Barry Allen is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe and the second Flash. DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to the date or issue of a characters first appearance. ... Gardner Francis Fox (May 20, 1911, Brooklyn, New York – December 24, 1986) was an American writer best known for writing comic books and co-creating numerous comics characters, especially for DC Comics. ... Robert Kanigher (June 18, 1915 - May 6, 2002) was a prolific comic book writer whose career spanned five decades. ... Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, Brooklyn, New York City) is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books. ... The Justice League is a DC Comics superhero team. ... Cobalt Blue is a supervillain destroyed by the Flash. ... Don & Dawn: The Tornado Twins The Tornado Twins were fictional superheroes in the DC Comics Universe. ... Bartholemew Henry Bart Allen II is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ... XS (Jenni Ognats), is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe. ... Wally West is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, and the current (third) Flash. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing. ... The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared setting where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. ... The Flash (II): Barry Allen. ...

Character History

Barry Allen was a police scientist in 1956 with a reputation for being very slow, deliberate, and frequently late, which frustrated his fiancee, 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. Barry Allen was a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe and the second Flash. ... Captain Marvel is a comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. ... Jay Garrick is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe and the first Flash. ...

Rogues Gallery

The Flash acquired a colorful rogues gallery of villains. These criminals typically had unusually modest goals for their power level (robbery or other petty crimes), and each adopted a specific theme in his or her equipment and methods. They included: The Flashs Rogues Gallery. ...

• Captain Cold - used cold-based technology
• Heat Wave - used heat-oriented technology
• Mirror Master (Sam Scudder) - used mirror-oriented technology
• Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness) - used a variety of trick boomerangs
• Top - used a variety of tops and other methods involving high-speed spinning
• Trickster (James Jesse) - a former circus performer, used gadgets that allowed him to perform tricks like walking on air
• Weather Wizard - used weather control
• Gorilla Grodd - an intelligent gorilla and would-be conqueror
• Professor Zoom the Reverse-Flash - a criminal counterpart from the future
• Pied Piper - used a flute capable of hypnotism
• Mr. Element - was able to turn one element into another
• Rainbow Raider - had several color-based powers
• Abra Kadabra - a 64th century rebel who used furturistic technology to commit crimes and try and convince the public he was a genuine wizard.
• Golden Glider - sister of Captain Cold, had various ice skates that allowed her to hover or glide.

The Flash became a charter member of the Justice League of America and good friends with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan). In time, he married his girlfriend Iris, who learned of his double identity because Allen talked in his sleep. She kept his secret, and eventually, he revealed his identity to her of his own free will. Iris was eventually revealed to have been sent as a child from the 30th century and adopted. Captain Cold, also known as Leonard Snart, is a comic book villain created by DC Comics for the Flash, and is one of the scarlet speedsters enemies. ... Heat Wave is a fictional villain in the DC Universe and a primary foe of the Flash. ... Mirror Master is a fictional character, a recurring foe of the Flash with large technical knowledge and skills involving the use of mirrors. ... A mirror is a surface with good specular reflection that is smooth enough to form an image. ... George Digger Harkness and his son Owen Mercer, both known as Captain Boomerang, are fictional supervillains in the DC Universe. ... For other uses, see Boomerang (disambiguation). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Tedcastles Oil Products Limited is an Irish petrol company founded in 1960 which trades under the brand name TOP. Before a rebranding in 1998, the company traded as Tedcastles Oil. It is a subsidiary of Tedcastles Holdings Limited. ... The Trickster is the name of two DC Comics supervillains and a enemy of the Flash. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Weather Wizard is the name of a DC Comics supervillain. ... Find more information on Weather by searching Wikipedias sister projects: Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary Textbooks from Wikibooks Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Weather is an all-encompassing term used to describe all of the many and varied phenomena... Gorilla Grodd is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of The Flash. ... Type Species Troglodytes gorilla Savage, 1847 Species Gorilla gorilla Gorilla beringei The gorilla, the largest of the primates, is a ground-dwelling herbivore that inhabits the forests of Africa. ... Professor Zoom is a comic book super-villain in the DC Universe. ... Reverse Flash is a title that has been taken by three supervillains in DC Comics. ... Pied Piper (real name: Hartley Rathaway) is a fictional former supervillain in the DC Comics universe. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Doctor Alchemy is a DC Comics supervillain and a rogue to the Flash II (Barry Allen). ... Rainbow Raider (real name: Roy G. Bivolo) is a fictional supervillain in the DC comics universe. ... Abra Kadabra is a DC Comics supervillain and a primary foe of the Flash. ... Golden Glider is a DC Comics supervillian, sister of Captain Cold and enemy of The Flash. ... The Justice League of America, also often referred to as the Justice League or JLA for short, is a DC Comics superhero team. ... Cover to Green Lantern: Rebirth #6, art by Ethan Van Sciver. ...

Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956): First appearance of the Silver Age Flash. Art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert.

Showcase 4 This image is a book cover. ... Showcase 4 This image is a book cover. ... Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, Brooklyn, New York City) is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books. ... Joe Kubert is a legendary comic book artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. ...

Tragedy

In the 1980s, Flash's life began to collapse. Iris was murdered by Professor Zoom (who had long loved her and been jealous of Allen), and when Allen was prepared to marry another woman, Zoom tried the same trick again. Allen stopped him, killing Zoom in the process.

Put on trial for Zoom's murder, Allen was eventually acquitted, and learned that Iris' spirit had in fact been taken to the 30th century, where she was given a new body.

Last Days

Following the trial, Allen retired and joined her in the 30th century. However, after only a few weeks of happiness, the Crisis on Infinite Earths intervened, and Allen was captured by the Anti-Monitor and brought to 1986. Allen escaped and foiled the Anti-Monitor's plan to destroy the Earth, but died in the process. It has been said that Allen traveled back through time and became the very same lightning bolt that gave him his powers, but was then strongly implied that now the soul of Barry resided in the Speed Force, the mystical source and Valhalla open to all dead speedsters, and from which the living ones draw their amazing powers. Since then, he has been lauded as one of the greatest of superheroes. After Allen's death, Wally West, his nephew, took up the mantle of the Flash. Crisis on Infinite Earths was a twelve-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12 part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ... The Anti-Monitor is the supervillain of the DC Comics mini-series Crisis on Infinite Earths. ... The Speed Force is a concept presented in various issues of The Flash published by DC Comics. ...

It should be noted that Marv Wolfman, DC Comics Editor-in-Chief and scribe for the Crisis on Infinite Earths, has repeatedly stated (first hinted at in his introduction to the original Crisis collected edition hardcover, then fully explicated on his website[1]) that he left a loophole in the script wherein the Barry Allen Flash could be re-introduced, without a retcon necessary, into DC Universe continuity. Cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, which was written by Wolfman. ...

It should also be noted that the way Barry Allen seemed to have "died" in Crisis on Infinite Earths, was that he ran so fast that he was able to stop the Anti-Monitor’s anti-matter cannon from firing by catching the tachyon beam at the heart of the weapon. After this act according to Secret Origins Annual #2 (1988) Barry Allen turned into a lightning bolt, went back in time, becoming the lightning bolt that hit his lab, splashing his past-self with chemicals and transforming him into the Flash. [2]

Legacy

Iris was pregnant when Allen died. She had two children, the Tornado Twins, who would later meet the Legion of Super-Heroes. Each of her children themselves had children. One, Jenni Ognats, grew up to become the Legionnaire XS, while the other, Bart Allen, was born with a rapid-aging illness, and was sent back to the 20th century where he was cured. He remained there as the superhero Impulse (and later adopted the name Kid Flash II). Don & Dawn: The Tornado Twins The Tornado Twins were fictional superheroes in the DC Comics Universe. ... The Legion of Super-Heroes is a team of comic book superheroes in the future, featured in DC Comics. ... XS (Jenni Ognats), is a fictional character, a superheroine in the future of the DC Comics universe. ... Bartholemew Henry Bart Allen II is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ...

Post-Crisis Appearances

Due to his time-travel abilities, even death did not stop Barry to aid his own friends and family.

Barry first reappeared during the Chain Lightning arc, where Flashes from different eras joined together to defeat Cobalt Blue. (Previously, a man that was though to be Barry Allen, was in fact Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash.) Cobalt Blue was Barry Allen's twin brother, who had been given to another couple at birth. The resulting battle took place shortly before Barry Allen was kidnapped during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Barry was nearly killed in this battle, almost rewriting the outcome of the Crisis. Cobalt Blue is a supervillain destroyed by the Flash. ... Professor Zoom is a comic book super-villain in the DC Universe. ...

When Wally West, wracked by grief for the loss of his unborn twins at the hands of Zoom, regretted the public knowledge of his identity, Barry came from somewhere in time, counseling him, and talking the Spectre to grant his wish. He then disappeared, telling his nephew that he had to come in his aid for three times, in three difficult moments. In fact, when Zoom enlisted the aid of Professor Zoom to make Wally relive the loss of his beloved twins, Barry was already there, trying to stop his own Reverse Flash. For the second time, he helped Wally to undo the damage dealt from Zoom, then he returned to his proper timeline. Zoom is a comic book super-villain in the DC Universe. ... The Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. ... Professor Zoom is a comic book super-villain in the DC Universe. ... Reverse Flash is a title that has been taken by three supervillains in DC Comics. ...

Infinite Crisis

Main article: Infinite Crisis

In the fourth issue of Infinite Crisis, Barry Allen's soul came out from the Speed Force, along with Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, to help his grandson Bart to deal with Superboy Prime, taking the villainous lad with him in the Speed Force. Cover to Infinite Crisis #1. ... Cover to Infinite Crisis #1. ... Johnny Quick is the name of two DC Comics characters, each with the power of superhuman speed. ... Max Mercury is the name of a superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... Superboy-Prime is a fictional supervillian in the DC Universe. ...

In addition to this, a character wearing Barry Allen's costume appeared in Tokyo near the end of Infinite Crisis #5 to tell the heroes that Superboy Prime had escaped the Speed Force.

In addition, Allen invented the cosmic treadmill, a device that allowed for precise time-travel and was used in many stories. The cosmic treadmill is a device that was invented by Barry Allen, the second Flash. ... Time travel is the concept of moving backward or forward to different points in time, in a manner analogous to moving through space. ...

In the Justice League of America: Year One retcon storyline, which presented Allen, Hal Jordan, Black Canary (Dinah Lance), Martian Manhunter and Aquaman as the founding members of the League, Allen was considered the leader of the group because, methodical and cerebral by nature, he was the one who most often came up with the plans that best utilized the group's vast array of powers. Allen and Black Canary were also depicted as having a romantic attraction to one another, but although they kissed once, they did not pursue a relationship because Allen felt his real love was Iris and Dinah did not want to be anyone's "other woman" (after learning of an affair her mother, the original Black Canary had had years ago with the married Starman). Black Canary is a female superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... The Martian Manhunter (Jonn Jonzz), is a comic book superhero appearing in DC Comics. ... Aquaman is a DC Comics superhero. ... Starman is Ted Knight, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Justice Society of America. ...

Elseworlds and other appearances of Barry Allen

Silver Age art by Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert.

Barry Allen guest-stars in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Strikes Again. He's been kept by Lex Luthor as a power source for most of the East Coast, constantly running on a treadmill to provide cheap electrical power. Image File history File linksMetadata Barry_Flash. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Barry_Flash. ... Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, Brooklyn, New York City) is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books. ... Joe Kubert is a legendary comic book artist who went on to found the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. ... Frank Miller Frank Miller (born 27 January 1957 in Olney, Maryland) is an American writer and artist best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. ... The Dark Knight Strikes Again (also refered to as DK2) is a Batman graphic novel by Frank Miller with Lynn Varley. ...

Barry Allen also stars in JLA: Age Of Wonder as a scientist working with Superman and a consortium of early twentieth-century scientists such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. The uniform incorporates the silver age look with the Mercury-style helmet worn by Jay Garrick. Another re-imagining was shown in League Of Justice, a "Lord Of The Rings"-type story, where the character was re-cast as "Phaeton", who wore a mystical brooch resembling Flash's lightning-bolt chest emblem, and bathed in dragon's blood in order to protect himself from speed friction. Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847–October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life in the 20th century. ... Nikola Tesla (July 10, 1856 – c. ... Dust jacket of the 1968 UK edition The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy story by J. R. R. Tolkien, a sequel to his earlier work, The Hobbit. ...

A story in the Marvel comic book Quasar had the Marvel universe speedsters facing off in a competition set up by a being called The Runner. The contest was a race from the Earth to the Moon. During the race, a surge of energy hit the track, leaving a being with blonde hair and dressed in the remains of a red outfit with yellow boots. This being had no memory, but an enormous desire to run. He would go on to win the race, passing Marvel speedsters such as Quicksilver and Northstar in the process. When asked what his name was, the man replied, "I don't know... Buried Alien, or something like that." When asked how it felt to be the fastest man alive, he replied, "It feels... right!" Buried Alien would go on to take the name Fast-Forward, disappearing into the universe in an attempt to help a fellow speedster who was stuck at hyper speed. It has been suggested that Felicia (pseudonym) be merged into this article or section. ... Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) is a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. ... This page relates to the superhero. ...

In the Justice League Unlimited episode, Flash And Substance, the Wally West Flash mentions his uncle "flying in", to attend the dedication of a Flash Museam. Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) is an American animated television series produced by and aired on Cartoon Network. ... Wally West is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe, and the current (third) Flash. ...

Barry Allen was the Flash in the 1990s Flash live-action TV series. He was played by John Wesley Shipp. The dvd box set of the television series, The Flash. ... John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1956) is an American actor best known as Mitch Leery, the title characters father on the television drama Dawsons Creek from 1998 to 2002 and for roles in several daytime soap operas. ...

External links

• Alan Kistler's Profile On: THE FLASH - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler. Covers infromation all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains of the Flash and his imitators. Various art scans.
• Silver Age Flash Toonopedia entry
• The Flash: The Continuity Pages
• The Flash JLResource.com entry
• The Flash: Those Who Ride The Lightning, comprehensive fan site devoted to the Fastest Man Alive and other super-speed characters of the DC Universe. One of the most comprehensive DC comics sites on the internet.
• Index to Barry Allen's Earth-1 adventures
• The Unofficial Flash Biography