Even fans might not know these facts about The Flash
Often dubbed as the "fastest man alive", Flash is a founding (also the funniest) member of The Justice League. His speed makes him cool and his attitude makes him relatable. The hero with one of the most convoluted storylines in the comics universe debuted way-back in 1956 and has been a fan-favorite since then. Here are some facts worth knowing about the Scarlet Speedster.
The Flash is not a name, it is a title
There have been multiple people to take up the mantle of The Flash. The canon story has Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, and Bart Allen as the superhero at different points in time. Jay Garrick was the first Flash. Barry Allen is the most well-known of the four. Wally West was originally Barry's sidekick and Bart is his grandson from the 30th century!
His evil twin brother wants to kill him
Barry Allen's family situation is a bit complicated. His twin brother, Malcolm was separated from him when they were born. Malcolm was raised by the Thawnes, a family of con-artists. His upbringing twisted him and he grew up to become the supervillain Cobalt Blue. Malcolm's origin also led to a feud between the Allens and the Thawnes that spanned generations and time-lines.
If Superman and Flash have a race, here's who wins
They have had races before. The post-credits scene of DCEU's Justice League showed them competing. Most of their races, however, were never completed. So, this one time in The Flash: Rebirth, Superman and Flash had a race and almost seemed at par. Just when Superman thought that it was pointless, Barry told him that he usually lost on purpose and immediately zoomed ahead, winning.
Flash is Batman's friend but he doesn't follow his 'rule'
Batman's 'one rule' is that he never kills his enemies. Flash doesn't necessarily follow it. His arch-nemesis, Reverse Flash once tried to kill his would-be wife, Fiona Webb. Barry was enraged and accidentally snapped the neck of his longtime foe. Notably, Flash from the future has blown up Gorilla Grodd's head, tried to kill his past self, and even killed the future Wally West.
He is more than just a fast-running, red-suit-wearing superhero
The Flash can use his speed in a lot of creative ways. He can run millions of times faster than the speed of light. He has traveled through time and created alternate time-lines like Flashpoint. His other abilities include accelerated healing, superior intellect, phasing through solid objects, and punching someone a billion times in one second. He is basically untouchable in his element.
What is Flashpoint?
Flashpoint is an alternate reality caused by Barry's time travel. It is a darker world where everything has changed and only Barry can tell the difference. This even altered the entire DC Universe and led to a lot of interesting developments in various storylines.