The DCU Flash Should Be Wally West

October 2024 · 10 minute read

The Big Picture

Since 1940, The Flash has been a comic book staple within the extended world of the DC Universe. Though the character's secret identity has changed over the years, the Fastest Man Alive remains pivotal, often associated closely with groups like the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the Justice Society of America. But with James Gunn's upcoming DC Universe rebooting the old DCEU (and likely Ezra Miller's Barry Allen in the process), only one Flash deserves to headline the show from now on, and that is none other than Wally West.

Wally West Is the Most Beloved DC Flash

Although the idea of "legacy heroes" has been around almost since the dawn of comic book superheroes, today that title is often associated with taking a character temporarily out of the spotlight as a move by publishers to boost sales. But this is not so with Wally West, who, ever since 1986 when he took on the mantle, has never really surrendered it. Because of his extended tenure as The Flash, which reached out into other forms of media such as animation and video games (more on that later), Wally West has been beloved by fans for ages. Even IGN, in their official list of "25 Best Heroes of DC Comics," ranked Wally above his uncle. So what gives?

When Wally West was first introduced in 1959's The Flash #110, the character was the nephew of Iris West-Allen, who looked up to his aunt and, eventually, his uncle Barry as well. So, after Wally went through the same horrible accident that first gave Barry his superpowers, he too became a speedster, taking on the name of Kid Flash. Though they wore basically identical outfits at first, Wally soon grew into his own kind of hero, redesigned his costume to accentuate his red hair, and co-founded the Teen Titans. For over two decades (in our time, not comic time), Wally served faithfully as the Kid Flash — that is until his uncle, mentor, and friend Barry Allen was killed during the 1985-86 mega-event Crisis on Infinite Earths (the inspiration behind the Arrowverse crossover of the same name), which served as a sort of "reset" for the whole DCU.

Hoping to honor The Flash's legacy, Wally took on the title as his own and slowly grew into his uncle's shoes. His original run as The Flash, which lasted from 1986 until 2011, was one of the most important eras in the character's history, introducing elements such as the Speed Force, further embellishing the Rogues, and growing Wally's version of The Flash into the literal Fastest Man Alive — a title he retains to this day even with Barry back in the picture. In his over 60 years at DC Comics, Wally West has had some of the most significant character development and changes compared to other heroes. We've seen him fall in love, deal with great tragedy, become a father, surpass his mentor, and transition from a Titan to a Justice Leaguer; Wally West has grown with many of us, and it's that development that makes him the best Flash out there.

Wally West’s Role in the Animated ‘Justice League’ Cemented His Status in the Modern Age

Wally West was such a popular character throughout the 1990s that when he helped officially relaunch the Justice League (called JLA then) with many of the heroes he looked up to as a youth, it just felt right. Sure, he was one of the youngest heroes there, and alongside fellow legacy hero Kyle Rayner (the only Green Lantern at the time), he wasn't always taken the most seriously; yet he proved his worth time and again. Between his own ongoing series and his time on JLA, Wally proved that he could be just as fast as Barry, if not faster.

This ultimately led to the character's inclusion in the DC Animated Universe, particularly in the Justice League animated series (and its sequel Justice League Unlimited) where he was voiced by Michael Rosenbaum, who has been one of the primary voices of The Flash ever since. Rather than starting with Barry and processing into Wally, the DCAU jumped right into Wally's tenure as The Flash, with no Barry Allen in sight. Wally was smart, funny, and a genuinely caring sort of superhero (as highlighted in the JLU episode "Flash and Substance"), and on more than one occasion was the only one able to save the world from annihilation ("Starcrossed," "Divided We Fall").

Most born after Wally's initial takeover as The Flash grew up with him under the red cowl, and many more wish he'd remained there. In fact, it wasn't until 2009 when Barry Allen officially returned, and he was made the only Flash of "The New 52" corporate rebrand in 2011, that most interpretations of the character switched back over to Barry (with Wally demoted back to Kid Flash). Yet, Justice League and JLU remain the trademarks of the Flash in animation largely because of Wally West's staying power. The character had been around for decades at that point and had more than proven his worth. No wonder many still hope to see a proper version of the character on the big screen (and no, the Keiynan Lonsdale version from the Arrowverse doesn't count).

Wally West Is More Than a Superhero — He’s Also a Family Man

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Part of what makes Wally West so unique is his status as a husband and a father. Throughout the character's early years, he had on-and-off romances with some random characters, but it wasn't until he met Linda Park (later Park-West) that his world changed. For a good while, Wally's secret identity was public knowledge, and it wasn't until the character made a deal with his uncle's friend Hal Jordan — who was then the supernatural Spectre — that it was preserved again. This caused plenty of trouble in Wally's life, but upon restoring his identity, he and Linda were free to live the life together they always wanted.

Wally is one of those rare heroes in the DC Universe who feels more like a Marvel character in that he's a relatable guy with real-world problems. Sure, Clark Kent has to deal with office politics, and Oliver Queen once lost his fortune, but Wally West has consistently represented the average man who has to take what he's learned and use it to grow up. (That's not to say Wally's humor has changed though, he's still the Funniest Flash Alive, something that would fit better in the upcoming DCU than the DCEU). After he and Linda married, The Flash became a father, and unlike Barry Allen, who wasn't really seen engaging much with his own comic book children, Wally is a family man through and through.

Though the road to getting there was troublesome — Linda originally miscarried after finding herself in the middle of a battle between Flash and Zoom before time-traveling reversed that tragedy — the Wests eventually welcomed their twins Iris and Jai into the world. No longer seen as the youngest member of the Justice League, Wally grew into his role as a husband and father providing for and protecting his family. This only increased the character's popularity, and in the DC Universe, where most characters outside Batman don't have consistent or authentic family dynamics, it was a welcome change. In recent years, Wally has even fought crime alongside his family (who have all been gifted superpowers via the Speed Force, at least for now).

Wally West Is Truly the Fastest Man Alive

Aside from having a vastly different family life than those he shares a codename with, Wally West is the only one who currently lives up to the "Fastest Man Alive" moniker. For a long time, Barry Allen held the title firmly after surpassing the original Flash Jay Garrick. Barry could run at lightspeed, and it seemed like there wasn't anyone who could possibly outrun him. As the Kid Flash, Wally could only run past the speed of sound, making the speed of light feel like an impossibility. But upon taking his uncle's mantle and strengthening his connection to the Speed Force (something that readers didn't even know about until Wally's tenure as The Flash), Wally too learned to run at the speed of light, and in recent years, he's been able to go even faster.

During his initial run as The Flash, before Barry Allen returned from the dead in Final Crisis, Wally beat nearly every record first set by his predecessor. He learned how to better utilize his powers, he discovered the Speed Force, and he honored the legacy he set to uphold. During the DC Rebirth era, Wally even returned after being erased from existence, took on the powers of Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan, and eventually returned to The Flash as the series' leading star. As recently as longtime Flash scribe Mark Waid's The Flash #1, which takes over from Jeremy Adams' exceptional run on the character, Wally has proven to be able to run even "beyond the Speed Force" and into other dimensions.

This is something that Barry cannot do, and although movies like 2023's The Flash seem to imply that Barry can do just that, it's not an ability he's traditionally had. Wally West has always been the Flash to break new ground, and if the DC Universe wants to further separate themselves from what's come before, he is the best Flash for the job. No wonder he's taken the book back from his uncle, with The Flash #800 being a full celebration of the Wally West character.

Barry Allen Has Had His Turn, It's Time For Wally West To Suit Up

Arguably the biggest reason that the DC Universe should feature Wally West instead of Barry Allen is that Barry has had his time. Not counting the '90s live-action series that starred John Westley Shipp, Barry has been represented in live-action both in film and television in recent years. Played by Grant Gustin on the decade-spanning CW series The Flash and by Ezra Miller in the DC Extended Universe, Barry Allen is a bit worn out. Unlike characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man who should mostly remain fixed on the classic secret identity, The Flash has so many options to choose from that are each as beloved as the last.

While there's an argument to be made that Gustin and Miller's portrayals don't represent Barry Allen well at all and rather feel more like an amalgamation of Barry and Wally, the truth is that their adaptations have ultimately pointed back to Barry's comic book run as the character. But Flashpoint aside, most of the best Flash stories were told with Wally West at the helm, which is why the CW series often took villains like Zoom, Cicada, and other Rogues right out of Wally's sandbox. Famed comic book arcs like Blood Will Run, Rogues War, One-Minute War, Blitz, and even The Return of Barry Allen (which features a fake Barry Allen, by the way), all take place with Wally West under the cowl, and are perfect launching points for future speedster stories.

Since his version took over primary duties in animation, live-action, and comic books throughout the 2010s, Barry Allen has become a relic pointing back to DC Comics' past, and Wally West is the future. If you want the real Fastest Man Alive and are ready to forget about whatever Ezra Miller did with the character, then it's time that the most popular version of The Flash returns; not just in the comics (which is a great start), but in all DC-related media as well.

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