Barry Allen

Barry Allen debuted in Showcase #4 (October 1956). In canonical Silver Age origin accounts he is a forensic chemist who, following a lightning strike in his laboratory, acquires superhuman speed; the laboratory accident origin recurs across many continuities. Barry was introduced as the second Flash (following Jay Garrick) and his stories helped establish major DC concepts, notably popularizing the Multiverse in company continuity.

Barry is traditionally depicted in a distinctive red-and-gold costume treated to resist friction and wind; in many tellings the costume is stored compressed inside a ring for convenient concealment. Across media adaptations (animated series beginning 1967, live-action television in the 1990s and the Arrowverse, and feature films) visual portrayals vary but retain the red/gold Flash iconography.

Barry is a 'speedster' whose primary powers derive from superhuman speed, enabling motion far beyond normal human capability. In narratives he exhibits feats associated with extreme velocity, time-affecting actions (notably the Flashpoint storyline), and other speedster effects as used in comic plots. He functions as a superhero who battles a recurring 'Rogues Gallery', participates in teams (Justice League), and has been central to universe-altering events (for example, dying in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 while saving the Multiverse; later storylines involve time-stream consequences such as Flashpoint).