The Flash (real name Barry Allen) is a righteous and humorous Central City speedster and forensic scientist, and a founding member of the Justice League of America.
History
In 1957, Barry Allen was a crime forensic researcher at Central City Police Department. During a thunder storm, lightning struck the department's laboratory which Barry was in, causing a explosion among the chemicals that Barry was working. Barry emerged unhurt, but received the power of super-speed. Barry then simply decided to use his power to do good and becoming the Flash, which he named after the said hero of the defunct Justice Society.[1]
As Flash, he made his thrilling debut in Las Vegas after hearing a call from his fiancé, Iris West, who was doing a report in Sin City, about one of his enemies, Captain Cold holding a heist. Barry ran to Las Vegas, but learns from Cold that he planted several cryo-bombs throughout the city, abandoning his chance to arrest Captain Cold and to gather the bombs. Fortunately, Flash gathered all the bomb and subdued Captain Cold in the process.[2]
Despite being seen as a hero to the public, Flash is still consider to be a unregistered superhuman fugitive by the federal government. In 1958, Barry overheard of Gorilla Grodd threatening Central City, and came to capture the Gorilla. But this turns out to be a trap, and he was subdue by government agents lead by King Faraday. Faraday confronted the Flash and told him that he is "government property". Flash was shocked from hearing Faraday's words and quickly escape before being almost tranquilized by the agent. This event shook Flash as he became very disappointed of how people viewed him after all he did to help the people he saved and protected. Ultimately, Barry decided to abandon his heroic career, in which he interrupted Walter Cronkite's news report and announced his permanent retirement and reasons for doing so.[1]
However, after the gigantic being known as The Centre appeared off of Florida's coast, Barry watched the events unfold from his home beside Iris West. In the state of global disaster, Barry was about to reveal his heroic identity to Iris, but his fiancé reveals that she had all ready knew about it a longtime ago, and confessed that she is happy for what he did and convinced him to become the Flash again to fight alongside with the heroes at Cape Canaveral against the Centre.[3]
After Superman was believed to be dead, Flash proved crucial in destroying the Centre as his speed is fast enough to cover the creature with Raymond Palmer's smaller matter reduction ray to destabilize and implode the being. Flash succeeded in this and was rescued by Wonder Woman once he jumped off the Centre.[4]
Following the defeat of the Centre, Flash became a member of the Justice League of America.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Speed Force Conduit: Barry possesses a connection to the Speed Force, a mysterious cosmic force that pushes time and space itself forward. As a conduit of the Speed Force, all aspects of Barry's physiology are accelerated and enhanced.[5]
- Accelerated Healing: By having a connection to the speed force, Barry has an incredibly fast healing ability and can heal from most injuries in seconds and devastating injuries in minutes.[6]
- Enhanced Senses: The Speed Force enhances Barry's senses, allowing him to perceive and process thoughts faster than the normal person.[7]
- Phasing: Barry can tap into the Speed Force to vibrate his molecules in a way to achieve intangibility for short bursts, allowing him to phase through objects.[8]
- Speed Force Aura: The Speed Force manifests an aura around Barry and whatever he is carrying, protecting him from adverse effects of his speed, such as friction with the air.[9]
- Superhuman Durability: The Speed Force Aura also protects Barry from kinetic impacts, which in turn, makes him much more durable and resistant to injury than any normal human.[10]
- Superhuman Stamina: The Speed Force grants Barry with a great increase of stamina, allowing him to fight or run much longer than the average person. Although a great increase, it is not unlimited.[7]
- Superhuman Speed: The universal factor of being a Speed Force conduit grants Barry with imperceptible amounts of speed. All powers that Barry possesses derives from his speed.[7]. This also confers:
- Superhuman Agility: Barry's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to superhuman levels. This allows him to easily maneuver while moving at superhuman speed.[7]
- Superhuman Reflexes: In conjunction with his enhanced senses, Barry's reflexes are heightened immesurably, allowing him to dodge or react faster than normal.[7]
- Vortex Creations: Barry is able to create vortices of air by running in circles or rotating his extremities at super-speed. These vortices can be used for a number of effects.[11]
Abilities
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the comic book stories considered to be set on Earth-21. It is an adaptation of the Flash (Barry Allen). The original character was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino and first appeared in Showcase #4.
- Flash was voiced by Neil Patrick Harris in the film Justice League: The New Frontier.
Recommended Reading
Related
- 10 Appearances of Barry Allen (Earth-21)
- 10 Images featuring Barry Allen (Earth-21)
- Quotations by or about Barry Allen (Earth-21)
- Character Gallery: Barry Allen (Earth-21)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 DC: The New Frontier #4
- ↑ DC: The New Frontier #2
- ↑ DC: The New Frontier #5
- ↑ DC: The New Frontier #6
- ↑ Being a speed force conduit conveys some core powers as demonstrated by Barry Allen and Wally West.
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 5) #73
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 The Flash (Volume 2) #1
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #76
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #63
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #2
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #74
  This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of The Flash, and a member of the Flash Family of speedsters. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Flash Family members" category. |
 This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |