An Animated History of the Flash
The Scarlet Speedster Runs Out of Comic Books and onto Television
Dec 15, 2008
Originally created by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert in 1940, the Flash has been part of the DC Comics universe right up to the present day. Four main versions of the character have existed at one time or another. Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West and Bart Allen have all borne the mantle of the Flash. Ironically, the original incarnation of Jay Garrick is the only one that has not made it to television in any form.
The Superman/Aquaman Hour
In 1967, the Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure debuted. Along with the titular characters, the hour long show included adventures featuring the Justice League of America. The Barry Allen version of the Flash was part of those adventures and also had three short segments of his own on the show. Wally West, Kid Flash, joined his mentor on two of those adventures and was part of three Teen Titans adventures as well.
Those adventures were repackaged and re-aired as part of both the Aquaman and Superman half hour shows that replaced the original hour long program. Cliff Owens and Tommy Cook voiced the Flash and Kid Flash respectively.
Super Friends
The Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash, appeared in many episodes of the Super Friends during its run from 1973 to 1986. The character rarely spoke and in some seasons didn't appear at all. In the few instances where the Flash had lines, the voice was provided by Jack Angel.
Superman - The Animated Series
Charlie Schlatter provides the voice of the Flash in the second season episode of Superman - The Animated Series, Speed Demons. In the episode, Superman and the Flash face off in a footrace for charity to see which of them is faster. It is generally assumed that the incarnation of the Flash in this episode is Barry Allen, but it is never specified and the character seems somewhat less serious than the Barry Allen seen in the comic books.
Justice League
Michael Rosenbaum, best known for playing Lex Luthor on Smallville, brings the Wally West version of the Flash to irreverant life in the Justice League animated series. Played lightly, mostly for laughs, West's Flash is an irrepressible presence that provides ample comic relief in almost every scene he's in. Elements of the character are drawn from the Barry Allen version as well, including having the character work as a police scientist in his civilian life, but for the most part he's played as Wally West.
In the episode Legends, the League meets a parallel universe inhabiting group of heroes that closely resembles the Golden Age group, the Justice Society. The group's speedster, the Streak, is very similar to the original Jay Garrick version of the Flash, and indeed the episode is dedicated to Gardner Fox, the man who created the Flash and many other DC heroes.
Teen Titans
Kid Flash shows up in the Teen Titans animated series episode, Lightspeed. Although never named, the character wears the outfit traditionally associated with Wally West's Kid Flash days and Michael Rosenbaum provides the voice. He reappears in a few episodes later on in the series.
The Batman
In a nod to fanboys everywhere, when the Flash guest starred on The Batman, actor Charlie Schlatter who had played the character on Superman - The Animated Series, was brought back to play the Scarlet Speedster one more time.
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