 My name's Ben and I'm the fastest man alive. Well not really, but this week's episode of Classic Characters is sure to get the speed force moving as we take a look at the Scarlet Speedster and how he was created. If this is your first time here and you want to know a little bit more about movies, make sure you hit that subscribe button and hit the bell notification so you don't miss anything here at Movie Nerds. There have been numerous people to don the red suit of the Flash. From Jay Garrick, Wally West, Bart Allen, none however are more famous than Barry Allen. The Flash was created in the 1940s by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. Jay Garrick was the original Flash, who would gain his powers through the inhalation of hard water vapours. Seriously? Hard water vapours? Garrick's first appearance was in Flash Comics No. 1 from publisher All American Publications, who would later be one of the three companies to merge and form the now infamous DC Comics. In a post-war era, superheroes were in the decline, so Jay Garrick and Flash Comics were cancelled in 1949. In 1956 however, DC needed to usher in a new era of superheroes, so the first one of the block was The Flash in Showcase No. 4. DC ditched Jay Garrick in favour of a new personification, Barry Allen, who was created by Robert Kanagah, John Broome and Carmine Infantino. So with the birth for new Flash came a new origin story, and to make things less confusing, this time a simple chemical spill after being struck by lightning was all Barry needed to become the fastest man alive, the end. Wow, got through that quickly. I really am the fastest man alive. Ah, wait, there's more. With the success of Barry Allen's Flash, a decision was made to bridge the gap of Flash's past, so it was revealed that both Barry and Jay existed on parallel worlds, allowing each iteration of the Flash to travel between these worlds. Just like Jerry O'Connell did. In the hugely popular and history-defining Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, Barry met his demise, sacrificing himself and killing off the character for good, or at least until 2009. Even though the Flash was wildly popular amongst comic book enthusiasts, it wasn't until CBS picked up a live-action TV show in 1990 starring John Wesley Ship that the Flash and Barry Allen sped into millions of homes across the world. The series only ran for one season, however it left a lasting impression, and the character went mainstream. For over 70 years, the Flash has been a mainstay of the current Justice League lineup, and with the movie and the CW's show keeping the characters in the spotlight, it's safe to say that the Flash is here to stay, or at least until Barry screws up the timeline again. Seriously, don't do it Barry. I don't want to have to write another one of these.