Wally temporarily faded into obscurity

[Jin Wah]

For many people, there's only one name that is synonymous with The Flash: Wally West. The original Kid Flash, this ginger-tressed youth would go on to replace his uncle and mentor Barry Allen as the Fastest Man Alive. What resulted from this passing of the torch was one of DC's best ongoing comic books.

Even if Wally is the "real" Flash for many readers, there's still a lot that some don't know about him, especially as Barry Allen has raced back into the limelight. With Wally now back in his rightful place as the main Flash, it's wise for newbies and even old fans to get back in touch with his history and what made his version of the Scarlet Speedster so great.

Wally West was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino and debuted in The Flash #110. The nephew of Iris West (who was the girlfriend of original Flash Barry Allen), Wally visited Central City to see his aunt. Though his aunt Iris' boyfriend proved to be a bore, Wally was interested in Barry's apparently "knowing" the Flash. During their meeting, the lightning-related accident that gave Barry his powers replicated itself on Wally, bestowing upon the boy the same speed-based powers possessed by his idol.

After taking the name Kid Flash, Wally briefly wore a costume identical to Barry's, although he later donned a more unique yellow and red suit that showed off his hair. When not in Central City, he protected his small town of Blue Valley. He also served as one of the founding members of the Teen Titans, alongside other sidekicks such as the original Robin, Roy Harper's Speedy, the first Aqualad Garth, and Wonder Girl, aka Donna Troy. The fairly idealistic Wally was initially portrayed as having a fairly good relationship with his parents, but later retcons by Mark Waid put the family at odds.

As a young adult in college, Wally gave up being a superhero in favor of a normal life due to his powers slowly killing him whenever they were used. This illness was cured during Crisis on Infinite Earths, which also saw Barry Allen sacrifice himself to save the universe. Thus, Wally became The Flash in memory of the iconic hero, simultaneously defending both Central and Keystone City.

During his early days as The Flash, Wally became rich before losing his massive wealth, befriended a few of Barry Allen's Rogues and matured as both a person and hero. He also married Linda Park, a reporter in Keystone City. The couple later had twins, with the ups and downs of marriage and parenthood juxtaposed with threats from supervillains such as the Reverse-Flash and Hunter Zolomon. Wally and Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash, also mentored Bart Allen, Wally's cousin from the future.

Following Barry Allen's return, Wally temporarily faded into obscurity during DC's New 52 era. The character of Wallace West was meant to be a new version of him, but negative fan reception helped evolve him into a separate character. DC Rebirth brought him and all of his history back, restoring his previous time as The Flash. Wally now once again wears the mantle, all while balancing his heroic duties with those of being a husband and father.

As both Kid Flash and The Flash, Wally's main superpower is superhuman speed that originates from the metaphysical "Speed Force." In fact, it was during Wally's tenure as The Flash that the concept of the Speed Force was introduced. Wally can also think and react at superhuman speeds, and is also able to heal and dispel toxins at an equally fast speed. With his direct connection to the Speed Force, Wally has been confirmed as the Fastest Being Alive in the DC Multiverse, with his level of speed far surpassing that of Barry Allen. This enables him to travel through time using his own power instead of relying on his uncle's Cosmic Treadmill.

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Unlike other speedsters, Wally's connection to the Speed Force cannot be severed. This gives him extra powers such as being able to give and take speed from other beings and creating whole costumes out of Speed Force energy. Additionally, his very aura protects him from the pressure and heat of moving at high speeds. Other powers that he has gained over the years include vibrating through solid objects and summoning lightning. Of course, when all else fails, Wally is trained in hand to hand martial arts, namely Judo.

Wally's only "unique" weakness is to excessive cold. This doesn't extend to simple weather conditions, as only devices such as Captain Cold's absolute zero Cold Gun have been enough to slow the speedster down enough to make him vulnerable. He is also prone to overworking himself, and he unstandably has a soft spot for his family.