We've seen The Flash across all platforms of media since his creation. From live-action tv shows to animated series, all the way to the big screen, it seems he's all over the place. Created as an attempt to bridge the gap between science fiction and comics, he became a fan favorite in a few short years and his popularity continues all these years later.
But like most heroes, The Flash has a supporting cast of speedsters that help him fight crime and ground him as a hero and human. Here are 10 facts you never knew about the Flash Family.
There Have Been 4 People To Take The Mantle
For casual Flash fans, you probably recognize Barry Allen as the Flash due to his appearance in the popular CW show and his portrayal in the DCEU. But Barry Allen isn't even the first to take the mantle, he's just one of the four. He may be the most popular and best of the bunch, but the mantle has been taken by Jay Garrick, the Flash before Barry, Wally West who took over after Barry's apparent death, and Bart Allen who took it from Wally for a temporary time.
Unlike other heroes like Batman or Superman who have only had one person take on their mantle, The Flash lives on in plenty of speedsters.
The Newest Members
For years the team of speedsters consisted of Jay Garrick, Jesse Quick, Wally West, Barry Allen, Johnny Quick, and other the descendants of the members. But in the Flash: Rebirth we saw the addition of two new members who joined the team and became regular members to be inducted.
Godspeed was a longtime friend of Barry Allen and although he started off with good intentions he quickly grew tired of Barry's refusal to kill his rogues, despite their deeds. Avery Ho became the first and only Asian-American Flash Family member who protects her native China after learning from Barry.
The most confusing addition of Team Flash is the addition of Wally West II, the Kid Flash who takes over for the first Wally and is also related to Iris through her troubled brother.
Wally West Is The Real Fastest Man Alive
Barry often introduces himself as the fastest man alive and for the most part, he is faster than all the DC speedsters and even faster than Superman himself, but he isn't even close to Wally.
Wally spent a long time idolizing Barry until his death and even after taking over. In his time as The Flash, Wally was able to master the speed force and became faster than he ever thought possible, even demolishing any record Barry ever had.
Even after his return in Rebirth, he left Barry in the dust and claimed to be the Fastest being in the multiverse.
Flash Family Consist Of 13 Members
We know the Bat-family pretty well, but their numbers are nothing like the Flash Family. The team consists of Barry Allen, Both Wally Wests, Jesse Quick, Johnny Quick, Jay Garrick, Impulse, and that's only the speedsters.
The team also consists of the speedsters significant others, and even members of the family from the future and newer members that have joined over the years.
The show has only covered less than half of the Flash Family.
Each Flash Has Killed
One of the unwritten rules among DC superheroes is that they never cross a line to kill. Most heroes claim that killing makes them just as bad as the ones they try to stop and in turn avoid it at all costs. Unfortunately for The Flash, hen missed the memo.
Starting with Jay Garrick, he was singlehandedly responsible for killing the villain Wildcat. Barry Allen killed his archnemesis in an attempt to prevent him from killing his soon to be wife in one of the most famous Flash story arcs to date.
But neither of these come close to Wally, who is not only responsible for killing his superhero friends but also for lying to cover it up. Not very hero-like is it?
Twins Run In The Family
As we mentioned before, a big part of the Flash Family comes from the future, and that includes Barry Allens kids and Wally West's. But what the funny coincidence is that both Wally and Barry had twins. Barry's wife Iris gave birth to a boy and girl (Don & Dawn) and Linda Park gave birth to Jai and Irei.
Being kids of the two of the greatest heroes it was a given they would inherit their parent's powers and fight crime with a young Jai and Irei fighting alongside their father and Don and Dawn making their way back to the past to fight alongside their young father.
Bart Allen Is Half Thawne
With a rivalry between Allen's and the Thawne's, one would expect them to stay away from each other at all costs. But it seems like Barry's son Don missed the memo because he ended up marrying a descendant of the Thawne family, Meloni.
The two had a child that grew up to idolize his grandfather and make his way back to the past to meet him and even become The Flash for a while. His name is Bart.
Eobard Thawne Is Related To Barry (Technically)
Speaking of twins running in the family and the Thawne-Allen rivalry, this entry combines both in a weird way. It all starts the day Barry is born to Henry and Nora Allen when the carelessness of a drunk doctor changed the course of Malcolm Thawne's life and unknowingly made him the villain Cobalt Blue.
In the delivery room next to the Allens a doctor messed up the delivery and killed the baby and in an attempt to save face he tricked the Allen family into thinking their twin (Barry's brother) was still-born and gave it to the Thawnes.
After years of abuse and neglect, Malcolm discovers he's not a Thawne and is thrown into a jealous rage when he sees how ideal Barry's life turned out. Malcolm Thawne ends up starting a bloodline that leads all the way Eobard Thawne hundreds of years later.
Barry Created The Speed Force
By now we know that the source of speedsters abilities come from the mystical speed force, a mysterious force that defies the laws of physics and space and time. But did you know that Barry Allen is the sole creator of the speed force? In fact, he's the one that gave himself powers and with every step he takes he generates more for speedsters to take.
Since the Speed force defies time, even Jay Garrick who was a speedster long before Barry has him to thank for his powers.
Iris West Is From The Future
Iris and Barry Allen are some of the most well-known couples in DC, with their unending love inspiring hope and the greater good. But their love story is no normal one.Iris is technically a few hundred years older than Barry, being born in the 30th century and only making her way back to get away from Eobard Thawne.
Although it's a little weird, it can very much be expected as the Flash deals with time travel on a daily basis and it just shows that Barry and Iris are really meant to be.
Good thing they didn't adopt this story arc in the tv show.
