The History of The Flash

Origin
When Barry Allen was only eleven, his mother was killed. His father was wrongly tried and convicted for the murder, and later died in prison where Barry watched him. However, the young Allen refused to believe that his father was guilty of the crime. His life ground to a halt as he dedicated himself to finding the real murderer and, more importantly, finding the motive behind the murder. Because of this, Allen studied forensic science, and dedicated himself to solving not only his mother's case, but those of other people in his situation.


After graduating, Allen found work with the Central City Police Department as a police scientist, with a well-known habit for slowness and lateness. Working late in the lab one night, a rack of chemicals that he was working next to was struck by lightning, and Allen was doused in chemicals. Surprisingly unharmed, Allen cleaned up the mess and returned to work, but soon noticed that the world appeared to be moving much slower than normal. He soon realized that it was not the world that had slowed, but himself who had sped up. An avid fan of comic books, especially the adventures of the Jay Garrick Flash, Barry decided to follow in his hero's footsteps and fight crime, taking Garrick's superhero name as a form of tribute. Experiments with his powers revealed that not only was he super fast (faster than time when he tries), but he could vibrate his molecules, allowing him to appear invisible and phase through solid objects. He could also think and process information at light speed. His girlfriend's adoptive father, Ira West, created a suit that could deal with his powers, and chemically shrunk it so it could fit into a ring for ease of portability. Though much of his crime fighting was limited to Central City, Allen constructed a Cosmic Treadmill to allow him to travel to alternate dimensions.

After Flashpoint, The Flash is partly responsible for the creation of a new timeline in which the entire universe has been compressed and altered into a five year timeline. For Barry Allen, his origin is only slightly altered. As it was originally, Barry's father is blamed for the death of Barry's mother. After his father goes to prison for the murder, Barry is placed in the hands of Darryl Frye, a police officer that may have had a relationship with Barry's mother. Barry is raised by Frye and because of his connections to the police force Barry becomes interested in working for law enforcement. During his college years Barry would meet with Manuel Lago at a party and soon become close friends until Manuel went into a military program, where the two would lose touch. For years Barry would visit his father in prison, much to his fathers pleads to stop and move on. Barry would do no such thing and would in his spare time at the science lab try to figure out his mother's murder and prove his father's innocence. One such night, Barry would get angry and throw one of the machines out the window, allowing an opening for a lightning bolt to shoot into the lab, hit Barry, and dose him in chemicals, connecting him to the Speed Force. After this, we would become The Flash. Some time later, Barry would be forced to join the Justice League during Darkseid's attack on planet Earth, locking himself in as a founding member.

Creation

Barry Allen was created by Robert Kanigher, John Broome and Carmine Infantino. He made his first comic book appearance in October 1956 in the pages of Showcase #4.

Character Evolution

Golden Age
Allen and a group of other heroes decided to form a crime fighting team after they banded together to defeat an attempted alien invasion. This team became an important part of Barry's development as a hero, as Barry, already immensely popular with the public, became close with other member's of the superhero community, especially Hal Jordan, who would become his close friend. An accidental trip to another dimension brought Allen face to face with his childhood hero, Jay Garrick, with whom he foiled a villainous plot.

Barry's girlfriend and later wife, Iris West, had a nephew named Wally. The son of distant and unloving parents, Wally longed to escape his home of Blue Valley and travel to Central City where the only family member he was close to lived, as well as his hero, the Flash. One summer Iris invited Wally to stay with her and Barry. Allen took Wally to the lab and, in an amazing coincidence, the sequence of events that gave Allen his powers occurred again, leaving Wally with the same powers as his uncle. Wally joined Allen in his crime fighting, becoming the sidekick Kid Flash.

During the 1980s, Allen suffered a series personal tragedies. His wife, Iris, was murdered by Professor Zoom. Allen eventually planned a marriage to another woman, but she was also targeted by Zoom. Allen was able to save her, however in so doing he failed to appear at their wedding, and his fiancee eventually went insane. Zoom, meanwhile, was dead by Allen's hand. Allen was put on trial for Zoom's murder, and found guilty, though it was revealed that brainwashing carried out by Abra Kadabra, disguised as the Reverse Flash, was the reason for this verdict. Allen fled to the future, and was able too defeat Kadabra. He was also reunited with Iris, whose spirit had been drawn forwards in time and reincarnated. He retired and moved to the 30th century with Iris.

His retirement did not last long, however; the Crisis on Infinite Earths disrupted his happiness. He was captured by the Anti-Monitor and dragged back to 1985. He was able to escape the Anti-Monitors' clutches, and destroyed the anti-matter cannon that was intended to destroy earth by creating a speed vortex. He was unable to handle the power of the vortex, however, and perished. His soul was absorbed into the Speed Force, and Wally took up the mantle of the Flash.

This was not the end of Barry Allen. He returned on three separate occasions to aid his nephew Wally West, helping him to deal with the worst days of his life. During the Infinite Crisis Allen, still residing in the Speed Force, entered into the regular universe along with other speedsters to combat Superboy Prime, dragging him into the Speed Force in attempt to cease his destructive rampage. Barry Allen was permanently resurrected during the Final Crisis, during which he was instrumental in bringing about the defeat of Darkseid. Unsure of why he is alive, Allen contemplates his duties in the universe. It is soon revealed that he is becoming the new Black Flash, and that his resurrection was part of the machinations of Professor Zoom. Zoom was also responsible for all the tragedy in Allen's life, including the murder of his mother. He was able to defeat Zoom with the help of the other Flashes and several other super teams.

During the Blackest Night, Allen, a beacon of hope for the entire planet, was selected as a Blue Lantern. He briefly becomes a member of the White Lantern Corps. After these events, Allen returns to his job in the police department, his life in Central City, and his job as the Flash. He is soon confronted by the Renegades, Rogues from the 25th century, and accused of murdering one of their members, the Mirror Monarch. Allen, determined to find the real killer, eventually uncovers a plot by the future version of the Top.