Bartholomew Allen II (New Earth)

Bart Allen is a teenage speedster and a member of the Flash Family who has gone by several codenames. He was born in the 30th Century, the grandson of time-traveling speedster the Flash, although he returned to the past to continue his family's legacy. Because of his strange origins, he ages at an inconsistent rate. Originally, he took the name Impulse to reflect his impulsive nature, but later changed his alias to Kid Flash when he grew older. There was a brief period when he became The Flash after Infinite Crisis, but he was killed by the Rogues during Full Throttle. Later on, he was resurrected during Final Crisis through his connection to the Speed Force and has returned to his role as Kid Flash since then. Bart Allen has been a member of the New Titans, Young Justice, the Teen Titans, and the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Early Life

Bart Allen was the product of the union between two families who had been bitter rivals for centuries. His father, Don Allen, was the son of Barry Allen, the second Flash, and his mother was Meloni Thawne, daughter of the Earthgov president and descendant of Flash villains Cobalt Blue and Professor Zoom.

Shortly after Bart's birth, his family was attacked by Zoom, wishing to end the union of the rival families. They, along with the family of Don's sister Dawn, attempted to flee to a parallel Earth using the Cosmic Treadmill. However, Zoom sabotaged the device, causing an explosion which created a rift in the multiverse. Zoom was ultimately defeated by an army of three different Legions of Super-Heroes, but Bart and his family were subsequently stranded on Earth-247.^[1]

Bart was born with his grandfather's speed. He had an incredibly high metabolism and also aged at hyperspeed. When he was chronologically two years old, physically, he appeared twelve years old. President Thawne had the Dominators killed Don and his twin sister, Dawn Allen. The Dominators then abducted Bart, who was later captured by Earthgov for observation. The scientists of Earthgov raised him in a virtual reality environment so that he aged as swiftly mentally as he did physically. Bart was going to die of old age very quickly, with Earthgov not doing anything to fix his problem. His grandmother Iris West took him away and brought him back to the twentieth century, so that her nephew, Wally West, the third Flash, could show him how to control his speed.

He later adopted the superheroic identity of Impulse.

Impulse

After Wally helped him solve his problem and Bart helped him to defeat Kobra, Bart moved to Manchester, Alabama with Max Mercury. Wally had used his connections to supply Bart with a birth certificate, etc. Bart began the ninth grade at Manchester Junior High. He managed to make quite a few friends, chief among them Carol Bucklen. Max continued to train him in the art of superspeed, having him run obstacle courses while dodging axes and knives, solve jigsaw puzzles in mid-air, etc. During this time, he became one of the founding members of Young Justice.

Following Max's disappearance, he was taken in by Jay Garrick, the first Flash, and his wife Joan Garrick.

Kid Flash

Following the breakup of Young Justice, Bart joined the new Teen Titans. He soon had his kneecap blown out by Deathstroke (who was at the time possessed by Jericho) and replaced with an artificial one. While recovering, Bart read every single book in the San Francisco Public Library and reinvented himself as the new Kid Flash. Even with the artificial kneecap, he could still run close to light speed. After Superboy-Prime attacked Superboy (Conner Kent) in Smallville injuring and killing many Titans, Bart joined with Wally West and Jay Garrick to stop the rampage of Superboy-Prime by running him at top speed into the Speed Force. Jay reached his limit before entering the Speed Force and Wally turned into energy and vanished, leaving Bart alone with Superboy-Prime. Barry Allen, Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, all of whom had previously been absorbed into the Speed Force, appeared and aided Bart. After taking Superboy-Prime into the Speed Force, Barry told Bart that "Wally is waiting for you". After they disappeared, Jay claimed that the Speed Force was gone.

A speedster wearing Barry's costume returned in Tokyo shortly thereafter to warn of the return of Superboy-Prime. This same Flash, still wearing Barry Allen's costume, would appear in the middle of the Battle of Metropolis against the army of escaped super villains. Superboy-Prime reveals that the person in the Flash costume is Bart Allen, aged 4 years older. Bart explains to the nearby Wonder Girl (who was surprised by her fellow Titan's transformation) that his grandfather's uniform was the only thing that could survive the trip back from where he had been, and that he was the only one there "who could still run". Bart then unleashed his anger against Superboy-Prime for killing Conner Kent, pummeling him at superspeed and forcing Superboy-Prime to retreat from the battle. When the crisis was over, Bart explained to Jay that he spent years in an unknown dimension where time passed quicker, causing him to grow older. Bart confirmed that the Speed Force was destroyed and he used up the residual speed locked in his body fighting in Metropolis. He gave Barry's costume to Jay and says Jay was now the fastest man alive once again.

Flash: The Fastest Man Alive

Bart shunned his superheroic past for the next year. He received a job working at Keystone Motors and began sharing an apartment with another young man named Griffin Grey. However, he was still connected to the Speed Force, but the connection threatened to kill him. S.T.A.R. Labs modified one of his grandfather's old costumes to help him control his connection. While at first he refused to don the costume, he finally gave in and became the fourth Flash. He also began a relationship with S.T.A.R. Labs employee Valerie Perez.

Bart decided to get a fresh start and moved to Los Angeles, applying for a job in forensics with their police department.

Inertia hired the Rogues to help him build a device in Los Angeles with the purpose of transferring the Speed Force from Bart to himself. Despite warnings from his grandmother, Bart confronted them.

The machine was successful in removing his powers, but in doing so, it threatened to detonate with the energy of several atomic bombs. Bart sacrificed himself heroically, distracting the Rogues while Val deactivated the machine.^[2]

A funeral was held for Bart in a stadium in Keystone City. It was attended by a large number of costumed heroes, including his former Teen Titans teammates Robin, Wonder Girl, Raven and Beast Boy, and televised around the world. Eulogies were given by Jay Garrick, who revealed Bart's secret identity to the world. The funeral ended with the presentation of a video he had recorded shortly after becoming Kid Flash, to be shown in the event of his death.^[3]

During Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, XS charged a lightning rod with the assistance of different versions of Garth and Ayla Ranzz in order to restore Bart to life. Bart returned as a teenager again and he received his Kid Flash costume ring from Brainiac 5.^[4]

The Flash: Rebirth

Rebirth is the recent comic The Flash: Rebirth, which features the return of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Scarlet Speedster and Bart's grandfather. At Titans Tower West, a newly returned Bart Allen views his grandfather's return with skepticism, admitting a desire for things to "go back to the way it used to be" with Wally as the primary Flash and himself as Kid Flash, as well as feeling angry that Barry is the only one to escape the Speed Force and not Max Mercury. Bart, along with Superboy, is resurrected, but Death hunts them down to reclaim their lives. Bart then asks Barry why Max was unable to come back during when the JLA were tring to de-contaminate him of Zoom's Speed Force. bart and Jay are then attacked by Zoom, who attacks bart first because of him bieng both a Thawne and an Allen.^[5]

He and Wally are present when Barry brings back Max Mercury from the Speed Force,( Barry is unable to bring back Johnny Quick, as he had already been 'killed' by Proffessor Zoom's Negative Speed Force) and is overjoyed to see his old mentor again.

Bart, Barry, Wally, Max, Jay, Jesse Quick, and Iris West II (now taking up Bart's mantle as Impulse) and the Justice Society and the Justice League participate in Barry's plan to strip Zoom of his connection to his Speed Force, a plan that succeeds.^[6]

Blackest Night

With Bart and Conner Kent's return, both of their statues were removed from the Titans Tower "Hall of Fallen Titans" memorial. However, Nekron, the personification of Death, sought reclaim their lives during the Blackest Night crossover.^[7] Bart, along with Wally, raced across the globe to warn every hero of the Black Lantern Corps' invasion. Bart later arrived at Coast City with Wally and scattered members of the Justice League and Teen Titans to take a stand against Nekron, who was responsible for the Black Lanterns. Despite being resurrected, Bart's previous status as a deceased still allowed one of the undead lord's black rings to transform him into a Black Lantern.^[8]

After his grandfather is chosen as a Blue Lantern by Ganthet of the Guardians of the Universe and leader of the Blue Lantern Corps, Bart immediately engages battle with him.^[9] Barry's blue power ring detects that Bart is still alive but he would eventually die if not freed from the black ring soon. Barry nearly releases Bart from the black ring using blue energy constructs crafted in the images of Bart as Impulse and Kid Flash, before being interfered by Black Lantern versions of Professor Zoom and Solovar. Wally and Blue Lantern Bro'Dee Walker join Barry against them.^[10] Bart attempts to use his speed powers to kill Wally, only to be temporarily returned to normal. Realizing that their mutual connection to the Speed Force can save Bart, Barry uses his powers to break the ring's connection, freeing him.^[11]

Return to the Teen Titans

Sometime after Blackest Night, Bart and Conner were recruited by Cyborg to help rescue a current Titan by the name of Static, who had been kidnapped while visiting his hometown of Dakota. The three heroes arrive at the scene of a battle between the Teen Titans and a superhuman gangster named Holocaust, and intervene just as he is about to finish off the their comrades. Bart and Conner then comment that it's time for them to come out of "retirement" and rejoin the Teen Titans. Holocaust simply laughs and tells them to bring it, and Bart responds by saying "We were hoping you'd say that".^[12] After a lengthy battle, Bart deals the finishing blow to the villain by running around him fast enough to open a vacuum which sucks him into the Earth's inner core.^[13]

At the behest of Tim Drake, Bart travels to Gotham City and saves Selina Kyle from members of the League of Assassins while she is sleeping in her apartment. After knocking out the would-be killers, Bart remarks to Tim over the radio that Selina is "super-fine", and that this may be the best day of his life.

DCnU

The DC Universe heavily changed its continuity into the DCnU following the events of Flashpoint in 2011. This was part of an effort to make storylines more accessible to newer readers, beginning with the New 52. This new timeline combines elements from the DCU, Vertigo Universe and Wildstorm Universe while drastically changing the origins and histories of characters.

After the events of Flashpoint, Bart's history is steeped in mystery. Still Kid Flash, he becomes a member of the Teen Titans. He showed up six months prior to his first appearance, saving a mansion from a fire, on the doorsteps of Mother Bernice's Home for Wayward Boys. He cannot explain how is able to move at superhuman speeds, but he is certain that he has a connection to the Flash, and so begins to call himself "Kid Flash".

He helps Red Robin in trying to find new team members, and succeeds when he rescues Solstice from a holding cell in a facility run by N.O.W.H.E.R.E.. They escape from N.O.W.H.E.R.E to Antartica, where they are able to head back to base.^[14]

He later faces Superboy along with the rest of the Teen Titans. He fights Superboy by trying to defeat him with his speed but is stopped in his tracks by Superboy's tactile telekinesis. Wonder Girl is forced to take Bart out of the fight by kicking him out of Superboy's range. ^[15]

After the fight it is revealed that Kid Flash is in a dangerous condition; having had his molecules sped up to the speed of thought by Superboy's tactile telekinesis. Virgil Hawkins, a very brilliant intern from S.T.A.R. Labs, performs diagnostic tests on Bart and concurs that the reason for this is that he is not from the 21st Century, indicating that he may possibly be from the 30th Century, and so Superboy's tactile telekinetic wavelengths affected him differently. Based on his test, Virgil presents Kid Flash with a new uniform; one that can keep his molecules aligned.^[16]

Powers and AbilitiesEdit

Powers

Speed Force Conduit

• Accelerated Healing - Speed Force conduits are not invulnerable nor durable enough to sustain damage however if they are harmed they will heal at high speeds. Any normal wear and tear damage to their bodies are almost instantly healed.

• Decelerated Aging - Speed Force conduits have a slowed aging process. This power can be imparted on their most intimate loved ones by extended contact rather than distribution.

• Energy Construct Creation - Speed Force conduits can use the matter generated by their speed to create solid objects such as walls or bridges. This power requires constant concentration and reapplication of the construct for it to remain stable. Flash's after images are also construct creations.

• Flight - Speed Force conduits can rotate their arms and spin their bodies like tops to achieve something of a kind of helicopter flight. However, with practice conduits can even achieve controllable flight if launched at high speeds. Despite their flight abilities they are always faster on their feet.

• Increased Perceptions - Speed Force conduits traveling at the speed of sound may miss important events as they run by. The Speed Force grants them enhanced senses that allow them to see, hear, smell, touch and/or taste at an increased speed and understand it as it is processed.

• Infinite Mass Punch - Speed Force conduits have an increased level of strength added to their bodies which they can impart in different ways. Certain speedsters can strength each and every move they make however this requires attention and stress for each movement and therefore is almost never used. In most cases conduits can focus the Speed Force's extra-dimensional energies into one massive punch; when used in practiced this punch pushed a metahuman from one continent to another.

• Phasing - Speed Force conduits can vibrate their molecules so quickly that they can achieve intangibility for short bursts allowing them to phase through objects.

• Self-Sustenance - Speed Force conduits travel at incredible speeds which cause their bodies to work overtime. In situations where their bodies may be too fast for them to breathe they may impart on the Speed Force for sustenance. However, this almost always results in the conduits having an increased metabolism at all times requiring them to constantly refill their energy supplies.

• Sharing the Force - Speed Force conduits can allow their friends or family members to run along side them at their equaled speeds. Certain conduits who may only have minor access to the Force may achieve full levels of the Force due to the main conduit's association with it.

• Speed Force Aura - People who are propelled by the conduits during high speed situations can survive the harsh conditions associated with mach speeds. When the conduit must rescue an individual from a burning building these individuals will be protected while within the aura.

• Speed Force Conduit - People who, for whatever reason, are connected to the Speed Force are sometimes called Speed Force Conduits. This means that they are connected to the Speed Force and are tethered to it. Some characters may control their Speed Force imparted powers in different ways such as only Superhuman Strength or even directed through Lighting but no matter their adaptions they are still connected to the Force.

• Steal Speed - Speed Force conduits can steal the accelerated motion or momentum from objects or people to reduce their speed or even virtually stop them. Conduits may also steal the speed from other Speedsters or other fast moving people.

• Supercharged Brain Activity - Sometimes neglected by Speedsters who only operate at superhuman speeds and never slow down enough to understand their full potential; Speedsters can access superhuman levels in their brains further than processing information. They can test theories, understand difficult equations and run trial and error in their brains at superhuman speeds. Different conduits access this activity in different ways.

• Superhuman Endurance - Speed Force conduits have to access the Speed Force for a number of different tasks. Most Speedsters use their superhuman speed and react at superhuman speeds; therefore, they must run for extended periods or operate for a large amount of time. Their bodies can handle the stresses of superhuman racing without noticeable distress.

• Superhuman Speed - Speed Force conduits have one main ability above all else. Conduits are connected to the barrier and accumulation of all Speed known in their universe. These characters immediately understand how to run at superhuman speeds and their bodies instinctively understand how to react at high-speed situations. Older speedsters have a reduced but maxed speed of 770mph which is just below sonic booms allowing them to react to situations without causing civilians undo stress. Speedsters in their prime can travel at much faster speeds such as the max level of recorded aided speed on Earth and even reach the speed of light with enough willpower. It is possible for conduits to travel much faster than the speed of light however such levels require an incredible amount of stress. Speedsters unaccustomed to their max level of speeds may detach themselves from the Speed Force or even become part of the Speed Force by accident.

• Vortex Creations - Speed Force conduits that plant themselves on the ground and rotate their extremities can cause an incredible amount of wind to burst through their focused funnel. Most Speedsters use this ability automatically when they run reducing the air currents around their body to low enough levels to no longer inhibit their speed. Creatively, Speedsters can create tornadoes and gusts with their arms.

Abilities

Super Speed Speaking: Flashes and other super-speedsters also have the ability to speak to one another at a highly accelerated rate.

Super Speed Reading: He is capable of speed-reading at superhuman rates.

Photographic Memory: Unlike other speedsters, Bart has a true photographic memory; that is, he can permanently remember everything he has ever read, seen or heard (other speedsters generally lose that information almost as fast as they gain it). For several issues after this revelation, Bart was shown spouting encyclopedic information concerning the situation at hand. ^[17]

Multilingualism: Bart can speak both English and Interlac fluently (he hardly ever makes use of the latter, despite it technically being his native language), and presumably more on a basic level due to his speed-learning.

Strength level

Kid Flash possesses the strength level of a male teenager who engages in moderate regular exercise.

ParaphernaliaEdit

Equipment

Flash's Costume Ring (formerly)

NotesEdit

Bart's first appearance as Kid Flash was Teen Titans (Volume 3) #4.

His first appearance as the Flash was Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #2.

TriviaEdit

Bart Allen appeared on the "Run" episode of the WB television series, Smallville. Actor Kyle Gallner played the part of Bart Allen.
Bart has been quoted on several occasions stating that he would never become Kid Flash.
Bart once shaved his head. Due to his accelerated metabolism, his hair grew back fairly quickly.
Bart once had a Green Lantern tattoo on his left shoulder, as a means of helping to secure his secret identity as Kid Flash. However, due to his accelerated healing, his skin perceived the tattoo ink as a poison and quickly purged it from his system.
Bart was originally slated to become a member of the Justice League for the Justice League animated series, but his inclusion was dropped from consideration during pre-production. Early dailies for Justice League included in the Justice League Volume 1 DVD set show a teaser preview with Impulse on the team.
Batman is often credited with providing Bart the nickname Impulse. This is erroneous as it was Bart who gave himself the name after Wally West accused him of being too "impulsive."^[18]
Bart has expressed a romantic interest in Rose Wilson, the Ravager. The feeling seems to be mutual, as Rose once described him as "cute."^[19]^[20]
Bart once channeled the Speed Force in the form of lightning to kick-start Jay Garrick's heart.^[21]
Best friends are Superboy II, Red Robin III, and Wonder Girl II.
Both Superboy and Impulse once commented on how "their" comics had been canceled yet some heroes, who were no less worthy just seem to go on, at this point Robin walks in and both of his friends give him the "evil" eye when he asks, "What?"^[22]

LinksEdit

Bart Allen at Titans Tower

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Footnotes

The Flash

Characters	Jay Garrick • Barry Allen • Wally West • Bart Allen
Supporting	Angela Margolin • Argus • Ashley Zolomon • Chunk • Connie Noleski • Cyborg • Daphne Dean • Dark Flash • Dexter Myles • Elongated Man • Fiona Webb • Fred Chyre • Gregory Wolfe • Henry Allen • Hot Pursuit • Impulse • Ira West • Irey West • Iris West • Jai West • Jared Morillo • Jesse Quick • Joan Williams • John Fox • Johnny Quick • Justice League • Kapitalist Kouriers • Kid Flash • Linda Park • Mary West • Mason Trollbridge • Max Mercury • Meloni Thawne • Nora Allen • Paul Gambi • Patty Spivot • Raven • Rudy West • Solovar • Sue Dibny • Teen Titans • Tina McGee • Tornado Twins • Valerie Perez • XS
Rogues	Abra Kadabra • Black Flash • Blacksmith • Blue Trinity • Brother Grimm • Captain Boomerang • Captain Cold • Chillblaine • Cicada • Clive Yorkin • Cobalt Blue • Colonel Computron • Doctor Alchemy • Double Down • Fallout • Fiddler • Folded Man • Girder • Golden Glider • Goldface • Gorilla Grodd • Griffin • Heat Wave • Icicle • Inertia • Kilg%re • Kobra • Lady Flash • Last Resort • Magenta • Manfred Mota • Mazdan • Mirror Master • Murmur • Peek-a-Boo • Pied Piper • Plunder • Professor Zoom • Rag Doll • Rainbow Raider • Razer • Renegades • Replicant • Reverse-Flash • Rival • Rogues • Savitar • Shade • Speed Demon • Spin • The Suit • Tar Pit • Team Turmoil • President Thawne • Thinker • Thorn • The Top • Trickster • Turtle • Vandal Savage • Weather Wizard • Zoom
Locations	Central City • Keystone City • Gorilla City • Speed Force
Miscellanea	Costume Ring • Origins • Publication History • Recommended Reading
Creators	Gardner Fox • Harry Lampert • Robert Kanigher • John Broome • Carmine Infantino • Cary Bates • Don Heck • Mike Baron • Jackson Guice • William Messner-Loebs • Greg LaRocque • Mark Waid • Mike Wieringo • Paul Ryan • Paul Pelletier • Geoff Johns • Scott Kolins • Howard Porter • Francis Manapul
Comics	Flash Comics • All-Flash • Flash (Volume 1) • Flash (Volume 2) • Flash: The Fastest Man Alive • Flash (Volume 3)
Storylines	Flash of Two Worlds • Trial of the Flash • Rogue War • Full Throttle • Final Crisis • Rebirth
Other Media	The Flash • Justice League • Justice League Unlimited
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Flash Family member
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.

Teen Titans member

This character is or was primarily a member of the younger superhero team known as the Teen Titans, in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Teen Titans members" category.

Legion of Super-Heroes member
This character is or was a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the 30th/31st Century, in any one of their various continuities. Including but not limited to, Original Legion, the Reboot Legion, and the Prime Legion.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Legion of Super-Heroes members" category.

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