Kid Flash

Kid Flash is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero The Flash. The first incarnation of the character, Wally West, debuted in The Flash (vol. 1) #110 (1959). The character, along with others like the first Wonder Girl, Aqualad, and Speedy, was created in response to the success of Batman's young sidekick Robin. These young heroes would later be spun off into their own superhero team, the Teen Titans. As Kid Flash, Wally West made regular appearances in Flash related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1959 through the mid-1980s until the character was reinvented as the new version of The Flash.

Later, well after Wally West had made a name for himself as the new Flash, the character of Bart Allen, grandson of legendary Flash Barry Allen, was brought into the past from his home in the future and served as the young hero Impulse. In 2003, with writer Geoff Johns' relaunch of a new Teen Titans volume, Bart donned the mantle of Kid Flash after being nearly killed by the assassin Deathstroke. As Kid Flash, Bart appeared in Teen Titans and The Flash (vol. 2) regularly until the Infinite Crisis event, where a disappearance of Wally West made Bart the fourth Flash. Apparently killed by the Rogues, Bart was resurrected in the 31st century by Legion of Super-Heroes member Brainiac 5 and retook the mantle of Kid Flash.

Kid Flash (Iris West)

Kid Flash (Iris West II) is a superheroine in the alternate future of Kingdom Come in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Kingdom Come #3 (July 1996).

Publication history

Iris West II/Kid Flash appears in issues 3 and 4 of the 1996 Kingdom Come mini-series. She subsequently appears in the Kingdom Come sequel, The Kingdom, starring in her own issue The Kingdom: Kid Flash (February 1999). Characters similar to this one appear in The Flash #143 (December 1998) and #146–149 (March–June 1999), as well as The Titans #23–25 (January–March 2001); however, it is not clear if they are the same character.

Fictional character biography

Kingdom Come

In the alternate future of the Kingdom Come series, Iris West II is the daughter of Wally West (the first Kid Flash, third Flash) and Linda Park, and the twin sister of Jai West. Both Iris and Jai inherited their father's superspeed abilities, but only Iris chose to use her powers for good, while Jai used his powers to become a slacker and has no interest in the "family legacy". Iris is constantly bitter that her father, who has almost completely given up his life to patrol Keystone City non-stop, never makes time for her but does make time for Jai, and considered him the potential successor to the Flash identity instead of Iris, despite her becoming Kid Flash.

Wally West

The Flash (Wally West) is a fictional superhero that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash. He made his first appearance as the Kid Flash in the Flash #110 in 1959. Wally took up the mantle of the Flash following the death of Barry Allen for twenty three years in DC's main lineup.

On May 6, 2011, IGN ranked Wally West #8 on their list of the "Top 100 Super Heroes of All Time", ahead of any other speedsters, stating that "Wally West is one of the DCU’s greatest heroes, even if he doesn’t rank as the original Scarlet Speedster". In 2013, Wally West placed 6th on IGN's Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics.

The character has appeared in many forms of media, including the Justice League cartoons. Wally West made his live-action debut in the second season of The Flash, where he is portrayed by Keiynan Lonsdale.

Fictional character biography

Kid Flash

Wally West was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino and introduced in The Flash #110 (1959). The character was the nephew of the existing Flash character's girlfriend and later wife, Iris West. During a visit to the Central City police laboratory where Barry Allen worked, the freak accident that gave Allen his powers repeated itself, bathing West in electrically-charged chemicals. Now possessing the same powers as the Flash, West donned a smaller sized copy of Barry Allen's Flash outfit and became the young crimefighter Kid Flash. Wally had a strained relationship with his own parents and often looked to his beloved aunt and uncle for moral support and guidance.