Bartholomew "Barry" Henry Allen is the superhero famously known as the Flash, a student at Central City College, a forensic scientist of the Central City Police Department, and a member of the Justice League who was struck by lightning, gaining access to the Speed Force and the ability to think and move at incredible superhuman speeds.
Using these powers, he became a superhero in Central City, frequently apprehending criminals such as Captain Boomerang. He is also determined to clear his father Henry's name for the brutal unsolved murder of his mother Nora. He was eventually discovered by Lex Luthor and recruited by Bruce Wayne to be a member of the Justice League in order to help defend Earth, following the death of Superman. Following his recruitment to the team, Allen played a pivotal role in the Resurrection of Superman. With the team now fully assembled, he contributed to the successful assault against the forces of Apokolips' General Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons, managing to thwart the threat. Allen was subsequently hired for a position in the Central City Police Department's crime lab much to Henry's delight.
Years later with Cyborg, he began experimenting with his speed until he accidentally encountered his Earth-Prime self, where he adopted his superhero alias the Flash from their brief conversation. Allen would later go with the League to help the 11th Street Kids at Coverdale Ranch fight the Butterflies and the Cow, but the 11th Street Kids had already put an end to the threat.
Facing challenges as a vigilante, Allen faced off rudely against Girder, failing, so he sought help from Batman, who gave him a new suit and helped him unleash a sonic blast to defeat his enemy. Allen suffered from stress at work due to taunts from his colleagues Albert Desmond and Patty Spivot until receiving advice from Henry, managing to control his slur to defeat Tarpit. Now a famous hero, Allen dealt with the pressure, regaining hope and self-confidence to defeat the Top. Allen later fought alongside Aquaman and Wonder Woman and helped defeat Charybdis and the Aquamarines,
Still saddened by Henry's wrongful arrest, Allen, despite warnings from Wayne and his love interest Iris West, traveled back in time, preventing Nora's murder, though ended up trapped in an alternate 2013 known as Flashpoint, encountering a younger version of himself, helping him gain his powers, but losing his own just as General Dru-Zod attacked, causing Allen and his younger self to ally with an alternate Bruce Wayne and Kara Zor-El to stop Zod with no success before being confronted by Dark Flash, a shadowy future version of his younger self, who tried to save his world, endangering the Multiverse. Following his younger self's sacrifice to erase the Dark Flash from existence, Allen reversed his mistake, returning to his new present for his father's release and ended up encountering another alternate Bruce Wayne.
"This question is stupid. How many calculations can you think of with an answer of 24? There are a bajillion answers. How I am supposed to fit them all?" "You are right. There are a bajillion anwers to this question. Not every problem has a solution. Sometimes you just have to let go."
Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen was born around March 19, 1995 in Central City, Ohio to Nora and Henry Allen.[1] During his childhood, Allen often played in the yard, running around while his parents watched,[2] and formed a strong bond with his mother, who often called him "monkey" and even gave him a stuffed monkey.
In 2004, Allen accompanied Nora to the supermarket but forget to buy a can of tomato, with which Nora made her favorite sauce, before returning home to do a mathematical equations assignment, becoming frustrated by not knowing how to solve it. He explained his situation to Nora for not finding a solution, he would receive advice from his mother which was that not every problem has a solution and sometimes you just have to let go. Because he forgot the tomato can, Nora entrusted Henry to look for a can only for Allen to start to play with his parents in the kitchen before starting to dance and play with his mother to the rhythm of the song Pedro Navaja.
Some time later, inside his room, Allen tried to solve his math problem before hearing a scream from the kitchen, being quickly called by Henry, whom he saw through the window and in horror, Allen saw his bloodied mother, receiving Henry's request for help to call the police. Because no one believed that it was another individual who killed his mother because he was a minor, Henry was wrongly framed by the police, sentencing him to a life sentence in Iron Heights Penitentiary.[1]
Growing up, Allen was teased by his classmates because Henry was framed as a murderer.[1] Motivate, he began studying criminal law at Central City College in hopes of one day clearing his father's name and freeing him from prison, visiting him occasionally to talk about the jobs he was getting.[3] During his studies, Allen befriended and fell in love with his classmate Iris West, who also had an attraction for him.[1]
Central City's Hero
Struck by Lightning
"This is where i was sitting. [...] I had just opened those windows to clear out the fumes. [...] And i was sitting in that chair, and i was right under this shelf of chemicals. And that's when the lightning hits."
While working at the Central City Research Center as a student, one night, Allen was conducting research, leaving the windows open, being close to some chemicals, until he was struck by lightning which granted him the ability to access the Speed Force, allowing him to move, think, act and vibrate his body at inhuman speeds. With his newfound abilities, Allen decided to become a vigilante in Central City, using a heat-resistant silicon and quartz base to make a special suit for himself to keep his identity a secret.[1][3][4]
"I had just gotten my powers. This thing, Zod'sWorld Engine, it started destroying Metropolis so I just went there and I started trying to save people. [...] There was this kid and I... I got him, but then... I couldn't get his dad. [...] It was all I could do, save that one kid."
In 2013, Allen was adding the final details to his suit, before General Dru-Zod and the Sword of Rao began terraforming the Earth with the World Engine, so Allen went to Metropolis to help the people. unsuccessfully, watching as a child tried to help his injured father and managed to save the kid, however, he was unable to rescue his father, using his speed to prevent a vehicle from falling on them. The event left Allen traumatized after Superman defeated Zod and began taking his vigilante actions more seriously, modifying his suit.[1]
Monitored by Lex Luthor
"This is the third person. Dissapears for 1/30 of a second here. One frame of video, see?" "Barry Allen. Central City."
In 2015, Allen was buying food at a grocery store when he heard a robber pointing and threatening a cashier at the counter with his gun. With his super speed, Allen ran towards him and pushed him in one-thirtieth of a second, while his trail of electric rays caused the lights to flicker momentarily. Lex Luthor, in his investigation to prove the existence of Metahumans, obtained security camera recordings of the event.[5]
After a series of robberies carried out by Australian criminal George Harkness caught Allen's attention, Harkness was successfully arrested on their first encounter, but tricked Allen into being released by convincing him that he had, in fact, impersonated him. In his next encounter, Boomerang managed to knock out Flash and tie him to a rocket that he sent into Earth's atmosphere. Fortunately, Flash managed to free himself from the rocket as it began to descend, and proceeded to capture Harkness.[6]
While planning a series of multiple robberies at the Central City Diamond Exchange with an associate, Harkness betrayed him by throwing a boomerang at him to knock him out, taking all of his merchandise with him. At that, Flash appeared in front of the criminal, mentioning the dishonor that existed in Harkness. With that said, Allen proceeded to knock him down and leave for him to be arrested and sent to Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary.[7]
Rescuing Iris West
"Oh, gosh. I hope everyone's okay. See, in times of crisis, for dog work, I always bring a meat snack. 'Cause it makes them feel calm. 'Cause you never know what's gonna happen in this city. I mean, oh, my gosh."
In 2017, in order to get a new job to pay his tuition at Central City College, Allen headed to Central Bark Doggy Day care. On the bus on the way, Allen was delayed due to an old woman who was counting the coins for her fare to get on, so a desperate Allen begged to let him get on. As he entered the store, recanting his delay, Allen tried to pet a dog that proceeded to bark at him, before briefly bumping into Iris West, with whom he exchanged glances for a few moments.
When he approached the worker, Allen attempted to explain the reason for his tardiness in a comical manner, before handing her his tousled and destroyed resume, while continuing to watch West through the window. After the worker asked Allen about his experience for the employment, West, about to leave in her car, suddenly crashed into a truck driven by a distracted driver, throwing her from her vehicle. Immediately, Allen activated his super speed, broke his sneakers and ran through and breaking the glass of the place.
Upon being in front of West, Allen carefully observed and caressed her face, before observing a floating sausage and proceeding to put it in his pocket. He then grabbed her arms and slowly carried her to a safe area so that she would be safe as the car fell on its side and overturned, exploding. Upon reconsideration, West watched in amazement as Allen, who, frightened, returned to the premises and was observed by the worker calmly giving snacks to the dogs, much to her dismay.[3]
Allen visited Henry in prison to talk about his new job, but he was upset because he had four jobs that weren't useful. Allen reminded him that he required money to get his degree in criminal law, even though his father admitted his guilt. Father and son began to argue until they both joined hands, as Henry gave Allen advice on how to let go of the past to create his future. Shortly afterward the guards took Henry to his cell. Allen kept thinking about his father's phrase.
Upon reaching his hideout, Allen turned on the lights, but was surprised by Bruce Wayne, who came to recruit him. To hide his identity, Allen tried to trick Wayne, since he had broken into his house without permission. Allen tried to lie about his suit by lying that he practiced ice skating and mentioned that he had various skills, but Wayne knew he was lying. When Wayne threw a batarang, Allen used his powers and observed the batarang, which caused him to discover that Wayne was actually Batman.
Surprised, Allen admitted that he had speed powers. While Wayne offered him to join his team of super people, he immediately accepted, since he needed friends, and asked Wayne if he could keep his batarang. The duo left the lair with pizza and Allen was surprised as they were going on a jet. Allen asked Wayne about his power, which he responded with "I'm rich".
After landing in Gotham City, Allen and Wayne met up with Diana Prince, who was actually Wonder Woman. After being introduced by Wayne, Allen was surprised by Prince and made a fool of her upon meeting her. Allen, Wayne and Prince saw the Bat Signal, something that made Allen excited, since it was Wayne's signal, but he acted discreetly so that Wayne's secret identity would not be revealed.[3]
After donning their suits, Allen, Bruce Wayne, and Diana Prince met with Commissioner James Gordon, who informed them of the kidnapping of several scientists. Prince revealed that the Parademons were responsible and Allen was frightened by the creatures. The group was shocked to see Victor Stone, a young man with cybernetic enhancements, arrive. When Batman found out that Steppenwolf was hiding on Stryker's Island, he, Wonder Woman, and Stone left for it, leaving Allen alone. Shocked, Allen told Gordon that they were rude for leaving out of nowhere and quickly left to follow them.
Once on the island, Allen and the group began to investigate the place to find Steppenwolf. Allen felt the need to catch him and Wonder Woman advised him that they should work together, but Allen went ahead to cross the bridge. Upon seeing Steppenwolf, Allen was frightened by the sight of him and mentioned that he missed Superman very much, since he could beat him.
When Stone, Wonder Woman, and Batman faced the Parademons, Allen also faced the aliens and was upset that they were not fighting together. Allen was ordered by Batman to help the kidnapped people and led all the scientists to the exit. Using his speed, Allen and Stone successfully got all the scientists out and then returned to the tunnel with the others.
Upon returning, Allen saw Wonder Woman lose her sword, so Allen froze time to give her her sword back to confront Steppenwolf, but because he was distracted, Allen tripped, causing time to return to normal. Upon getting up, Allen was taken by Parademons, who wanted to kill him, but Wonder Woman appeared to save Allen.
Badly injured, Allen and Batman helped each other, but they realized that Steppenwolf opened the docks of Gotham City, causing a flood, and both had to flee until Aquaman appeared to control the water, something that surprised Allen. The group took the opportunity to escape on the Knightcrawler. Upon leaving, Allen, Wayne, Diana and Curry discussed the Mother Boxes. Allen and the team learned that Steppenwolf had two, which were taken from Themyscira and Atlantis and now there was only one left, but Stone appeared with the third, since he had it.[3]
The next day, Allen and the team went to Wayne Aerospace Hangar to discuss the Mother Box that Victor Stone had. While discussing how to destroy the artifact, Allen suggested destroying it with flamethrowers, but Stone explained that the box was indestructible. The group learned how Stone gained his cybernetic enhancements from his father, Silas Stone, who had acquired the box. Realizing that the Mother Box could resurrect people, Allen and the team considered reviving Superman, as he would be the only person to stop Steppenwolf.
While Bruce Wayne repaired their vehicles, Allen and the rest of the team were sent to dig up Clark Kent's body at the Smallville Cemetery. Allen and Stone were tasked with excavating Kent's grave. While working, Allen spoke to Stone about his interest in Diana Prince. Upon finding the coffin, Allen, Stone, Prince, and Arthur Curry placed the coffin in the van to meet up with Wayne.
In order to infiltrate S.T.A.R. Labs, Allen had to change into a soldier's suit to get in, but first he argued with Curry about his hatter. After successfully getting in, using the name "Wesley Rowe", Allen and the team infiltrated Scout Ship 0344 to revive Kent. Because there was no power left, Allen offered to use his ability to rewind time to do so, but things might get out of hand. Allen prepared to run, but Stone said something, which Allen didn't hear, so he started the plan and rewound time to power the Mother Box successfully, although he fell unconscious.
Allen, Wonder Woman, Stone and Aquaman exited the ship and happily watched as Kent had been revived, but he began to see them in strange shapes. When Stone accidentally attacked Kent, Allen watched as Kent began to attack them. Allen stopped time and tried to stop Kent, but Kent had detected him, and attacked him instantly. He tried to fight back, but was shot down by Kent, who tried to kill everyone.
The team took it upon themselves to protect the civilians while they fought Kent, but despite their best efforts, Kent defeated them all and then confronted Wayne, whom he recognized. After Kent flew away with Lois Lane, Allen saw Aquaman, who blamed him for what happened. Allen apologized to him, as he had no idea what was going to happen.[3]
Tracking Steppenwolf
"Ok. So, if Victor wants to try to save the world by fusing with the doom boxes, I say we put him in the doom boxes. But getting him in means attacking that base."
Upon seeing Steppenwolf's Boom Tube, Allen, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman sprang into action to stop the alien, but Steppenwolf had escaped with the last Mother Box. Allen helped Victor Stone up, and learned that Silas Stone was dead. The group mourned Silas' death and discovered that he sacrificed himself so that the last box could be marked, thus stopping Steppenwolf. Allen was shocked to discover that Batman had one satellite, but he confessed that he had six, something that shocked Allen even more.
The team arrived at the Batcave, where they met Alfred Pennyworth. Allen and the others discovered that Steppenwolf was hiding in Pozharnov in a radiation facility, something that Allen saw as dangerous. Realizing that they would die fighting Steppenwolf, Allen worried that the enemy had destroyed many protectors of other worlds, but Wayne motivated everyone, since he never faced them united. Thanks to Wayne's words, Allen and the team became the Justice League. Later, Allen and Curry talked about Stone's current state, and how they could help him.
Allen and the league entered the Flying Fox to reach Pozharnov. While flying, Allen and the league discussed the plan on how they would defeat Steppenwolf. Allen and Stone would team up to destroy the boxes, and Allen joked that they would use the power of love, but in reality he was to create a energy surge to prevent the boxes from syncronizing together, so Stone could destroy the boxes. With everything set, the League was ready to stop Steppenwolf.[3]
"Dad... whatever happens, I want you to know... your kid was one of them, dad... One of the best of the best... Make your own future... Make your own past... It's all right now."
Before arriving at Pozharnov, Allen began to pray and prepare for the big decisive fight. Allen and the Justice League got off the Flying Fox, but Batman stayed on the ship to destroy the force field. Allen worried about Batman, who asked the others to go inside Pozharnov, as he would distract the Parademons. Upon entering, the league joined Batman to fight the creatures together.
Allen tries to heal his wound.
In order for Victor Stone to merge with the unit, Allen began to run to give him energy, but he couldn't hold on for long. Allen kept running until he was shot by a Parademon and revealed to Batman that he only needed a few seconds to recover. Allen tried to speed up his healing, but he was still dealing with the pain.
Allen regresses time.
Suddenly, Allen watched as the Mother Boxes merged to create the Anti-Life Equation, which brought about the arrival of Darkseid, who used it to destroy the entire planet in the form of Apokolips, but he was able to vibrate his molecules and phase through the destruction, and realized that he must break the speed of light to save everyone. While running within the Speed Force, Allen remembered Henry, as he wanted to be remembered as one of the bests of the best. Allen managed to go back in time to make physical contact with Stone, and thus destroy the Mother Boxes with the help of Superman, and successfully prevented Darkseid's arrival.
After Aquaman and Wonder Woman killed Steppenwolf, Allen and his teammates encountered Darkseid, who was upset by Steppenwolf's failure, before the portal closed. With victory won, the League left the base and watched as the Flying Fox arrived for them. Allen and Stone fist-bumped and everyone looked at each other, as they now had a new world to live in.[3] At some point after the battle, Allen told Wayne about the time regression he made to avoid the Unity.[1]
A New World
Forensic Sciencist
"It's actually the worst job you can get in a crime lab. But, uh, my foot's in the door." "Is this like a job-job?" "Job job."
Determined to investigate and stop crime in Central City, Barry joined as a forensic scientist at the Central City Police Department. Upon receiving the job, Barry met with his father in prison to inform him of his new job as a scientist, mentioning that he now "had one foot in the door." Henry laughed at the term his son used before congratulating him on his new job; Barry thanked him for all his help.
Finally being at peace with himself knowing that his father was proud of him, Flash began to run pleasantly through the streets of Central City, feeling happy to now be in charge of defending his city. Now with his new job, Barry could investigate and stop various crimes legally and officially. There, he met his co-workers Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond, as well as his professor and boss, Dr. David Singh, to whom he brought coffee every day. Barry regularly went to Filby's Café, where Sara had prepared her sandwich for him before he went to work.
Multiversal Travel
"Uh... hello? What the hell is this?" "I'm asking myself the same question... literally."
Believing that something like the Multiverse was possible, Allen, with the help of Victor Stone, managed to travel through the Speed Force to a parallel universe, where he encountered an alternate version of himself. Shocked, the two had a brief conversation in which his alternate self revealed himself to be named Barry Allen like him, as well as explaining his name under the alias "Flash". Confused, Allen was shocked at this when his counterpart stated that such an encounter could not be possible.
Even more confused, Allen asked why that wasn't possible now, only for the doppelgänger to be puzzled as he realized that Allen was unaware of the Multiversal Crisis. At that, Allen began to fade away as he remembered that Stone had already stated that that was indeed possible, before returning to his universe. There, Allen, inspired by his alternate self's alias, adopted his superhero name and began calling himself the Flash.[8]
In January 2021, Leota Adebayo informed her boss and mother Amanda Waller about the current crisis point with the Butterfly alien invasion. She suggested that Waller calls in the Justice League. Flash, along with Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, did eventually get informed about the crisis and managed to make it to the site of Coverdale Ranch just as the Peacemaker and the rest of the 11th Street Kids were heading out of the site. Peacemaker told the Justice League that they were late and mocked Aquaman about the rumors of him having intercourse with fish which made him express his distaste for the rumor, leading Flash to jokingly say that it was not a rumor, much to his teammate's irritation.[9]
Months later, Flash continued his work as a vigilante, discovering an arms deal orchestrated by Vincent Inzerillo and Broome at Sally's Showcase Amusement Park, hearing that by not being in Gotham City, Batman would not be able to stop them, so he surprised the dealers, commenting on not being a fan of guns, and introduced himself as the Flash, taunting Vincent that Batman would be angry to find out that he went to Central City, before beginning to dodge the other criminals.
Flash is defeated by Girder.
Thanks to his speed, Flash was able to hold off the criminals until Vincent called Girder, impressing Flash, who joked about how the mob was transporting a "living metal wall", but he sidelined Girder to try to stop Vincent and Broome. Flash confronted Girder, landing some blows, causing Flash great pain, receiving a heavy blow from Girder. Defeated, Flash became frustrated by his failed fight, suffering in agony from his ribs.[2]
"Do you want to take this outside? Maybe somewhere with less money to steal and fewer lives in danger." "I'm not here to rob the bank, Flash. I'm here for you!"
Allen took a coffee break as he strolled the streets of Central City, checking in with his colleague Patty Spivot for the delivery of his paperwork to the lab with Albert Desmond, promising to arrive early until he saw the door to the bank vault fly and, closed his call with Spivot to dodge it. With his speed, Flash quickly saved a civilian to return to his hideout to search for his suit.
Flash is tortured by Girder.
Heading to the bank, Flash apologized for delaying a team, finding several guards dead, and was surprised by Girder. Flash tried to resist in the fight and mocked him for trying to rob a bank, but Girder confessed not wanting to steal money, as he just wanted him dead. Despite having thrown several things at him, Flash got tired of not hurting him, and Girder squeezed him hard to try to kill him, destroying his suit a little, although Flash luckily managed to free himself, fleeing from the villain to seek help.[2]
Trained by Bruce Wayne
"Do you want to see what I'm made of, Bruce? How about this!"
Seeking help to strengthen his powers, Flash traveled to Gotham City to seek help from Bruce Wayne, stopping The Jacks, mockingly apologizing to the leader of the criminal gang as he needed to speak to Batman. Meeting with the vigilante, Flash explained his beef against Girder, who easily defeated him twice and Batman agreed to teach Flash how to fight, who thanked him for agreeing, heading to the Batcave, while Batman arrested The Jacks.
Allen is trained by Wayne.
Inside the Batcave, Allen greeted Alfred Pennyworth, discovering that he was working with micro-compression technology to create a new, stronger suit for him and saw Wayne arrive, asking him to learn Judo or Krav Maga, which Wayne denied in order to teach him the basics. Beginning his training, Allen read Ted Grant's Boxing Guide, telling Wayne the reason why he decided to help people after losing his mother and his father's imprisonment, before beginning his fight with Wayne, dodging his attacks.
Allen destroys a boxing bag with his sonic punch.
While bragging that he was stronger by being fast, Allen was hit several times by Wayne, who humiliated Allen to unleash his inner fury, causing Allen to run fast enough, destroying a boxing bag and his glove, surprising both, starting to discuss how to master his new skill with some practice. Despite Wayne's warnings, Allen tried his sonic punch again, destroying a hatch in the Batcave, angering Wayne, apologizing to him for going too far.[2]
"The Flash's story is not over... It's just the beginning... The life I had, the people I lost and the ones I can still save. This is not over. I just need to keep running."
After preparing, Flash and Batman prepared to stop Girder, who was attacking the Central City Police Department, so Flash headed first, saving some guards until being confronted by Girder, taking several damage again while Batman protected the rest of the civilians. Giving up, Allen confessed that Flash had left because he couldn't stop Girder, but Batman gave him advice because it was only the beginning of his story, giving him a special ring with a new suit made by him and Alfred Pennyworth.
Flash argues with Girder about his father.
Running at maximum speed to save Batman, Flash remembered his childhood, the death of his mother, the arrest of his father and the Battle of Pozharnov against the Parademons, noting that all these events were helpful for his start as a hero, opening his ring, unlocking his new suit and attacking Girder on his head. With his new suit, Flash bragged about being the greatest hero ever seen, fighting Girder while talking to him about his deal with Vincent Inzerillo for the well-being of his father and attempted to offer his help to the criminal.
Flash attacks Girder with his sonic punch.
Flash took Girder to a part of the city where there would be no injuries, considering that their confrontation will be different than the last two times, running at high speed to charge his sonic blow into his chest, damaging his steel skin, as well as than to his fists, pain that Flash expressed, finally defeating Girder. Watching Girder's arrest, Flash thanked Batman for all his help, thanking him for the comfort of the suit and how he learned to control his punch.
When Batman asked if he needed anything else, Flash asked his friend for one last favor, which was to contribute money for Girder's Father's cure as he felt sorry for him, a favor that Batman accepted. Days later, Flash went to Iron Heights Penitentiary, meeting with Girder to inform him that his father was in good health, revealing that he only wanted good for everyone, even people like him, even though Girder tried to kill him several times, since Flash had hope with him, an act that Girder appreciated.
Flash gets ready to stop the criminals.
Shortly after, Flash went to a rooftop, meeting Wayne again, who was surprised to see him saving the world now as a more mature hero and Flash expressed his happiness for his new stage as a vigilante because he will be able to help more people in need because he will not never run away again, before witnessing an explosion in the city. At Wayne's suggestion to go ahead, Flash prepared to arrest the perpetrators.[2] Shortly after, Allen would go to Wayne, whom he gave a USB, to ask for his help and use Wayne Enterprises' technology to prove that Henry was in the store during Nora's murder.[1]
Finding a Balance
Job Problems
"Between this, Flash... and dad... I just have to multi-task better, right?"
Upon learning of a drug shipment at the Central City docks, which was linked to the Monteleone Crime Family, Flash delayed arriving at work to confront the criminal organization, taking down the vast majority of the thugs, leaving only one thug, politely asking him to drop his gun, though the thug unsuccessfully attempted to kill him and ended up taking the thug down. With his duty completed, Flash contacted the Central City Police Department to take the criminals away, quickly leaving so as not to be late.
Allen is annoyed by Desmond.
Making it to the Central City Research Center, Allen was able to get ready, greeting his colleagues Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond, who chided him for his tardiness, though Allen claimed he was delayed because of his neighbor's dog, receiving a lecture from Spivot about how his job was getting harder since the Flash's appearance. Allen asked for his share of the work, however, Spivot revealed that they finished his paperwork for him and left him with no cases to solve, frustrating Allen, receiving an order from a mocking Desmond to bring his burgers to Big Belly Burger and bring several boxes to the files room.
Allen argues with Singh about the chase.
Allen attempted to carry the boxes to the files room, which he didn't know where it was as he dealt with his problems between his job, his duty as the Flash, and Henry's liberation, causing him to bump into his professor David Singh. When he ran into Singh, Allen apologized about his regular tardiness, listening to Singh talk about how he would have to be removed from his internship program if he continued to miss, something Allen clearly understood, before seeing a live chase. To his surprise, Allen saw his hand begin to act strange, deciding to leave without the boxes to deal with the threat.[10]
"I have to... I have to stop him... I have to get back to work... I have to... What's happening to me?!" "If you're trying to play possum on by being pathetic, it's working. Now hold still. You're going to want me to make this quick."
Arriving just in time to the Central City Police Department's chase against the Monteleone Crime Family, Flash assisted the cops in pursuing the criminals, wondering the point of robbing a truck for no money until being ambushed by the powerful Tarpit and his oil powers, causing Flash to unsuccessfully try to evade his attacks while suffering due to his injuries, stating that he must finish off Tarpit in order to get back to work, becoming stressed out by all the situations happening to him, causing him to phase out again and his hands to pass through the ground, confusing him and Tarpit, who thought Flash was mocking him.
Flash loses control of his speed.
Flash attempted to control his newfound power as Tarpit prepared to kill him, however, Flash was able to get his hands out in time, managing to weaken Tarpit, crashing into a couple's car, asking them to escape to a safe place until he accidentally blew up the car when he tried to run, growing frustrated at not being able to control his vibrations, realizing that Tarpit and his subordinates had already escaped, so he headed towards his hideout to understand his new abilities.[10]
Advised by his Father
"What am I supposed to do about it? I can't quit my part-time job. It's important. But I can't quit on the crime lab either... and I can't quit on you. It's just too much to do all at once." "Then don't do it all at once. No one said you had to. Just take it one problem at a time and focus on the now."
Back in his hideout, Allen began recording audio to begin experimenting with his newfound derangement, realizing that he vibrated when his molecules turned into solid matter, researching that he could make an object explode if his molecules were fully excited and attempted to find a way to control his vibrations so as not to hurt anyone before receiving a message from David Singh and when trying to take his phone, Allen accidentally destroyed it, so he met up with Singh in his office, where he was harassed by Albert Desmond. Since he did not know what was wrong with him, Singh told Allen that he would have to remove him from the intern program if he continued like this, worrying Allen, receiving advice from Singh to ask for advice from someone who understands him.
Allen is advised by Henry to master his vibrations.
Allen headed to Iron Heights Penitentiary to talk to Henry about how he couldn't control his body, calling himself an idiot for not balancing his job as a forensic intern, his "part-time job", and his desire to free his body, thinking all the stress would kill him, but Henry told him that he should take all his problems at once and not so fast, despite Allen claiming that his job was important and began to worry about not achieving his goals, starting to vibrate again. After his father told him that he should focus on one goal, Allen placed his hand on the glass to feel his father, managing to stop vibrating and thanked Henry for the inspiring advice.[10]
Attack on the Central City Bridge
"Wh-What the heck happened? You blew a hole right through me! Are you nuts?" "Me? You're the walking tar monster throwing a temper tantrum. Why don't you just give up now before you embarrass yourself some more?"
After leaving Iron Heights Penitentiary, Allen received a call from David Singh before seeing something was going on, so following Henry's advice, Allen decided to do his duty as the Flash, taking his suit out of the ring to head to the Central City Bridge, meeting up with Tarpit again, whom he unsuccessfully attempted to calm down. Flash was tasked with saving the civilians when Tarpit threw a car, containing a mother and her son, so Flash looked for a way to help them after seeing that the car was stuck and by controlling his phase shift, he was able to save the mother and her son, phase shifting them through the car, celebrating for controlling his power.
Flash manages to knock down Tarpit.
After getting all the civilians to safety, Flash finally confronted Tarpit, showing him what he was capable of, running at high speed, dodging his attacks and then delivering a super sonic blast that destroyed his chest, mocking how Tarpit was trapped on the bridge, though Tarpit prepared another trick, launching another attack on a cable on the bridge, which Flash was able to repair and destroy the boat Tarpit was going to escape in. Running quickly through the water, Flash was able to create a giant wave against Monteleone, causing him to melt and watched as Tarpit's brother Jack Monteleone was arrested alongside him, mockingly bidding farewell to his enemy.
Allen thanks Henry for his advices.
Allen changed back into his civilian clothes as he could now take care of his work, knowing that he would have another chance to pursue his studies. Over the next few days, Allen was able to quickly complete the cases sent by David Singh, thus redeeming his late arrivals by receiving new cases to investigate. A week later, Allen returned to Iron Heights to tell Henry of his progress in receiving better cases, gladdening his father who was happy that he had time to visit him as Allen claimed that he will always have time to see him and they joined hands again before Allen returned to the lab.
Allen surprises Spivot and Desmond
Much to the surprise of his colleagues, Allen arrived at the lab early, proving that he managed to complete all of his cases, bragging to Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond, who reacted with amazement to see that he also completed their work, as well as bringing breakfast, earning Singh's respect and accepting the request to take the files to the Central City Police Department. As he walked through the streets, Allen noticed that there was a crime in progress and after remembering his father, he enlisted to stop a robbery at Isotope Secure Data Solutions, leaving after leaving a sticker on the thieves.[10]
Learning New Lessons
Discussion with his Father
"The whole reason I went into forensic science was to help people like you." "That's not the whole reason. There's a difference between helping people and helping yourself. Don't let that cloud what really matters."
Weeks later, Allen learned of an attack on Central City Advanced Robotics and headed to the scene to rescue a group of scientists, who were then attacked by the out-of-control robot, X-51. Flash was able to rescue the scientists before confronting X-51, dodging him at top speed until finding a way to defeat him, snatching the thing that was making X-51 go out of control, discovering that it was a technological spinning top, being informed by the scientists that the same person also stole weapons and Flash did not consider the criminal a threat, mentioning that he probably will not return after his failure.
Allen argues with Henry.
Following his victory, Allen went to Iron Heights Penitentiary to tell Henry how he continued to solve important cases involving the Flash, stating that with all his effort, he could eventually become a forensic for the Central City Police Department, having faith that when that happens, he will be able to get his father out of prison, though Henry mentioned that quite a few people have tried to help with his case to no avail, frustrating Allen when he stressed that he started studying forensic science to help people like him, despite Henry trying to explain to him the difference between helping people and helping himself. Allen bid his father farewell to him and returned to work, smiling as a child praised the Flash, something that encouraged Allen.[11]
Attack in Central City
"Listen pal, I don't know how you spin your body like that or where those murder toys came from, but I'm over it. You might be new in the town, so I'll give you the cliffs notes. I'm the Flash, the fastest man alive. And this is going to be over faster than you think." "I'm not your pal. Call me the Top. And you're right, this is going to be over faster than you think."
At the criminology lab, Allen continued to research the technological spinning top he obtained from Central City Advanced Robotics while arguing with Albert Desmond over who should investigate the case before an earthquake shook the entire building, being alerted by David Singh that a lunatic was throwing bombs all over Central City and under the excuse of helping the others in the building, Allen put on his suit to find the person responsible. Seeing civilians in danger, Flash tried to help them, however, a large blizzard sent Flash flying through the air.
Flash attempts to fight agaisnt the Top.
Flash realized that the one responsible for the attacks was Roscoe Dillon, who threatened all of the city's civilians and former employers to pay him a billion dollars or he would destroy the entire city until Flash stood up, threatening Dillon to surrender, claiming that the battle would be over sooner than he thought, which Dillon understood, attacking Flash with his tops while flying around in a tornado, causing Flash to receive several attacks from Dillon, who became known as "Top", due to trying to dodge his explosives and being thrown towards the same mother and son he previously encountered, stopping so they wouldn't get hurt, but the mother scolded him for nearly killing them.
Flash listens to Top's threat
When Top showed up, claiming that their fight wasn't over and mentioning that it was time to make history, Flash discovered that Top had implanted giant spinning tops so that he could continue his threat until he received his money, angering Flash, who tried to attack him again to defeat him once and for all, failing in his attempt to hit him and being defeated by Top. Flash, unable to move, listened to Top force him to surrender and reveal his true identity within 24 hours, taunting Flash as he returned to his hideout to find out how he could defeat him and save the city.[11]
Reconciliation with his Father
"The whole city is going to be destroyed if the Flash doesn't give up himself. Even then this madman's probabily still going to do it... and it's all Flash's fault. I... know the Flash. I've worked on a lot of his cases... If he hadn't been such a show-off... such an idiot, then none of this would've ever happened. The city would be safe." "If you're trying to tell me the city wouldn't have any problems without the Flash, then you're dead wrong. With the world we live in, there's always going to be some dramatic jerk out to hurt people." "I just wish I could tell him something... Anything that could stop him from giving up. You know?"
Returning to his hideout, Allen continued his recordings to find a way to save people when he faced the Top in 19 hours, thinking that his speed could kill people, deciding to start training and reinforce his skills. Using several mannequins and a training field, Flash ran between the mannequins to dodge the civilians at the moment that Top attacked him with his tops, practicing with various circumstances and testing his skills, but due to losing concentration, Flash destroyed the mannequins, worrying when they began to vibrate uncontrollably, filling him with fear of killing everyone if he did not control his powers.
Allen receives advice from his father to not give up agaisnt Top.
Allen returned to Iron Heights Penitentiary to ask Henry for advice, telling him that all of Central City would be destroyed by Top if Flash failed to do his best, stating to his father that he worked with Flash on several cases, mentioning his concern for the fate of the city, which Henry acknowledged with Allen referencing that the city would be in less trouble without Flash and Allen commented that he didn't know what to tell him to not give up. During the talk, Allen received some great advice from Henry, considering him to be the bravest person he knows, telling him that he never gave up and neither should Flash, regardless of how risky the threat to save the city is, advice that Allen appreciated in order to become more confident in himself.[11]
Battle at Central City
"Something wrong, Top?" "How did you do that?! You should've been running out of control like a renegade pinball!" "You're not the only one with tricks. Come on Top. Show me what you've got!"
Leaving Iron Heights Penitentiary, Allen walked through the streets, making another recording as he thought about revealing his identity to everyone to prevent everyone in Central City from dying if he fought the Top, choosing between him or the city, ending his recording before watching Top threaten Mayor Thompson over the news, watching in happiness as everyone in the city loved him as their hero, inspiring Allen to continue his work as a hero, landing a surprise blow on Dillon as he watched David Singh, Patty Spivot, and Albert Desmond cheer him on in excitement and grew worried when tops began spinning, being challenged by Top to a duel, one which Flash accepted.
Flash tries to help Top.
Much to his foe's surprise, Flash was able to outspeed him by once again controlling his phase shift, hitting Top with several attacks, unleashing his fury as Flash mocked him, as he possessed new tricks, tricking Top with illusions of himself and Flash was able to destroy the tops launched by Top, protecting the civilians. Seeing that Top was exhausted, Flash tried to offer his help, asking that they could save the city together, considering him a great scientist, but Top refused the offer, creating a giant whirlwind to finish him off, though Flash was able to defeat him, allowing Top to be arrested and then took it upon himself to destroy all of the giant tops, saving the city, and ended up falling into the streets, accidentally destroying half of them.
Allen says goodbye to Henry as Flash.
After saving the city, Flash was reunited with the mother and son he saved, who thanked him for protecting the city once again, sharing a hug with the boy, saying goodbye to his fans. With his suit on, Flash entered Henry's cell, who was surprised to see him enter, while Flash told him about how he saw him on the news fail against Top the first time, but stated that thanks to his son's advice, he was able to get better and save the civilians, shaking hands with his father, starting to cry when Henry gave him a great speech. Touched, Flash said goodbye to his father, not realizing that he discovered his identity, to continue with his adventures, now with his new experience as a hero.[11] Eventually, Allen rented an apartment, leaving his hideout.[1]
Attack at the Wayne Foundation Science and Technology Conference
"Speed-Reader! Who am I punching here?" "Files say these guys were kicked out of the marines for stealing classified information. Specifically, plans for a something called a Meta-Bomb that uses "Apokoliptian residual energies to reprogram DNA."
Flash protects the scientists from the Aquamarines' gunfire.
When the Aquamarines hijack the Wayne Foundation conference, the Justice League comes to the rescue, with Flash saving the scientists from the mercenaries' bullets, teaming up with Aquaman and Wonder Woman, explaining about the expulsion of the criminals from the navy and his attempt to steal the Meta-Bomb, a bomb from Apokolips that would reprogram the DNA of metahumans, killing them along with several innocents in the process. Flash offered to take the bomb to Antarctica, however, Aquaman chose to throw it far away, preventing the bomb from affecting people. After tying up the Aquamarines, Flash played with Atlan's trident and together with Diana, he reacted with surprise about Arthur and Mera's wedding.[12]
"Look, Alfred, I've come to accept that I'm essentially the janitor of the Justice League, which sucks. But I've come to accept it, but I can't help but notice that that it always seem to be a bat-mess that I'm cleaning up."
Before leaving for the Central City Research Center, Allen went to Filby's Café to buy his breakfast due to his low metabolism, being served by Sara's understudy, who was late due to various anecdotes, before receiving a call of Alfred Pennyworth, trying to deny any mission, but was informed that a failed robbery occurred at the Gotham General Hospital, although Allen suggested calling other members of the Justice League such as Superman or Wonder Woman, who were indisposed, being him his last option to help Batman.
Flash observes his fans.
Allen ended the call after accepting Alfred's request, asking the understudy how long it would take with the sandwich, realizing that it was taking a long time due to his anecdotes, frustrating Allen and he decided to go to the bathroom to leave the cafeteria in his suit, getting ready. to go to the rescue, however, he was interrupted by a group of fans and tried to ask a fan for his chocolate to calm his metabolism until Alfred put him in contact with Batman to help him in Gotham. Annoyed by his fans, Flash returned to his starting position, running quickly, traversing all of Central City to arrive to Gotham City.
Flash fixes the hospital's pipes.
Upon arrival, Flash watched as the hospital began to collapse, endangering several civilians and took it upon himself to rescue several people from a fatal fall, asking Batman why he was not there, discovering that he was sent to protect civilians in the hospital while Batman pursued Al Falcone, who stole a deadly virus and caused the hospital to explode. When the hospital's pipe burst, Flash headed down to the basement, fixing the pipes, and venting his frustration to Alfred for being considered "the League's janitor", a role he refused to continue in order to keep cleaning up the messes.
Flash thought his job was over as he watched his speed get slower until he saw the east wing begin to collapse, acknowledging that Alfred was right, seeing a nurse and several babies fall from the sky. Quickly, Flash activated his speed to move in slow motion, but because he didn't eat anything, his speed was slowing down, worrying about the infants in danger. Flash was able to mobilize towards a food machine to feed himself, managing to get back faster, saving the babies, the nurse and a therapy dog, placing them on a stretcher to carry them to safety, making Alfred proud, and pulling a baby out of a microwave to give it to the nurse.
Flash reveals a humiliating secret in front of Batman and Wonder Woman.
After recommending the nurse find a therapist for the experience, Flash headed to the Gotham bridge, meeting up with Batman and Wonder Woman, who had managed to catch Falcone, receiving a compliment from Wonder Woman on his new suit. Flash watched as Batman told the truth about him being bound by the Lasso of Hestia and tried to help his friend, but was embarrassed in front of Wonder Woman by revealing that he never had sex, making the trio uncomfortable. After Wonder Woman left, Flash said goodbye to Batman and returned to Filby's Café, receiving the sandwich and leaving the place in frustration at the worker for the delay.[1]
Meeting Iris West again
"My only official comment is that my dad is innocent." "Right. I mean, no one would want to believe that their father killed their mother." "What do you mean, "believe"? My dad shouldn't be in jail. My mom should be alive. It's not about what I believe, It's about what the truth is."
After having breakfast, Allen headed towards the Central City Research Center, where Patty Spivot and Albert Desmond began to mock him for his tardiness. Allen ran into David Singh, who before letting him speak, made clumsy excuses for his tardiness, but Allen tried to lie, presenting case files, frustrating Singh by resuming cases that had been going on for three months, berating Allen for not advance. After being scolded, Allen was motivated by Singh, seeing his potential as a forensic and asking to bring coffee, a request that Allen believed was a joke until he realized that Singh was serious.
Allen proceeded to work in the lab until he was called by Spivot and Desmond, who showed Singh's interview about the Johnson case to Allen, even though he continued investigating the evidence, leaving in frustration, while his colleagues mocked him, berating them for not taking the cases seriously. During the discussion, Iris West recognized Allen, who was nervously surprised to see her again after school and asked Spivot and Desmond to leave when they made fun of his few friends, telling West about his work at the research center, proceeding to walk with West.
Allen argues with West about Henry's innocence.
In the middle of the talk, Allen heard West claim that they saw each other years ago, so Allen clarified that he had not seen her since college, hiding about his past rescue. Allen spoke to West about Henry's appeal for the next day, discovering that West was a reporter, asking if she wanted his opinion because she was a reporter or friend, however, Allen claimed that Henry was innocent and not responsible for Nora's murder. and tried to clarify that what was important was what really happened, although West awkwardly tried to apologize for not trusting him, but Allen chose to withdraw due to his situation.[1]
Discovering the Chronobowl
"I had a friend run the old security camera footage from the store through this new program he's developed. And it's crystal clear now. It's just... you never look up, dad. You can't see your face. So, without new evidence to support your alibi, we're just gonna need to start thinking about the next appeal." "No, uh-uh. You need to stop worrying about your old man. Do that, you might actually have time for a girlfriend." "But dad! I don't want..." "We've done this before. This was a last-ditch effort and we'll go through the motions tomorrow. I'm okay, really. You know, sometimes I even think it's probabily easier for me to be in here than out there, without her."
Allen talks to Henry about the glitch in the video.
Returning to his apartment, Allen found an envelope sent by Bruce Wayne, who returned the USB, asking for forgiveness because the camera could not identify Henry's face in the store. After watching the video, Allen received a call from Henry, talking about his few outings and his brief meeting with Iris West, surprising Henry, who asked Allen to take her out on a date. However, Allen told Henry that in the store video, he never showed his face, suggesting holding another appeal trial, however, Henry refused, stating that tomorrow's appeal would be the final attempt, preferring to continue in Iron Heights Penitentiary than to be free and know that Nora was dead.
Allen remembers his childhood trauma.
Overwhelmed by the thought that his father could not be free, Allen put on his suit, running to his old house, where, while Henry remembered the beautiful family life, he silently observed the day when Nora sent Henry to the store a can of tomatoes, the last time he played with her and the moment she was murdered by an unknown subject, with Henry asking Allen to find the police. Allen shed tears after remembering his childhood, before the call between him and Henry ended, so Allen decided to vent all his frustrations by starting to run through Central City.
Allen ran at full speed, surpassing his limits and entering the Speed Force, where his reality began to slowly warp until he was able to enter the Chronobowl, a temporal plane of the Speed Force. Surprised, Flash watched as memories of his day manifested themselves, from him going to Filby's Café, his rescue of the babies at Gotham General Hospital, and his late arrival at the Central City Research Center. Flash stopped running and tried to understand his stay, peeking his head into an area of the Chronobowl, briefly traveling back in time when he rescued the babies and quickly walking away, discovering that he can travel in time.[1]
Discussion with Bruce Wayne
"I could fix things." "You could also destroy everything." "I could save her. I could save both of them. I... could save your parents." "Barry, these scars we have make us who we are. We're not meant to go back and fix them. And there's nothing broken with you that needs to be fixed. Take it from an old guy who's made a lot of mistakes. Don't live your past. Live your life. Don't let your tragedy define you."
After leaving the Chronobowl, Allen met with Bruce Wayne near his apartment, telling him about his time travel, comparing the event to how he did it in Pozharnov, but Wayne recognized that Allen's new ability could be risky due to major changes to the timeline by a butterfly effect, although Allen claimed that he could save Nora, as could Wayne's parents. Despite the possibility, Wayne advised Allen not to relive his wounds and learn to heal, mentioning that Allen should not let his tragedy define him, making Allen reflect, who invited Wayne to a dinner, an offer he rejected, commenting that they would go another time.
Before entering his apartment, Allen saw Iris West appear, expressing his fascination with Wayne's car and he commented that it was an Uber. When West asked to speak with him, Allen quickly cleaned his apartment, welcoming West, who watched in surprise as several of Allen's objects fell. Allen offered West a beer, but without having any, he wandered over to the neighboring apartment, stealing a couple of beers and sat across from West, listening to his apology for not being sensitive to his case, while Allen responded nervously. During the talk, Allen told West that he was studying forensic criminology to fix the system to free Henry and prove his innocence, a sentiment that West shared.
Allen devises a plan to prevent Nora's death.
Allen began to think that he may be able to fix what happened, just by warning him of what is going to happen, confusing West. While thinking with West, Allen searched for a way to save Nora, remembering that she sent Henry to buy the can of tomatoes before the real murderer entered the house and using that theory, Allen realized that he could make Nora had the tomato can to keep Henry at home, since he wouldn't have to be seen, thanking West for the suggestion. Allen left the apartment to carry out his plan, but returned briefly, mentioning his liking for the date they had, suggesting they should eventually have another one.[1]
Following the orchestrated plan, Allen ran at full speed to re-enter the Chronobowl, traveling back in time, passing through different events such as the Resurrection of Superman, his recruitment into the Justice League, his early days as the Flash and the taunts he received for Nora's murder until finally stopping when he arrived to 2004, entering the store to look for Nora. Allen found Nora, silently greeting her and adding the can of tomatoes into the shopping cart, bidding farewell to his mother, before quickly retreating to avoid being noticed.
Allen returned to the Chronobowl, watching the timeline begin to shift after saving Nora, watching his life change with joy, with Henry and Nora staying together through Allen's happy times from childhood, holidays, and into adulthood, being raised by both parents. However, Allen suddenly noticed the presence of a dark speedster in the Chronobowl, confusing Allen, but before he could react, the dark speedster attacked him, pushing him from the Chronobowl and sending Allen to an alternate 2013 in this new timeline.
Realizing he was in his house, Allen found a way to remove his suit before entering, stealing the clothes from an elderly couple and slowly entering the residence, approaching the kitchen, where he surprised Nora, leaving Allen overwhelmed to see her alive, being greeted by his mother and Henry, who were shocked by his new appearance. Allen shared an emotional hug with Nora, expressing his love for her, before being sent to take a shower. Sneaking around, Allen saw his parents happily living together and arguing over Henry calling Allen "old", while he watched in happiness that he was able to get his family back.[1]
Meeting his Younger Self
"This is catastrophic. And no, we're not in the future. I was supposed to be back in the present, but I'm still in the past. And there's not supposed to be two of me. You and I are not supposed to be occupying the same reality at all, let alone interacting." "I just can't belive I'm a superhero who time travels." "No, no, no. You are not anything, which is good. You don't want to be a superhero, it's scary."
After taking a shower, Allen went to the lunch table with Nora and Henry, eating spaghetti with them and questioning Nora with rhetorical questions about how she's been since 2004 while hyperactively suggesting they do family activities. Henry asked Allen about how he was doing at Central City College, which confused Allen, who lied that he was doing great, listening to Nora's advice and Henry's suggestion to ask Iris West out. Suddenly, during the talk, Allen confusedly watched a younger version of himself coming to the house in the window, making up an excuse to his parents to leave, claiming he was going to shit outside the house.
Allen ambushed his younger self with his speed, using a pair of underwear to conceal his identity, cornering him outside the house and attempted to interrogate him about what year he was in, but his younger self was able to unmask him, scaring his younger self into believing that Allen had stolen his face. Paralyzed, Allen questioned his younger self about his age, revealing himself to be eighteen, before passing out in front of Allen, who, with no choice, carried him to his room, telling him about his time travel and expressing his confusion at not being in the future, just as no two versions of themselves should exist in the same reality.
Allen asks his younger self to forget their encounter.
His younger self became excited about his destiny as a superhero, a job that Allen complained about the consequences of and was forced to quickly put pillows around his younger self so that he would not call Nora. While using his powers, Allen saw his younger self's family photos and the use he gave to the stuffed animal that Nora gave him, "Monkey". Allen showed frustration at his younger self's comments, realizing why everyone complains about his jokes and asked him not to remember their encounter so as not to screw up the future and tried to come up with ideas to make him forget it. Due to his younger self's excessive comments, Allen opted to hit him, however, he stopped after learning that he would go out with West that night.
Eventually, Allen decided to return to the future, wishing his younger self luck and ordering him not to make any changes in the timeline until a storm occurred. Thanks to his younger self, Allen learned that the day was September 29, revealing to him that it was the day they gained their speed powers, telling his younger self that in his reality, he was at the Central City Research Center in his first year and got his powers, deducing that if his younger self doesn't gain them, he will lose his way back to the future. Despite his younger self wanting to go on the date with West and still being shocked at gaining powers, Allen forced him to go along in order to ensure his speed and not change the future.[1]
"You don't get hit by lightning[...]The lightning hits the chemicals, which then you get bathed in and that's what electrocutes you." "Okay, but I don't want to be electrocuted, though." "Sit down." "No, you sit down." "I already have the powers!" "You already have the powers!" "Exactly!"
With only eight minutes until the accident occurs, Allen and his younger self head to the Central City Research Center and to get inside, Allen carries his younger self into the center, astonishing him at Allen's ability, which he briefly explained, to silently walk past the night guards, managing to phase out again and enter the lab, though they realized they could get in through the door. Allen then prepared his younger self in the position he was originally in on the day of the accident, opening the windows he had opened just in the nick of time.
Allen and his younger self are struck by lightning.
Allen placed his younger self near the chemicals in a chair, as it was in that position that the lightning struck him, terrifying the younger self of being electrocuted and becoming even more worried knowing that he should be electrocuted when the chemicals are affected by the lightning. Out of his younger self's fear, Allen began to argue with him for showing cowardice, but during the argument, the lightning eventually struck the chemicals, affecting his younger self as well as Allen, who lost a tooth in the progress, and both Allens fell to the floor. Luckily for him, Allen was able to wake up in time, watching as his younger self's back regenerated, relieving himself that the plan worked.
Confused, Allen believed the missing tooth was his younger self's, but later learned that it was his own and used superglue to put it back in its place, before leaving due to the arrival of the guards, forcing both of them to hide in their attempt to escape, while he carried his younger self. Allen tried to phase through the walls without success and then tried to run at top speed, only to realize that he had just lost his powers after being hit by the beam, overwhelming him for being slow and somehow the two Allens managed to escape without being seen by the guards, wearily returning to the younger self's apartment, which was ordered by Nora.
Allen sat with his younger self, explaining that the accident gave him powers, but concurrently, he lost his own, thinking about how he would return to the future now that he is not connected to the Speed Force, however, the younger self became excited about his new powers, leaving the apartment to run around Central City, frustrating Allen. With concern, Allen saw an accident occur, watching his younger self arrive naked and explained him about friction in clothing, as well as his metabolism and learning to vibrate, although the younger self was a fast learner, easily distracted. Allen tried to explain to his younger self how his suit worked and opted to begin training tomorrow when his younger self fell asleep.[1]
The next day, Allen and his younger self went to Central City Park, where he lent his ring to his younger self to use his suit and prevent him from dying during his training, explaining the micro-compression function of the ring, which the younger self used to release the suit, quickly putting it on, commenting that it was tight in his dick, a sentiment that Allen shared, but decided not to continue talking about it. Allen theorized that if he manages to train his younger self, he could recreate the Chronobowl and be able to go back to the future, a reference that his younger self compared to the homonymous film, stating that Eric Stoltz acted amazingly, although Allen stated that the protagonist was Michael J. Fox.
Suddenly, several people around began to worry, so Allen and his younger self decided to investigate what was happening, discovering through a report that the Black Zero was seen on the coast of Australia, disturbing Allen after remembering the attack of Dru-Zod in his timeline. The Allens entered a bar to watch the news, before a blackout occurred and Zod's message began to broadcast, who was looking for Superman, a threat that Allen recognized, taking a drink before leaving with his younger self and explaining him about Zod's threat.
Allen told his younger self about Clark Kent's history as Superman, his confrontation with Zod during the Battle of Metropolis and Zod's attempt to terraform the Earth to turn it into a new Krypton, but Superman defeated him, although the attack caused several losses of innocent lives, forcing Allen to have to confess to his younger self about how he was present at the invasion, limiting himself to saving a child who saw his father die. Alarmed by the upcoming threat, Allen suggested to locate the Justice League so that together they can fight Zod and prevent numerous lives from being lost during his attack.[1]
Searching for the Justice League
"I completely broke the universe. [...] I created a world with no metahumans. And now there's no one to defend us from Zod. There's no Cyborg. There's no Aquaman. There's no Wonder Woman. There's no Superman. There's no Batman."
"So... you're the same person as him... but from an alternate timeline." "Yes." "In which you and I are friends?" "Yeah. You're like probabily my best friend."
"Shut up! Shut up! You have no idea how lucky you are! No idea! You take everything for granted! You don't even appreciate! You just walk around thinking that you're so funny and so cool! And it's embarrasing because you're not any of those things!"
"I've read all about temporal paradoxes and causal loops. But this is more than that. Inevitable intersections are something none of the theories could have anticipated 'cause, well, how do you explain that except for... fate?"
"This is going to work, right?" "Of course it's gonna work. Nothing we haven't done before. Besides, this time we have Batman. What could go wrong?" "Uh, for the record, I think this is insane."
"In my world, Superman showed up right away when Zodcalled him out. So, as of now, we're in uncharted territory. What I do know is that Zod somehow controls the WorldEngines, which will be destroying much more than just Metropolis now with every passing second that we don't stop him."
"Barry, listen. There's something I should tell you. I went back in time initially, because..." "Yeah, it's because mom died." "But how do you know?" "Doesn't matter...does it?" "You do know that I have to undo what I did." "...No. No, it's not a mistake. We can save her and we can save them." "No, we can't. This is what Bruce was talking about. Barry, this is inevitable. We can try a million times and we're not gonna be able to fix this. No matter what we do... this world dies. Today."
"Mr. Allen, can you tell us a bit more about what happened, please?" "Well, um... the tomatoes moved from the bottom shelf, to the top shelf, and subsequently, uncooked the spaghetti. Unquote." "I'm sorry, that makes absolutely no sense. What are you talking about, sir?"
Barry Allen is a remarkably intelligent and determined individual, becoming a highly skilled forensic scientist to prove the innocence of his imprisoned father Henry Allen in the death of his mother Nora Allen. As the Flash, Barry is determined to keep his secret identity a secret from others, demonstrated by the many excuses he came up with when confronted by Bruce Wayne, despite none of them being convincing enough to fool the latter. When finally exposed by Bruce, Barry was quick to agree to join the Justice League, due to his great desire to gain friends he could relate to.
However, despite his incredible powers and happy personality, Barry initially remained insecure and unsure of himself, since all of his League teammates seemed prepared to do battle against Steppenwolf's army. In addition to this, Flash had a penchant for drifting around and is plagued by multiple social disorders. However, following the battle against the Apokoliptian forces, Barry developed a stronger sense of confidence, as seen when he didn't hesitate to face the disoriented Superman after his resurrection, despite being visibly terrified.
Despite his tragic childhood, Barry is quite laid-back, witty, bubbly, and somewhat childish and humorous, in stark contrast to the very calm, mature, dark, and serious Batman, as well as most of the Justice League. Regardless of these differences though, the Flash idolizes Batman, promptly expressing a desire to keep a Batarang, and gushing about seeing the Bat-Signal. The Flash seems to idolize and admire Superman just as much, however, as the Man of Steel's heroic death is what inspired Barry to also more openly use his own metahuman powers and come out into the light as the Flash.
Barry's humorous attitude, however, initially annoys his fellow Justice Leaguers; Batman and Aquaman in particular, as well as Cyborg, and even the considerate Wonder Woman, though she still treats him with compassion.[13]
Barry was nonetheless able to strike up friendships with most of them: bonding with Victor Stone over their similar accidents and insecurities, looking up to Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince as mentors, formed a love-hate relationship with Aquaman, whom Barry often jokes about his rumor of having sex with fish, and developing a friendly rivalry with Superman, even challenging him to a race to the Pacific coast to see which one of them was truly faster. Barry can also be extremely serious on occasion, notably during his regular visits to his imprisoned father, Henry Allen.
Barry from Flashpoint, a version of Barry that never experienced his mother's death, was even more laid-back, silly, and immature, as well as less intelligent. This annoyed and angered the original Barry, who accuses his younger self of taking his happy life for granted, and not challenging himself. Growing up with more tragedy also made Barry more resilient to tragedy and corruption, since unlike Flashpoint Barry, he didn't become the Dark Flash.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
"So you're fast." "That feels like an oversimplification."
Speed Force Conduit: Barry Allen, after being struck by lightning and doused in nearby chemicals, gained a metahuman connection to the Speed Force, an extra-dimensional energy field, granting him many speed-based superhuman abilities, as the Flash.
Superhuman Speed: Flash is capable of moving at tremendous hypersonic speeds, an ability so powerful that his movements are invisible to the naked eye. He notably ran from a fridge to knock out a mugger and returned before the milk bottle he was holding could fall. Later, he was able to draw on a man's face when visiting his father in Iron Heights too fast for him or anybody else to notice. When the Justice League attempted to restrain a confused and angry Superman following his resurrection, Flash was able to evade the majority of the Kryptonian's attacks, only being hit due to stumbling. Similarly, Flash was able to dodge many blows from General Zod, Faora, and Nam-Ek in Flashpoint's alternate timelines. This shows that Flash is faster than super-powered Kryptonians, though not by much, since a few minutes after Flash dodged Superman's initial attacks, Superman was able to dodge Flash's superspeed charge (forcing Flash to run into Aquaman). Similarly, General Zod adjusted and synchronized his movements with Flash a few minutes later, hurling Supergirl into him. Flash, however, may not have been using his full speed, and so later Superman and Flash decided to settle which one of them is faster with a race. At his fastest moments, the Flash is able to force himself to move beyond the speed of light in order to go back in time, such as when he undid the Unity and prevented his mother's death. In addition, the intensity of the Flash's speed allows him to deliver superhumanly strong attacks (enough to leave Aquaman dazed for a few minutes after an accidental collision, and even make Kryptonians stumble, and break through Kryptonian visors), as well as to run along vertical surfaces, across the surface of water, through solid matter, into other dimensions of the Multiverse, and even through time itself.
Afterimage Projection: By combining his powers of speed and vibration, the Flash is able to generate a ghost effect that effectively prospects afterimages of himself from a few seconds before.
Tornado Generation: By spinning in super-speed, Flash can generate a tornado, charged with Speed Force lightning. This can take the form of a narrow tornado, or a wider vortex.
Superhuman Metabolism: Because of Flash's accelerated metabolism, he burns calories at an accelerated rate, keeping his body slim and fit, so this requires him to intake a very high amount of calories to function normally. Due to this, Flash describes himself as a "snack hole": a black hole of snacks.
Regenerative Healing Factor: Flash's speed extends to him on a biological level, and thus, his metabolism functions faster than that of humans, which allows him to heal any injuries (as long as they aren't lethal) within a short time frame. Hence, Flash required only a few minutes to heal from getting shot in the leg by a Parademon plasma bolt.
Enhanced taste: Flash's boosted metabolism also makes food taste more intense to him than before.
Alcoholic Immunity: Flash's boosted metabolism makes him unable to get drunk.
Barry's slow-motion perception
Superhuman Reflexes: Flash possesses reflexes far greater than those of a human. This allows him to easily react to danger and events and perceive the world in slow motion. Fortunately for Flash's sanity, he can relax this ability to enable himself to interact with and tolerate the real world. While in this state, Flash is also able to outpace the speed of other forces like gravity (even the fluctuating gravity around a World Engine), allowing him to move faster than an object that can be affected by gravity and begin falling. His reflexes are faster than normal people can even perceive. Hence, Flash was able to easily dodge a batarang thrown at him by Bruce Wayne, with it appearing to be moving at him in slow motion (at least 62 times slower than in real-time), and Bruce himself almost frozen in place from Barry's perspective. While saving Iris West from a car crash, Barry sees her and the flying objects around her as if they were suspended in mid-air. Even the superhumanly fast Wonder Woman is far slower than Flash, and is seen to be moving in slow motion from his perspective. However, Superman and Flashpoint's General Zod are both shown to be capable of moving at a similar speed, able to nearly match Flash on several occasions, and outpace him on others, to the point where Flash and Superman made a friendly wager afterwards, in a race to see who is truly faster.
Accelerated Perception: This allows Flash to easily react to danger and events and perceive the world in slow motion.
Superhuman Momentum: While moving at an accelerated speed, Flash generates superhuman levels of momentum, which allow him to enhance the force behind his movements and attacks, often propelling people and objects several feet, which Flash uses to compensate for his otherwise average physical strength. Hence, Flash was able to easily mow down an entire squad of Parademons by colliding with them at an immense speed, defeating Captain Boomerang in the same swift manner, sending a mugger flying with a single push. When saving Iris from her car accident, Flash had to carefully guide her out of danger to prevent her from getting whiplash. When Flash accidentally collides with the extremely durable Aquaman, he sends the latter flying into some steps, breaking them and leaving the Atlantean dazed for several minutes. Flash is even able to send some Kryptonians flying a few feet from these collisions, and is able to break through some of their visors with super-speed punches.
Momentum Negation: Flash also can come to a full stop, despite the extreme inertia of his movements, allowing him to further the illusion of having not moved at all if he moves at super speed and returns to his previous location before anyone can notice it.
Superhuman Agility: Flash's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to superhuman levels, allowing him to navigate while moving at superhuman speed. Thus, Flash managed to dodge most of the attacks from Steppenwolf and some from Superman, Flashpoint General Zod and Flashpoint Faora. This coordination, however, isn't an intuitive trait, as Barry was still initially a bit clumsy, sometimes tripping over himself mid-run. He improves his agility with practice though, being far less clumsy than his younger Flashpoint self.
Superhuman Stamina: Flash's body can handle the stress of moving at superhuman speeds for extended periods without getting tired or weak, so long as he's not running on an empty stomach.
Superhuman Durability: Flash is capable of resisting tremendous kinetic impact forces that could easily crush or kill a human, without suffering any serious external or internal injuries. However, if he stands still, he is no more durable than a human, hence Flash was wounded by a Parademon's plasma bolt.
Molecular Oscillation: Flash can vibrate his molecules to generate friction and manipulating his tangibility.
Intangibility: Flash can phase himself through solid objects by vibrating his molecules at super speed. If he is holding onto someone else while phasing, the other person will also phase with him. He quickly phased to avoid the Unity's destruction in order to go back in time, and later to phase out of Flashpoint General Zod's grip. Flash can also use his intangible phasing offensively, forcing his vibrating hand through the otherwise invulnerable Faora and several other Kryptonians, which knocked some of them out. After temporarily losing his powers, Barry is able to quickly teach his younger Flashpoint self how to phase.
Interdimensional Travel: Flash's incredible speed enables him to travel into other realities of the Multiverse.
Time-Travel: Flash can run fast enough to break through the fabric of the space-time continuum, enabling him to travel forward or back in time, to monitor or alter past events. Flash notably went back in time a few minutes, to help Superman and Cyborg stop the Unity, and later to prevent his mother's death.
Time Regression: Flash can rewind or reverse time.
"I might be able to do it. I mean, I- I might be able to jumpstart it. I- I don't like to break this rule, but when I approach the speed of light, I-- look, crazy things happen to time, but if I do it, I create massive electrical power. I can backtrack. If I can get enough distance, I can conduct a significant enough electrical current, I- I might be able to wake the box if that's... s-still what we want?"
Electricity Generation: While moving at incredible speeds, Barry generates powerful bolts of electricity which can cause nearby technology to short-circuit or overload. He was able to charge himself enough to charge a Mother Box with enough energy to jump-start Scout Ship 0344's Genesis Chamber. According to Amanda Waller's files, Flash can also charge the air vortexes that he generates with electricity, thereby further increasing its offensive capabilities. That is later demonstrated when Flash fights General Zod in Flashpoint's alternate timelines. Flash's lightning is powerful enough to make Nam-Ek and several other Kryptonians pause and stumble, and, after Flash supercharges his lightning by running around a bit, it becomes powerful enough to break through Nam-Ek's armor. Flash is also capable of using this ability for smaller, more precise scales, such as lightning a firecracker with a tiny spark he generated by snapping his fingers. Interestingly, Barry's lightning coloration changes dependent on whether he wears his latest Flash suit - his lightning is sapphire blue without it, and golden yellow with it.
Abilities
"You can be whatever you want to be. You're a brilliant man. Absolute best of the best."
Genius-Level Intellect: Barry Allen is an exceptionally intelligent science enthusiast, with aptitudes in physics, forensics, and engineering. Notably, Barry was capable of designing and building his Flash suit from anti-friction material employed by NASA, impressing even Batman with the sophistication. Since his childhood, Barry has been devoted to dedicating himself to studying forensic science to prove his father's innocence in the murder of his mother, which is why he is much smarter than Flashpoint Barry, who had never had to mentally challenge himself though such dedication.
Expert Engineer/Scientist: Barry Allen possesses an intimate understanding of quantum mechanics, mechanical engineering, and electronics, allowing him to construct the sophisticated Flash suit using materials that, in addition to holding up against immense levels of heat and friction, ground the excess currents of energy he experiences while moving at tremendous speeds.[14] He is also able to explain the scientific aspects of some of his powers to his Flashpoint counterpart.
Musician: Barry claimed he's capable of playing the viola to Bruce Wayne.
Bilingualism: Barry speaks his native English and also sign language. He also claims to know gorilla sign language, but there is no difference between the sign languages used by humans and gorillas, so this is an attempt at humor.
Expert Combatant: Despite initially having no formal training in hand-to-hand combat, Barry's abilities allow him to execute attacks against opponents with superhuman amounts of force. He was able to easily subdue Captain Boomerang with a single blow, sending a mugger flying with a single push, and dodge multiple attacks from Superman, before being defeated. However, Flash himself has admitted to Batman that he is very inexperienced. After training some more with the Justice League though, Flash improves, enough to teach his younger Flashpoint self how to use his powers in combat. Though that training, both Flashes worked together to subdue Faora, Nam-Ek, and several other Kryptonians - breaking through their visors with either super-fast punches, Speed Force lightning, or pieces of Kryptonian metal. Flash also helps Supergirl in many iterations of her final battle with General Zod, though they fail each time. Flash was also able to take down many Parademons single-handedly during the War for Earth.
Skilled Teacher: Barry is able to instruct his younger Flashpoint self on how to get his powers, and how to effectively use them. Despite initially not making much headway with his scatterbrained, silly, and immature younger self, Barry eventually imparts the younger Barry with enough knowledge for them to effectively find Batman, rescue Supergirl, and even take down multiple Kryptonians. The younger Barry grew to look up to Barry, and even sacrificed his own life to save his mentor from the Dark Flash.
Weaknesses
Insufficient Nutrition: Flash's accelerated metabolism forces him to eat and drink and huge amounts of food every so often. If he consumes less, his speed and reflexes will begin to falter. This notably happens when he tries to save a falling nurse and babies - he weakens, and is forced to pause his rescue to eat the nearby food that is falling next to them.
Equipment
Other Equipment
Flash wearing the micro compressive suit.
Flash Suit: Allen originally wore a homemade suit made up of his normal clothes, with a white ski mask, helmet, and elbow and knee pads, to withstand his speed and protect him from impacts. After his upgraded suit was destroyed by Girder, Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth made a new, micro compressive suit for Allen. The suit has golden paneling on the boots of the suit with lightning styled braces around the forearms, helmet wings, emblem, and belt. The piping although glows yellow when Flash actively uses his Speed Force abilities, with the suit causing his normal blue lightning to glow yellow instead. The suit is worn by Barry to protect him from the immense friction encountered when he runs, as well as being overall resistant to extreme temperatures. If Flash wears a suit not designed for a speedster, he will have to take breaks, to avoid building up too much charge in the suit.
Flash Ring: Allen uses this ring, designed for him by Alfred Pennyworth, to hold his micro compressive suit in.
Monkey: Barry Allen's beloved stuffed monkey, which he keep after his mother's death as a gift from her. He treat it with a lot of respect and got mad at his younger counterpart for treating it like a target shooting.
Phone: Allen owns a phone with which he answers calls from his co-workers from Central City Research Center and his teammates from the Justice League, specially from Pennyworth and Wayne.
Former Equipment
Allen's former upgraded suit.
Upgraded Suit: Allen would start to work on a new, more effective suit after the Black Zero Event. This new suit was of a scarlet color with high tensile wires holding the various pieces together, emblazoned with a golden lightning bolt design on the chest. The suit was composed of specific materials, with Bruce Wayne noting that it was constructed from the same silica-based quartz fabric employed by NASA to protect spaceships during re-entry from burning up. This suit was destroyed by Girder during an attack on Central City Bank planned by the latter.
Batman's Electric Chair: Allen used an electric chair with chemicals on shelves around it in an attempt to get his Speed Force powers back. Unfortunately for him, the first attempt failed and he only got seriously injured. It wasn't until Kara Zor-El took him on her arms to storm that he got his powers back.
Flying Fox: Allen and the Justice League boarded this plane to go to Russia, Pozharnov to face Steppenwolf. After winning the battle, Allen and his teammates returned home on the Flying Fox.
In the comics, Bartholomew Henry Allen was a forensic scientist who was struck by a lightning bolt and fell into a coma. When he awoke, he could think and move at incredible speeds. After deciding to use his powers to become a hero, he created a red suit and became The Flash.
During the Battle with the Kryptonians, Barry's younger self was about to be killed by a Kryptonian soldier until his Older self saves him by vibrating his right hand which ended up killing the Kryptonian soldier in the process. In the Arrowverse, their version of the Flash pulled the same move called the Reverse-Flash.
Originally, Barry's birth date was given as September 30, 1992 on his college ID card and May 2, 1983 on his driver's license, as shown in the Justice League art book. However, this was later changed in the Flash film where Barry's birth date would land in 1995.
Curiously, September 30 is just one day after Barry gets his powers.
The reason as to why Flash's run style looks so weird is because of loss of traction when he starts to run, making him look like he is gliding.
This is the first big-screen incarnation of the Flash.
Barry is the first person in the DC Extended Universe to coin the terms "Speed Force".
Barry is usually portrayed as a blond with blue eyes, but the DCEU version is black-haired with brown eyes.
Barry is stated to still be a college student when he joins the Justice League, making the Flash one of the youngest members, along with Cyborg.
Although his superhero alter ego "Flash" is seemingly never mentioned in dialogue in any of the films, he is mentioned by that name in Suicide Squad during the intro sequence of the film, as part of the file Amanda Waller has compiled about Digger Harkness, indicating that A.R.G.U.S. is the first to refer to him by that name.
The only people who know Barry's identity as the Flash, other than the members of both JusticeLeagues, are Lex Luthor and Alfred Pennyworth.
Barry is Jewish, which he mentions when he describes a picture of himself to Bruce Wayne.
Coincidentally, his actor, Ezra Miller, is also Jewish.
Barry is right-handed, and, supposedly, can play the viola and is fluent in Sign Language.
Barry also mentioned a fluency in "Gorilla Sign Language", a reference to the Flash telepathic villain Gorilla Grodd.
Barry is a fan of Rick and Morty and the Back to the Future franchise.
Barry is virgin.
In Zack Snyder's Justice League, one of the names Barry comes up with as his superhero alter-ego is Lightning Lad. In DC Comics, Lightning Lad is the name of a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, an organization of young heroes from the 30th Century.
The Flash makes a small cameo appearance in the hand-drawn "imaginary" adventures in the credits of Shazam!, racing against Darla Dudley in her superhero form.
Barry's usual breakfast order is peanut butter, bananas, raisins, honey and cheese on a roll, which is usually ready for him because he is habitually late for work.
Chronologically, the first and last lines of Flash are "No honor among thieves, eh?" in Suicide Squad and "Wouldn't miss this for the world" in Blackout.
Justice League erroneously has Cyborg giving the Wesley Rowe military ID the birth date of November 5, 2010, a detail that would place Barry Allen's false persona at around 7 years old at the time of the events of the film. The birthdate Cyborg gives the ID in Zack Snyder's Justice League is September 30, 1997, a more feasible birth date for Wesley Rowe.
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