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"Here's the thing [...] it's really cool, you guys seem ready to do battle and stuff, but I've never done battle! I've just pushed some people and run away!"
Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a young man who was struck by lightning, gaining the metahuman ability to move and vibrate his molecules at incredible superhuman speeds. Using these powers, he became the vigilante hero known as the Flash.[2]
He would eventually be discovered by Lex Luthor, who compiled evidence supporting his Metahuman Thesis, and would evidently become recruited by Batman and Wonder Woman to be a member of the Justice League (ironically due to a future version of himself warning Batman to do so), in order to help defend Earth against the imminent alien invasion of Steppenwolf and his Parademon army.
Following his recruitment to the team, Flash played a pivotal role in the resurrection of Superman following his death. With the team now fully assembled, Flash contributed to the successful assault against the forces of Apokolips, forcing the alien invasion into retreat. Afterwards, Barry decided to introduce the world to the Flash, becoming an official superhero as Central City's guardian.
Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen was born on September 30, 1992, to Henry Allen, a doctor, and Nora Thompson-Allen, an optimistic farmgirl.
At age 9, his mother was killed at home by an unknown individual, but the blame for her murder was wrongly placed on his father, who was sent to Central City prison as a result. Due to this, Barry became obsessed with forensic science for years, hoping to one day personally prove his father's innocence.
Becoming a Speedster
One night, while working on his mother's case, Barry was struck by lightning, which gave him the power to move, think and act at inhuman speeds, as well as the ability to vibrate his body on a microscopic level. [3]
Monitored by Lex Luthor
Barry Allen caught on a security camera.
Lex Luthor kept an eye on Barry (whom he nicknamed the "Flash" and "Red Streak"), as he did with other recorded metahumans. The security camera of a pharmacy showed Barry walking over to a fridge, picking up a milk bottle, but then his attention is drawn away when he sees a mugger holding the cashier at gunpoint.
With his super speed, Barry races over to the counter and knocked the mugger out cold as his lightning trail caused the lights to momentarily flicker. Barry did all of that at such incredible speeds, that by the time he'd run back to the fridge where he'd left the milk bottle, it was still in the same place in the air, not having enough time to fall down. Lex Luthor was ultimately able to hack into the security cameras, and thus finally perceive the young speedster hero in action[4].
After Superman's heroic death, the alien hero became a beacon of hope and inspiration for Barry, inducing the latter to also more openly use his metahuman powers and come out into the light of Central City. Thus, now operating openly with his powers as the scarlet speedster superhero nicknamed "the Flash", Barry is able to swiftly and easily stop Captain Boomerang's attempted bank robbery, knocking the infamous Australian mercenary out with his extreme momentum, leading to Boomerang's imprisonment in Belle Reve.
Barry went to visit his father, Henry Allen, in prison, where Henry has been since being wrongly convicted of murdering his wife, Nora Allen, since Barry's childhood. Afterwards, Barry would head back to his apartment.
Barry returns to his base of operations and puts his hand on a circuit breaker, which turns on with just a few sparks. The lights come on and reveal Barry's home, which is filled with monitors displaying diagnostics of his suit, as well as a Rick and Morty cartoon. In the dark, sitting in Barry's "second favorite" chair is Bruce Wayne, who was able to swiftly track the young metahuman down using Amanda Waller's files. He introduces himself to a dismayed and confused Barry, promptly handing him a printout of the security camera footage he found on the LexCorp files.
Barry instantly recognizes himself in the photo and tries, unsuccessfully, to dismiss the person as merely someone who looks like him, is Jewish, and who drinks milk, claiming that he does not do so himself. Bruce surveys his base, ignoring Barry's attempts at deflecting, and tells Barry that he knows the latter has abilities but just needs to know what they are. Barry nervously rambles about his personal skills, including "very competitive ice dancing", when Bruce suddenly hurls a batarang at him as hard as possible, but Barry uses his speed to dodge and catch it.
Recognizing it, an awed Barry deduces that Bruce is the Batman. Bruce notes his abilities as being fast, but Barry digresses, calling the deduction an oversimplification. Bruce moves on, tells him about the team he is putting together to battle a powerful enemy, and almost immediately, Barry wants in. Bruce is momentarily confused, but when Barry tells him that he needs friends, he accepts his decision. Barry, admiring the batarang, promptly asks Bruce if he can keep it as a souvenir.
Second Invasion of Earth
"Save one person. Don't talk, don't fight. Get in, get one out." "And then?" "You'll know."
"Bruce, listen to me now! It's Lois, it's Lois Lane! She's the key! Am I too soon?! Aaaah, I'm too soon! You were right about him! You've always been right about him! Fear him! Find us, Bruce, you have to find us!"
The Flash traveled back from a possible future to the Batcave, appearing in a vortex of bright blue Speed Force energy, warning Batman of the dangers that the future might hold, regarding Superman becoming the ruthless totalitarian dictator of Earth (commanding both Regime Stormtroopers and Parademons), that Batman had always been right about and should fear "him", which could only be avoided if "she" was saved from death, and that Lois Lane is "the key". A nightmarish vision accompanies this message, showing the final days of the Insurgency's Injustice War with the Regime, resulting in it's crushing defeat and that future's Batman's death. Present day Batman quickly wakes up shortly thereafter, and whether or not this was a dream remains unknown, but Batman himself appears not to think so,[4] hence, following Superman's death, he finally heeds the Flash's request, which leads to him and his new ally Wonder Woman tracking down the metahumans on Lex Luthor's files, and forming the Justice League with them.
Barry Allen is a remarkably intelligent and determined individual, becoming a highly skilled forensic scientist in an effort 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, Flash initially remained insecure and unsure of himself, since all of his League teammates seemed prepared to do battle against Steppenwolf's army, while Flash, as he modestly admits, has never been in an actual battle before, since up until then, he would just ambush villains like Captain Boomerang and run away. 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.
Barry, excited at the prospect of making new friends.
Despite his tragic childhood, Barry is quite laid-back, witty, bubbly, somewhat childish and humorous, in stark contrast to the very calm, mature, dark and serious Batman. Regardless of these differences though, Flash idolizes Batman, promptly expressing a desire to keep a batarang, and gushing about seeing the Bat-Signal. 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 scarlet speedster superhero 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.[5] 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, 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.
Powers and Abilities
"So, you're fast." "That feels like an oversimplification."
Speedster Physiology: Barry Allen, after being struck by lightning (and doused with some nearby chemicals in the process), gained a metahuman connection to the Speed Force (a name Flash personally coined), an extra-dimensional energy field, granting him many speed-based abilities.
Flash is capable of moving at tremendous hypersonic speeds, an ability so powerful that his movements are invisible to the naked eye[4][6], faster than even that of Superman, thus making Flash the fastest member of the Justice League. Flash notably ran away from a fridge, knocked out a pharmacy mugger, and ran back to the fridge (all so quickly, that the milk bottle left by him in the air was still in the exact same place, not having enough time to fall); easily dodged a Parademon's plasma bolts, and then promptly proceeded to run behind the latter's back and send the Parademon flying (all before it could even react)[7]. He also managed to dodge most of resurrected Superman's blows (only getting hit once), ran neck-and-neck with Superman during the Parademon final battle, and even ultimately challenged Superman to a race. The intensity of his speed allows Flash to deliver superhumanly strong blows (via his incredible momentum), as well as to run up or along vertical surfaces, across the surface of water, through solid matter, into other planes of frequency, and even though time.[2]
Accelerated Metabolic Healing Factor: Barry's speed extends to him on a microscopic level, and thus, his metabolism is far faster than that of a normal human, allowing him to heal and regenerate from any bone or flesh injuries without lingering side-effects within a short time span, with him even able to recuperate from injuries that are highly crippling. Hence, Flash required only a few minutes to heal from getting shot in the leg by a Parademon plasma bolt. However, because of his body's ability function at an accelerated speed, he burns calories at an accelerated rate, keeping his body slim and fit. Due to this, Flash needs to intake a superhumanly high amount of calories (typically in the form of whatever food he can find) in order to function normally. Indeed, Flash describes himself as a 'food hole': a black hole of food.
Super Reflexes:
Barry's slow-motion speedster perception.
Flash's speed extends to his reflexes as well, even if he is not moving at super speed, as he managed to easily dodge a batarang thrown at him by Batman, with it appearing to be moving at him in slow motion (at least 62 times slower than in reality[8]), and Batman himself frozen in place, from Flash's perspective. While in this state, he was shown to still able to outpace not only moving objects, but the speed of other forces, such as gravity, allowing him to move faster than an object can be affected by gravity and begin falling, as he did when stopping a mugger while leaving a milk jug in the air for him to return to and grab before it started falling. Indeed, even the contrarily fast Wonder Woman and Aquaman appear to move in slow motion from Flash's perspective; however, Superman is shown to be capable of moving at similar speed, as he was able to match Flash himself on one occasion.
Flash, due to his great speed, generates superhuman levels of momentum, and while this does not enhance his strength (which is that of a normal human), it does greatly increase the force behind his attacks, making them equivalent to those of significantly greater strength. Hence, Flash was able to easily mow down an entire squad of Parademons by colliding with them at immense speed, to effortlessly take down Captain Boomerang in the same swift manner, and even to send a mugger flying with a single push[7]. This force, however, is not sufficient enough to injure people of tremendous nigh-invulnerable durability, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman, but it may momentarily stun them.
Momentum Negation: Flash also has the ability to come to a full stop despite the extreme momentum of his motion, with Barry notably not breaking a milk bottle after running back and catching it in mid-air at super speed. This allows him to further the illusion of having not moved at all if he travels at super speed and then returns to the exact location he started at before anyone can perceive it[4]. Thus, Flash also avoids breaking anything while speedily exploring the Batcave.
Super Stamina: Flash possesses immense superhuman stamina, which allows him to withstand the stress of moving at high speeds for extended periods of time without growing tired or weak.
Super Agility: Flash possesses the agility, dexterity, and stability to effortlessly navigate while moving at superhuman speed, which allows him to easily maneuver in combative circumstances and easily avoid projectile fire. Thus, Flash managed to dodge many of Steppenwolf and resurrected Superman's blows, though he would ultimately get hit once on both occasions. This coordination, however, isn't an intuitive trait, as Barry is still slightly clumsy.
Flash, by fluctuating parts of his body at the right frequency, can disrupt the molecular stability of certain objects and materials, such as glass.
Intangibility: Flash, due to his incredible speed, when vibrating any part of his body, can thereby phase himself through solid objects.[2]
Inter-frequency Travel: Flash's incredible speed enables him to travel into other planes of frequency, where other realities are located.[2]
Time-Travel:
Future Flash's message to Batman
Flash can run fast enough to break open holes in the fabric of the space-time continuum, enabling him to travel back in time and re-visit past events, which is arguably the most powerful aspect of his speed. Hence, the Flash from a possible future briefly traveled back to the past, appearing to Batman in a vortex of bright blue Speed Force lightning, warning him of the upcoming potential dangers regarding Superman and Lois Lane, and an upcoming apocalyptic Injustice War between the Regime and Insurgency.[2], and showing Batman a vision of this potential future in the form of a nightmarish dream. However, Barry isn't always accurate with this technique, as he notably traveled too far back in time when delivering this message to Batman, which left the latter unable to fully grasp the meaning of his warning. Flash can ultimately use this ability to alter specific events in the past, which is how he eventually created the Flashpoint alternative timeline.
A Speed Force lightning path generated by the Flash.
Flash, when moving at incredible speeds, can generate bolts of blue Speed Force lightning which trail behind him when he runs, and cause electronic technology nearby to short-circuit, overload, or even burst into sparks. Flash can also harness this lightning as projectiles while running, notably sending a bolt at Cyborg's Mother Box, helping to resurrect Superman. According to Amanda Waller's files, Flash can also charge the air vortexes that he generates with Speed Force electricity, thereby further increasing their offensive capabilities.[citation needed]
Peak Human Condition: Barry Allen, as a result of his metahuman transformation, is in top physical condition from usage of his powers as the Flash.
Gifted Intelligence: Barry Allen is exceptionally intelligent, capable of making his Flash suit from the specific anti-friction fibers employed by NASA, impressing even Batman with the sophisticated craftsmanship. Indeed, his father Henry Allen claims that Barry is smart enough to become whoever he wants. Given his youth and inexperience at being a superhero, however, Barry is somewhat naive in practical life, hence he occasionally asked Batman for advice, and he was easily outwitted and spied on by supergenius Lex Luthor.
Forensic Expert: Barry Allen is a highly skilled forensic scientist, and is confident in his ability to ultimately prove his father Henry Allen's innocence in the murder of his mother Nora Allen, while exposing the enigmatic true murderer in the process.[2]
Musician: Barry claims to be viola player.
Bilingualism: Apart from his native English, Barry claims to be fluent in Sign Language.
Despite his incredible abilities and the possibilities they hold, the Flash is not infallible. As such, when pitted against individuals of great power, such as his fellow Justice Leaguers, Barry must express great caution, as these individuals possess the power and skill to kill him, should they manage to catch or otherwise disable him. Hence, Flash was easily knocked out when hit by a glancing blow from the incredibly powerful Superman, and later injured by the New God warlord Steppenwolf. Also, when facing individuals capable of moving at comparable speeds, such as Superman, Barry is at a disadvantage, as he is forced to rely on his other abilities when facing them.
Flash's greatest psychological weakness is that despite his incredible powers, he is insecure and has low-self esteem, which stem from his inexperience as a superhero. Hence, when the Justice League assembles, Flash admits to Batman that while he admires his new friends' battle readiness, he himself lacks it. However, after battling with Steppenwolf's forces, Flash gradually becomes more confident, and thus does not hesitate when engaging resurrected Superman.
Limited Durability: As he is still human, Flash possesses no invulnerability to protect him, and as such can be stabbed, shot or otherwise injured like any normal human, though his metahuman healing factor keeps this weakness from being too crippling. Hence, Flash required only a few minutes to heal from getting shot by a Parademon. He was, however, easily knocked out when hit by Superman, and later Steppenwolf, despite the blows being glancing.
Limited Strength: Flash, despite his ability to generate powerful attacks (due to his incredible momentum), is not otherwise superhumanly strong. Though his physiology was enhanced upon his transformation, when it comes to physical output, Barry is physically the weakest Justice League member. Hence, Flash cannot accomplish any other superhuman strength feats, such as lifting or shifting incredible weights.
Fueling of Accelerated Metabolism: Flash's metabolism, despite being beneficial, also burns calories at an accelerated rate, keeping his body slim and fit. Due to this, Flash needs to every so often intake a superhumanly large amount of nutritional calories (requiring him to eat immense amounts of food) in order to function normally, since Flash will otherwise be rendered disoriented and weak from low blood glucose. Indeed, Flash describes himself as 'food hole': a black hole of food.
Flash suit: Barry Allen wears a protective scarlet suit (with high tensile wires holding the various pieces together) with a golden lightning bolt design on the chest as his superhero alter-ego, the Flash. The suit is composed of specific materials, with Bruce Wayne noting that it is constructed from the same silicone-based quartz component that NASA uses to protect spaceships from burning up during re-entry, in order to avoid the suit burning up from the immense air friction encountered when Barry runs, as well as being overall resistant to extreme temperatures. Barry later receives a second, more updated suit, made for him by Bruce. It is slightly similar to Bruce's suit, though is armor plated.
Barry Allen wore a mechanically altered version of his suit in a seemingly alternate reality, where Superman became a malevolent vengeful tyrant opposed by Batman. This suit is more armored and streamlined, while also having a retractable protective helmet that covers Barry's head and face, while the traditional cowl is underneath it.
