IPTAT: Scarlet Speedster

Fast Four - Part One

Team Five: Speedsters and speed freaks—-unexpected and controversial choices for fast-moving characters.

The Flash/Wally West (DC Comics)

Thor Odinson (Marvel comics)

Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)

Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner (DC Comics)

Fictional heroes, villains, and everyone in between have formed unlikely alliances to answer a common calling: which group of kindred characters is the mightiest of them all? United by a shared theme, troops of four fabulous fictional characters will figuratively compete in a tournament of television, movie, and literature’s finest where only one foursome can be crowned kings and queens of popular entertainment. Join in on the roll call to learn more about these similar characters and delve into their individual histories. It's time to assemble the analogous all-stars and find out who is the best, one team at a time.

These may be scandalous picks: The Green Lantern power ring allows the wearer to travel at incredibly fast speeds through space; Mjolnir carries Thor at hyper-fast speeds. Roy Harper/Speedy was on speed so he is an honorary member.

Fast Four, assemble!

1. The Flash (Wally West)

First appearance: (as Kid Flash) The Flash #110, December 1959, (as The Flash) Crisis On Infinite Earths #12, March 1986

Popular entertainment of 1986:

Top Gun - film starring Tom Cruise

Perfect Strangers - television series starring Bronson Pinchot and Mark Linn-Baker

It - novel by Stephen King

Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, young Wallace Rudolph West II was introduced as the nephew of Barry Allen’s girlfriend Iris West. Wally visited the same laboratory Barry worked in and, like Barry before him, suffered a similar accident that gave him superpowers. Lightning striking various chemicals gifted Wally the ability to run at incredible speeds - exactly like his uncle. Over the decades, the origin stories of both Barry and Wally have been retold with added depth to the lore, but their shared fate kept them close throughout the different eras. Wally is initially introduced to Barry as the president of his local Flash Fan Club. Barry arranges for the young fan to meet the Scarlet Speedster, which leads to the incident that gives Wally his speed. As The Flash, Barry determines that he must guide Wally and provides the boy with a smaller replica of his superhero costume and names him Kid Flash. Later, in The Flash #127 (1962), Wally receives his more famous yellow and red uniform. Possessing the same powers as his uncle, Kid Flash serves as The Flash’s sidekick and appeared in many backup stories in Flash comics.

Kid Flash would eventually join the group of sidekicks known as the Teen Titans, branching off into their own adventures. It wasn’t until the Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event that saw the death of Barry Allen as he sacrificed himself to save all of reality. Assuming the role of The Flash, Wally’s journey was tumultuous as he fought several villains, old and new. He also experienced joy with the courting and eventually marriage to Linda Park. They had children together, Jai, Irey, and much later, Wade. Barry himself would be resurrected (on more than one occasion), and two Flashes ran together.

In recent years, Wally’s comic existence has been a wild ride - from experiencing a psychotic break resulting in murdering other heroes, to completing cosmic tasks, and, as speedsters are accustomed to, bouncing around timelines. No matter what chaotic hurdle was thrown at Wally, his love of his family and friends has routinely set him back on the right track.

Wally’s fantastic abilities allow him to run at extraordinary speeds, vibrate his molecules to the point of becoming immaterial, as well as “speed-thinking” - The Flash has fast feet but can also process thoughts and absorb information at imperceptible rates.

Wally will be the sole “traditional” speedster on this particular team, so he’ll need to think on his feet and be ready to run with a squad of new fast friends. Or will they be quick to turn on him and each other?

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