Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the second character known as the Flash, following Jay Garrick. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 (October 1956), created by writer Robert Kanigher and penciler Carmine Infantino. A forensic chemist, Barry accidentally gains superpowers following a lightning strike in his laboratory. Like other heroes who go by the Flash, Barry is a "speedster", with powers that derive mainly from his superhuman speed. He wears a distinct red and gold costume treated to resist friction and wind, traditionally storing the costume compressed inside a ring.
Created as a reimagining of the popular 1940s superhero The Flash (Jay Garrick), Barry Allen's popularity helped to bring about the Silver Age of Comic Books and contributed to a large growth in DC Comics' stable of science fiction comics and characters. During popular early volumes as the Flash, Barry established his own Rogues Gallery of colorful villains and sci-fi concepts like Gorilla City. Through crossovers with popular characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, Barry Allen's Flash also helped establish DC's flagship Justice League title, whose success would define its publishing strategy for decades to come.
Barry Allen's classic stories also introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics, which has played a large part in DC's many continuity reboots over the years. As a result, the Flash has traditionally always had a significant role in DC's major company-wide crossover stories, and in the crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 (November 1985), Barry Allen died saving the Multiverse and would not appear again for 23 years. His return to regular comics is foreshadowed during Grant Morrison's crossover story Final Crisis #2 (June 2008), preceding his full return in Geoff Johns' accompanying The Flash: Rebirth (June 2009) limited series. He has since played a pivotal role in the crossover stories like Blackest Night (2009), Flashpoint (2011), Convergence (2015), DC Rebirth (2016), Doomsday Clock (2017–2019), Infinite Frontier (2021), and Absolute Power (2024).
Barry Allen is an established pop culture icon and has been featured in several media, first appearing in animated form in the 1967 The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure and then in the related Super Friends program. Since then he has appeared in several DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Actor John Wesley Shipp portrayed the character in the live-action 1990s television show The Flash and the Arrowverse.
Grant Gustin portrayed the character in the Arrowverse, while Ezra Miller portrayed him in the DC Extended Universe films and related media.
Publication history
While the fictional "in world" history of the character known as "The Flash" has been written and rewritten many times as DC Comics rebooted their fictional worlds again and again, the publication history of the character has followed a different path, not (quite) so prone to rewriting.
The Flash, Barry Allen (the name Bartholomew was not used until much later), first appeared in print in Showcase #4 (October 1956). The creative team on Showcase #4 consisted of Julie Schwartz (editor), Robert Kanigher (writer), Carmine Infantino (penciler, i.e., illustrator), and Joe Kubert (inker, i.e., assistant illustrator). Robert Kanigher is on record as saying he still considers Gardner Fox as "the creator of The Flash", and his creation of Barry Allen is a reworking of that original work. As a result, no one name is easily identifiable as the character's creator.twomorrows.com - Alter Ego Edited by Roy Thomas - From Alter Ego Vol. 3 #10 - Who Created the Silver Age Flash?
Fox's superhero, "The Flash" first appeared in Flash Comics #1 in 1940. In this story the man in the costume (he wore no mask) was named Jay Garrick. He rose in popularity and appeared in four comic book titles.
After World War II, superheroes declined in popularity, causing many of the Flash's comic book series to be canceled. All-Flash was canceled in 1948 after 32 issues and Comic Cavalcade became a talking animal humor book. Flash Comics was canceled in 1949 after 104 issues. All-Star Comics was canceled in 1951 after 57 issues, marking Garrick's last Golden Age appearance.
The popularity and circulation of comic books about superheroes had declined following World War II, and comic books about horror, crime and romance took larger shares of the market. However, controversy arose over alleged links between comic books and juvenile delinquency, focusing in particular on crime, horror, and certain elements of superheroes. In 1954, publishers implemented the Comics Code Authority to regulate comic content.
In the wake of these changes, publishers began introducing superhero stories again (as preferable to crime and horror), a change that began with the introduction of a new version of DC Comics' The Flash in Showcase #4 (October 1956).
In 1956, DC Comics reinvented the Flash character, giving him a new costume, name, and background. Carmine Infantino alleged the character design was from a Captain Marvel homage he created earlier dubbed Captain Whiz. This new Flash, named Barry Allen, was completely unrelated to Jay Garrick. In fact, Garrick had never existed, as far as the new books were concerned. Barry Allen's first appearance shows him reading a copy of Flash Comics, lamenting that Garrick was "just a character some writer dreamed up". Readers welcomed the new Flash, but still had an interest in the old one. 1956's Showcase #4 featured two Flash stories, "Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!", and "The Man Who Broke the Time Barrier!" During an era marked by rapid scientific advancements and Cold War anxieties, the stories in "Showcase #4" reflect contemporary themes of technological triumph and societal stability. "Mystery of the Human Thunderbolt!" introduces Barry Allen, a police scientist who gains super-speed powers, symbolizing the era's optimism about scientific progress and the need for heroes who embody justice. The inclusion of a bank robber as a villain resonated with readers due to prevalent fears about financial security and crime. "The Man Who Broke the Time Barrier!" parallels the groundbreaking achievement of breaking the sound barrier, exploring the potential of time travel influenced by Einstein's theories, and highlighting the fascination with overcoming natural limits through science.
Also introduced at this time was Iris West, Barry Allen's then love interest (and later wife), and "Lois Lane" to his "Clark Kent". Like Lois Lane, Iris West was a reporter, in this case for Picture News.
Wally West, the nephew of Iris West Allen, first appeared in Flash #110 (1959), which depicted his transformation into Kid Flash, the "Robin" to the Flash's "Batman". Wally West would later go on to become the new Flash many years later.
Jay Garrick made a guest appearance in 1961 in Flash #123 "Flash of Two Worlds". In this issue, Garrick was treated as residing in a parallel universe (Earth-Two), which allowed the character to exist without any continuity conflicts with Barry Allen (who existed on Earth-One), yet allowed him to make guest appearances in Silver Age books.
Barry Allen and Iris West were shown to get married in 1966 in Flash #165 "One Bridegroom Too Many!"50yearoldcomics.com
Important Publication Milestones "Justice League of America" (1960): First Appearance in JLA: Barry Allen's The Flash first appeared in "The Brave and the Bold" #28 (1960). This was the first published story of Barry Allen's involvement with the superhero team, the Silver Age "Justice League" (Similar in many ways to the Golden Age "Justice Society"). "Flash of Two Worlds" (1961): In Flash #123, Barry Allen meets Jay Garrick, establishing the concept of the Multiverse, which became a cornerstone of DC Comics' continuity. "The Trial of The Flash" (1983–1984): This storyline in The Flash #323–350 detailed Barry Allen's trial for the murder of his arch-nemesis, Reverse-Flash, and concluded with Barry's retirement and moving to the future with Iris. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (1985–1986): Barry Allen sacrifices himself to save the Multiverse in this landmark crossover event, leading to his apparent death. He disappeared for over two decades in comic book time. "The Return of Barry Allen" (1993): In The Flash #74–79, Barry appears to return, only for it to be revealed as a villainous plot. This storyline helped to solidify Wally West's role as the new Flash. "The Flash: Rebirth" (2009): Barry Allen is definitively resurrected and reestablished as the primary Flash in this six-issue miniseries. The story explores the impact of his return and reaffirms his place in the DC Universe. "Flashpoint" (2011): A major crossover event where Barry's actions create an alternate timeline, leading to the creation of The New 52, a significant reboot of DC's entire line of comics. DC Rebirth (2016): This initiative sought to restore elements of DC's continuity that fans loved, merging aspects of pre- and post-Flashpoint universes. Barry Allen plays a crucial role in these stories, once again anchoring the legacy of The Flash. "Doomsday Clock" (2017–2019): A sequel to Watchmen that integrates its universe with the DC Universe, with Barry Allen participating in the narrative that redefines the timeline and continuity of DC Comics.
Fictional character biography Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen, the son of Henry and Nora Allen, was born on a stormy night on May 13."The Flash (Vol. 2)" #144 (January 1999)""The Flash (Vol. 1)" #758 (September 2020). DC Comics. Always tardy, Barry was born two weeks late, the second of a set of twins. His sibling was declared stillborn, Barry grew up feeling alone, as if something was missing, developing an interest in comics, especially his favorite superhero, the Flash."The Life Story of the Flash" (December 1997). DC Comics.
Barry Allen is a forensic chemist with a reputation for being very slow, and frequently late, which frustrates his fiancée, Iris West. One night, as he is working late on a new case, a lightning bolt strikes and shatters a case full of unspecified chemicals, drenching Barry, and temporarily knocking him out. As a result, Barry finds that he can run at super-human speeds and possesses equally enhanced reflexes, senses, and healing. He dubs himself the Flash (after his childhood comic book hero, Jay Garrick), and becomes Central City's resident costumed crime fighter and protector.
Central City University professor Ira West (Iris's adoptive father) designed Barry's costume and the ring which stores it while Barry is in his civilian identity. The ring can eject the compressed clothing when Barry needs it and suck it back in with the aid of a special gas that shrinks the suit. In addition, Barry invents the cosmic treadmill, a device that allows for precise time travel. Barry is warmly received by his superhero colleagues, so much so, that nearly all speedsters that come after him are often compared to him. Batman says "Barry is the kind of man that I would've hoped to become if my parents had not been murdered."Justice #8 (Dec. 2006)
Justice League As presented in Justice League of America #9, when the Earth is infiltrated by Appellaxian warriors, some of the world's greatest heroes join forces, Barry among them. While the superheroes individually defeat most of the invaders, they fall prey to a single alien and only by working together are able to defeat the warrior. Afterwards, they decide to establish the Justice League.