- Watch the language. You're a superhero.
- — Jay Garrick src
The first in a long line of super-speedsters, Jay Garrick is capable of running at velocities near the speed of light as the Flash. A kind and dedicated scientist, Garrick has also served as mentor to other speedsters, and to many heroes over several generations.[1]
History
Origin
As a boy, Jay Garrick used to read pulp magazine stories of the turn-of-the-century super-hero, Whip Whirlwind. Little did he know that he would be granted the same powers of super speed.
Jay would go to Midwestern University in Keystone City where he would double-major in chemistry and physics. An experiment he was working on during his junior year was to purify hard water without any residual radiation in a cyclotron. When a test tube of the hard water was accidentally spilled, the fumes knocked him out. His friend Elliot Shapiro dragged him from the lab. After a week of unconsciousness, during which Jay's metabolism increased and his body rejected nutrients, he discovered that he had been given superhuman speed by the accident, and he used this speed as the superhero, Flash.[2]
World War II
Jay was an active member of the Justice Society of America. Like the rest of his comrades, certain spells kept him from aging much as the years went by.
Jay also remained a prominent scientist. He worked at Chemical Research Incorporated[3] before founding the Keystone-based Garrick Laboratories.
After the war, Jay found out that Joan could not have children, so the couple decided to adopt an infant boy. Two weeks after the adoption, the child passed away from pneumonia. The trauma of this event led to Jay and Joan choosing to mentor and embrace many young heroes as if they were the couple's own children.[4]
Three of Jay's enemies, the Fiddler, the Thinker, and the Shade, built a resonator that vibrated Keystone City out of real space, putting its citizens in suspended animation, and causing the rest of the world to forget the city existed. However, much later, Barry Allen discovered the lost city when he vibrated at a certain frequency. After waking up Jay, the two Flashes were able to beat the villains and save the city. After this event, Jay retired, leaving Barry to continue the mantle.[5] However, Jay would fluctuate in and out of retirement, helping out Barry or Wally West if needed. He also continued to work as a scientist. When the very life on Earth was threatened by solar flare radiation, Jay was put in charge of the situation by the government.[6] When the JSA resumed their activities, Jay was with them.
Jay eventually disappeared, along with the rest of the JSA, in the Ragnarok Limbo where they would perpetually fight Norse mythological creatures and Joan believed him to be dead. He returned[7], however, and soon was back in action with Wally.
When Professor Zoom arrived at Jay's doorstep on Christmas Eve, genuinely believed to be Barry Allen and convincing everyone else, Jay and Joan let him stay with them. Soon, however, it became obvious of this Barry's malevolent intent. After it was falsely revealed that Wally had died in a Combine trap, Jay rounded up his old cronies Johnny Quick and Max Mercury, and together they went after "Barry". They were defeated quite handily. In a subsequent fight with "Barry", whose identity had been revealed by Wally as Professor Zoom, at the state penitentiary, Jay's leg was broken.
Zero Hour
During Zero Hour, all the members of the JSA were aged to their chronological ages by the villain Extant, including Jay. He stripped himself of his Flash symbol, giving up. Soon, however, he was back in action with Wally West.
Wally brought in Jay to help teach Bart the ways of super-speed, an adventure that soon transformed into a fight against Kobra. Jay was unable to participate for long, however, because of sheer fatigue.
Recent Years
A few years ago, the Justice Society of America reformed to help the JLA against an imminent threat rising from the 5th Dimension. While fighting the mad imp, Lkz, Jay and his JSA teammates helped to free the Spectre. This, in addition to the untimely death of longtime ally, Wesley Dodds (the Sandman), prompted the remaining JSA members to fully come out of retirement. Flash worked alongside contemporaries Alan Scott and Ted Grant to train a new era of heroes upholding the legacies of veterans such as Mister Terrific, the Star-Spangled Kid and Hawkgirl.[8]
One of the adventures of the revitalized JSA included a battle with an old foe named Johnny Sorrow. During this incident, Jay had his first true brush with the Speed Force. He used his super-speed to trap Johnny Sorrow inside the Speed Force, but the battle propelled Jay 3,000 years into Earth's past. He arrived in ancient Egypt, where he met Teth-Adam, the sorcerer Nabu and Prince Khufu Kha-Taar (all three of whom were analogs to Jay's future-teammates, Black Adam, Doctor Fate and Hawkman). With the aid of a device known as the Claw of Horus, Jay was able to return to his normal time period.[9]
A short time later, Jay and his wife, Joan, took young Jakeem Thunder under their wing. Longing for the child they never had, the Garricks invited Jakeem to stay in their home in Keystone City. While in Keystone, Jay assisted Wally by developing a cure for a deadly virus created by Murmur while locked in Iron Heights. Jay then spread the cure on the water supply of the city, saving the people of Keystone.[10]
One of Jay's most harrowing battles in recent history involved an old war-time foe, the Dragon King. The Dragon King gained possession of the legendary Spear of Destiny, and used it to take control of Jay's mind. He forced Jay to engage in a brutal fight with his close ally, Wildcat – a fight that cost Wildcat nearly all of his nine lives.[11]
Recently, a major battle with the Gentleman Ghost, as well as the aftershocks of the Infinite Crisis event destabilized the ranks of the Justice Society. Jay Garrick has joined with charter members Alan Scott and Ted Grant in an effort to reform the Justice Society of America.[12] He has also devoted a portion of his time towards aiding Bart Allen – the latest inheritor to the legacy of the Flash, with protecting his home town Keystone City.[13]
Recently, Jay has been helping Bart Allen against the crazed efforts of his former friend, Griffin Grey. Griffin stole a device from S.T.A.R. Labs designed to steal the Speed Force from Jay's body. The intense radiation produced by the machine weakened Garrick to the point of death. However, Bart Allen found him moments later and channeled lightning from the Speed Force to restart Garrick's heart.[14]
When Darkseid attacked Earth, Jay travelled in time to rejoin Bart and Wally and he was tasked with taking care of Iris until Wally's return.[15]
The Kingdom
With the coming of Gog, Jay, along with the rest of the higher ups of the JSA are very apprehensive of the deities' motivations. When it appears that Gog's actions are becoming highly questionable, an argument ensues between the JSA members who thinks he is a good and benevolent being sent to help the Earth, and those who don't. The team becomes fractured as they decide to learn more about Gog.
When the rebellious half of the JSA shows up to tell the other half what Gog is doing to the planet, a battle ensues. For the JSA's defying of Gog and his will, he undoes all the "miracles" he has done for them. Gog decides to punish the JSA starting with turning Jay into lightning, so that he could power an entire continent. While he was saved from the effects by Superman's intervention, the process had already started to take place, causing him to move at high speeds and turning his body into pure Speed Force. Dr. Mid-Nite suggests they slow him down before his body disperses.
The DC Universe was rebooted in 2011 as part of the Flashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and make DC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place in New Earth continuity since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The continuity established following Flashpoint is Prime Earth.
Convergence
This section of the history takes place during Convergence, a massive crossover event revisiting characters from past eras and realities. The villains Brainiac and Telos plucked them from their own timeline and stored them together, causing them to cross over into each others' reality. Its precise chronological placement and canonicity may be unclear.
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Pre-Crisis Earth-Two Metropolis is taken to Convergence by Brainiac Telos and Jay loses his powers for a year. He visits Kent Nelson, who was in a coma. When the dome went down, a robot led by the Weaponers of Qward attacked the city and Kent gave them their youth back for the battle.[16] They manage to defeat the robot.[16]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Accelerated Physiology: After inhaling hard water vapors, Jay gained a connection to the Speed Force, accelerating all aspects of his physiology.
- Superhuman Speed: Jay has been able to run 20 times faster than the speed of sound, and can possibly run up to the speed of light. Even when not tapping into the Speed Force, he can run at the speed of sound (770 MPH).
- Superhuman Agility: Jay's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to superhuman levels. This allows them to easily maneuver while moving at superhuman speed.
- {{Enhanced Senses|Accelerated Senses}): Jay's senses are all accelerated equally with his speed, allowing him to perceive and process thoughts faster than the normal person.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Thanks to his accelerated senses, Jay's reflexes are accelerated immeasurably, allowing him to dodge or react faster than normal.
- Superhuman Stamina: Jay's accelerated metabolism gives him great increase of stamina, allowing him to fight or run much longer than the average person.
- Superhuman Durability: The Speed Force manifests an aura around the Jay and whatever he's carrying, protecting him from adverse effects of his speed, such as friction with the air, and kinetic impacts, making him much more durable and resistant to injury than any normal human.
- Superhuman Strength: The Speed Force enhances Jay's physical strength to levels superior to those of the average human being. Jay has lifted and carried pieces of concrete from stone columns, holding them over his head.[17]
- Speed Steal: Jay can steal the momentum of any moving object or being, such as Superman. This gives him a boost in speed and slows down the person or object he stole the kinetic energy from.[18]
- Phasing: By vibrating his atoms and molecules Jay can pass through another objects atoms, allowing him to phase through it.
- Invisibility: By vibrating his atoms and molecules at the correct frequency, Jay can turn invisible, even when confined in shackles that he can't escape with his speed.[19]
- Accelerated Healing: Jay's accelerated metabolism also accelerates his bodies regeneration.
- Decelerated Aging: Along with every speedster who draws from the Speed Force, the loved ones of the speedsters will gain eternal youth, as Jay's wife and Barry's wife's ages have shown.[20]
- Speed Force Empathy: Jay can sense when another Speed Force Conduit is troubled, and can be drawn to the location of that speedster.[21]
- Dimensional Travel: Jay was shown capable of breaking the dimensional barrier with his speed to traverse between dimensions, after meeting The Flash.[6][22]
Abilities
- Expert Combatant: While Jay and Barry were temporarily turned against each other, Jay managed to hold his own against Barry in a fight, for a while.[23] Jay managed to briefly get the upper hand on Eobard Thawne in combat.[24] Jay has also fought off an army of speed enhanced assassins alongside the rest of the Flash Family.[25] Jay has even briefly held his own against Black Adam in a fight. Before Adam broke the stalemate by releasing a thunder clap, forcing Jay to go rescue innocent people, instead.[26]
- Swordsmanship: Singlehandedly bested three Samuroids, where one was adapting to him. While admitting that he dueled with Sportsmaster, prior.[27] With the aid of Wally and Bart, they fought off speed assassins with swords.[25]
- Throwing: Jay is able to throw his signature winged helmet with pinpoint accuracy and utilize it as a ranged weapon during combat. It can even ricochet it off of multiple opponents.
- Science: Jay Garrick is an expert in the fields of chemistry and physics.
- Business Management
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Hermes' Helmet
Weapons
- Early in his career as the Flash, Garrick briefly carried an over-foot-long yellow metal rod in the shape of a jagged lightning bolt, which he would toss across a room either to announce his presence or to disarm an adversary.[31]
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and no longer apply.
- Jay Garrick, Scientist:
- "Separating the elements of "Hard Water" should produce gases unheard of in present-day science! There's no telling what they might accomplish!"[32]
- "Not at all! I'll just sent a tiny electric current through you .... it will pick up the false happiness rays as it passes through -- the rays will stick to the current by magnetism! Then the current, with the rays, will be drawn into the tank of acid and dissolve ....."[33]
- "And the only answer is this -- The only thing that remains the SAME in ANY dimension is the SPEED OF LIGHT. At the precise moment of reaching the speed of light, you can slip from one dimension into another! Perhaps Aurikon found another way -- but speed is still our best bet! So listen --"[34]
Trivia
- Jay was 21 years old when he became the Flash in 1939.[35]
- According to another account, Jay became the Flash in 1940,[36] which doesn't change his birthdate.
- Jay can move so fast that he can operate in stop-time, keeping up with Wally West and Bart Allen.[19]
- Batman holds Jay in high regard, referring to him as Sir and even had him take the lead in following and solving a murder case.[37]
- Nightwing states that he wants to be just like Jay, when he grows up.[38]
- Jay Garrick's street address is 5252 78th Street, Keystone City, Kansas.
- Jay Garrick does not need to wear a mask as the Flash, as he has the ability to vibrate his face at super-speed so his features appear only as a blur.
- In his earliest appearances, Jay Garrick was depicted with black hair, rather than his familiar brown hair. He was first seen with brown hair in Flash Comics #4. The black hair returned in the following issue and stayed until Flash Comics #12. After that issue, the unhelmeted Jay Garrick was generally seen with brown hair, while the Flash's hair was sometimes still black.
- Garrick once adopted the alias Siegfried the Speedster to clear Wonder Woman of treason charges.[39]
- Jay was a vegetarian.[40]
Related
- 1,100 Appearances of Jason Garrick (New Earth)
- 326 Images featuring Jason Garrick (New Earth)
- 33 Quotations by or about Jason Garrick (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Jason Garrick (New Earth)
External Links
Footnotes
- ↑ Justice Society of America (Volume 3) #23
- ↑ Flash Comics #1, Secret Origins (Volume 2) #9
- ↑ All-Flash #1
- ↑ JSA #25
- ↑ The Flash #123, Secret Origins (Volume 2) #50
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Flash #129
- ↑ Armageddon: Inferno #4
- ↑ JLA #28-31
- ↑ JSA #20-22
- ↑ The Flash: Iron Heights
- ↑ JSA Classified #8-9
- ↑ 52 #29
- ↑ The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1-5
- ↑ The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #6
- ↑ Final Crisis #6
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Convergence: Justice Society of America #1
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #238
- ↑ DC First: Flash/Superman #1
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Flash (Volume 2) #229
- ↑ The Flash: Rebirth #5
- ↑ The Flash Secret Files and Origins #2010
- ↑ The Flash #170
- ↑ The Flash #137
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #78
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Impulse #11
- ↑ JSA #6
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold (Volume 3) #13
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold (Volume 3) #13
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold (Volume 3) #13
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold (Volume 3) #13
- ↑ Flash Comics #2
- ↑ Flash Comics #104
- ↑ Flash Comics #76
- ↑ All-Star Comics #43
- ↑ Secret Origins (Volume 2) #9
- ↑ Flash Comics #104, Flash story, page 2 panel 2.
- ↑ The Brave and the Bold (Volume 3)
- ↑ The Flash (Volume 2) #134
- ↑ Wonder Woman #240
- ↑ All-Flash #17
Flash Family member This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of The Flash, and a member of the Flash Family of speedsters. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Flash Family members" category. |
Justice Society of America member |
All-Star Squadron member This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category. |
Justice League member This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |