Flash (Barry Allen)

The Flash

Mainstream Universe‎‎, 2011‎-present

Gallery

Real Name

Bartholomew Henry "Barry" Allen

Main Alias

The Flash

Other Aliases

Black Flash,^[1] Black Racer, Negative Flash

Relatives

Ulysses Sutter (ancestor)
Bartholomew Allen (paternal grandfather)
Nora Allen (mother, deceased)
Henry Allen (father)
Darryl Frye (adoptive father)
Dawn Allen (daughter)
Don Allen (son)
Bart Allen (grandson)
Jenni Ognats (granddaughter)

Affiliation

Flash Family · Justice League · formerly Justice League: Team Wisdom

Base Of Operations

Central City · Hall of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Status

Characteristics

Gender

Male

Height

6' 0"

Weight

195 lbs (88 kg)

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Blond

Origin

Universe

Prime Earth

Creators

Robert Kanigher · John Broome · Carmine Infantino

First Appearance
Flashpoint Vol 2 #5 (October, 2011)

Life is locomotion... if you're not moving, you're not living. But there comes a time when you've got to stop running away from things... and you've got to start running towards something, you've got to forge ahead. Keep moving. Even if your path isn't lit... trust that you'll find your way.

— The Flash ^src

Barry Allen is The Flash, the fastest man alive. Using his super-speed powers, he taps into the Speed Force and becomes a costumed crime-fighter. He is a founding member of the Justice League.

History

Origin

When Barry was a boy, his parents' relationship wasn't going well, and while he prepared to participate in a spelling bee at school, his mother Nora was struggling to encourage him despite working double shifts and trying to get a divorce from his father Henry. He received the divorce papers on the day of the spelling bee, and because Nora had to work, he seethed and took Barry to school. When Nora returned from work, she was happy to see that her son had won the competition, but she was obligated to speak to Henry about their relationship, and so Barry was sent to the bookstore in the meantime. By the time Barry returned, however, his mother had been murdered, and his father had been placed under arrest, though he professed his innocence.

Fortunately, Darryl Frye, who had secretly been involved romantically with Nora, pulled some strings and was able to take Barry in. For years, Barry visited his father in prison, promising to look over all of the evidence of his mother's murder case until he found a way to prove his innocence.

The Flash Vol 5 71 Textless — Barry becomes the Fastest Man Alive.

As an adult, Barry's life of searching for answers about his mother lead him to becoming a forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department. Because the years in prison had worn on him, Henry gave up hope, broke down in tears, and admitted to his son that he had committed the crime. The shock of realizing that all of his efforts had been for nothing depressed Barry. On the night of a storm, Barry angrily tore his lab apart. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crashed through his lab's window and struck him in the chest, causing him to drop the chemical vials he was carrying and douse himself.

After a 4 month long months in a coma after the accident,^[2] Barry woke with super-speed abilities. Inspired by Darryl's example, Barry decided to take on a symbol for himself and fight for good. He created the ring that held his specially designed costume and became known as the Flash, the fastest man alive.^[3]

Forming the Justice League

Barry's first meeting with his future Justice League team members happened while attempting to stop a fight between Batman and Superman in Central City. Showcasing his super speed abilities, the Flash was surprised when Superman managed to defeat him with just a flick of his finger. After Batman calmed Superman down, explaining that he and Green Lantern had nothing to do with the strange creatures that had been plaguing the world, the Flash remained confused looking to Green Lantern for confirmation on whether they were still fighting. Soon after, a new portal was opened in Metropolis and the four men ensued a battle on stopping the alien creatures that were now attacking the city. It was there that they met Wonder Woman, an Amazonian princess who had recently settled onto Prime Earth. After another lengthy battle with the aliens, the Flash noticed they were forming above the water. Here, Aquaman, the legendary superhero of the sea, joined the fray as the battle continued. The team also eventually enlisted Cyborg.

Soon, the master of the creatures and mind behind the attacks was revealed to be Darkseid. However, the Flash seemed the only one conscious to see the terrifying creature enact his attempt at domination over Earth. Fearfully, the Flash attempted to rouse his fellow heroes. Superman then attempted to battle Darkseid but was swiftly defeated and captured.

Justice League Vol 2 11 Textless — The Flash and the Justice League.

Batman then formulated a plan, consisting of him being captured to rescue Superman while the others engaged Darkseid in a fight. Wonder Woman eventually did some damage but the five remaining members were proving to struggle against the alien overlord. Superman rejoined them after being saved by Batman and delivered the final punch to send Darkseid back to his world. Soon after, the seven were rewarded and began to debate on whether they should become a league of superheroes helping to protect civilians in catastrophic world situations. When asked for a name, the Flash announced they would be called 'The Super Seven'. He later stated the name was under consideration.

Move Forward

While on his first date with co-worker Patty Spivot at a technology symposium, Barry had a chance encounter with Dr. Darwin Elias, a prominent theoretical physicist who had designed a device that could re-code the human genome. The date and the encounter were interrupted by a gang of thugs who stole the re-coder. Barry managed to recover the device, but in the process, one of the thugs he was chasing died. What was worse was that he recognized the man - it was his old friend Manuel Lago. Fortunately, the forensics showed that something other than the impact had killed Manuel, clearing Flash's name.

Barry learned with the help of Dr. Elias' device that Manuel's DNA had been altered in some way, but was startled in his study by the sudden appearance of Manuel in his apartment - alive and well. Manuel had no time to explain himself, though, as someone began banging down the door. Together, they ran for their lives. Barry ducked out of sight to become the Flash, but was surprised when he emerged to see that Manuel had been caught by several clones of himself.^[4] When they claimed that they had taken reporter and old flame Iris West hostage, Barry was forced to watch them take Manuel away.

The Flash Vol 4 3 Textless — The Flash fights to save Manuel Lago.

Barry learned that Manuel had been working for the CIA and had officially died 16 months ago. However, these clones who called themselves Mob Rule and appeared to be suffering from rapid cellular deterioration, had found they're original and hoped to use him to lengthen their short lives. The process by which they intended to do this resulted in an EMP blast that cut power from both of the Gem Cities, and caused numerous disasters.^[5] While Iris was trapped in Iron Heights during a power outage, Barry and Patty attempted to save Manuel, but in the process, Barry was shot through the head, and apparently killed.^[6] Despite Patty's attempt to save him, Manuel decided to give himself up to Mob Rule, knowing that he was responsible for their creation.

Barry had not really died, though, and woke to discover that Elias had been kidnapped by Mob Rule in the hopes that he could save them.^[7] Manuel had agreed to let Elias use his DNA to re-code Mob Rule's own DNA, and resolve their problem. Unfortunately, something in the process went wrong, and Flash was forced to stop it to save Manuel. Manuel was ungrateful, however, because the interruption killed all of the clones, leaving him alive.

Afterward, Barry revealed that he had survived to Patty, and later learned from Elias that it was his speed that caused the EMP blast and the problem with the re-coding process. Barry's super-speed was opening rifts in time.^[8] To counter this, Elias created a device to measure Barry's built-up energy and warned him when a rift was likely to be created. It also served the dual purpose of storing that energy to be used to power the Gem Cities during the outage.

Meanwhile, Leonard Snart had escaped Iron Heights during the outage, and had learned that his hospitalized sister Lisa's life support was threatened by a lack of power, for which he blamed the Flash. In order to draw his enemy out, Leonard staged an attack using his new cold-powers, and the Flash was forced to fight him.^[9] In the process, his speed opened another rift, which sent Iris and a few others into the Speed Force, and Barry Allen was thought to have been lost with them. In the aftermath, the Flash learned of Lisa Snart's critical condition, and saw to it that she gets the treatment she needed.^[10]

To save Iris, Flash entered the Speed Force where he encountered a man named Roscoe Hynes who had been trapped there long ago. From Hynes, he learned that he was actually preventing temporal anomalies by running and that it was Hynes who had caused the EMP blast. Angrily, he attacked Hynes, and both of them fell into a wormhole and emerged in a city populated by intelligent Gorillas.^[11]

Rogues Revolution

The Flash Vol 4 9 Textless — Taken captive in Gorilla City.

Barry's sudden arrival in the Gorilla City was at just the same moment that Grodd was being crowned king. Unfortunately, the journey through the Speed Force caused Barry to lose his memory. Though the new king was eager to eat the visitor's brains, the city's elders believed Barry to be a messenger who deserved the honor. They freed him from captivity, explaining that the same power that gave him his speed was what gave them their sentience, but it was they who were to be the messengers for him. Barry was to be the Speed Force's vessel, and he was needed to run for the sake of all mankind. Soon, Barry regained his memory and defeated Grodd, who was jealous of his power. Though it would mean the end of their civilization, the gorillas allowed Barry to return home, where he discovered with a confusion that Dr. Elias was holding protests against him.^[12]

Surprised by this turn of events, Flash decided to reveal his real identity to Patty, but learned that she had gone to Guatemala to solve the cold-case murder of Claudio Mardon, whose brother Marco had inherited the Mardon Cartel. She was caught and kidnapped by Mardon, requiring Barry to intervene. In the process he learned that Marco, known to him as the Weather Wizard, had gained super-powers, just like Captain Cold had. In the meantime, Patty learned from another captive that it was Claudio's wife Elsa who had murdered him and that she was manipulating Marco. Eventually, Marco learned of the betrayal, and killed her, allowing Flash to save Patty. Unfortunately, she was not eager to see him, as the sight of him reminded her of the loss of Barry. So, Barry decided not to reveal his identity to her yet. Later, Marco found himself recruited by Lisa Snart into a new version of the Rogues.^[13]

To maintain the illusion of Barry Allen's death, Barry took up residence in Keystone City, trying to keep a low profile. There, he got a job at a bar frequented by the Rogues, where Heat Wave blamed Captain Cold for the dissolution of the Rogues. Flash was forced to intervene and have them arrested, but on their way to prison Lisa Snart, the Golden Glider, staged an escape for Heat Wave - but not her brother. All the while Darwin Elias continued to decry Flash's name in the streets.^[14]

Captain Cold was rescued instead by the Pied Piper, who had returned to crime-fighting in the Flash's absence, but Piper's intent was not to let him go free. Cold was rescued from impending police capture, then, by Axel Walker, the Trickster, who claimed that the Rogues had reunited without Cold's involvement. Meanwhile, confused by Elias' turning on him, Barry learns that the physicist was using him to further his own studies. As Elias prepared to make the announcement for a green-energy monorail system, Barry was surprised to see the Golden Glider moving at a speed faster than anyone else could see, and she intended to murder Elias for what he did to the Rogues. When he was too late to stop her from injuring him, Barry realized he was being framed, when the public saw him holding the wounded Elias in his arms. In the confusion, the Rogues use the distraction to get away with stealing the monorail train, and storing it in the Mirror World.^[15]

Nearly 18 months before those events, Captain Cold had been leading the Rogues, and they had all obeyed a strict moral code - though it was a corrupted one. The failure of one of their jobs thanks to the Flash led to the Trickster being fired, but the failure and discord between his friends made Cold depressed. He was accosted by Dr. Elias, who offered him the chance to even the score with the Flash. This chance involved using the Genome Re-Coder to give them all powers. Unfortunately, the process went wrong, and though they were all given powers, his sister Lisa was rendered a ghostly projection while her body remained comatose. Her boyfriend Sam, though, was trapped forever in the Mirror World.

Now that the reformed Rogues had spurned Captain Cold, he decided to team up with the Flash. Though they were successful, Cold turned on him and came out the winner against both sides. Unfortunately, his success was short-lived, as the Gem Cities were about to be attacked by an army of Gorillas.^[16]

Gorilla Warfare

The Flash Vol 4 13 Textless — Gorilla Grodd attacks Central City.

Shortly afterward, a gorilla army led by Grodd attacked Central City. The Rogues realized they would need help to defeat them, so Weather Wizard woke Flash up with a small rain. Knowing the danger Grodd represented, Flash agreed to a temporary alliance with the Rogues. As the Rogues fought the gorilla army, Flash chased after Grodd himself.^[17]

Unfortunately, Grodd had supercharged himself with Speed Force energy, giving him an edge over Flash. As the two clashed, Grodd maintained the upper hand and shattered Barry's mask. Just as Grodd was about to impale him with a metal sign pole, Solovar, another gorilla, sacrificed his life to save Flash.^[18]

Barry collapsed from exhaustion, and Patty (who had discovered his identity) took him to the house of his friend Manuel Lago's mother Malaya to recover. As he slept, Barry's mind watched every possible outcome his battle with Grodd could cause. Each outcome ended with Patty dead or seriously injured. Realizing that he cared too much for Patty to let that happen, Barry decided to surrender himself to Grodd.^[19]

As he woke up, Barry explained his plan to Patty and they shared a final moment together. As Flash faced Grodd in Dr. Elias's lab, he used his powers to draw Grodd with him into the Speed Force, where they could end their conflict once and for all. Suddenly, a tank crashed next to them and Flash found Iris in the cockpit.^[20]

To protect Iris from Grodd, Flash summoned a wooly mammoth to tackle Grodd, hurling him into the farthest reaches of the Speed Force. Flash took Iris and other people trapped inside the Speed Force back to Central City. Meanwhile, the Central City police department had already caused the gorillas to retreat, ending the invasion. Later, Barry met up with Iris and realized she had lost her memories of the Speed Force.^[21]

Reverse

With the battle with Grodd over, Barry began noticing that all the people trapped within the Speed Force had acquired speed powers after their release. Later, a group of people called the Outlanders attempted to break the Trickster out of prison. Flash attempted to stop them, but his powers disappeared all of a sudden.^[22] Arming himself with super-villain weapons, Barry attempted to stop the Outlanders without his powers. Fortunately, his powers returned and Flash was able to solve the situation without further incident.^[23]

The Flash Vol 4 21 Textless — The Flash confronts Kid Flash.

Later, Barry moved in with Patty. He also returned to work in the police department, albeit as a basement archivist. Patty told Barry two of the Speed Force escapees had been murdered by a mysterious assailant. Flash went to investigate Floyd Gomez, another escapee, believing that he might know something about the murders. However, Gomez refused to cooperate and caused a train to derail, forcing Flash to let him go and save the train. Examining one of the victim's corpse, Barry found evidence that the killer might be Kid Flash.^[24]

Flash chased Kid Flash all over the world and, after catching up to him tried to explain his situation. However, Kid Flash did not trust him and was later extracted by the Teen Titans. Flash was suspicious of Kid Flash's reluctance to talk about his past, but decided to let him go.^[25]

Later, Flash created a suit for Iris to wear, knowing that she had also inherited powers from the Speed Force. The suit was designed to protect her from the Speed Force killer. Investigating Albert Lim's murder scene together, they asked Patty to examine the evidence they found. Remembering about the stolen monorail, Flash left Iris with Patty to question Dr. Elias, the monorail's creator, about his involvement. As soon as he arrived at Dr. Elias's lab, he found the Speed Force killer attacking him.^[26]

The Flash Vol 4 23 — The Speed Force Killer.

Flash and the killer fought each other and the killer revealed his plans to take the Speed Force for himself and alter time. Iris intervened in the struggle and got hurt and the killer drained Flash of his Speed Force energy, revealing himself to be Daniel, Iris' brother.^[27]

As Daniel traveled to the past, he attempted to kill his father when he and Iris were kids. Flash drained his Speed Force energy and took Daniel back to the present, where he was arrested for the murders he committed. As Flash ended his partnership with Dr. Elias, Barry reunited with Patty. After seeing what the Speed Force is capable of, Barry decided to reopen his father's case file and prove his innocence.^[28]

History Lessons

The Flash Annual Vol 4 2 Textless — In brightest day...

Barry was at a fancy restaurant with his friend Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, who was about to go into space to lead the Lantern Corps. They were suddenly teleported to another planet, where Barry recalled their "first date." Flash and Green Lantern first met tracking down kidnapped children, when they discovered that the kids were being turned into gladiators for a tournament on War World. While Flash took the children back to their homes, unbeknownst to him, Green Lantern made a deal that the two of them would return and fight for the team that the children were representing. In the present, Barry and Hal win the tournament, but only one of them can fight the reigning champion for the title. Disconnected from the speed force, Barry used Hal's ring to win the fight.

Tar Pit and Rainbow Raider have robbed every store on a city block, drawing the Flash's attention. While in pursuit of them, he found a makeshift grave of skeletons. They're revealed to be old victims of a famous Keystone City serial killer. Barry believed he may have found his mom's murderer because the bodies died after the original killer was imprisoned, leading police to believe he had a partner. Flash discovered that the killer was actually a ghost that hopped from body to body, killing descendants of his old enemy, founder of the Gem Cities. The ghost can possess his own descendants indefinitely, so Darryl Frye alters police records to show that he is the most recent one when it's actually Barry. Deadman possesses the Flash to prevent the ghost from getting to him first, and together they trap the ghost in the House of Mystery.

Out of Time

The Flash Annual Vol 4 3 Textless — The Future Flash.

Five years in his future, the Flash arrived at the scene of a car crash. Iris West was being rolled away on a stretcher, and there's a dead teenager who Barry seems to recognize. 20 years in the future, the Flash sported a blue costume and was talking about how much he'd missed. A newspaper clipping on his wall revealed that the teen killed in the car accident was Wally West, Iris' nephew.

Barry was sent to talk to a criminal called Mogul about a murder that happened using his weapon. He looked into the murder further and discovered that many Central City villains' gadgets and weapons were stolen from the evidence locker during the Crime Syndicate's reign. Flash eventually found the identity of the Mashup killer, Detective Seaborne, and got him arrested.

20 years in the future, The Flash executed Gorilla Grodd and then started his journey back in time to kill himself. As he traveled back, he sat with Captain Cold when he died of cancer, and stopped all of the other Rogues from ruining their lives.

The Flash, at last, arrived at his last stop, 5 years in the future, on the day Wally died. He saved Wally and Iris but fatally injured the Barry from that time, who gave his power to Wally. Flash realized that he had to travel back another five years to completely mend the rift in the Speed Force that caused him to miss Wally's accident, and was about to sacrifice the Flash from the present to use his energy. Wally from the time of the accident traveled back and uses his own life force to heal the rift instead. This left Barry trapped in the speed force, with the Future Flash taking his place.

Savage World

While Barry was trapped in the Speed Force, he teamed up with others trapped there to escape. In the end, it was revealed that they wanted to kill Barry to escape, but Barry managed to merge with the Speed Force again to escape, with one other enemy, who had his spine broken. Barry attacked the Future Flash, who had been maiming criminals and ruining his public image. Barry retook his place as the Flash, but the Future Flash died, his last words saying that he never found their mother's killer, but found a lead. The lead is a name, THAWNE.

At the same time, Patty broke up with him due to the actions of his future counterpart because of her inability to reconcile the face of the man she loved with the killer he'd become.

Zoom

Barry goes to his dad in prison to reveal his lead, which leaves his father in outrage at the mention of the name, declaring to leave him alone and stay away from him. He later goes out to fight a criminal but sees what appears to be a yellow speedster zoom by.

Flash 0095 — Using his power to accelerate the speed of time, Flash battles Zoom.

He soon found that his father escaped from jail, and believed that he was taken as leverage. He tracks him down but lets him escape. Barry is soon alerted to a holdup, which was staged by Henry to get the flash's help, unaware that his son is the flash. He tells Flash that a man named Eobard Thawne killed his mother, and Barry agrees to help. As Barry goes to fight Zoom, he is approached by what appears to be Zoom's Acolytes. As Barry is ambushed by the Acolytes, Zoom then forces Henry Allen to create a Power Stealing Glove, and Zoom steals one of the acolytes powers. As they find out they feel betrayed and attack Zoom. Feeling desperate, Zoom runs off with Barry's father.

Darkseid War

Black Racer Prime Earth 002 — Flash becomes the Black Racer.

When the daughter of Darkseid Grail summoned the Anti-Monitor to fight against her father. During the battle between Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor, Darkseid summoned the Black Racer to destroy his enemy, but the Anti-Monitor stripped the Racer of Darkseid's grasp and merged it with Barry. After being bound to the Black Racer Barry was then unwillingly used the weapon to deliver a deathly blow against the Dark God, finally killing the despot of Apokolips.^[29]

The Racer was quick to seize control of his new host's mind, but his efforts were almost negated by the Flash's will to resist his corrupting ideas, instigating a conflict among the two.^[30]

The Black Racer was separated from the Flash by the powers of the child of Superwoman and Alexander Luthor, who possessed the same ability to absorb the super powers of others as his father. However, the Racer could not be absorbed, and instead was only separated from it's host. As it needed to claim a life before it could disappear, it struck Power Ring; however Jessica Cruz was spared and instead the life of Volthoom was claimed, and his ring destroyed. The Racer then vanished.^[31]

The Return of Wally West

Kid Flash Wally West 018 — Kid Flash: Rebirth.

After the fallout of the recent death of Darkseid a strange ripple energy occurred causing a tear in the Speed Force. It was revealed that Wally West had been lost in the Speed Force for about ten years. The ripple caused by Darkseid's death allowed Wally to partially break through, but each attempt caused him to fall further into the Speed Force. After realizing not even Linda (his traditional "lightning rod") could remember him, Wally sank into desolation and chose to appear before Barry one last time to thank him for the life he had given him. Just before Wally disappeared, Barry suddenly remembered him and dragged him free of the Speed Force. Following a tearful reunion, Wally gave Barry his warning of the true source of the universal change and the dangers to come.^[32] Although the two decide to keep Wally's return secret from Iris based on Wally's own experience with Linda, Barry encourages him to return to the Teen Titans, but also recommends that he don a new costume to reflect that he is the Flash rather than 'Kid Flash'. While Wally considers his options, Barry visits Batman to discuss the new evidence of some outside force attacking them, musing on how personal this assault appears, but despite the potential danger, Batman and Barry agree to keep their investigation to themselves until they know what they are up against.^[33]

Lightning Strikes Twice

While investigating a criminal group called the Black Hole, Barry was working with his new partner Detective August Heart. The group was responsible for the theft of a van that contained equipment from S.T.A.R. Lab's when August spot's one of the members of Black Hole spray painting the group's insignia on the former spot of his brother's murder. When the August tried to confront one of the criminals shot him. Before even Barry can even try to save him and before the bullet could hit him. Barry witnesses August being struck by lightning that created from the Speed Force. Barry then witnesses as August is able to stop the shooter using superhuman speed. After seeing him d Barry reveals himself to be the Flash, August creates his own costume and becomes Barry's partner. After they defeat the Black Hole group members, they soon witness more speedsters being born as an another Speed Force storm strikes more citizens.^[34]^[35]

The Flash Vol 5 6 Textless — Judge, jury, executioner... Godspeed.

While rounding and encountering more speedsters Barry learns about a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist named Meena Dhawan who was also super speed from the storm has created a Speed Force training center to help the new speedsters control their powers training the speedsters at S.T.A.R. Labs. After encountering her and Barry began to develop a relationship with each other. However, when Barry and Meena return after recruiting more speedsters, they find an injured August who tells them that a new speedster called 'Godspeed' killed the speedster criminals and took their speed. While Barry and Meena decided to take a 'day off', Godspeed arrives at the training center where he is confronted by Meena. One of the speedster recruits named Avery Ho escapes to get the Flash, Godspeed kills Meena and two of the recruits and takes their speed.^[36]

When Godspeed kills Billy Parks, the main suspect in August's brother's murder, Barry realizes that August is Godspeed. Barry confronts him and August reveals that he is indeed Godspeed and has become a murderous vigilante. August reveals that when he was near the speedster criminals, he could feel the Speed Force within them connecting with him. He decided to take their powers from them, resulting in their deaths and August being injured. After realizing that it was possible to siphon another speedster's speed without killing them when he, Barry, Meena and two recruits took Dr. Carver's speed. August tried it again on Meena and the two recruits. However, it garnered the same results as the first time. With his increased speed, August reveals to Barry that he can create a double or himself and be at two places at once, a feat that is limited and takes a physical toll on him.

Barry used this to his advantage and escapes. August proceeded to interrogate the other Black Hole members about his brother's death but killed them all when he received no information. When the speedster recruits safely give their speed to Barry and Wally to stop Godspeed, August arrives and is able to take Avery's speed. Barry chases after Godspeed who reveals that he'll head to Iron Heights and do the one thing Barry couldn't kill his enemies, including Eobard Thawne. However, the new Kid Flash intervenes and helps the Flash in taking down Godspeed, who is later incarcerated in Iron Heights.^[37]^[38]^[39]

Speed of Darkness

The Flash Vol 5 9 Textless — The tale of two Wallys.

One day, at Iris' work, Barry discovered she had been getting mysterious gifts lately. After hearing about an accident on the Keystone Bridge, he immediately ran there. Him and Kid Flash are helping evacuate the bridge when Wally West showed up. When two Wallys touch hands, something happened to the Speed Force and messed with Barry, making him rage. In this state, he tells Kid Flash that Daniel West is actually his father, not uncle. He also yells at Wally, saying that he can't replace him as the Flash. Soon both Wallys succeed in saving Barry. However Kid Flash gets mad at him for keeping the secret he just revealed. Another day, Barry and Wally I meet at hot-dogs to talk. Barry realises that it was him who was sending Iris the flowers. Barry offers Wally to tell Iris about him and his origins, but Wally declines, saying that they can't do this until they find who's behind the missing years.^[40] While Barry is jogging with Iris in the park, he's thinking about the 'mysterious force' controlling them. Suddenly, a new villain called Papercut attacks. Barry wants to intervene, but he can't, since Iris is with him. Luckily Kid Flash shows up, though he is distracted by Iris. When situation gets worse, Barry says he's 'going to get the police' and then shows up again as the Flash, defeating Papercut easily. Soon after Barry finds Wally to talk about his activity on his own and alongside Teen Titans. However Wally gets mad at him for talking about trust while not revealing his secret identity to him.^[41]

Later that day Barry visited Iris to apologize and talk with Wally about him skipping school. They enter Wally's room only to find out he's not there. Iris tells Barry to go home, however as he knows she's going to look for the Flash, he changes and meets her again in his alter-ego. Iris asks him if he knows where Wally is and Flash says how he told Wally, that he won't train him until he proves he's worth his trust. They get into an argument, when suddenly Shade appears out of his shadow, saying that Kid Flash is lost in the darkness. Iris immediately goes inside Shade and Flash follows. He finds himself in Shadowlands without Iris in sight. When shadows attack him, he is saved by Kid Flash. After Shade appears in his human form and explains how shadows stopped listening to him and took his girlfriend, Hope o'Dare, Flash offers help. When shadows start attacking the three, Flash tells to find Iris and Hope, but Shade says he has already found them and that they became queens of the Shadowlands.^[42] Eventually Flash and Kid Flash defeat the shadows together. After Flash and Kid Flash arrive in Tower of Darkness they create a light explosion that brings them all, including Iris and Hope, back to Central City. Then, after a long night, Flash makes up with Kid Flash. Later this day Barry visits Iris in civilian and asks her out for a date.^[43]

On Christmas Eve Barry went out with Iris. She gave their phones to the waitress, so nothing work related would interrupt them. While the date didn't go that well, they did share a nice moment at Iris' place thanks to hot chocolate prepared by Wally.^[44]

Rogues Reloaded

The Flash Vol 5 14 Textless — The Flash fights Captain Cold.

The Rogues want to pull a big last robbery and then retire and never come back to Central City. They have planned this a long time so that it would be idiot-proof that they get away. When Barry starts investigating their disappearance they trick him into leaving Central City. He thinks that they want to rob a museum outside from Central City. While Barry isn't in town they rob and destroy almost all of Central City. When Barry returns he finds Heatwave and tricks him into thinking that he defeated him. The Flash then attacks the Rogues. However Captain Cold uses a new weapon he created which counters the Speed Force. After a long drawn fight Barry comes out as the winner and puts the Rogues in Iron Heights.

The Button

Batman Vol 3 21 Textless 2 — The Flash examines The Comedian's button.

While fighting off a group of Samuroids, Barry received a call from Batman, informing him that the radiation from the mysterious button that appeared in the Batcave after the return of Wally West, had spiked and torn a hole in the Speed Force. Barry tells Bruce he will meet him at the cave within a minute. When he arrives he finds Bruce beaten to a pulp lying next to the remains of a dead Reverse Flash.^[45]

The Flash looked over Reverse-Flash's corpse and finds that his specific Speed Force signature is all over Thawne, making Barry question if he kills Thawne in the future. Barry talked with Batman, who reveals he saw his father in a vision. Barry then tells Bruce he had also had a vision, but of the Helmet of Mercury instead, and said it had made him feel hopeful. Barry then heads to the Justice League Watchtower, and finds the Cosmic Treadmill, and prepares to use it to track the radiation from the button, but Batman stops him, and forces Barry to bring him along. While traveling throughout the time-stream, they see visions from the New Earth, and land in the Batcave from the Flashpoint timeline, confronting the Flashpoint Batman, Thomas Wayne. Thomas attacks Barry, not believing it is actually Bruce, who is dead in the Flashpoint timeline, but Barry manages to convince Thomas that they are real. Barry is confused at how the Flashpoint timeline still exists and realizes that someone had kept the Flashpoint timeline in place when it should have been reverted from existence after Barry had originally left it. Shortly after, the three are attacked by Amazon and Atlantean soldiers. Thomas and Bruce hold them off while Barry rebuilds the treadmill so they can leave.

After the treadmill is fixed, Barry realizes that the Flashpoint world is starting to become erased from existence. Barry and Bruce board the treadmill, asking Thomas to come with them, although Thomas refuses. Shortly after, Barry and Bruce leave and Thomas is erased from existence, along with the Flashpoint timeline.

After Barry and Bruce begin traveling throughout the time-stream once more, they are confronted by the Reverse-Flash, before he was killed, claiming he knows who holds the true power of the button and is going to face them.^[46]

He attempted to warn Thawne about his future death, but Thawne ignored him and went anyway.

After finally getting his attention, Jay was able to break through and use his speed to get Barry, Bruce, and himself out of the timestream and back on Earth.

After getting back on Earth, Jay began slowly fading back into the Speed Force. He introduced himself to Barry, who had no idea who he was, trying to get him to remember him, as he did with Wally West. Jay told Barry that someone took everything from him and he didn't know why. Just before fully fading back into the Speed Force, Barry grabbed Jay's arm and attempted to save him from fading away, although just as he grabbed him, Jay was teleported away by a blinding blue light.^[47]

The Color of Fear

Barry drops off Thawne's corpse at the Flash Museum, but is convinced he is not dead. During his birthday party, Multiplex attacks after a girl he was stalking. With help from Hal, Barry defeated Multiplex. At Iris' house, he finds that he was right about Eobard being alive. He finds he kidnapped Iris, took her to the 25th century and severely injured Wally and left him for dead. After dropping Wally off at Star Labs, he went after Eobard.

Running Scared

The Flash Vol 5 25 Variant Textless — Defeated by Reverse-Flash; abandoned by Iris West.

Barry travels to the 25th century and goes to the Flash Museum. He is then savagely assaulted by Reverse-Flash. He is then savagely beaten and unmasked by Eobard in front of Iris.

Eobard then takes him and Iris to a future where their children are villains. Eobard then offers if Barry would abandon his future with Iris, and go into a place where he will never hurt anyone again, Barry agrees, on the condition that Iris West is returned safely into the 21st Century. Eobard lies to him and says he has his word, and leads the Flash into the Negative Speed Force. He leaves Barry there, telling him that Iris will have no future. Thawne later taunts Iris, asking her to discuss her thoughts, about the future she will never have. Iris ignores him, threatening him with a Speed Force weapon. As soon as Thawne responds to her threat, Barry strikes him with extreme force, telling Thawne that he will kill him.

As Barry became the Negative Flash, he had been concentrated with anger and roughly attacks Thawne. Iris questions his motives, but he tells her to get out of the ruckus with him and the Reverse Flash and continues his fight with Eobard Thawne. While they fight, Thawne attempts to persuade Barry by stating how they are friends and states that they can be partners as he should ditch the loser sidekicks.

Barry angrily yells to his face, that they are not friends, and promptly pushing him back in time and striking Thawne with tremendous force. As they keep fighting, Thawne remarks that he did not always appreciate violence, and the best gift he received is the idea of Barry blaming himself. As Barry gains the upper hand, he smashes Thawne into a part of the Flash museum back into the future and tears his speed out from his body.

As Thawne taunts Barry about how he will be back again and again after losing his speed, while stating that he will eventually gain it back, Iris kills Thawne with the Black Hole's Speed Force weapon, and she asks Barry if he could take her home which he readily accepts. Meanwhile, in the 21st Century, Iris tells Barry to go away, while she waits for Wally to recover with him, and Barry goes back to his crime lab, sitting down ashamed at his desk.

Negative

The Flash Vol 5 30 Textless Variant — Empowered by the Negative Speed Force.

As Flash returned to Central City with its regular criminals, he fought the Road Reapers, who's M.O. was to knock off armored cars while in transit. As he fought the road reapers, the bullets turned to ash because of the Flash's negative Speed Force Aura before they can make contact. Flash's negative speed force aura is unpredictable compared to his regular Speed Force aura at this point. so while he proceeds to rescue the central city police from the road reapers gunshots, he caused their armored truck to explode via his lightning. His powers have become explosive and overkill, due to the infection he received from the Negative Speed Force corrupting his positive Speed Force. At that time the road reapers proceeded to get away. He discovered he feels exhausted after using any type of speed due to the unpredictable and "negative" effects of the Negative Speed Force.

Later, the Flash proceeded to defeat the biker gang and destroyed their bikes with his lightning from his Negative Speed Force aura, he discovered that the bikers were not running from him, but they were running from Shrapnel, who killed them and called the Flash his accomplice. Flash attempted to project lightning bolts at shrapnel, but shrapnel's metallic regenerative abilities proved to persevere against the limited amount of lightning the Flash projected at him. Flash continued to avoid his punches, but eventually let Shrapnel beat him up as he blamed himself for the deaths of the road reapers. Eventually, Shrapnel's whole body exploded enough to contain it due to the Flash's Negative Speed Force Aura building up to explode.

Later, the team at CCPD discovered stolen evidence and blood samples from the place. it was revealed that Ramsey works in the Morn and his job associated with taking precaution and care on dead bodies is related to the stolen blood samples. When Barry went down to the place where the dead bodies were kept, he attempted to help the people who were unconscious, as he passed out from what he thought was exhaustion, but really from Ramsey.

The Flash Vol 5 30 Textless — Fight with Bloodwork.

After Barry got into an argument with David Singh and CCPD, he and Kristen proceeded to discuss the evidence, as he calmed down. Eventually, he discovered based on the inquiry in their conversation that someone must be working down in the morgue in order to steal and tamper with the evidence and blood samples. as Barry left to become the Flash, even though it was overkill, he proceeded to stop Ramsey, but was forced to bend his knees down on the floor based on the powers Ramsey used to control his blood, through the use side effects of experimenting with the properties of blood. Ramsey then stated he was going to kill the Flash and the CCPD, but the Flash yelled no and as he did that his powers reacted to his emotions in such a way that a huge bolt of lightning came from his body and struck Ramsey with tremendous force, that he plummeted out of his room, crashed through a wall several yards into the air, and landed with an extraordinary level of invulnerability. With such powers, Flash only then realized that he did not kill Ramsey, and Ramsey proceeded in an intense battle with the Flash, to face him as the blood generating and controlling macabre named Bloodwork.^[48]

Return to Normal & Dhawan's Betrayal

When Meena Dhawan suddenly returned she betrayed him and Kid Flash, by working with Black Hole. She extracted the Negative Speed Force from him to get it herself. Apparently she and Black Hole wanted to study the Negative Speed Force. It turned out that the Negative Speed Force slowly tears you apart if you are additionally connected with the Speed Force, but that didn't happen to Barry Allen as Meena Dhawan, who goes by the moniker Negative Flash now, extracted the Negative Speed Force from him.^[49]

Dark Nights: Metal

To Barry's horror, Central city is in the middle Speed Force storm, courtesy of the Red Death. He fights the Red Death and is nearly killed before Cyborg saves him.