Barry Allen

Given his powers (and apt codename), The Flash’s costume is rarely seen in full by the people he is fighting; he is mostly described as a “streak of red.” Those he saves sometimes get the full picture, though: a full, red bodysuit with yellow lightning bolt-like rings around his forearms and his waist, yellow boots, and a golden lightning bolt-shaped antenna on either side of his mask. The mask itself has holes for his blue eyes and also leaves his mouth and nose exposed. At a glance it may look like spandex, but it is a friction-resistant polyester than he can compress in liquid nitrogen and store in a ring he wears on his finger. On its own it is rigid, but thanks to his powers it is effectively slack and wearable.

Outside of being The Flash, Barry doesn’t have a particular style that he is known for, except for maybe tending to wear nicer clothing. Often a long-sleeved shirt, some slacks or jeans, and a pair of nice shoes. At work he usually wears a button-down shirt, black slacks and a tie, though no matter what he always has his Flash ring on at all times, in case trouble is afoot.

Barry stands at a hair over six feet tall with a lean figure. He doesn't have the problem that many vigilantes have, hiding their bulky, muscular frames that were gained from being so active, in that while he is definitely muscular, he has the body of a runner rather than, say, a wrestler.  Provided that his shirts are loose enough, it's not exactly obvious how fit he is. He has blond hair which is kept short and neat. This is in part because it looks professional, but also because it's easier to keep under his costume without showing through. For the same reason, he remains clean-shaven. His eyes are a piercing blue, inviting  more than a few comments from observers.

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Unlike most masked heroes, Barry’s personality and the Flash’s are very similar. Both love making jokes and being playful overall. Barry doesn’t like making enemies, at least in social settings, so he tries to stay neutral on most topics. He has a lot of respect for anyone who, like him, put their lives or well-being on the line to protect the innocent, and this includes police and other heroes in addition to vigilantes like himself.

Barry is probably the friendliest person you’ll ever meet. Always respectful with a fair amount of comedy where appropriate, he always knows how to get on a person’s good side. He is very level-headed and tries to approach problems with a logical view. He has a strong moral view with a very strict sense of right and wrong, and will always strive to do right by those he cares about, however hard it is. He is very passionate about those to whom he is close, and will do whatever it takes to protect them, especially if they cannot protect themselves. Outside of playful banter, he is humble and does not view himself to be better than anyone… except for his speed.

One distinction between Barry and his anonymous counterpart, however, is that Barry is always late. Needless to say, this is intentional as to throw anyone he knows off the scent if they begin suspecting that he’s the Flash. He’s late to about ninety percent of his meetings, giving him quite the reputation, and hasn’t caught the beginning of a movie ever since his accident. The Flash, on the other hand, is always perfectly on time, never late or early because he can simply go wherever and still be at his destination in less than a second.

An important aspect of Barry is his desire to understand. His powers, and indeed the powers of metahumans in general, are a very obscure science, and he loves to learn what he can about them. Over time, thanks to his desire to learn, he will discover more and more about his powers and ultimately uncover the Speed Force and understand its role in his powers, even his life as a whole. Something that stops him, however, from discovering all of this, is his fear of the unknown. Though mostly subconscious, he has a hard time getting out of what he knows to be true or acceptable and to dive right in as needed. Ultimately, the only thing preventing him from hitting light speed is his knowledge of physics and knowing that realistically, his entire physical form would be decimated if he were to go much faster. As time goes on, he will push himself further and further, which will give him more knowledge about the Speed Force and his own limits, wherever they may be.

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Simply put, The Flash is the Fastest Man Alive. To date, no human being has ever gone as fast as he has on foot in history, and there is fair reason to believe that this will remain the case, considering the Speed Force, though Barry himself does not know this yet. There are many aspects to the powers of the Flash that he will discover over the coming years, the most important of which is being a Speed Force Conduit, which allows him to do any number of amazing things involving speed. A very important aspect of Barry is his ability to think outside the box, namely in the sense of discovering secondary uses of his powers, making him more well-rounded in general.

Superspeed: At its most basic level, Barry has the ability to run at superhuman speeds. His current record is just under 2000 miles per hour; able to outrun conventional firearms and to circle the Earth in about twelve and a half hours if he were to go nonstop. With this sort of speed, he has the ability to get anywhere in Central City in minutes, and to travel anywhere in the country in an hour at most. His acceleration is almost negligible under 1000 miles per hour, able to get to top speed in under a second. As his target speed increases, acceleration takes longer.[In the future, Barry will be able to attain higher and higher speeds, at his peak exceeding the speed of light and being able to attain this speed almost instantly thanks to the Speed Force.]

Superhuman Stamina: Barry’s stamina has increased to compensate for his speed so that he doesn’t have to eat a trillion calories each day to compensate for his increased activity. As such, his sleep and eating habits are more or less the same (he tends to eat more, but this is more of an excuse than anything) while still affording him the improved energy output. As is, he can have a full twelve hours of activity as Flash before falling over. [This is increased with his control of the Speed Force and his speed, and at his peak he can maintain max speed almost indefinitely, though this power is more a side of his Speed Force Sustenance (below).]

Superhuman Durability: Under normal circumstances, traveling at the speeds that he does, Barry’s bones would be destroyed after less than a second of running, and hitting obstacles would turn him into a fine pink spray. Thankfully, a side effect of his lab accident gave him the ability to physically withstand the force exerted against his body when he operates as usual. This is also a benefit in the ability to simply crash through most obstacles in his way, though he certainly tries not to do so. [Also increases relatively as his powers improve as a whole.]

Speed Force Aura: Though the Speed Force is something Barry has not discovered yet, there is an aura around Barry when he uses his powers that protects him from natural forces, in a sense helping his durability and protecting him and his costume from friction, and him essentially slamming into thick walls of particles at thousands of miles per hour. [In the future, this can be extended subconsciously to allow friends and allies to run beside him at comparable speeds, though not at full speed, and to provide the same protections to those same people.]

Accelerated Healing: Thanks to his powers, Barry’s metabolism has increased considerably. Like with his stamina, his energy input and sleep patterns can remain the same, but his body’s processes run a lot faster. Not only does this prevent him from gaining significant amounts of weight (any extra energy is metabolized in place of the Speed Force itself, though he will always feel hungry after using his powers for any significant amount of time), but he heals at ten times the speed of the average human being. Most injuries that he will get in battle will within the hour, barring broken bones or damage to internal organs. Even then, his bones are stronger than before, stopping them from being broken by anyone without superhuman strength, and his organs are also resistant to such damage. [Will remain mostly unchanged despite any power increases.]

Increased Brain Activity: To compensate for his brain’s natural speeds being lower than what would be required to move at his speeds, Barry perceives the world at a much quicker pace than most other people, in a sense existing in a world where most people are a lot slower than he is. This means that he deduces information, learns skills, and observes the environment even faster than the world’s foremost experts. On the skills, though, he can read a book on a topic and become an expert, but retaining the information takes repeated action. Usually, he’ll read a book on a topic when it’s needed, say architecture and construction, and do what he needs it for (in this case, rebuild a bridge or house), and his brain will filter the information out in a short time. [Again, this will increase as needed with his powers, but his capabilities will remain more or less the same.]

Increased Mass: At the speeds that Barry tends to run, he essentially becomes super strong. He can use his velocity to smash through solid rock, slam into people as though he were a jet, and (as with his signature move, the Infinite Mass Punch) punch someone so hard that they go flying. This is only when he tries to apply force in the direction in which he is moving. [Will obviously become more powerful as his speed increases.]

Phasing: [This is a power Barry has not yet discovered, but will in the near future.] Barry has very fine control over every molecule in his body, and as such can vibrate them at such a frequency that allows him to pass through physical objects. He has to focus on this and this only to do it properly, else he might lose an arm or leg, or even his head, and he can only do so for a few seconds, so no passing through miles of solid earth. This requires more focus and time depending on the density of the object he is passing through, as well. [Will eventually develop into his ability to pass into other dimensions with the aid of his Cosmic Treadmill applying the energy in the correct ways.

Speed Force Sustenance: [Barry does not know this yet, but when he discovers the Speed Force, he will be able to draw on it at will.] The Speed Force sustains Barry and most other speedsters in lieu of food or sleep. This way, he doesn’t need to spend all of his time sleeping or eating to use his powers. This also applies to the inability to get enough oxygen at his top speeds. [This also goes hand in hand with the speed force aura, and applies to those Barry wishes to run at his side.]

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Costume Ring: Thanks to the marvels of science, Barry can store his costume in a special ring designed by a close friend by dousing it in liquid nitrogen to compress it more than a hundred times over. After it is stored in the ring, he can bring it out again by exposing it to the air, making it grow to full size. With his super speed, he can have his costume on in half a second flat, improving with time.

Radio: The ornaments on the side of The Flash’s head aren’t just for the ladies. Each contains a miniaturized radio and earpiece, able to pick up police radio as well as any frequency he chooses. They are usually set to the same station, and at a medium volume, but if he so chooses, he can have police chatter in one ear and allies talking to him in the other. There is also a microphone so he can talk into the radio as well.

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Human: At the end of the day, Barry is human, and a bullet to the head or heart will kill him just as quick as anyone else. Despite the Speed Force sustenance, if he tires out he will pass out from fatigue, thanks to his very human body. He has to always be aware of his surroundings, as if he’s not aware of a stray bullet enough to get out of the way (easy on its own, with his speed), it will hit him.

Speed: All of Flash’s useful abilities depend on his speed. If he cannot move at his normal speed, due to lack of friction (lack of gravity, ice, or the like) or being unable to access the Speed Force (whether he is cut off or it is removed/absorbed into a person) , he is a normal human being for all intents and purposes. He is also very vulnerable if you get the jump on him, similar to him being without his super speed.

Morality: Barry believes in an unspoken rule among superheroes: never kill a person, no matter how bad they are. He will never use the full extent of his powers unless the person he is fighting can withstand it without dying. Ultimately this is a weakness in that he’s not willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. He limits himself and allows himself to get pummeled while trying to find that happy medium.

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Bartholomew Henry Allen was born in Fallville, IA to Henry Allen, a doctor, and Nora Allen, his wife. She was set to have twins, but the other child was pronounced stillborn by the doctor. Barry grew up in a stable household, always loving to read comic books. His favorite was that of Jay Garrick, also known as the Flash. He never had many friends, but those he had were close. At a fairly young age, Barry came home from the comic book store to find police cars. His father was soon convicted of the murder of his mother Nora. Not for a moment did Barry believe that Henry had killed his mother, and he vowed to prove his father’s innocence.

Barry moved in with his uncle, a police officer in Fallville, that really solidified Barry’s eventual decision to work within the police. Through high school, Barry had a reputation for being very laid back and late regularly. Even before high school, Barry had an innate talent in chemistry, and his skills in mixing fertilizer helped him with his job on a farm outside of town. He won a prize in the Fallville County Fair Agriculture Competition as a senior in high school, and as a result received a scholarship to Central City University. In four short years, he graduated with a major in organic chemistry and a minor in criminology. As a senior, he helped the police to apprehend a bank robber, and after a conversation with the Chief of police, he was offered a job with the CCPD as a forensic scientist. He was quick to accept the job.

Barry moved into a nice apartment in downtown Central City, and set up a lab in one of the extra rooms to tinker with chemicals in his free time. He formed good relationships with many of his coworkers, especially Patty Spivot, with whom he has since formed a casual relationship. She has been nervous about making it more serious, considering his obsession with proving his father innocent of murdering his mother. He also met multiple times with Iris West of Picture News, giving her leads as a member of the police. They flirt back and forth, but to date they have not pursued a relationship.

About six months ago, Barry was working on a on a stormy night, and lightning struck his chemical shelf, dousing him in god knows what. When he woke up in the hospital, they found no adverse effects besides minor chemical burns that would heal in due time. After, he was officially given a clean bill of health and went back to work. Since then, he had a few weird experiences. Trying to catch a cab, he ran after it and ended up ten blocks away. At a diner, a waitress almost spilled a tray of food on him, but he was able to catch it all and replace it on the tray. On a crime scene the next day, Barry grabbed Iris and dodged a spray of bullets from gang members.

Coming to the conclusion that the spill had somehow given him super powers, he tested them over the next several months, learning that he was able to run at amazing speeds and withstand the friction, impacts, and the rest. Using a technique developed by one of his professors in college, he re-created the polymer that he would use as a costume and compress in liquid nitrogen to hide when he was not in uniform. He decided to model his persona after his favorite comic book character, the Flash. While maintaining the red and yellow motif, he hid his face and made it a bit more flexible.

In the few months since then, he has slowly become more public has he takes down bigger and badder enemies, like Turtle Man and Captain Cold and gained more publicity through a partnership with Iris West, who gives him details and evidence on cases in exchange for being allowed to publish articles on him. This is, of course, amidst whispers of masked heroes all around the world. The world has been changing, and while Barry continues to do what he does best, he wonders what will become of the world as he knows it, and where he will end up through it all.

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Barry's head throbbed as he attempted to stand. The worst part about being the Fastest Man Alive was that you never got surprised enough to get used to it, or even to get any good at trying to avoid surprises. The world around him was white, a winter wonderland with snow or ice covering every exposed surface. Luckily he had transported everyone in the area away before they were covered, too. Captain Cold was quick, but Barry was faster... usually. But now his new device (he called it a Cold Snap) had a burst of extreme cold that immediately blasted Barry back despite his speed.

Standing fully, he wiped snow off of his face and took stock of his costume. All in good condition; the one good thing about Captain Cold is that he didn't usually cause much damage, just... well, froze stuff.

"Ha, you idiot! You think that you can just keep running around and putting me in prison? Think again!" The blue-clothed man called to him from several yards away. Rubbing his shoulder, Barry replied.

"Y'know, I would think you would learn at some point that you would realize that no matter how fast you can take me out, I can bounce back and get you back ten times as fast," Barry taunted, buying him time to imperceptibly vibrate himself from side to side to warm up. He was chilled all over, but a warmth started to overtake it. In seconds, he would be well enough to try to flank Cold and take him from the back.

"You're right; you're faster. You are called 'The Flash,' after all. The trick is not to try to go faster, but smarter! With the Cold Snap, I can freeze you, and anything else, instantly. Want to test it?" Cold taunted. Barry looked away as though contemplating it, though Cold knew his game. They'd gone rounds before, and they were already learning each other's moves.

"You know, we fight much more I'll be spending more time with you than my wife," Barry said, shifting to stand in running form, to take off when he decided to.

"Married, are we?" Cold asked, readying himself to push the button on the device that would slow Barry all over again. Barry, however, merely winked at Cold before disappearing in a streak of red. Cold went for the button immediately, but no matter how fast he was, Barry would always be faster. He was, after all, The Flash.

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