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West/Allen Family

    Joan Williams 

Joan Williams

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/503642_000.jpg
Click here to see her Golden Age appearance

Alter Ego: Joan Garrick (née Williams)

First Appearance: Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940)

Jay Garrick's steady girlfriend all through the 40s, who was a fellow college student and in on his secret identity right from the beginning. The two of them got married when Jay retired from super-heroics in the early 50s, and had a long happy life together.


  • Brutal Honesty: When Jay asked why she was unwilling to go to a dance with him, Joan tells him that she just thinks he's wasting the potential he clearly has, and that's why she's brushing him off. As she points out, he did ask.
  • Dumb Blonde: Some of the Golden Age stories tended to portray her like this, even though she was also considered to be a successful science major which makes her more of a Genius Ditz.
  • Intergenerational Friendship: With Wally; during a time where Jay was believed dead, she sought out the then-current (and rookie) Flash to give him advice and a helping hand, and he chose to move to Keystone City in large part because of her recommendation. For a while, she was a better mother to Wally than his own mother was.
  • I Was Quite a Looker: She was a very good-looking blonde woman that had many men fall for her during the Golden Age.
  • The General's Daughter: Her father was a general in US army and a close ally to Jay Garrick.
  • Older and Wiser: She matured a lot as time went on.
  • Older Than They Look: In the modern day, both she and Jay look like they're in their 50s, even though both were pushing 100 by 2011. At first, it was because of energy absorbed from villain Ian Karkull that kept them younger, and later due to the Speed Force and its effects on Jay, which Joan benefited from.
  • Parental Substitute: After Max Mercury's "death", she and Jay acted as this for Bart.
  • The Professor: She became a lecturer at Central City University.
  • Secret-Keeper: Joan knew about Jay's secret identity as the Flash from day one, and sometimes accompanied him on his adventures.
  • Ship Tease: With Mason Tollbridge for a short while during a time when Jay was believed dead. This ended when the JSA were brought back to existence and she and Jay were reunited without any mention of it.

    Iris West 

Iris West

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rco012.jpg

Alter Ego: Iris West-Allen (née West)

First Appearance: Showcase #4 (October, 1956)

Iris West is the wife of Barry Allen, aunt to Wally West and grandmother of Bart Allen, related to multiple generations of The Flash legacy. Her children are the Tornado Twins, Don and Dawn Allen. She is a reporter working in Central City, although she was originally born in the 30th Century.

In the New 52, Iris comes from an abusive household thanks to her father being a violent drunk after his wife died giving birth to Iris' brother, Daniel. While the two siblings were close, Daniel ran away from home after crippling their father for life after he killed Daniel's pet insects, leaving Iris alone to deal with his worsening abuse. She is not married to Barry, but they still know each other because of their respective occupations. Their marriage was eventually re-established as part of the un-boot of DC Infinite Frontier.


  • Abusive Parents: In the New 52 it's established that her father was physically abusive towards her, albeit he still loved her more than Daniel.
  • Aloof Big Sister: Her later success in life distances her from her younger brother Daniel, who still hasn't moved past their abusive childhood.
  • Annoying Younger Sibling: How Rudy views her, he also finds her relationship with Wally even more annoying.
  • Back from the Dead: She predeceased Barry by about six years...but she got better!
  • Badass Normal: An utterly normal human being, but she's just as capable of keeping up with Barry, and they've worked together on occasion. Iris also has her reporter chops allowing her to notice things even Barry might overlook.
  • Betty and Veronica: She's Veronica to all of Barry's other love interests. Regardless to say, she wins all of them.
  • Blessed with Suck: Her return during the 90s. Since she's from the future, Iris has extensive knowledge of how the lives of her loved ones would play out. Iris thus chose to distance herself from them so she cannot interfere, explaining why she's Commuting on a Bus both in Wally's book as well as Bart's. Changes in the timeline that she was not aware of made Iris realize that the future isn't set, and she decides to return.
  • Brainy Brunette: Her usual depiction.
  • Cain and Abel and Seth: Always portrayed as the Seth within the Wests. Before the New 52 reboot, she was adopted into the family and this caused conflict with her older brother Rudy and her older sister Charlotte. After Rebirth, Charlotte is replaced by Danny and the adoption aspect of her character is dropped.
  • Comic Book Death: Professor Zoom killed her by vibrating his fingers through her brain, back before killing the Flash's loved ones was his "thing". Iris got better, fortunately.
  • Cool Aunt: She's Wally's aunt and his first best friend, and the two bonded for being the non-assholes of the West Family. In the New 52, she wishes to be the fun aunt to Wallace West, but he's not receptive and she's forced to bring Barry in to be his role model.
  • Cool Big Sis:
    • In New 52 she's one for Daniel West through their abusive childhood. He latches onto her like no other until Iris gives up on his criminal behaviour.
    • Is something of this to Wally too when time-travel made them closer in age.
  • Dysfunctional Family: Par the course with West family. She intentionally tries to leave her family behind.
  • Expy: Reporter love interest to a superhero? Yeah, she's Lois. Modern writing even has her be an energetic and outspoken reporter who brings a shy nerd superhero out of his shell, just like modern Lois is written. They later added her being from the future to differentiate her from Lois.
  • Fiery Redhead: Depending on the Artist she can be drawn as a redhead which also implies her relation to Wally, though she typically has reddish-brown hair.
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Responsible sibling to...basically all of her other siblings.
  • Generation Xerox: Zig-zagged together with Barry to Wally and Linda. Like Linda, she is a reporter while her boyfriend is off being Flash, however she is a lot more full of energy and can be quite childish sometimes like Wally, her nephew while Linda is more of an uptight woman who didn't know anything about "fun" until she met Wally, which makes her a xerox of Barry in that sense.
  • Good Parents:
    • Played straight in pre-New 52, with both her biological parents Fran and Eric Russell and her adoptive parents Nadine and Ira West. The former sent their daughter as an infant to the past from the year 2927 to save her from a nuclear holocaust which fortunately never came to be. Years later, after Iris was murdered, her parents found and placed her consciousness into a new body, essentially ressurecting her. As for the latter, Nadine and Ira immediately adopted the infant Iris when she materialized in their yard and raised her as their own daughter to the point of Parental Favoritism.
    • Played with with her own kids. In DC Rebirth, Don and Dawn apparently didn't spend a lot of time with their parents and are shown to be quite troubled (Pre-Flashpoint, when Iris adopts a child upon returning to the present, she admits she doesn't really know as much about parenting as she should given she's a grandmother by this point), though she all-but adopted Wally (or actually adopted him Depending on the Writer), and he loves her more than he does his own parents. Wally similarly went from a troubled kid to a very upstanding young man under her parenting. Though Max and the Garricks took care of parenting Bart, Iris proved to be a Good GrandParent at least.
  • I Gave My Word: Early on in their dating, she promised Barry she wouldn't use her connection to him to get an edge on reporting. She's annoyed at the deal, but she doesn't break it.
  • Intrepid Reporter: As an Expy of Lois Lane.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Iris can be...quite selfish sometimes, especially when her career is concerned. But when you consider that she's the moral compass for two successful Flashes and the love of Barry Allen's life, it's obvious that she's an incredible woman through and through.
  • Karma Houdini: Similar to Barry, Iris doesn't suffer any comeuppance for not even making an effort to help Wally locate Jai and Irey and letting him be sent to Sanctuary just to make him shut up about his children with all the horrible events that followed afterwards because of it.
  • Living Emotional Crutch: She's Barry's lightning rod, grounding him to reality. That's why Thawne targets her again at the end of The Flash: Rebirth, so Barry would be completely lost. Her importance in Barry's life certainly becomes more important after Thawne kills off Nora Allen.
  • The Maiden Name Debate: After getting back some of her memories of her pre-Flashpoint life, she occasionally calls herself Iris Allen by mistake.
  • Mama Bear: She's very overprotective of her nephews, twins and her grandchildren, and she'll do anything to protect them. When she was told Wally died, she told Barry to find him using whatever means he had up to and including talking to God. When Barry said he couldn't do that, Iris told Barry to find who killed Wally and murder them.
  • Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Usually played like this in Barry's origins when writers bother giving her a personality beyond Lois Lane Expy (though this is a trait of Lois' too). Her plucky nature is what opens Barry to outside world, who is otherwise a very socially inept person. This is taken up to eleven when a dead mother was added to Barry's backstory, she became even more of a Living Emotional Crutch as a result.
  • Morality Pet: To both Barry and Wally, she is the heart of the Flash Family.
    Wally: Barry may have taught me how to be Flash but Iris West taught me how to be Wally West.
  • Must Have Caffeine: The Flash Secret Files and Origins 2010 says she is "seemingly immune to the effects of caffeine".
  • Never My Fault: She gets pissed off at Barry regarding Wally's supposed death at Sanctuary, but at no point owns up to the fact that she didn't argue against Wally getting sent to Sanctuary in the first place.
  • Parental Favoritism: She's the most beloved child of her family, much to the chagrin of her brothers Rudy and Daniel. Rudy was just annoyed by her, while Daniel suffered the bulk of their father's abuse.
  • Parental Substitute: To both Wallys. She is also their legal guardian. During Wally's tenure as the Flash, she also legally adopted Joshua Jackam, infant son of Weather Wizard.
  • Plucky Girl: Wally must get his personality from somewhere, right?
  • Put on a Bus: Temporarily leaves Barry after the events of Heroes in Crisis, but she comes back soon enough.
  • Ret-Canon: When The Flash (2014) started airing and caused the comics to make Wally West biracial (before he was made into his own character, separate from the original Wally), it was also decided to have Iris get a permatan... yes, really. This disappeared eventually.
  • Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: In Rebirth, it's eventually revealed that, post-Flashpoint, she somehow retains her memories of Wally West and an unspecified number of other missing Flash characters.
  • Savvy Guy, Energetic Girl: Energetic girl to Barry's Savvy Guy.
  • Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Iris is a very popular woman with many high profile love conquests but it's Barry's genuine heart that makes her truly believe in love in the end.
  • Successful Sibling Syndrome: Both Rudy and Daniel bear a grudge for her success in her life.
  • Tangled Family Tree: The West/Allen family born from her marriage to Barry spans across centuries and gets very tangled with Thawnes being added to the equation through her grandson Bart Allen. After New 52, her family gets even more complicated because of her younger brother Daniel and all drama relating to their relationship with Wallace West.
  • Time Travel: Iris was born in the 30th century, and sent to our time to save her life.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She reluctantly agreed with Barry to have Wally sent to Sanctuary at the end of Flash War to make him get over Irey and Jai's disappearance instead of proposing they reach out and get others to help locate Wally's missing kids. The decision that Wally needed to get over his children being gone resulted in him spending weeks being isolated and emotionally abused by the horrifically inept A.I. running Sanctuary until Wally had a nervous breakdown, accidentally murdered 15 people and set up a convoluted scheme to frame two people long enough to properly confess and then commit suicide to atone for his actions. This probably makes Iris just as bad as Barry in regards to how often his ignorant screw-ups have further wrecked the lives of the Flash Family. And even when Barry possibly has a slight excuse in Thawne revealing he used the Negative Speed Force to influence the other speedsters, since Iris isn't connected to the Speed Force she has no excuse for her actions.
  • What Does She See in Him?: A frequent question raised to her when it comes to Barry, be it from her friends or from her own nephew.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Not just to Barry. The crossover storyline "The Price" has her deliver a double-barrel one to Barry and Batman, even slapping the later.
  • White Sheep: Out of all the Wests she's the only one to be a decent person alongside her nephews.
  • Will They or Won't They?: With Barry, back in the 50s and 60s, eventually settling on "they do", even after a bad case of death. Then Flashpoint came along, and her relationship with Barry got stuck for the entirety of New 52 series. They become a couple again in Rebirth run as of 2016, but post-Heroes in Crisis they have a temporary angst-driven break up, until Iris comes back.

    Linda Park 

Linda Park

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/linda_park.JPG

Alter Ego: Linda Park-West (née Park)

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #28 (July, 1989)

Linda Park is the girlfriend and later wife of Wally West, the third Flash. She is an investigative reporter who develops a close working relationship with Wally. Their children together are Jai and Irey West. Born of Korean-American descent, she began her career in New York City and later moved to Keystone.


  • Badass Normal: The woman has proven time and time again that she can and absolutely will unleash holy hell on anyone that tries to mess with her, her man, and her family. It's reached a point that Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, and Michael Holt were all absolutely terrified of having to tell Linda that Wally got lost in the time stream (which Wally correctly guesses when he returns).
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Wally before they hooked up.
  • Betty and Veronica: Even though she comes from a rich family, she still fits into a Betty role more against Wally's other love interests, due to Wally's tendency to date superheroines.
  • Closer to Earth: She's generally portrayed as more responsible and pragmatic than Wally...unless there's a story at stake. Or Wally himself is in danger.
  • Cool Big Sis:
    • To Bart Allen, who Linda regularly played video games with, encouraged his wild imagination, and was able to get him to focus on a single task where others failed. When she was temporarily erased from existence, Bart was the only person who completely remembered her.
    • And to Billy Batson, strangely. Both being reporters, the two have met multiple times and Linda is one of the few adult reporters to genuinely take him seriously, shown whenever Billy's alter-ego Captain Marvel teamed up with Wally.
  • Cosmic Plaything: Before she and Wally began dating, Linda was the book's go-to Butt-Monkey, regularly suffered multiple embarrassments whenever the two were on opposite sides of an issue (which was a lot), and at one point possessed by K%lgore who pretended to be a 300-year-old Irish bard for no reason other than to mess with her and Wally. When the two began actually dating, though, this was no longer Played for Laughs as she got threatened by villains, seemingly killed by the Black Flash, kidnapped by Abra Kadabra, forced to deal with a psychotic alternate-universe Wally, violently miscarried after an attack from Zoom that also left her incapable of baring children, had this painfully undone via Cosmic Retcon, got pulled into another dimension, had her entire life undergo a Manhattan-induced Cosmic Retcon to erase her marriage, and was then kidnapped by Kadabra again.
  • Cosmic Retcon: Aside from Doctor Manhattan removing her relationship with Wally, he also randomly decided her parents needed to be in financial trouble, which is a huge contrast to how they originally were. Similarly, she's no longer an experienced career journalist, but is now an independent blogger struggling to make a name for herself. By Infinite Frontier she's back to being an experienced journalist and manages to have her very first book published.
  • Deadpan Snarker: The natural outcome of dealing with Wally West.
  • Demoted to Extra: After having vanished for the entirety of the New 52, she was brought back during the Rebirth era but sporadically appeared due to her memories of Wally and their kids being stolen from her. She would later become an Ascended Extra and promoted back to a main character in The Flash (Infinite Frontier) once her memories were restored and she and Wally were reunited with Jai and Irey.
  • Express Delivery: How she gave birth to the twins. Thanks to the Timey-Wimey Ball and Wally undoing the beating-induced miscarriage she suffered in the past at Zolomon's hands, she basically went from "not pregnant" to "fully gestated and going into labor" within the span of a few minutes, with the actual "flat belly to bulging belly" taking place in a single panel span.
  • Expy: Of Iris West, who is already a Lois Lane expy herself. Although she's a lot more violent than Iris when the need arises, and unlike Iris and Lois, she's portrayed as the more responsible person in her relationship, and Wally is the Keet one, if anything. She also later became a med-student, then doctor on speed-biology. It should be noted that the similarities with Iris were unintentional in her creation; Linda wasn't initially intended as a love interest, but her chemistry with Wally lead to her getting Promoted to Love Interest and thus unintentionally created the Barry/Iris parallel.
  • Friend to All Children: As shown in her friendships with Bart and Billy, and her desire to become a pediatrician.
  • Go-Karting with Bowser: Happens the first time she meets Magenta, who at the time is staying at Wally's house. She confronts Frances about whether she still has feelings for Wally (who meanwhile is reacting with alarm at what might happen if the two women should meet, given his ex's Ax-Crazy tendencies), and Frances' magnetic abilities appear to start activating in response...but when the panicked Wally rushes through the front door, he's dumbfounded to find the two in the kitchen, laughing and joking together about some of his weirder personality quirks.
  • Happily Married: To Wally West before Flashpoint and after Death Metal.
  • Have We Met Yet?: When Wally approaches her after Flashpoint, she doesn't recognize him at all, since in New 52 timeline they've never met. This realization causes him to almost completely fade into the Speed Force.
  • Her Codename Was Mary Sue: In-universe she writes a novel that's a barely disguised metaphor of her life story and the early years of the Post-Crisis Flash comic.
  • Innocently Insensitive: Not realizing just how strained Wally is with his own parents, Linda was the one who invited them to her wedding, much to Wally's discomfort.
  • Intergenerational Friendship:
    • With Bart. Apparently the two of them are inseparable whenever he comes around the West household, playing video games and watching TV together.
    • And Jay and Joan Garrick, who have a similar Inter-generational Friendship with her husband. Its noted that if Wally is unavailable Linda can fall back on Jay for help, and generally the Garricks are like a second pair of parents for her.
  • Intrepid Reporter: Like Iris before herself she's a reporter (in Linda's case, she's usually an anchorwoman). At one point, she turns into TV show host, and later quit to study medicine.
  • It's Personal: Kobra really didn't take her part in his defeat well, and considers her closer to an Arch-Enemy than he does Wally. The feeling is somewhat mutual.
  • The Lad-ette: She loves football, hockey, and video games, in sharp contrast to Wally. Wally attends hockey games with her, but its clear that its her thing.
  • Last Girl Wins: She's the last potential love interest added to Wally's Flash series before Mark Waid took over the book and he later cements her as Wally's One True Love. Because of this, Wally's other media appearances tend to pick other love interests to show his younger stage.
  • Like Brother and Sister: She and Piper form a tight friendship after the latter's reform.
  • Living Emotional Crutch: As mentioned in other tropes, she's the most important supporting net for Wally.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: By the end of Flash War, no one reached out to Linda after the status of Jai and Irey was revealed, with Wally getting sent to Sanctuary before he could tell her and Barry and Iris not doing anything to reach out to her in the meantime. Even when Linda visits Wally in prison in Flash Forward there's a chance she still has no clue all this unpleasantness happened because her children are missing. Thankfully averted at the end of the Flash Forward storyline, where her memory of the kids and seemingly Wally is fully restored.
  • Love Transcends Spacetime: As stated above, her love for Wally is what keeps him alive through dimensions. Tragically subverted in Rebirth when her love for Wally is stolen by Dr. Manhattan and this leaves Wally completely helpless in the Speed Force.
  • The Missus and the Ex: She's the Missus in the Go-Karting with Bowser situation.
  • Morality Pet: She's one for Wally and Piper.
  • Not-So-Imaginary Friend: when Abra Kadabra kidnapped Linda during her own wedding, Bart is the only one who remembers her. Everyone else (who forgot Linda's entire existence), including Wally, thinks he's merely talking about an imaginary friend.
  • Passionate Sports Girl: She loves all kinds of sports.
  • The Power of Love:
    • Her and Wally's love is what allowed Wally to be the first ever person to return from the Speed Force. Even when his memories of her were wiped and he disappeared into the Speed Force fighting Cobalt Blue, he still finds her.
    • Their love was so strong, in fact, Neron wanted to steal it as part of a plan to enter the Speed Force and rule both his personal hell and a form of heaven. However, it turned out their love was too strong for him to handle, and as a result he had to give them it back or risk becoming overwhelmed with compassion for others. He implied that it could literally kill him to keep holding onto it.
  • Revenge by Proxy:
    • Abra Kadabra loves tormenting her to get to Wally. While common for villains in general to target loved ones, Kadabra's attacks on Linda stand out for how complex and cruel they are, to the point they've both developed a mutual hatred for one-another on their own.
    • Magenta too. Frankie and Linda actually get along really well, but when Frankie loses control and the Magenta persona manifests, she's been known to target Linda as part of her vendetta against Wally.
    • Funnily enough, this is flipped with Kobra, who's later attacks on Wally are in response to his connection with Linda. He has no ill-will towards Wally himself as he sees him, as a male, to be a Worthy Opponent, but if attacking Wally will ruin Linda's honeymoon, then he'll do it.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In Terminal Velocity, there's a point when Wally is apparently killed right in front of her by Kobra. Linda- who had no superpowers whatsoever- immediately told Piper to start making weapons, saying that the last thing Kobra was going to see before he died was "the look in my eyes when I send him straight to hell". She doesn't win- and it's her peril that ultimately brings Wally back from the Speed Force- but she's the last one from her group left standing, despite the fact that several of them had superpowers and/or superhero experience and she didn't.
  • Spoiled Sweet: Her parents are very well off, as her father is a very successful businessman who'd sold his stock. However, Linda herself is very down to earth and humble about it. Averted post-Rebirth — in direct contrast to her pre-Flashpoint self, her parents are having financial troubles.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: She's been this with Wally for a long time.
    • After Savitar's defeat, Wally was lost in the Speed Force and presumed dead for about a month. By the time he got back, Linda had just been frozen into a near-death coma by Abra Kadabra's ice age machine.
    • A few years later, just as Wally is about to propose to her, she's apparently killed by a bolt of lightning. It turns out she was simply taken into the Speed Force by the Black Flash, and Wally retrieves her. Then, during their wedding, Linda vanishes due to being taken from the timeline by Abra Kadabra, with only Bart even remembering that she existed at all. Furthermore, Wally is seemingly killed in the process of killing Cobalt Blue for good. They finally reunite in the Dark Flash's universe, but almost immediately they are seemingly killed by Kadabra (actually sent into limbo). They're finally reunited for real once Wally (disguised as the Reverse-Flash) tricks Kadabra into restoring the world's memories of Linda, and manage to hold a new wedding without interruption.
    • In Rebirth; a nigh-omnipotent being has outright removed her entire life with Wally via Cosmic Retcon she no longer remembers him. It immediately sends Wally into a Heroic BSoD and almost kills him.
  • Time-Travel Romance: Imagine a guy out of lightning pops up and tells you that you are in love with each other, but you have never seen this man before. Later you get kidnapped for your connection to this person, and learn that you are supposed to fall in love with him in future but due to Cosmic Retcon this never happened. Now he remembers an entire life where you were married and you barely even know the guy...
  • Unknown Rival: When it was revealed that it was Kobra who keeps ordering attacks on Wally and Linda's honeymoon, they were both surprised that his beef wasn't with Wally, but with Linda instead. The newlyweds are not amused.
  • Uptight Loves Wild: She's initially very disciplined and is always more focused on her work to a point she doesn't have any friends. And then she meets Wally West...
  • Uptown Girl: She comes from a very rich family, however after Wally gains back his secret identity again his qualifications only gets him to be a mechanic in Keystone Police Department and they play the trope straight from that point onwards. Averted in New 52 where she is trying to save her mother's house from foreclosure and lives very modestly.
  • Women Are Wiser: She's most definitely one of the most rational allies of Flash.

    Henry Allen 

Henry Allen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/henry_allen.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash #126 (February, 1962)

Barry's father and the husband of Nora Allen.

Unbeknownst to Henry, he and Nora are also the biological parents of Malcolm Thawne, Cobalt Blue. While his wife went into labor, so did another woman, whose baby was killed due to a neglectful doctor. Out of guilt, the doctor replaced the dead Thawne baby with one of Nora and Henry's sons, telling them that the baby died after he was born.

Originally, Henry lived to old age and to see Barry become the Flash. An in-universe retcon undid this. A time-travelling Eobard Thawne killed Nora and framed Henry for it. Henry would be sentenced to prison, where he would die before Barry could prove his innocence.

In the New 52, the situation remains mostly the same. However, he had formed a brief partnership with Thawne, not knowing who he is. While he would still end up imprisoned for Nora's murder, he was eventually released when Barry proved his innocence.


  • Ascended Extra: Henry was not a notable character at all until he was tied stronger to Barry's reason for being the Flash after Nora was killed in 2009.
  • Killed Offscreen: Initially, even without the Cosmic Retcon in The Flash: Rebirth, Barry was coming back to a world where his parents weren't alive anymore, as the initial arc about Cobalt Blue established that Henry and Nora died shortly after Barry's own "death" in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
  • Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: In the New 52, there was speculation over whether Barry was his son or Darryl's. Turns out, Barry is Henry's son.
  • Mistaken for Murderer: When Thawne framed him, everyone but Barry believed he did it.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Led to believe he outlived Malcolm by the doctor who delivered the Allen children. In reality the doctor gave his son to another family who actually lost their biological son. Henry never found out the truth. He himself outlived Barry, but died soon afterwards.
  • Papa Wolf: In the New 52, Henry willingly took the fall so that Professor Zoom would not harm Barry. When Zoom does come after Barry, he rounds up his fellow inmates and breaks out of jail to go assist his son. He does this again when Flash is captured by Captain Darryl Frye's task force and The Riddler.
  • Parents as People: Henry loves his son Barry even going so far as to take him out for some quality father-son bonding when him was a kid, and Barry loves him enough to dedicate his life to proving his father's innocence. However, in both Pre and Post-Flashpoint, Henry was emotionally neglectful and short-tempered with Barry up to the events leading up to Nora's murder because of the stress from his strained marriage.

    Nora Allen (née Thompson) 

Nora Allen (née Thompson)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nora_allen_7.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash #126 (February, 1962)

Barry's mother and Henry's wife.

Unbeknownst to her and Henry, they are also the biological parents of Malcolm Thawne, Cobalt Blue. While she went into labor, so did another woman, whose baby was killed due to a neglectful doctor. Out of guilt, the doctor replaced the dead Thawne baby with one of Nora and Henry's sons, telling them that the baby died after he was born.

Originally, she too lived to see Barry grow up to be the Flash. An in-universe retcon by Eobard Thawne changed this. Instead, Nora was killed by Thawne. It is unknown if she is still the mother of Malcolm in New 52.


  • Death by Origin Story: Post-The Flash: Rebirth, her death is an integral part of Barry's backstory.
  • Killed Offscreen: Initially, even without the Cosmic Retcon in The Flash: Rebirth, Barry was coming back to a world where his parents weren't alive anymore, as the initial arc about Cobalt Blue established that Henry and Nora died shortly after Barry's own "death" in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
  • Good Parents: Both before and after The Flash: Rebirth. Before, she accepted Barry's double life, supported him during his murder trial, and was overjoyed when he found love again through Fiona Webb. After, she comforts Barry when he was being bullied, encourages his love of science and comics, and encourages him when he his nervous for his spelling bee. It was her love for him and vice versa that partially motivated him to find his mom's real killer.
  • Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She was a kind and loving mother, and she's blonde.
  • In the Blood: According to the Rebirth continuity, Barry got his love of comic books, The Flash in particular, from her.
  • Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Barry is definitely her son, but in a New 52 there was speculation over whether the father was Henry or Darryl due to a possible affair Nora had with Darryl. Turns out Henry is the father, and Nora never cheated on him with Darryl.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Like Henry, led to believe she outlived Malcolm by the doctor who delivered him. Also like Henry, she did outlive Barry for a short time. Obviously averted after The Flash: Rebirth.
  • Targeted to Hurt the Hero: Thawne murders Nora in the past and changes the timeline just to hurt Barry, and pretty much the majority of Barry's motivation as a character following his resurrection revolves around his mother's death.

    Jeven Ognats 

Jeven Ognats

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeven_ognats_new_earth.jpg

First Appearance: Legionnaires #0 (October, 1994)

From a human colony on Aarok, Jeven is the husband of Dawn Allen and the father of Jenni Ognats.


  • Ambiguously Brown: He looks Mexican or Indian.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: Subjected to this by the alien race the Dominators. They tortured Jenni to trigger her latent super speed. When that didn't work, they tortured him in front of his daughter which triggered her super speed.

    Rudy West 

Rudy West

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rudy_west_001.jpg

Alter Ego: Robert Rudolph "Rudy" West

First Appearance: The Flash #116 (November, 1960)

Rudy is the father of the original Wally West, the older brother of Iris and the younger brother of Charlotte West Rhodes. Physically and emotionally abusive, Wally does not look fondly on the man.

In the New 52, he was initially the until-then-unmentioned older brother of Iris and Daniel, and the deadbeat dad of Wally West. A second retcon restored his pre-Flashpoint self, making him the father of the original Wally West and the uncle of the new Wally West, who was led to believe that Rudy was his father. Why Rudy allowed this (and how it worked) hasn't been explained.


  • Abusive Parents: Post-Crisis and onward. Wally makes no secret that he hates his father, and flashbacks show that not only was Rudy emotionally abusive, telling Wally that he'll amount to nothing, but he was also physically abusive.
  • Adaptational Villainy: His character was expanded more after Crisis, adding his worse traits.
  • Amicable Exes: He and Mary divorce when Wally is a teen, to the relief of all three. The divorce becomes not at all amicable, however, when he tries to have Mary killed.
  • The Bus Came Back: She disappeared from the DCU after Flashpoint since she's much more of a Wally West supporting character and he was Retgone'd. Even when Wally returned, Ashley didn't. Even when Hunter returned, Ashley didn't, as she was absent for his whole story arc in the Rebirth era. However, in The Flash #800, we finally see... part of her... desk. All we know is she's still called "Ashley Zolomon", meaning her history with Hunter is likely intact.
  • Casanova Wannabe: Flashbacks show that Rudy flirted with women when he was married. It's partly why he and Mary didn't get along. In the present, its a minor running-gag for him to show up to family events with a woman far too young for him who is clearly a prostitute he hired to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to impress everyone. Wally's fully aware of the reality and is embarrassed for him.
  • Con Man: After being a Manhunter agent fell through, he started running a bunch of cons, some of which, like his "Durlan Detectors", could have had life-threatening consequences.
  • Everyone Has Standards: When one of his cons involved helping form a cult, and Wally ended up getting suckered into it, he began to have second thoughts on the whole thing when he saw how Wally was obliviously degrading himself for the cult's sake. When one of his co-conspirators tried to have the other (his own sister) killed for press, he turns on him in disgust and leaves with the money.
  • Faking the Dead: He twice fakes his own death to escape the consequences of his actions, first in Millennium, then in Invasion!.
  • Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Fortunately, however, he failed to curb Wally's enthusiasm to chase his dreams.
  • The Ghost: In a rather strange case, he's yet to make a single non-flashback appearance post-Flashpoint. This is despite him being the Disappeared Dad of Wallace West in the New 52, then the "reveal" that Wallace only believed Rudy was his father, the later development of Wally's public imprisonment for the events at Sanctuary and even later still it being established that West family get-togethers were a thing and Wallace and Wally were both there. Rudy's lack of appearance means his role in Wallace's Family Relationship Switcheroo has never been explained.
  • Good Parents: Shockingly, he was this Pre-Crisis. While we don't see him much, Rudy West before Crisis on Infinite Earths, was a loving father. He worried for his son when he suffered from amnesia, accepted Wally's double life without hesitation, and even gave him good advice when his son asked.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Rudy seems to actually grow a heart during Invasion! and sacrifices his life to stop the Durlans...until it turns out his death was faked in order to escape the consequences for selling fake "Durlan detectors". He then goes on to create a child slave labor camp under the pretense of a reform school.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Rudy brings a date to his ex-wife's wedding...and Wally takes a while to recognize her as a demon he tangled with some time before. She promises not to cause any trouble as long as Wally doesn't blow her cover.
  • Parental Betrayal: he sells Wally out to the Manhunters.
  • Parents as People: Played with Post-Crisis. The reason why he was so hard on Wally was because he didn't want Wally to not achieve his dreams, and figured that if Wally didn't think he could achieve anything great, he wouldn't be let down when he didn't. Of course, this doesn't excuse his other actions.
  • The Quisling: It's revealed in Millennium that he sold Earth out to the Manhunters before Wally was even born.
  • Sudden Name Change: Originally named Robert (nicknamed Bob) Pre-Crisis.
  • Til Murder Do Us Part: He tried to have Mary killed and Make It Look Like an Accident as part of his plan to convert Wally to the side of the Manhunters.
  • The Un-Favourite: The reason why he is such a bad parent, was because his own father didn't think too highly of him.

    Mary West 

Mary West

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mary_west_002.jpg

Alter Ego: Emmaline Brady West

First Appearance: The Flash #133 (December, 1962)

Wally's emotionally abusive mother.


  • Abusive Parents: She was at the very least emotionally abusive towards Wally.
  • Adaptational Villainy: She was a better person before the first Crisis.
  • Amicable Exes: With Rudy, when Wally is a teenager. All three are happy with it.
  • Good Parents: Shockingly, she was this Pre-Crisis. Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths, Mary West was a loving mother who worried over her son when he had amnesia, accepted his identity as Kid Flash, and like all mothers cried when he graduated high school. Post-Crisis she was retconned to be emotionally distant at best and emotionally abusive at worst whose relationship with her adult son ranged from strained to outright nonexistent.
  • It's All About Me: Showed this trait frequently in the Post-Crisis continuity.
  • Manipulative Bitch: Many times towards Wally in the Post-Crisis continuity. She would deliberately guilt trip him until he folded into her will.
  • Parents as People: Post-Crisis. The reason why she was so hard on Wally was because she didn't want Wally to not achieve his dreams, and figured that if Wally didn't think he could achieve anything great, he wouldn't be let down when he didn't. Because of her divorce, for a while, Wally is the only family she has and so she's particularly clingy towards him and very antagonistic towards anyone who gets in the way. At one point she begins dating an Interpol agent and eventually remarries, leading her to give Wally the space he needs.
  • Playing the Victim Card:
    • She would often pull this stunt in order to get Wally to do what she wants. Arguably most noticeable during the period where he dated Tina and Mary would try to control the house (and its remodeling) all while undermining Tina any chance she got, then backtracking and victimizing herself to make Wally feel guilty so that he wouldn't be willing to call her out on her passive-aggressive and controlling behavior.
      Mary: (after Wally suggests she get her own place and even offering to pay for it) Wally, you're a young man. We never spent the time together I thought we should...Perhaps now, while it's not too late...Of course, if you want me to go...I can always move back to Atlanta and get a job as a waitress.
      Wally: Oh, mom...You can stay as long as you want! I love you.
      Mary: (while fake crying) I don't want to be a burden... (sniff)
    • And later, after Wally and Tina tell her they have to go because their friend is in the hospital.
      Mary: (in a blatant attempt to force them to stay) Well you go right ahead, my Darlings. I've just spent four hours preparing a wonderful meal. I guess I'll just have to throw it out.
  • Too Dumb to Live: A somewhat running gag is that she just doesn't make smart decisions, especially with regards to finance. At one point her Interpol agent boyfriend, with whom she's been going on missions and somehow proves useful (from what we see, she just accidentally distracts the target), tells Wally she's one of the 'greatest amateur detectives in the world', and Wally has absolutely no idea how to react to this claim.

    Meloni Thawne 

Meloni Thawne

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MeloniThawneImpulse24.png

First Appearance: Impulse #23 (March, 1997)

Bart's energetic and protective mother, and the wife of Don Allen. One of the only Thawne family members to reject a life of crime, Meloni readily encourages her son's superheroics.

She also had a relationship with the first Captain Boomerang when he ended up in the future. Their son Owen Mercer was somehow sent back in time.


  • Big, Screwed-Up Family: She's a Thawne. Y'know, Eobard Thawne's family line?
  • Forgotten Fallen Friend: Meloni hasn't been seen or mentioned in nearly 20 years, and in that time Bart has never stopped to wonder where she is. Even when he teamed up with Jenni during Legion of 3 Worlds, Bart doesn't seem to understand the world Jenni and thereby Meloni were living on is gone.
  • Mama Bear: She'll do anything to protect her son.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: She's a Thawne who loved an Allen, so...yeah.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: If you wanted to know where Bart got his mannerisms and crazy hairstyle from, now you do...basically, she's best described as "female Impulse without superspeed".
  • Uncertain Doom: Is she dead? Is she in limbo? Her last appearance saw her in a timeline that was promptly erased.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Her last appearance was when the Reboot Legion's timeline got erased and replaced with the Threeboot Legion. Meloni hasn't made a proper appearance outside of flashbacks since, with the very large implication she's been completely erased from the universe. And since she doesn't have a connection to the Speed Force like her son and husband, Meloni's likely gone for good.
  • White Sheep: Yeah, the rest of her family is...quite psychotic.

Metahuman Allies

    Pied Piper 

Pied Piper

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pied_piper_0001.jpg

Alter Ego: Hartley Rathaway

First Appearance: The Flash #106 (May, 1959)

"It's time to pay the Piper."

The son of rich parents, Hartley Rathaway was born deaf. His parents spent millions on cybernetic implants that granted him incredible hearing, but to their dismay, he was entranced by all forms of music and forsook their expectations for him. Bored with this life, Hartley delved into sonic technology to create a flute with mind-control properties and used it to commit petty crimes and fight the Flash as the Pied Piper, one of the Rogues. Hartley never really liked crime, however, and after Barry Allen's death he reformed, becoming a superhero and one of Wally West's best friends. He also came out of the closet as one of the first gay superheroes.

Years later, Piper was framed for the murder of his parents by the second Mirror Master. This sent him unwillingly back into the criminal underworld as he tried to escape both the Rogues and the authorities. He appeared to join up with the Rogues again, but was working undercover to infiltrate them. Nonetheless, he was present when against his protests, they killed Bart Allen. He has been on the run ever sincenote .


  • Broken Pedestal: They didn't know each other that much, but Bart knew that Hartley was Wally's friend, and was soundly disappointed when Bart found him in league with the Rogues again. Unfortunately for Hartley, Wally felt the same way because Hartley unwittingly becomes an acccessory for Bart's murder during those same events.
  • The Bus Came Back: After a long absence, he returns in 2019 to help Barry, Avery and Wallace get control over their powers back.
    • He reunites with Wally and re-establishes his friendship to him and Linda in 2022. He's now back in Wally's close circle.
  • Chained Heat: With Trickster in Countdown. They find themselves handcuffed together for a good amount of the plot.
  • Coming-Out Story: There's something heartwarming about how Pied Piper came out to Wally. Especially when Wally tried to play it cool and act like he knew the whole time.
  • Demoted to Extra: In the New 52 his alliance to Flash is downplayed due to change of lead character. He's now shown only as Barry's superior Detective Singh's boyfriend and most of his appearences are tied to his relationship with Singh now.
  • Depending on the Artist: He's either blonde or a redhead, and at least early on was either rather skinny or rather chubby. He eventually settled on being a red-head with a slim-but-athletic build.
  • Disability Superpower: He was born deaf and got implants that gave him enhanced hearing.
  • Dying Moment of Awesome: In Countdown, when he accelerated the destruction of Apokolips by playing "The Show Must Go On".
  • Gadgeteer Genius: While some writers have him using apparently normal instruments, others have him inventing weapons and force-field gadgets—anything that can be handwaved as "sonics".
  • Gone Horribly Wrong: He only rejoined the Rogues to rein them in in and watch over Bart Allen. This got out of his control and the Rogues wound up murdering Bart, making Piper complacent in the act as well.
  • Hazy-Feel Turn: After McCulloch's Frame-Up, he has skirted the line between villain and hero, and never completely made a full turn.
  • Heel–Face Turn: After Barry Allen's death during the first Crisis, Hartley retired from crime to become a socialist champion of the poor and underprivileged. And he even becomes best friends with the Flash, Wally West and his wife Linda, whom he helps with scientific problems. Around the same time his friendship with Wally started, he also reconciled with his parents.
  • Heroic BSoD: When Mirror Master II tricked him into believing that he killed his own parents.
  • Just Like Robin Hood: Post-Crisis, he was stealing from rich and giving it to homeless people. This brought him closer to Wally West and they formed a close friendship from there.
  • Like Brother and Sister: He and Linda form a tight friendship after he reformed.
  • Living Lie Detector: His enhanced hearing can work as a lie detector if he focuses on one's heart beat.
  • Lonely Rich Kid: He was raised by the rich Rathaway family and was secluded to a point he decided to run away and take on Pied Piper identity.
  • Loveable Rogue: Post-Crisis, he was introduced as a rogue who had given himself to help poor in his own ways.
  • Love Redeems: In the New 52 it's implied that he left his criminal life after meeting a cop named David Singh.
  • Magic Music: His main power.
  • Make Some Noise: Rathaway employs a number of devices that can generate or amplify sound for destructive purposes.
  • Meaningful Name: His surname is Rathaway, and, in the classic story, what does The Pied Piper of Hamelin do? Yep; sends the 'rats-away'.
  • Mind-Control Music: He can control people with his music from his sophisticated flute capable of hypnotizing anyone within range of its sound. His ability to control others through sound might be due to his ability to manipulate the Anti-Life Equation. Though seen as a rudimentary control by the likes of Libra, the power is remarkably effective as he finds new and innovative ways to manipulate people and things using sound, even making himself 'invisible' to other's perception.
  • Morality Pet: He played a big part in Wally's Character Development; though Wally initially scoffed at Piper's socialism, it taught him to empathise more with financial downtroden and to not be greedy with his money, leading Wally to use his inheritance from the Icicle's passing to form a charity dedicated to Barry, instead of following his lawyer's suggestion of forming multiple charities as part of a tax scam to earn a significant monthly allowance.
  • My Greatest Failure: Not being able to save Bart Allen from the Rogues. It seems to have frayed his friendship with Wally, and Snart uses his involvement as leverage to prevent Hartley from coming after them again, and he goes into a Heroic BSoD.
  • The Paralyzer: His Sonic Tuning Fork is capable of sending out a sound the causes paralysis in those who hear it.
  • Parental Abandonment: They didn't even notice that he was deaf until he was two or so. And now they're dead.
  • Platonic Life-Partners: He becomes very close friends with Wally after his Heel–Face Turn.
  • The Power of Rock: In Countdown when he plays "The Show Must Go On" to drive away Brother Eye/OMAC and blow up Apokolips.
  • Red-Headed Hero: Post-Heel–Face Turn, at least.
  • Redhead In Green: His orange hair and bright greet attire contrast well.
  • Rich Kid Turned Social Activist: Born Hartley Rathaway to parents from old money, the Piper used to donate his stolen loot to the poor and continued to personally help the homeless after he reformed.
  • Satellite Love Interest: After Barry came back and the reboot happened, he's unfortunately demoted to being David Singh's boyfriend and nothing else.
  • The Smart Guy: If Wally needs some gadget or device, Hartley is the first place he turns to.
  • Straight Gay: Pied Piper was this way when he first came out, completely shocking Flash with the revelation of his sexuality. Later writers have mostly stayed true to this portrayal and for a prominent gay character he shows few to no stereotypical gay traits depending on who is writing him.
  • Super-Senses: Harley was born deaf. He was treated and medically given his hearing, later on with his auditory knowledge he further augmented his hearing.
  • Token Good Teammate: Even before his Heel–Face Turn he gave away a large percentage of his loot to the poor.
  • Trauma Conga Line: Poor Pied Piper goes through a lot, highlighted by the deaths of Impulse, Kid Zoom and Trickster.
  • Twofer Token Minority: Disabled and gay.
  • Walking the Earth: Why he's not around as much these days, he's been on walkabout studying harmonics.
  • Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: In one story he says he'll never forgive his father for the name "Hartley Rathaway", which may explain why he usually just goes by "Piper".
  • You Are Not Alone: When Wally and Piper meet again after the latter was a fugitive and joined Trickster's anti-Rogues group, Piper was told that he shouldn't have gone on the run, and instead should have turned to Wally for help.

    Chunk 

Chunk

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chunk_001.jpg

Alter Ego: Chester Runk

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #9 (February, 1988)

A metahuman and close friend of Wally's with the power to eat anything and place it in an alternate dimension. After an extremely brief career as a thief, Chunk quit the business and became a firm ally of the Flash, when not working with Wally's mother Mary West with community-work.

In the New 52, he was missing for a while, but eventually reappeared as a friend of Wallace West's.


    Steadfast 

Steadfast

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steadfast.png

Alter Ego: ???

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 5 #69 (June, 2019)

The Avatar of the Still Force, replacing the villainous Turtle. Steadfast uses his powers to assist Barry Allen in preparing for some unknown disaster that he foresees coming.


  • In the Hood
  • Mysterious Past: The Still Force chose him as its Avatar shortly after Flash War, but he never even gives his name, or much in the way of any concrete details about himself.
  • Put on a Bus: Is unceremoniously mentioned to be gone after being a supporting character for a year or so, in Flash #750.
  • Redeeming Replacement: The Turtle used the Still Force to drain the life out of people, and tried conquering Central City and then the multiverse. Steadfast only uses his powers to assist people, never for attacking.
  • Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: One of the benefits of the Still Force is that it grants Steadfast this, or at least an awareness that reality has changed.

    Omega-Bam-Man 

Omega-Bam-Man

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8688578_omega_bam_man.jpg

Alter Ego: ???

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 1 #787 (December, 2022)

Omniversal Heavyweight Champion of Wrestling Across the Multiverse (WAM), Omega-Bam-Man met Wally West when the latter accidentally got himself involved in a WAM match in Central City. The two became friends, and Omega-Bam-Man later joined Wally, Gold Beetle, and the Terrifics on a misson to save Wade West.


  • Amazing Technicolor Population: He has purple skin and is a multiversal champion.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: Befitting a multiversal wrestling champion, he's as loud and exhuberant as he is powerful.
  • Nice Guy: He turns out to be a genuinely nice person who helps Wally learn to relax and have fun even while juggling all of his responsibilities as a father, superhero, and employee of Terrifitec.
  • Redhead In Green: He has red hair and wears a green wrestling outfit.

Police and Government Officials

    Warden Gregory Wolfe 

Warden Gregory Wolfe

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/72600.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash: Iron Heights (October, 2001)

The draconian warden of Iron Heights Penitentiary. Wolfe turned the prison into a true dungeon where inmates are stripped of their rights, their dignity, and any hope of escape. Although he keeps the Twin Cities safe by keeping dangerous super-criminals locked up in "the Pipeline", his zeal for brutal justice often leads him to bend the very laws he has sworn to uphold, and has made him a thorn in Wally's side. He has the metahuman ability to induce violent muscle spasms, which helps him keep prisoners under control. He also once used them on Wally to stop him from asking uncomfortable questions about what he was doing to Fallout.


  • Amoral Attorney: Prior to becoming Iron Heights' warden.
  • Berserk Button:
    • When a bunch of Joker crazed super-villains attack the prison, one of them, Deadline, flies up and holds a gun to Wolfe's head saying that they're taking over. Wolfe's response?
      Wolfe: This is MY Prison!
    • At which point he makes Deadline's arm spasm, dropping the gun and Wolfe shoots him in the head with it.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Introduced himself to Wally like he was a good samaritan...until Wally confronted him with the harsh conditions of Iron Heights and its inmates. Wolfe drops the facade almost instantly.
  • Black-and-White Morality: Prior to Flashpoint, Wolfe was abusive and bent the rules to be as bad as he could, but only because he believed the people he was punishing deserved it for committing crime.
  • Character Development: After Grodd escapes and cripples Hunter, shortly after the two had bonded, Wolfe began to warm up, apologising for having been too full of himself to listen to Wally's warnings and regretting how harsh he'd been to Hunter prior. When Hunter became Zoom, Wolfe began to realise his cold Black-and-White Morality view of people was flawed and, having previously refused to administer any kind of rehabilitation program, allowed Ashley Zolomon to try anyway.
  • Flanderization: Suffers this after Johns left, where his character development and Hidden Depths disappear and he becomes not just anti-criminal, but also anti-metahuman to add some Fantastic Racism to his character (despite previously being shown to be a metahuman himself, something that inexplicably disappeared).
  • Headbutting Heroes: He's on the side of the law, but he and Wally will never see eye to eye over Wolfe's treatment of "masks" (the prison slang he and his staff use for the super-criminals).
  • Hellish Pupils: His eyes often glow red and/or yellow.
  • Hidden Depths: Despite arguing with Wally and Hunter bitterly, he admits to Hunter he admires and respects him greatly, as he believes Hunter's job, getting into the head of criminals, to be a far more difficult and traumatic task than merely keeping them in check. And while he vehemently disagrees with their worldview, he views more bleeding-heart types like Wally, Hunter, and Ashley fondly, admiring their optimism and categorising them as 'good' people. Evidently, disagreeing with him isn't enough to make him view you negatively.
  • I Owe You My Life: To Hunter Zolomon during the breakout that led to the latter's fateful encounter with Grodd.
  • Knight Templar: He justifies his cruelty because the subjects of it are criminals. However, he doesn't care if they go through a Heel–Face Turn or are proven innocent (he actively got excited to imprison Pied Piper to disprove the idea that people can change, and even after Piper was proven innocent he insists loudly that he must have been guilty because he escaped), or are Anti-Villain types who don't intend harm (having cruelly imprisoned Fallout in a painful cell designed to drain his power, and tried to have Peek-A-Boo beaten so badly she'd miss an interview that would have lead to her release, just to spite those who'd empathise with her).
  • Laser-Guided Karma: In Flash vol. 6 issue 69, thanks to the Trickster, his misdeeds are broadcast to Central City, proving enough to build a case against him and get him arrested. While he doesn't get sent to Iron Heights (Trickster blew it up), he does get put right next to Captain Cold's cell in Belle Reve… until the Lords of Order got him freed.
  • Mayor Pain: Due to the Lords of Order, he was not only freed from Belle Reve, but he also successfully ran for mayor and served as a temporary villain to Wally West while possessed by them.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: When Trickster managed to actually escape Iron Heights, Wolfe has him made an Unperson out of spite. This only makes it easier for James to go into hiding.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Barry returns to Central City after a brief walkabout, one of the major signs that something is massively wrong is that the Warden is smiling. And yes, it is exactly as creepy to see as it sounds.
  • Police Brutality: He "welcomes" new prisoners by having his guards beat them up. Known victims include Pied Piper and the Weather Wizard.
  • Scary Black Man: He's very tall, ill-mannered and has creepy superpowers that is borderline torture.
  • Slasher Smile: Let's just say he loves criminals getting the punishment "they deserve". Except towards Hunter.
  • Sympathy for the Devil: Once again, Hunter's transformation into Zoom, the one prisoner who Wolfe never gave any harsh treatment.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: He was initially introduced as a Well-Intentioned Extremist Knight Templar, even receving some character development after Hunter's downfall but it seems that not many writers are aware of his character's depth and go for the Wardens Are Evil route up to eleven.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: When Barry saves him from being crushed by a Strength Force-enhanced Trickster, what does Wolfe do? Order his guards to kill him.
  • Wardens Are Evil: Other than some Pet the Dog moments concerning Hunter Zolomon (maybe two, at best), the guy is an absolute bully who abuses his inmates regularly and encourages his guards to do the same. He did receive Character Development during Johns' initial run, but that disappeared and since then, he's actually gotten worse.

    Officers Chyre and Morillo 

Officers Chyre and Morillo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1143732_cnm02.png
on the left: Fred Chyre, on the right: Jared Morillo

Alter Ego: Fred Chyre and Jared Morillo

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #164 (September, 2000) note ; The Flash Vol 2 #171 (April, 2001) note 

The founding (and only) members of Keystone City's Metahuman Hostilities Department, officers Chyre and Morillo quickly became vital allies and friends of Wally West. Chyre was an aging beat cop who lived in Keystone his whole life, while Morillo was a young hotshot who relocated from Los Angeles. Though hostile to each other at first, they quickly became good friends who always have each other's back.


  • Action Duo: In Crossfire, they had to put past their differences to help Wally.
  • Ascended Extra: They became the main supporting characters of Geoff Johns' run of the series.
  • Back from the Dead: Morillo's Healing Factor, brought on from Cicada's blade, allowed him to come back to life after Plunder killed him.
  • Badass Bookworm: Jared Morillo is considered to be one.
  • Badass Normal: Fred Chyre, especially when he gets pissed off.
  • Bash Brothers: After the Character Development, they turned into a well-known duo in Keystone.
  • Berserk Button:
    • For Morillo, that would be his wife. For Chyre, don't touch his partners, friends or Flash. He may not be a metahuman but he can still throw a mean punch.
    • Chyre nearly beats up a fellow cop for badmouthing Wally and Linda, especially since it was at a very trying time for the couple (Linda having just miscarried).
  • Brains and Brawn: Morillo is the brains, Chyre is the brawn.
  • By-the-Book Cop: Morillo was initially presented as this, much to the chagrin of Chyre when they partnered up.
  • Dead Partner: Chyre had it rough when it came to this. His first partner was murdered and he became a Parental Substitute for his partner's daughter Julie Jackam, eventually becoming her partner. Then later on Julie got killed by Cicada's followers and Chyre didn't take it well. During Crossfire when Morillo was thought to be killed, poor Chyre was hit the hardest.
  • Evil Doppelgänger: Morillo's counterpart from a mirror universe is the villain Plunder. Plunder even killed Morillo (although he survives thanks to a Healing Factor) in order to impersonate him.
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Morillo and Chyre actively disliked one-another prior to working together, and even after being assigned as partners this was Teeth-Clenched Teamwork. They didn't become true friends until after Blacksmith's plans were foiled and they fought Plunder together.
  • Friend on the Force: They are both this for Wally alongside Hunter. Before Blitz erased Wally's identity, they were even said to be meeting outside on occasions.
  • The Ghost: Morillo's wife is constantly mentioned and even has a conversation with him on-panel, but we've never seen her.
  • Good Cop/Bad Cop: Morillo thinks he is the Good Cop but after spending some time with Chyre, they start taking turns depending on the situation.
  • Happily Married: Jared Morillo is very happily married. Even though he had a much more promising career in L.A. or FBI, he decided to settle down in a more comfortable city for his wife and their potential children.
  • Healing Factor: Morillo, due to a close encounter with Cicada's energy dagger.
  • Henpecked Husband: Morillo, big time. You can see him mentioning his wife at least once whenever he appears.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: They're both a little rough, but have good hearts. Morillo isn't good with people but he's a decent guy with professional respect for Wally, and Chyre is a tough grouch prone to violent outbursts, but he cares deeply for others and always treated Wally rather warmly.
  • Kill and Replace: Plunder tries to pull one on Morillo and he partly succeeds.
  • Luke, I Might Be Your Father: Not himself, but he told Wally that he might have sired a baby boy with Julie Jackam, an ex of Wally and Chyre's recently-deceased partner. Shortly after this, did Weather Wizard show himself and reveal that he was the actual father.
  • Noble Male, Roguish Male: Morillo is happily married, graduated from one of the top universities with high grades (according to Hunter, he was still praised by professors even after he graduated) and has a great potential to make a name for himself; whereas Chyre has been received as a hotheaded, disobedient, good-for-nothing officer waiting for his retirement.
  • Old-Fashioned Copper: Chyre isn't British, but he's still close to this trope.
  • Parental Substitute: Chyre for Julie Jackam who was the daughter of his late partner. He accepted her as his new partner when she joined law enforcement. After her untimely death, he took her son Josh on himself as well.
  • Put on a Bus: They were present in the books even during Bart's tenure as The Flash, but Mark Waid put them on a bus once he took over the book again, focusing more on the kids. After Barry's return, Chyre was revealed to be one of the officers present on Nora Allen's site of murder. Since then, the focus in Flash comics shifted from Keystone to Central City and the closest nod to them was in Rebirth comics; where it's revealed that Chyre (or a relative of his) owns a police bar in Central City.
  • Rabid Cop: Especially before his Character Development, Fred Chyre was really aggressive in his methods, to a point everyone in the staff was intimidated by him.
  • Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Chyre's usual attitude compared to Morillo, especially at first.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Morillo is the Sensitive Guy and Chyre is the Manly Man. Though when the situation arises, Morillo never holds back a punch either.
  • Sickeningly Sweethearts: Morillo gushes about his wife whenever he can. That's partly how Chyre realizes Plunder was impersonating as him.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Their usual relationship.

    Doctor Ashley Zolomon 

Doctor Ashley Zolomon

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ashley_zolomon_001.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #197 (June, 2003)

The estranged wife of Hunter Zolomon. They met in college and got married shortly before graduation, and both entered the FBI where Ashley's father was an instructor for new recruits. However, after a misjudgment on Hunter's part cost Ashley's father his life during a case, Ashley left Hunter (just one of the many unfortunate repercussions). She would later come to Keystone City and take over his former spot as the local meta-human profiler following his Face–Heel Turn and transformation into Zoom.


  • All for Nothing: Ashley Zolomon, the estranged ex-wife of Hunter Zolomon, was once happily married to her husband; the two of them married before graduating college and joining the FBI, working under her father, Derek, who had a great fatherly relationship with his son-in-law Hunter. However, things come crashing down for the couple when during an FBI mission, Hunter predicted that a suspect wouldn't have a gun and thus urged his team to arrest him without waiting for backup. Hunter turned out to be wrong, and the killer shot him in the knee, crippling him, before gunning down his father-in-law; in response, Ashley filed for divorce and was let go from the FBI. When Ashley later learns of Hunter's transformation into Zoom, she doesn't hesitate to leave her entire career at the FBI behind to come to Keystone City to take over his former spot as the local metahuman profiler to help reform him. When Ashley visits a comatose and imprisoned Hunter, she makes it clear that she still loves him, regrets leaving him, and promises never to leave him again. Unfortunately, Ashley was unable to help Hunter as she wanted.
    • First, when Hunter was comatose, Ashley was unable to talk to him; all she could do was tell him stories of their relationship, how they were happy together, how he taught her to be a great detective, and finally, shamefully admitting that she was the one that got him discharged from the FBI and helped destroy his life. While things did look up when Hunter got out of his unconscious state when Ashley was in a car accident and left flowers at her hospital bed while returning to his cell. Hunter escaped before Ashley could talk to him; she was devastated and wanted to know where he was, and while Hunter protected her when Ashley was attacked by The Rogues when Pied Piper kidnaped her to make a profile on Captain Boomerang for the FBI, but at the end of the storyline Hunter disappears in time, and the story ends with Ashley keeping to the Flash identity a secret and going to have dinner with two colleagues and his wife, with Hunter appearing as she left saying sorry Ashley. Hunter was eventually depowered and in prison. But before Ashley could possibly talk with Hunter, Flashpoint changed the universe, and the two of them disappeared and were perhaps were erased from the universe.
    • When Hunter Zolomon returned, and it was made clear that his history with his father-in-law and ex-wife was still in continuity, Ashley Zolomon did not make an appearance and was only mentioned; what made this worse is that it was revealed that the tragic mistake Hunter made that cause his father-in-law death was no mistake - Hunter had correctly assessed the situation, and things would have ended there and then if a time-traveling Professor Zoom hadn't given the killer a gun in order to start Zolomon down the road to becoming Zoom. When Hunter learns of this, he turns against Professor Zoom and sacrifices his life to defeat him while apologizing to Wally West. Ashley was never shown learning the mistakes that caused her father's death, and the breakdown of her marriage was engineered by a supervillain or her former husband's fate of learning the truth and sacrificing his life. All in all, Ashley Zolomon's attempt to help her husband and be there for him was all for nothing because of circumstances beyond her control, and she never got the chance to reunite with him despite declaring that she would never leave him again.
  • Amicable Exes: Hunter and Ashley Zolomon were not this at first, due to the circumstances. Hunter predicted that a suspect wouldn't have a gun, and thus urged his team to make the arrest without waiting for backup. He turned out to be wrong, and the killer shot him in the knee, crippling him, before gunning down his father-in-law; in response, Ashley filed for divorce and he was let go from the FBI. It was clear that Hunter still very much loved her and regretted his mistake, but he sadly accepted that she would likely never forgive him and was trying to move on with his life. Ashley's thoughts on Hunter after the divorce were only told by Hunter's account, but it's clear she was angry and bitter at Hunter for his mistake that cost her father's life. When Ashley learns that Hunter transformed into Zoom, she left the FBI to come to Keystone City to take over his former spot as the local metahuman profiler to help reform him. She makes it clear that she still loves Hunter, regrets leaving him, and swore that she'll help him and never leave him again. It very clear that they have lingering feelings for each other.
  • Badass Normal: With her past taken into consideration, she can kick plenty ass on her own.
  • Divorce Is Temporary: Implied. Ashley and Hunter Zolomon's marriage ended on the worst of terms. Hunter predicted that a suspect wouldn't have a gun, and thus urged his team to make the arrest without waiting for backup. He turned out to be wrong, and the killer shot him in the knee, crippling him, before gunning down his father-in-law; in response, Ashley filed for divorce and he was let go from the FBI. When Ashley later learns of Hunter's transformation into Zoom, she doesn't hesitate to leave her entire career at the FBI behind to come to Keystone City to take over his former spot as the local metahuman profiler to help reform him. She make it clear that she still loves him and feels guilty for not being there for him, feeling that he would never have become Zoom had she not left him. Though not stated, it's implied that she plans to get back together with Hunter once she reforms him.
  • Easily Forgiven: Wally was accused of sabotaging her car that led to an accident. Wally later figures out that it was an oversight on his part, but Ashley personally dropped the charges.
  • Even Evil Can Be Loved: She makes it very clear that she is still in love with Hunter, at least with the man he used to be.
  • FBI Agent: She enters academy alongside with Hunter and trains under her own father. After her divorce, she still works in Quantico until the news of Hunter's tranformation hits her and she leaves her entire career behind to come to Keystone to take over his former spot as the local meta-human profiler to help reform Hunter.
  • Friend on the Force: Eventually becomes this for Wally, once they work past their differences.
  • Grief-Induced Split: Ashley and Hunter Zolomon were a happily married couple who joined the FBI under Ashley's father, Derek, who had a tremendous fatherly relationship with his son-in-law. However, Hunter made an error in judgement on a case that resulted in the suspect crippling him then gunning down his father-in-law; in response, Ashley filed for divorce, and he was let go by the FBI. Heartbroken by both the death and the divorce, Hunter tried to move on by getting a job at Keystone City as the local metahuman profiler even though he still missed Ashley. After an attack by Gorilla Grodd renders Hunter paraplegic, he tries to use the time-traveling Cosmic Treadmill to prevent his injuries from occurring, but an accident occurs that gives him time-traveling powers and makes him insane, transforming him into supervillain Zoom. When Ashley learns that Hunter had transformed into Zoom, she doesn't hesitate to leave her entire FBI career behind to come to Keystone City to take over his former profiler position to help reform him. She makes it clear that she still loves Hunter, regrets leaving him, and swears that she'd help him and never leave him again.
  • I Can Change My Beloved: This is her main motivation in quitting FBI, she feels very guilty about Hunter's fall from grace.
  • It's All My Fault: She believes that if she hadn't left Hunter, he would never have become Zoom.
  • Love Redeems: She has full faith that she can reach Hunter.
  • Love Will Lead You Back: She wants to invoke this for Hunter. And it works, just not on his fragmented mind.
  • Morality Pet: Once she's introduced, Zoom starts showing his softer side more and he goes as far as saving her from Rogues and entrusting her safety to Linda & Piper.
  • My God, What Have I Done?:
    • The subject of this. After she barely survives a car accident, Wally, who was charged with repairing her car and had obvious motive along with having been witnessed arguing with her, is accused of tampering with it. It turns out he was responsible, due to having failed to finish repairs because he went to help Nightwing fight Penguin, and becomes incredibly guilt-ridden over it. Fortunately, Ashley doesn't press charges and makes peace with him.
    • She also has this to leaving Hunter, feeling he never would have become Zoom if she had not left him. Guilt-ridden she admit to a comatose Hunter that she was the one that got him discharged from the F.B.I. and help destroy his life.
  • New Old Flame: For Zoom.
  • The Power of Love: Her being in a car accident caused by Wally's accidental tampering is enough to snap Zoom out of his time-displaced coma that he was forced into at the climax of the "Blitz" storyline.
  • The Profiler: Takes over this role after her ex-husband's Face–Heel Turn.
  • Put on a Bus: After the New 52 reboot Ashley Zolomon disappeared and was never mentioned again.
    • Since Hunter's past has been re-established as canon in Rebirth, whether she's still working with Keystone PD or not remains to be seen.
      • Ashley Zolomon made a cameo appearance in Flash #800; Hunter Zolomon returned from the speed force, coming to the realization that because he was right about the clown not having a gun, that means that he was right about pushing Wally to be a better Flash, A panel showed Ashley drinking coffee in her desk which has the words Detective on it looking at a profile of her ex-husband implying that she will have a big role in the upcoming storyline with Hunter return.
  • Secret-Keeper: About Owen Mercer's real mother, which she learned during Rogue War from a briefly-reanimated but Came Back Wrong Captain Boomerang.
  • Starter Marriage: Played for Drama. In a flashback in Flash #197, it was revealed that Hunter Zolomon has only been married to his college sweetheart Ashley for a few months after they graduated college together and join the FBI together before Hunter tragic mistake that cost the life of his father in law, causing Ashley to divorce him and him being kicked out of the FBI. Hunter still very much loves Ashley but knows it unlikely she forgive him; he accepts the divorce and tries to move on with his life. Later, when Ashley learns that Hunter transformed into supervillain Zoom, she left the FBI to come to Keystone City to take over his former spot as the local metahuman profiler to help reform him—showing that she still loves and regrets leaving him. Tragically it's implied that had that misjudgment on Hunter's part that cost his father's life in law never happen, Hunter and Ashley would have had a long and lasting marriage.
  • Tragic Mistake: She consider leaving Hunter and getting him discharged from the F.B.I. a terrible mistake that lead to Hunter becoming Zoom.

    Captain Darryl Frye 

Captain Darryl Frye

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darryl_frye.png

First Appearance: The Flash #285 (May, 1980)

Captain Darryl Frye is the captain of the Central City police Department (C.C.P.D.). Before Flashpoint, Captain Darryl Frye was simply Barry Allen's new boss who was very big on punctuality and married to Thelma (or Lorraine Depending on the Writer) Frye. He later on became the superhero Captain Invincible despite not being physically fit who would drag Barry on along his adventures. After Flashpoint, he was rewritten to be a single man with a history with Nora Allen and Barry's boss and legal guardian. He is unaware that Barry is the Flash.


  • Age Lift: Before Flashpoint, Darryl was around Barry's age. In New 52, he is old enough to be Barry's father.
  • All Love Is Unrequited: In New 52, he is in love with Nora Allen, but she was married to Henry Allen. Then she was killed before she had a chance to divorce Henry. Averted in pre-Flashpoint where he is Happily Married to Thelma Frye and has no feelings for Nora.
  • Captain Superhero: Captain Invincible.
  • Hates My Secret Identity: Inverted. Loves his adopted son Barry Allen but views Flash as a criminal. He even starts a task force dedicated to arresting the Flash.
  • Like a Son to Me: Sees Barry as his own son. Barry even sees him as his second father.
  • Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: For a moment, it was speculated that Barry was the son of Nora Allen and Darryl Frye not Nora Allen and Henry Allen. Turns out Barry is Henry's son.
  • Papa Wolf: When he realized that the Keystone Killer will one day kill Barry because of his kinship to Marshall Fletcher, Darryl destroys the Fletcher family lineage records and falsifies his DNA results in the C.C.P.D.'s database, breaking police protocol, federal law, and his integrity, to make it seem that he was the last descendant of Marshall Fletcher not Barry. When the Keystone Killer does return, he lures him to a remote location, strapped with grenades in order to to kill the Keystone Killer by killing himself. Fortunately, the Flash saves him in time.
  • Parental Substitute: To Barry after his mother was murdered and his father sent to jail. Unlike most versions of this trope, Barry has a good and loving relationship with his biological father. Darryl is basically a second father to him.
  • Secret Identity: Masquerades as Captain Invincible pre-Crisis.

Gorilla City

    Solovar 

Solovar

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solovar.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash #106 (May, 1959)

Like all the apes of Gorilla City, Solovar was granted intelligence from contact with a mysterious meteor, but alone with the evil Grodd, he was granted psychic powers as well. Chosen as the city's king, Solovar protected his people from Grodd's depredations and became a good friend of Barry Allen. Just when Solovar opened up Gorilla City to petition for United Nations membership, however, he was assassinated by Grodd's agents. His nephew Ulgo took up the reigns of command, but soon afterwards passed kingship to his cousin Nnamdi, Solovar's son. However, in the New 52, he is alive and usurped Grodd from his enemy's rightful place as king.


  • Arch-Enemy: To Gorilla Grodd.
  • Killed Off for Real: His second tour of the U.S. was cut short by his assassination by a lethal car bomb. Those responsible were manipulated by Grodd.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Despite having every right to execute Grodd and end his evil, Solovar continued to spare the mad ape's life. He later sought to expand diplomatic relations with the human world. These actions cost him dearly when he was assassinated by gorilla terrorists as part of Grodd's takeover plan.
  • Psychic Powers
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Under Solovar's guidance, Gorilla City was a technological utopia. Eventually, he decided his people could no longer use their science to hide from the human world. Believing that the world's ecological and political problems couldn't be solved by ignoring them, he opened his city's borders to the world and asked for membership in the United Nations. He advocated peace — among the gorillas and with humans — and was behind two diplomatic overtures to the human world.
  • Satellite Character: While he's his own character, Solovar seldom appears in stories that don't involve his nemesis Grodd. This is largely because he tends to stay away from the action in Gorilla City while Grodd is an active menace to the world at large.
  • Supporting Leader: After Barry help him to fight Grodd, they become allies.
  • Touched by Vorlons: In the New 52 Solovar was a simple un-evolved ape who lived during the rise of the Mayan Empire. When an extra-dimensional phenomenon his society would eventually dub The Light touched him and his herd they gained a vastly augmented state of being enabling them to read and write and speak their open minds.
  • We Used to Be Friends: With Grodd.

    Nnamdi 

Nnamdi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nnamdi_001.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #194 (March, 2003)

The son of Solovar and current ruler of Gorilla City. Under his reign, he encouraged the apes of Gorilla City to blend their advanced technology with the trees of the rainforest, bringing a more spiritual approach to rulership than his father. He has pursued a strict isolationist policy to the point of refusing to extradite Grodd for his crimes outside Gorilla City.


Civilians

    The Three Dimwits 

Winky, Blinky and Noddy

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_three_dimwits.jpg

Alter Ego: Winky Moylan, Blinky Boylan, and Noddy Toylan

First Appearance: All-Flash #5 (June, 1942)

Alternately known as "the Three Numbskulls", "the Three Idiots", or "the Three Dopes"; a trio with a penchant for getting into trouble, forcing their friend, Jay Garrick, to bail them out. The three were originally petty criminals but turned over a new leaf thanks to the Flash's influence. Sometime after World War II, the three found a buried treasure and retired to the Caribbean; years later, they became security guards at the Flash Museum, where they were killed by the supervillain Prometheus.


    Tina McGee 

Tina McGee

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tina_mcgee.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #3 (August, 1987)

Tina McGee is a brilliant scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs who has a close working relationship with the Flash. She and her husband Jerry specialize in metahuman medicine and have helped the Flash Family for years. Wally West shared a romantic relationship with her until they grew apart. Her Jerry McGee tried his own super-speed experiments, which turned him into the villainous monster Speed Demon (see Evil Speedsters page for him).


    Darwin Elias 

Darwin Elias

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darwin_elias_2_1.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 4 #1 (November, 2011)

A scientist who is one of the Flash's few allies in Central City (in the New 52, at least). He initially helps the Flash learn more about the Speed Force and the use of his powers. It turns out he's a complete and utter asshole who claims the Speed Force energy he siphoned off Barry as a renewable energy source without giving credit to the Flash at all, and pits the public against the Flash as a social experiment.


  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Initially acts like a scientist that wants to help Barry in his use the Speed Force. But it turns out that he's a complete asshole that wants to gain control of the Speed Force.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He was supposed to be a close ally to Flash, going as far as giving him tech aid but once the first creative team left the book, he disappeared. The only mention about him comes from Deathstroke, with the implication of being killed by Slade after being used as an Unwitting Pawn.
  • For Science!: His general motivation for anything.
  • Jerkass: Suggested that he siphoned the Flash's excess speed force and store it in battery cells. When he did so, the Flash disappeared into a wormhole and was sent into the Speed Force. With the battery cells filled with Speed Force energy, Doctor Elias took advantage of his supply by claiming to have found a renewable energy. Claiming the credit and fame for its discovery, Doctor Elias was viewed as the "hero" and savior of Central City in the months of the Flash's absence.
  • Never My Fault: After the Flash disappeared he passed off the Speed Force energy he managed to siphon as a new energy source for the glory. One of his Speed Force batteries exploded in an accident and granted Daniel West powers, allowing him to go on a murder spree to gain enough power to time travel and alter history, wreaking havoc on the timestream. When the Flash manages to save the day, Elias accuses him of being irresponsible and too dangerous with the Speed Force.
  • Red Herring: Despite what the plot wants you to believe at first, he's not the Reverse-Flash. Ironically enough, his counterpart in The Flash (2014) is.
  • The Sociopath:
    • He turned popular opinion against the Flash just to see what it would take, and gave the Rogues super-powers just to see what would happen.
    • It is revealed that he also views the use of the Flash's powers in saving lives as irresponsible, thinking it will do more good if used to advance the world towards the future.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: He is targeted by the super-powered Rogues, seeking revenge for blessing them with suck. While he is saved by Barry, he isn't thankful at all.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He disappeared from the Flash books. The closest thing to a mention would be that his tech was attained by Deathstroke and incorporated into his Ikon suit years down the line.

    Helen Claiborne, DDS 

Helen Claiborne

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/helen_clairborne.jpg

First Appearance: Impulse #3 (June, 1995)

Max Crandall's (Quicksilver/Max Mercury) illegitimate daughter. Max moved to Manchester Alabama to keep an eye on his now adult daughter out of guilt for missing her life due to his time-jumps. At first he hid his relation to her from her which angered her once she discovered her new friend was her father. Max and Bart end up living with her as Max tries to get to know his daughter.


  • Deadpan Snarker: She's quite snarky, especially to her father.
  • Parental Abandonment: Her mother's husband left when she was little and Max missed her entire childhood and young adulthood. By the time Max tried to come back for a visit her mother had died and she was all grown up.

    Preston Lindsay 

Preston Lindsay

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/preston_lindsay_01.jpg

First Appearance: Impulse #1 (April, 1995)

One of Bart's best friends in Manchester, and an aspiring filmmaker.


  • Abusive Parents: Given the strange bruises he shows up with, and the way Bart sees his father yelling at him, he comes to believe that Preston's father is abusing him. It turns out that it's actually his mother who's been hurting him.
  • Camera Fiend: In early issues, though he later gives Bart his camera as a gift.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Though he initially acts antagonistic to Bart, he turns out to be a nice guy underneath it all.
  • Palette Swap: In early issues, he looked like a palette-swapped version of Bart.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: He's a ninth-grader who's convinced he's the next Spielberg.

    Carol Bucklen 

Carol Bucklen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carol_bucklen.jpg

First Appearance: Impulse #1 (April, 1995)

Bart's other best friend. Carol is a nerdy outcast who bonds with Bart due to both being oddballs.


  • Cloudcuckoolander: Not to Bart's extremes, but she's certainly a bit odd.
  • Nerd Glasses: She wears a big pair of glasses and is definitely nerdy.
  • Parental Abandonment: Her parents were killed in a car crash with a drunk driver so her legal guardian is her older brother Bobby.
  • Passionate Sports Girl: Carol is very fond of baseball, and is even on the team despite the rest of the players being boys.
  • Secret-Keeper: She figured out Bart was Impulse's secret identity.
  • Ship Tease: Occasionally with Bart, but in the end she seems content to be just friends with him.

CCPD Crime Lab

    Patty Spivot 

Patty Spivot

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patty_spivot.jpg
Click here to see her as Hot Pursuit
Click here to see her as Ms. Flash

First Appearance: DC Special Series #1 (September, 1977)

During the Silver Age, Patty was Barry's lab assistant. She had a fiancé named David and invited Barry and Iris to her wedding, but the engagement must have been broken off or he died since Patty's name remained the same even years after Iris's death.

In New 52, Patty is a blood analyst for the CCPD, Barry's coworker, and love interest. Eventually, she and Barry went through a Relationship Upgrade and started dating.


  • All Love Is Unrequited: Pre-Flashpoint. She gets better in New 52.
  • Betty and Veronica: A bit nerdy, insecure and quite plain looking Betty compared to Iris West's Veronica. She loses.
  • Birds of a Feather: The main reason behind Barry's attraction towards her. Alas, Opposites Attract trope wins in the end.
  • Badass Biker: Was one when she was Hot Pursuit during Flashpoint.
    • In the New 52 Flash comic (volume 4 Issue 15), she apparently became one in one of the possible futures Barry thinks of using his speed brain in defeating Grodd. Interestingly, her motorcycle outfit visually seems like a call back to her tenure as Hot Pursuit during the Flashpoint comics.
  • Cool Bike: Drove a motorcycle powered by the Speed Force, called the Cosmic Motorcycle, during her tenure as Hot Pursuit in Flashpoint.
    • In one of the possible futures Barry thinks of in defeating Grodd, one of them involves Patty using a motorcycle as a part of an Resistance movement.
  • Daddy's Girl: Implied in New 52. Her father calls her princess.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: She's alarmed whenever Iris is around. Of course her fears are not unfounded considering her status.
  • Hates My Secret Identity: Inverted. She loves Barry Allen but blamed Flash when she believed that he was responsible for creating the speed force wormhole that "killed" Barry. She eventually learns to move on, and when she finds out Barry and Flash are one in the same, she becomes loving and supportive of both.
  • Legacy Character: In Flashpoint, she became the next Hot Putsuit after Barry, who was from an alternate dimension, died. When Barry (from the main universe) undid Flashpoint, he undid her tenure as Hot Pursuit.
  • Put on a Bus: After being deceived by Future Flash, she leaves Barry and hasn't been seen since, not even at CCPD.
  • Romantic False Lead: During New 52, she's there to only prolong the eventual Iris/Barry romance. Her relationship with Barry gets cut abruptly when TV show starts airing with Iris as the clear lead.
  • Romantic Runner-Up: Patty may be plain and quite boring as a character (in New 52 at least) but she was completely unharmful and still managed to be a supportive girlfriend to Barry. Unfortunately for her, things just simply didn't work out in the long run.
  • Secret Identity: Masquerades as Hot Pursuit in Flashpoint. She also masqueraded as Ms. Flash in the Silver Age but that turned out to be All Just a Dream Barry had.
  • Secret-Keeper: becomes the first and for awhile only civilian to know that Barry is the Flash.

    Director David Singh 

David Singh

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/david_singh.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Secret Files and Origins #2010 (May, 2010)

A Crime Lab Director for the Central City Police Department, who takes Barry Allen into his lab on Captain Frye's orders.


  • Adaptational Nice Guy: While still bit of a jerk, he is far more sympathetic in New 52 than in all previous incarnations.
  • Adaptational Sexuality: He’s written as gay post-Flashpoint.
  • Da Chief: Basically was this to the CCPD pre-Flashpoint. His post-Flashpoint self is a much nicer guy, though can still be a bit rough around the edges.
  • Gayngst: Subverted. The reader and Barry is led to believe that Singh is hiding his relationship with Hartley because he is afraid of being fired for being gay. However, Director Singh reveals to Barry that he's actually afraid of being fired for dating an ex-Rogue. Eventually it all works out in the end.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
    • Pre-Flashpoint, he was a workplace bully who was very noticeably overwhelmed by the amount of crime in Central City. However, once he finds out that Barry was able to prove someone's innocence, he gives Barry his blessing to keep digging into the cold cases...provided it doesn't eat into any current cases.
    • Post-Flashpoint, he is short tempered and puts his career above his boyfriend, but he invites Patty to his apartment to comfort her after Barry’s “death” and mourns him as well. After a near death experience, he starts putting Hartley first before his career.
  • Straight Gay: In New 52

    James Forrest 

James Forrest

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_forrest_002.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash: Rebirth #2 (July, 2009)

James Forrest is the DNA specialist at CCPD who dreams of retiring and owning his dream sailboat which he plans to sail around the world with.


    Angela Margolin 

Angela Margolin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/angela_margolin.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 2 #143 (December, 1998)

Hired to replace Barry while he was away in Witness Protection Placement, Angela is a police scientist for the CCPD. She assisted The Flash (Wally West) when Cobalt Blue destroyed The Flash museum. When Wally West failed to return from the 30th century where he was battling Cobalt Blue, Dark Flash (Walter West) appeared. Angela assisted him with several cases, eventually becoming romantically involved and later engaged to Walter West. However, Walter had to return to his own dimension before the two could marry.


25th century

    The Renegades 

The Renegades

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/renegades_001.jpg

First Appearance: The Flash Vol 3 #1 (June, 2010)

Lawmen of the 25th century's Central City, who have styled themselves after the Flash's greatest enemies. Led by Commander Cold, the Renegades operate under a more severe code of justice than the Flash, something that often puts them at odds.


  • Ascended Extra: Commander Cold becomes part of the main supporting cast after Flash War.
  • Back for the Finale: They are part of The Cavalry that helped the Flash family against the Legion of Zoom in "Finish Line". The epilogue to that storyline shows them back in their proper time period, including Commander Cold.
  • The Bus Came Back: After a minor antagonistic role in Vol. 3, they disappeared until the Rebirth era, with a new line-up.
  • Cowboy Cop: Commander Cold started out as a hot-blooded officer in Central City's police, until he violently murdered a deranged super-criminal. Then The Judge hired him.
  • Didn't Think This Through: The Top of the Renegades tries to prevent Barry carrying out an investigation that would prove the Top's ancestor committed a certain crime. As Barry points out, when the Renegades have time travel, the Top could have gone back to prevent his ancestor committing the crime in the first place rather than basically frame an innocent person for it.
  • Drone Deployer: The Trixster uses T-Spheres to hold his gag-themed tools instead of a bag of tricks.
  • Flat Character: Under Geoff Johns, they don't get a lot of characterization. Their return in the Rebirth era fleshes some of them out a little more.
  • Good Counterpart: Sort of. At the very least, they're not out-and-out criminals like the actual Rogues. But their being "good" is more than a little suspect.
  • Hanging Judge: They hold that warning people about their future is punishable by death.
  • Harmless Freezing: Unlike Captain Cold, Commander Cold's freezing isn't necessarily lethal. It's also controlled by nanobots, allowing him to free people at his desire.
  • Insane Troll Logic: Anyone who's ever had a criminal ancestor is kicked out of the Renegades. Doesn't matter what they were arrested for, or whether it was centuries ago, this is apparently still grounds for being fired. Surprising it took as long to backfire as it did, really.
  • Irony: They were founded on the apparent purpose of fighting the Reverse-Flash. As it turns out, their commanding officer, the Judge, is a Reverse-Flash, specifically Hunter Zolomon.
  • One-Steve Limit: Commander Cold's real name is revealed in Flash Vol. 5 to be "Henry", the same name as Barry's father, something he's aware of.
  • Pungeon Master: Commander Cold, come Rebirth, tends to crack cold puns as he works, something Captain Cold has long abandoned.
  • The Smurfette Principle: Come Rebirth, the team has a counterpart to the Golden Glider, the Golden Guardian.
  • Snub by Omission: Their line-up is a match for the classic Rogues arrangement...but no Captain Boomerang.
    Commander Cold: Boomerangs seemed a little primitive.
  • Trapped in the Past: Commander Cold, after Flash War renders time-travel difficult.
  • Xtreme Kool Letterz: Their Trickster counterpart is named Trixster.

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