
first appeared in
Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), created by writers
Robert Kanigher and
John Broome and
penciler Carmine Infantino.
[1] His name combines talk show hosts
Barry Gray and
Steve Allen.
[2] His death in 1985 on
Crisis on Infinite Earths removed the character from the regular DC lineup for 23 years. His return to regular comics occurred subsequently in 2008 within the pages of
Grant Morrison's
Final Crisis and
Geoff Johns'
The Flash: Rebirth limited series. In 2011, Allen played a key role of the crossover mini-series
Flashpoint, resulting DC Comics again rebooting its continuity known as "
The New 52." Born to Henry and Nora Allen, Barry Allen is a police scientist (his job title was changed to a
forensic scientist in
The Flash: Iron Heights one-shot) with a reputation for being very slow, deliberate, and frequently late, which frustrates his fiancee,
Iris West. One night, as he is preparing to leave work, a lightning bolt shatters a case full of chemicals and spills them all over Allen. As a result, Allen finds that he can run extremely fast and has matching reflexes. He dons a set of red tights sporting a lightning bolt (reminiscent of the original
Fawcett Comics Captain Marvel), dubs himself the Flash (after his childhood comic book hero,
Jay Garrick), and becomes
Central City's resident costumed crimefighter.
[1] Central City University professor Ira West (Iris' adoptive father) designed Allen's costume and the ring which stores it while Allen is in his civilian identity.
[3] The ring can eject the compressed clothing when Allen needs it and suck it back in with the aid of a special gas that shrinks the suit. In addition, Allen invented the
cosmic treadmill, a device that allowed for precise
time travel and was used in many stories. Allen was so well liked that nearly all speedsters that come after him are often compared to him.
Batman once said "Barry is the kind of man that I would've hoped to become if my parents hadn't been murdered."
As presented in Justice League of America #9, when the Earth is infiltrated by alien warriors sent to conquer the planet, some of the world's greatest heroes join forces—Allen is one of them. While the superheroes individually defeat most of the invaders, they fall prey to a single alien and only by working together are they able to defeat the warrior. Afterwards the heroes decide to found the Justice League of America.
During the years, he is depicted as feeling attracted to Black Canary and Zatanna, but he never pursues a relationship because he feels his real love is Iris West. Allen also becomes good friends with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), which would later be the subject of the limited series Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold.
In The Flash # 123 – "Flash of Two Worlds," – Allen is transported to Earth-Two where he meets Jay Garrick, the original Flash in DC Continuity; it is revealed that Jay Garrick's adventures were captured in comic book form on Earth-One. This storyline initiated DC's multiverse and was continued in issues of Flash and in team-ups between the Justice League of America of Earth-One and the Justice Society of America of Earth-Two. In the classic story from Flash #179 – "The Flash - Fact or Fiction?" – Allen is thrown into the universe eventually called Earth Prime, a representation of "our" universe, where he seeks the aid of the Flash comic book's editor Julius Schwartz to build a cosmic treadmill so that he can return home. He also gains a sidekick and protégé in Iris' nephew, Wally West, who gains super-speed in an accident similar to that which gave Allen his powers.
