The Flash has always been one of DC’s biggest names. It was the introduction of Barry Allen that kick-started the Silver Age, and through him that the concept of the multiverse was popularized. However, Barry is not the most popular character to have worn the red suit. That title belongs to Wally West, the third Flash, and the one who redefined what it meant to be the Scarlet Speedster. Wally took an iconic DC identity and brought it to even greater heights, introducing some of the Flash’s most iconic aspects. It all started forty years ago today, when Wally West became the Flash.
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Wally took on the mantle of the Flash in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, following Barry’s heroic sacrifice to save reality from the Anti-Monitor. Previously, he’d been retired from the superhero business since he suffered from a disease that killed him the faster he ran, but he came back to fight with the multiverse on the line. The fight with the Anti-Monitor wound up killing Barry, but also cured Wally of his speed disease. With his mentor and idol a martyr on a multiversal scale, Wally took up the name, and his impact is still felt forty years later.
The Importance of Legacy
DC has always had a focus on legacy, seeking to impart heroism to the next generation. From sidekicks like Robin to identities that are passed on, it’s not uncommon for DC to replace one hero with a younger version, and that’s exactly what happened with Wally. The Flash was already a sort of legacy, since Jay Garrick was the first Flash, but Barry and Jay were unconnected, for the most part. Jay trusted Barry to be the Flash, but he didn’t train him. The Flash was already flirting with being a legacy, and Wally showed that the modern version of the character fit the idea perfectly.
Wally’s arc as the Flash was not just about being the Flash, but specifically how it looked and what it meant to fill an important hero’s shoes. Wally initially held himself back so as not to surpass Barry in any way. He wore Barry’s costume and subconsciously lowered his speed to always stay beneath Barry’s max. Over time, however, Wally came to accept that staying in Barry’s shadow wasn’t preserving his legacy; Wally was his legacy. He surpassed Barry in every way, becoming faster than his mentor thought possible and mentoring his own family of heroes. Wally perfected the legacy arc, showing how a hero can grow into someone even better than their mentor.
Wally’s Contributions to the Flash Mythos
Wally’s contributions can be split into two major categories. First off, there’s the broad mythos contributions. The audience learned about the Speedforce through Wally, which completely redefined how everything works for Speedsters on a fundamental level. The Speedforce affected the very cosmic nature of DC as a whole. Beyond that, Wally brought about the Flash Family. More characters than ever before were introduced with connections to the Speedforce, and Wally became the central hub. Everyone connected through Wally, creating one of the largest and most fleshed-out superhero families in the industry.
The second category is the shift to personal, character-driven narratives. As a protagonist, Barry was always more distant and alone. He had friends and allies, but he didn’t go through arcs, and the story focused squarely on him. Wally, in contrast, connected very closely with the rest of his supporting cast. His stories have always been more about his interpersonal connections, be it his romantic relationships or his growth as a mentor or father. Also, frankly, Wally had a much more bombastic personality than Barry. Barry is great in an old-fashioned, idealized hero kind of way, while Wally is much more obviously flawed and funny. After Barry became the main Flash again, he even absorbed some of Wally’s personality traits.
At the end of the day, Wally’s importance to the Flash mantle cannot be overstated. He helped define what the hero looks like in the modern age, brought about more lore and mythos additions than anyone else possibly could, and turned the identity into a fun-loving, human legacy. Wally has been the Flash for forty years, and we should all celebrate him saving the day faster than anyone else could.
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