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Flash IV |
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Formerly: Impulse, Kid Flash
Alias: Bart Allen |
Titans Member
Joined: New Titans #0 and #115 [1994] |
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| Flash IV Quick Bio: Bart Allen - grandson of the Flash - was born with hyper-velocity and was raised in a virtual reality environment in the far future. Traveling to the past, Bart became the act-before-thinking speedster who was quickly dubbed Impulse. Bart later tried to live down his impulsive ways as Kid Flash when he joined the Teen Titans. After Bart's speed-jaunt aged him during the Infinite Crisis, he assumed the identity of the Flash. Tragically, Bart was later killed by the Flash's Rogues. |
Flash To The Future
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| Impulse emerges from the future in FLASH #92-93 [1994] |
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Infant Iris Allen was sent to the 20th century from the 30th century by her parents to spare her from almost certain nuclear war. She was found and adopted by the West family. She grew up a child in the 20th century, and moved to Central City, where she got a job as a reporter for the Picture News and met Barry Allen (the Flash). Iris' nephew Wally worshiped the Flash and soon enough, a similar accident that granted Barry his powers made Wally West into Kid Flash, the Flash's teen sidekick. After a long courtship, Iris married Barry Allen.
Barry and Iris enjoyed a happy marriage until the Reverse Flash, Flash's mortal enemy, seemingly killed Iris at a costume ball. In truth, Iris' life essence was plucked from her in the moment of death and transplanted into a new, living body using 30th century technology. In the past, Barry Allen eventually learned of this and transported himself into the 30th century to be reunited with his wife. One month later, plucked from a future of happiness, Barry died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths saving the universe from the Anti-Monitor. In the time they were together, they conceived twins.
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Impulse gets his name in FLASH #95 [1994]. |
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Birth of Bart
Barry and Iris' twins, Don and Dawn, were born; Both had their father's speed powers. The twins grew up to become the heroes known as the Tornado Twins. Dawn gave birth to Jenni Ognats (XS of the Legion of Super-heroes). Don Allen's wife, Meloni, gave birth to Bart Allen (who later became Impulse).
Bart was born with super-speed as well, but it had an unfortunate side effect: Bart was aging at an accelerated rate. Although only chronologically two, he appeared to be a boy of about twelve. Earthgov scientists placed Bart in a virtual reality chamber and kept him for observation. The virtual reality program allowed Bart to age in a virtual world so it seemed, at least in his mind, that he was aging at a normal rate.
Don and Dawn Allen, operating as the Tornado Twins, were killed by Dominator agents under the guidance of Meloni's father, sworn enemy of the Allen clan. Iris Allen kidnapped the rapidly aging Bart, and took him to the 20th century where Wally could help temper Bart's powers.
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| Impulse relates how she became a Titan in NEW TITANS ANNUAL #11 [1995]. |
An Impulsive Streak
Now removed from his virtual reality program, Wally and company were able to figure out a way for Bart to age at a normal rate. But separated from a virtual reality environment, Bart didn't grasp the concept of danger and had trouble considering the consequences of his actions. Bart, now dubbed Impulse, aided Wally in defeating the terrorist group known as Kobra.
Following that, Bart moved to Manchester, Alabama with Max Mercury (posing as Max's nephew), who became the boy's mentor and father figure. Slowly and arduously, Max worked at making Bart consider his actions carefully before acting so... impulsively.
Bart joined Arsenal's team of Titans following the events of Zero Hour. Impulse served as a member for a time, and developed an unrequited crush on fellow team mate, Rose Wilson. Eventually, the newest incarnation of the Titans disbanded, as each member seemed less dedicated to the team at the time.
However, Bart upheld the teen sidekick super group tradition as a founding member of Young Justice. Joining with Superboy and Robin, the teen trio founded a new group of young heroes. After Max Mercury disappeared in the timestream, Bart took up residence in Keystone City with Jay Garrick - the original Flash - and Jay's wife Joan.
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Bart grows into his role a
Kid Flash in TEEN TITANS
(third series) #5 [2004]. |
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| Young Justice forms in JLA: WORLD WITHOUT GROWN-UPS #2 [1998]. |
Kid Flashed
When a mysterious android from the future known as Indigo attacked the Titans and Young Justice, it resulted in the apparent deaths of Troia and Omen. At Troia's funeral, Nightwing disbanded the Titans. The members of Young Justice, especially Wonder Girl, felt responsible for the tragic deaths. This led Wonder Girl, Robin, Impulse and Superboy to form a new group of Teen Titans under the guidance of the more experienced Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy. Despite Wally West's misgivings, Bart accepted an invitation to join the new Teen Titans.
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Bart retires the Flash mantle
in INFINITE CRISIS #7 [2006]. |
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Bart was later injured when Deathstroke put a shotgun to his leg. Thankfully, his accelerated healing enabled a handful of surgeons to replace his kneecap with an artificial one, and Bart was back on his feet in a matter of hours. But the effects of this encounter were much more than physical. Feeling unsure - and tired of being underestimated - Bart went to the local public library and read every single book in the building. He retained that knowledge and balanced it with lack of experience. With a renewed sense of confidence, Bart left his impulsive rep behind and returned to the team as Kid Flash.
The End Run
When Superboy from Earth Prime ran amok during the Infinite Crisis, Kid Flash and the super-speedsters raced to stop his rampage. While running to subdue the deranged Teen of Steel, Wally West disappeared in a a burst of lightning. Meanwhile, the speedsters combined might defeated Superboy-Prime, but severed their connection to the Speed Force in the process.
Bart returned to warn the heroes of Superboy-Prime's escape. But while mere moments had passed in the present, Bart returned from his time-bending journey four years older. Bart handed his grandfather’s costume to Jay Garrick, claiming he used up all his speed powers during the final battle.
Bart still had his powers, but faced with the guilt over Superboy-Prime’s escape, he initially decided to retire his costume. He took a job as a factory worker in Keystone City, but soon realized he must use his abilities to protect innocents. Although Bart found new challenges in harnessing the speed force, he accepted his destiny as the latest Flash in the Allen family tradition. In his efforts to tame the speed force inside him, Bart turned to S.T.A.R. Labs intern, Valerie Perez - and their relationship quickly blossomed into a full-blown romance.
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Bart's last moments in
FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN
ALIVE #13 [2007]. |
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Once accepting the mantle of the Flash, Bart moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in the Police Academy. Robin asked him to join the Titans but Bart declined, saying he’d rather work towards membership in the Justice League of America.
Shortly after resuming the mantle, Iris Allen warned Bart that if he fought the newly formed league of Rogues, he would not survive. Inertia, in a plan to steal the speed force energy for himself, manipulated the Rogues into battle with Bart. As a depowered Bart fought valiantly against the combined might of the Rogues, he saw the spectre of the Black Flash, and died as Iris Allen and Valerie Perez were left to mourn him.
Super-speed; Ability to vibrate through objects. Bart Allen's powers mirror those of Wally West, with one major exception: Bart also has the ability to remember everything he reads at super-speed.
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Flash (second series) #91-94 [1994]: Wally's Aunt Iris travels to the 20th century for refuge for herself and her grandson, Bart Allen. (Iris West returned to the 30th century and was reunited with her husband Barry Allen just before his death). Iris sought help for Bart, who had accelerated super-speed and was aging rapidly. Wally was able to cure Bart, who went on to become Impulse, a superhero in his own right. First appearance of Bart Allen in issue #91. First full appearance in issue #92.
Flash (second series) #96-100 [1994-1995]: Shortly after Iris's arrival, the evil organization Kobra threatened Keystone City. Bart, Iris and Linda Park aided Wally in defeating Kobra, with the help of other fellow speedsters, including Jay Garrick, Max Mercury and Jesse Quick. In an effort to teach Bart responsibility, Wally named Jesse as his successor. This was actually a deception by Wally to get Bart to rise to the challenge and take adventuring more seriously.
New Titans #0, 115 [1994]: Under government control, Arsenal leads a new team of Titans, including Impulse, Damage, Green Lantern, Darkstar, Mirage, and Terra. Government funded and based in New Jersey. Changeling betrays the team. First issue with new Titans members Terra II, Mirage, Impulse and Damage having already joined the team.
New Titans Annual #11 [1995]: A YEAR ONE tale featuring Arsenal's Titans team. The Time Trapper reveals Mirage, Deathwing and Terra are all from this timeline. Mirage is a street urchin from Brazil. Terra destroys the Time Trapper's message before it reveals her origins, and later unearths the original Terra's coffin to find it empty. Minion adjusts to like on earth. Supergirl recounts how she first met Arsenal and when she was asked to join the team.
New Titans #126 [1995]: A great downtime issue featuring Arsenal's Titans team and art by Rick Mays. Arsenal assesses his new role as leader. The Titans play war games. Fellow Titan Donna Troy tries to reach out to her, but Rose rejects her, still reeling over the death of her mother. Fellow Titan Impulse confesses a crush on her but she is oblivious to his affections. Mirage continues to exhibit new abilities.
Teen Titans #1 [2003]: What do teenage super-heroes do on the weekends? They hang with the Teen Titans! The invitations go out to a handful of reluctant heroes: Superboy, Robin, Impulse and Wonder Girl. Walk into the new Titans Tower with Cyborg and Starfire as they gather together the next generation of Titans.
Teen Titans #3 [2003]: The new Teen Titans disobey a direct order from their elders and go on a hunt for Deathstroke! Plus, Wonder Girl comes face to face with an unlikely ally - Ares. And Bart becomes Kid Flash.
Infinite Crisis #4 [2005]: Superboy-Prime attacks Superboy. Superboy calls on his Titans allies to subdue his Kryptonian doppelganger. The misguided Superboy-Prime inadvertently decapitates Pantha and slaughters Baby Wildebeest and Bushido; He then freezes Red Star into crystal ice and rips off Risk's right arm before being pulled into the Speed Force by the combined might of the super-speedsters. Death of Pantha, Baby Wildebeest and Bushido. Flash, Linda and the twins race to parts unknown.
Infinite Crisis #7 [2006]: Superboy-Prime returns. Bart returns wearing Barry Allen's Flash costume, emerging from his time-bending journey a few years older. With his connection to the speedforce gone, Bart relinquishes the Flash identity to Jay Garrick.
Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1-6 [2006]: Bart Allen - after settling in Keystone City following the events of Infinite Crisis - finds that his speed powers have returned him. Now twenty years old, Bart assumes the mantle of the Flash and must battle his friend Griffin, who was acquired dangerous super-powers of his own. In defeating his former-friend, Bart remembers the final moments of the Crisis before he returned to earth.
Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #13 [2006]: Inertia and the Rogues brutally murder Bart Allen after Inertia tries to steal the speed force energy.
Flash [Bart Allen] Timeline: Closing the “One Year Later” Gap
DC's "One Year Later" event occurred March of 2006. In Teen Titans #33, Superboy and Nightwing are in the thick of the Infinite Crisis world-shattering event. With Teen Titans #34, a full year has passed since the Crisis. The events of that "missing year" were revealed in various DC books throughout 2006-2007. Here’s a list of major events revealed during the “Missing Year:”
 The Titans aid the heroes during the Infinite Crisis. Their battle with the rampaging Superboy-Prime leads to the deaths of Pantha, Baby Wildebeest and Bushido, while Risk loses his right arm. Wally West and the speedsters contain Superboy-Prime and Wally completely disappears with his wife and twin children. Bart Allen returns from the speed force aged four years and powerless. [IC #1-7]
"Retired" from super-heroics, a powerless Bart Allen settles in Keystone City. [TT #34, F:TFMA #1]
A large group of heroes - including a powerless Bart Allen, Donna Troy (as Wonder Woman), Wonder Girl, Robin, Ravager and Kid Devil - gather to mourn Superboy, Terra and Young Frankenstein. Donna comforts Wonder Girl. Ravager meets Kid Devil for the first time. Kid Devil is anxious to meet Robin. [52w51]
"One Year Later" begins. Bart Allen - after settling in Keystone City following the events of Infinite Crisis - finds that his speed powers have returned him. Now twenty years old, Bart assumes the mantle of the Flash and must battle his friend Griffin, who was acquired dangerous super-powers of his own. [F:TFMA #1]
For a complete timeline of the "one year gap," click here.
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WAY BACK IN THE THIRTIETH CENTURY...
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| An Impulse commission from 1996 by IMPULSE artist, Humberto Ramos |
Like many things Mark Waid is involved with, IMPULSE starts out as a time-travel story. As you've no doubt read in the origin recap elsewhere in the interesting, comic-art portion of our magazine, young Bart Allen comes from the home-era of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Through machinations so complex they make my temples throb, Bart is the grandson of Iris West-Allen and Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash. As must be obvious, Bart's here in the twentieth century for the long haul now, having made his debut in the pages of FLASH where the young speedster played a mondo-major role in the just completed smash-hit storyline "Terminal Velocity."
Regardless of how far in the future Bart was born, or when in the very near past he first appeared, the story of Impulse begins more than three years ago, shortly after Mark took over the writing of FLASH. For reasons lost to the mists of time, somewhere in the midst of plotting the "Born to Run" four-parter it suddenly dawned on us to remember that Barry and Iris had children while they lived in the future - but before Barry went off to sainthood in the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS maxi-series. We didn't make this up; the unfortunately named Tornado Twins had been around for years, were known as Don and Dawn Allen, and had been for some time all but officially acknowledged as the twin offspring of the fastest man alive and his time-tossed newswoman spouse. While we were traveling down this road, Mark mentioned that it had since been established that Don had married and had himself become a parent of an as yet unknown child - "...the grandchild of the Flash!" Mark and I shouted into the phone at each other with way too much giddy enthusiasm for a couple of adult media professionals.
As far as I'm concerned, if Mark said all of this was true, it was gospel. Never a big reader of those colorful super-teens from the future, I defer to Mark in his capacity as Legion fan #1 (a gift of knowledge that serves him well as writer and guiding spirit of both LSH and LEGIONNAIRES). Beyond the simple fact of my lack of clubhouse familiarity, I have a now legendary lack of time-travel convergence. Even talking about time paradoxes and guys meeting and dating their great-grandmothers makes my head ache like a bad tooth. That Mark and I remain close friends and collaborators in spite of this is testament to something touching, since Mark is gaga for tales of temporal traversal.
So while the glow of that fan-boy satori was still on our cheeks, I began to grow restive because I could sense where the conversation about Barry's unknown grandchild was going to lead us. Any time Mark and I start out a story concept with evil, let's-get-away-with-something chuckling, we're headed for trouble. So, because I don't know my way around the Science Police, and because time travel makes me queasy, and mostly because we were both feeling way too sneakily gleeful. I began to balk. But that's always a lost cause, because even more than our telltale smug amusement, my early resistance almost always means we're onto something good.
Oddly, the incredible senses-shattering story that grew out of that first realization never happened. As we had it figured then, Bart Allen (actually, Barry Allen II, at the time) would leave the future twenty-five years past his birth during the Legion's time and arrive on a desperate mission in Wally's time as an exact replica of his grandfather. If memory serves, he would've shown up at the door on Christmas Eve to blow Wally's bright yellow booties right off. We chortled, we schemed... we went way too far. In what seemed like a great idea then, we were bound and determined to bring a Barry Allen/Flash to life, if not specifically the Barry Allen/Flash - thereby having our cake and scarfing it too.
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| Bart as Kid Flash! A 2005 commission by IMPULSE artist, Craig Rousseau . |
In the cold light of day, we began to realize the error of our ways; having a Barry replica would be cool, but not terribly interesting and much, much too expected of a couple of Flash-fanatics like Mark and me - that along with the fact that the idea of Barry's seeming return transmogrified into something way, way cooler.
"What if we give everybody their fondest desire - Barry's return - and just when they're starting to really enjoy it and planning statues in our honor, we twist the knife and have him turn totally evil?" Mark asked with a voice dripping with ill humor. The evil chuckles quickly swelled to malefic howls and we knew we had it. The story that began as a visit from a good-guy doppelganger relative of Barry's morphed and twisted into "The Return of Barry Allen" story arc that put FLASH back on the map.
It is, by now, a given that the first amazing idea that Mark and I come up with while plotting a story will enthrall us, draw us into a great story and suddenly become irrelevant to the evolved plot and have to be tossed out. The more we love an idea like a beautiful child, the more it is doomed; it serves its purpose to prime the pump, then drops out of sight as if it had never been there. Rest assured, though, out of sight does not mean out of mind. No truly good idea is ever completely discarded around here. After we knew where the "Return" story was going to go, we began to plan to head to what became "Terminal Velocity," and Mark said, "You know, I still want to do this ‘Barry's Grandchild' thing somehow." I asked how, and we were off figuring out all of the everything that eventually became Impulse and IMPULSE. So there.
MY HERO, MARK WAID...
Between my FLASH letter columns and Mark's of late copious interviews we've fostered the idea that the reason Mark is able to make Wally West such an appealing and realistic character is that Mark and Wally are very similar. I almost always point out that, apart from the fact that Wally is in terrific shape, has an incredibly healthy head of hair and the ability to move at super-speed, he and Mark are virtually identical, although Mark almost never brings this up. Still, this is more than just hyperbole; Mark seriously identifies with all his characters, and none more so than the impatient, slightly hotheaded Mr. West. It's just one of the secrets of Mark's genius: he's writing about people he knows and understands - people just like him.
If all of this is true (and of course, it must be), I'm here to guarantee that Mark is going to write Impulse better than any of his previous characters! Mark may be like Wally in many ways, but he is Bart in many more (except for the fact that Bart is in terrific shape, has an incredibly healthy head of hair and that super-speed deal). How are the writer and his creation alike? Let me count the ways:
1. Bart is really a two-year-old in the body of an older person - Mark is really a two-year-old in the slightly puffy body of a much older person.
2. Bart learned everything he knows about life in virtual reality simulation - Mark learned everything he knows about life from reading comic books.
3. Bart does now, thinks later - Mark spends hundreds of dollars on himself every week at Toys ‘R' Us.
4. Bart is trapped in a primitive world and doesn't know how to fit in - Mark learned everything he knows about life from reading comics.
5. Bart entered junior high at two, looking fifteen - Mark entered college when he was fifteen, looking two.
6. Bart, not yet mature, wants to do everything, right now - Mark is writing twelve comics a month.
7. Bart thinks he should become Flash someday - Mark thinks he should be Flash someday.
And the amazing synchronicity goes on and on. Mark is the perfect writer for IMPULSE - and now you know why.
LIVING IN A SOUTHERN STATE OF MIND...
As you must have noticed, IMPULSE takes place in the fictional city of Manchester, Alabama. This is partially to put the impulsive and impatient young hero in a place that moves considerably more slowly than he; more to the point, IMPULSE is set in the American South because Mark wants to write about places he knows intimately. That's right, yet another similarity between hero and creator; Mark was born and bred in the heart of Dixie (a phrase that Yankees like me are probably not even allowed to utter).
Born in Hueytown, Alabama - a place presumably named after that beloved first among duck nephews - Mark knows the environs of this book firsthand and remembers it all with great fondness. From Richmond to Memphis to Dallas, our scribe has wandered through more of the south than most tractor-pull touring shows and has a wealth of experience that should serve stories for years to come.
None of this explains why Mark would rather listen to ABBA and K.C. and the Sunshine Band more than Willie and Waylon, but some mysteries are best left unsolved.
Our fabulous penciller, Humberto Ramos, is not literally a southerner, though being from Mexico City at least means he can be considered as coming from farther south than most. His terrific art teammate, Wayne Faucher, is from Pennsylvania and, like me, doesn't really know the south at all. But, we all trust in Mark and his regional knowledge and photo reference. We're all gonna be just fine. (By the way, now would be the perfect time to profusely thank Birmingham resident Nick Patterson. Nick, a longtime Flash fan, is an old junior high chum of Mark's and is currently a reporter for the Birmingham Post-Herald. Ever the pal, Nick hit the streets and provided tons of photos, books and eyewitness accounts to make sure we got the area down cold. Thanks a million, Nick, we couldn't have done it without you!)
- Brian Augustyn
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Arsenal's New Titans Team |
The Premise
The Titans were pressured to place themselves under the government's watchful eye, due to increased public scrutiny [NEW TITANS #93-114]. Sarge Steel was their chief liaison, and Nightwing stepped down as leader and allowed Arsenal to take command. Arsenal led this new group of Titans [NEW TITANS #114], and was consistently challenged by the burdens of leadership. Many members left, but new faces emerged as well. Arsenal's team consisted of Darkstar (Donna Troy), Green Lantern, Supergirl, Damage, Mirage, Terra II, Minion, Impulse and Rose Wilson. Eventually, each members' dedication to the team began to waver, and the team disbanded.
The series lacked some focus, as team members were introduced, then not used, then reintroduced into the series.
"The Titans have had a series of problems in the past year," says Titans writer Marv Wolfman. 'They lost a number of members. They were sued by the government and people generally hated them. Finally, their leader Dick Grayson - Nightwing - left them."
Left in such disarray, the road to rebirth has been a long one. "Even before Zero Hour, Ray Harper, once known as Speedy and more recently known as Arsenal, was approached by Checkmate's leader, Sarge Steel, to align the Titans with the government," Wolfman says. "It seems that the JLA has broken ties with the government and Checkmate wanted a new superhero team to replace them. After going over the problems and being assured [his team] will have complete autonomy, Roy agreed to sign with Checkmate.
"Trouble is, he had no members to go with him. On his own and with Sarge Steel, new members are found recruited and a brand new Titans is formed." Wolfman reports that this new group will have a slightly different focus than past Titans teams. "Long ago, when the Titans were first created, the team featured already-existent heroes. In many ways we are going back to that original premise," be maintains. "Arsenal leads a group consisting of Damage, Green Lantern and Impulse, characters who either have their own titles, or in Impulse's case, is featured in Flash. Also in the New Titans are Mirage and Terra from the now-defunct Team Titans. Finally, rounding out the title is Donna Troy, now a Darkstar. So we're bringing in characters from other books as well as several already-known Titans.
"Interestingly, all the heroes mentioned are in one way or another orphans whose past lives are shrouded in mystery," he continues. "Where the last Titans team came together to fight Raven's demonical father, Trigon, the new team comes and stays together because they are all in a similar situation. The Titans is a place for these people to get together, to find themselves, to be with others like themselves. They are not coming together to fight some great battle, but to understand themselves and to grow. This common need will allow them to become close and eventually became friends.
"So the role of the New Titans is a club for the young DC heroes, a way of getting together with their peers, a place where they can be with their own kind and learn from each other as they grow."
"The book has gone under a lot of changes in the past few years, but all were evolutionary," Wolfman says. "Heroes died, new heroes replaced them, tempers flared and, because they were young, mistakes were often made. That is the way life is. But now we begin with a new group. A revolution, so to speak. New heroes, all with their own lives, hopes and desires. This allows us to create a very different kind of Titans book."
The Commentary
The Arsenal-led Titans didn't last too long [from NEW TITANS #115-130]. Sales on the book had slid, and many readers had already left the book. When the series was canceled in 1995 with #130, the Titans team was still active, although with some members having left. It wasn't until TITANS SECRET FILES #1 that we saw the final dissolution of the team.
The team had potential. Check out NEW TITANS #126 and NEW TITANS ANNUAL #11 to see what the team might have been.
Impulse as a Titan on Arsenal's Team
Impulse's Titans Membership:
New Titans #0, 115-130
Impulse served as a Titan on Arsenal's team from New Titans #115-130. Impulse didn't do much in the 'fabric' of the Titans team; He did have a fair amount of 'panel time' - and his youthful zest at being a member was refreshing, following the depressing tone on New Titans #100-112...
Impulse's membership makes sense in the context of the direction Marv Wolfman plotted: "So the role of the New Titans is a club for the young DC heroes, a way of getting together with their peers, a place where they can be with their own kind and learn from each other as they grow." In that respect, Impulse fits in the team perfectly. Impulse did befriend some of the younger members of the team, including Damage and Terra. He also confessed a crush on Rose Wilson in issue #126. Sadly, these glimmers of future developments were squashed with the title's impending cancellation. Impulse didn't take part in the last four-part storyline; His last 'real' issue as a Titan was in issue #127.
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Waid & Wieringo on the Death of Bart Allen
Mark Waid on the Death of Bart Allen
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Bart's last moments in
FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN
ALIVE #13 [2007]. |
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from "MARK WAID AT THE STARTING LINE" - www.wizarduniverse.com - Posted June 20, 2007
All that fun stuff being said, being the co-creator of Bart Allen and seeing all of the things that have happened to him since you left the book—through Teen Titans, through to becoming the Flash and now dying—does it get to a certain point where you kind of accept that these characters have a life of their own? When you first heard that Bart was going to die in this story, what was your reaction?
WAID: Honestly, I have to say that there was almost a sense of relief to it because I think that some real missteps….Look, a lot of good people handled Bart after Humberto [Ramos] and I left. There were a lot of good writers who handled it. I think that on an editorial level, there was some panic on the Impulse series about the back half of it where they didn’t quite know what to do with it, and so they decided that it was a superhero book. It was never a superhero book. It was a comedy. So the moment that you made it a superhero book, then you run into the problem that we ran into originally when we created the character, which was, “How can this be different than Flash?” So once you make it a superhero book, then it’s Flash. Nice going. Ever since then, I think that the character has been through so many different hands, both good and bad, that now it’s really hard to get a fix on the character, and he just doesn’t seem like the same guy to me anymore. So, I will miss Bart. I will miss the royalties stream—thanks, Dan. But these stories aren’t necessarily over yet either.
Of course. Moving forward, there has to be consequences for Bart’s death at the hands of the Rogues, doesn’t there?
WAID: Yeah, and that’s the tricky part. I mean, what just happened to Bart is a horrible tragedy, but Flash is not, and never has been and never should be, a book about dark tragedy. That’s really not what the book and the concept and the character are about. That doesn’t mean that you can’t do dark stories here and there, but that’s just not a very fitting tone for the book overall. So basically I said, “I don’t want the new series to have the specter of Bart’s death hanging over it month after month after month.” That’s a really crappy place to start a brand-new series, with Wally having to fight the guilt of what happened to his predecessor.
So the idea with All Flash is to give some sort of closure not only to Inertia and the other Rogues for what happened to Bart—that means that Wally can actually make them pay for what they’ve done and therefore get a little vengeance out of that and closure out of that—but it also gives Wally a chance in an extended scene to really sort of come to grips with his feelings about what just happened and whether or not he’s partly culpable for Bart’s death. Talking to Ira helps him a lot there. Talking to Linda helps him a lot there, and just working stuff out helps him a lot there. He will still always remember Bart, and he will still always feel—how do I say this?—he will always honor Bart. But like I said, I didn’t want him starting the new series with, like, “My name is Flash, and I feel so guilty all the time,” because that’s just not a very engaging way to start a new series.
Mike Wieringo on the Death of Bart Allen:
AND NOW THE DEATH OF BART ALLEN
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| A tribute sketch of Bart Allen by Mike Wieringo |
from the Official Webpage of Mike Wieringo at www.mikewieringo.com - Posted June 27, 2007
A couple of weeks back, I wrote a post about the upcoming ‘Dark Cheerleader Mary Marvel’ that was coming in the DCU. Several people took me to task for singling out DC and not writing about how many of the same dark, cynical and death-filled story lines were/are happening in the Marvel Universe as well. These folks are right, of course. It’s happening at both companies. I suppose the difference for me is that– my own personal point of view– the contrast between Marvel and DC has been for years that Marvel’s books were always darker in tone– more supposedly based in the ‘real world’… and that DC’s offerings were brighter… more colorful and came from more of a place of hope and light. The heroes of the DCU stood for optimism and the promise of a brighter future in the face of forces that would bring darkness and destruction to the world. In essence– the DCU was, to me, the place for a more stark contrast between the forces of light/good and the forces of darkness/evil. Perhaps that’s a naive and myopic viewpoint (and also maybe entirely off the mark… but it’s my perception nonetheless)– but DC comics were always more colorful and fun for me.
Now Bart Allen joins the ever growing list of characters who are dying in the DCU.
This one hits a bit closer to home since I was in on his very beginnings, having been asked to design his IMPULSE persona when Mark Waid created the character in FLASH (which granted me the title of ‘co-creator’… but make no mistake, this was all Mark’s baby. I was happy to accept the royalties and residuals that came from that status, but I didn’t have any illusions). Let me be clear– I haven’t read FLASH #13. I don’t really read that many superhero books anymore because the dark and depressing nature they’ve adopted just doesn’t interest me. I got my fill of that in the mid 80’s with DARK KNIGHT and WATCHMEN. I’ve read many reviews of the ‘event’, though… and I think the reaction overall has been that the story was 1) very badly done… and 2) in the end, a real yawner and not something that’s had the ’stunning event impact’ that DC was hoping for. I think this is symptomatic of the idea that fans are simply getting a bit weary of all this kind of thing. I think that the event-comic-that-heralds-the-death-of-lots-of-characters has become the new gold-foil/Lenticular/Acetate/holographic cover of the 2000’s. They’re stunts… gimmicks meant to sell comics. The writing seems to have taken a back seat to earth-shattering events that are having less and less impact as they are overdone.
I’ve had many conversations with creator friends of mine about the pendulum swing that happened in the wake of the IMAGE explosion back in the early 1990’s. The sort of ‘we don’t need no stinking writers’ attitude of the IMAGE founders resulted in what were nicely drawn comics with little story, for the most part. They became commodities and not comic books with good stories to go with the flashy drawings. The other major companies, in response, tried to emulate the initial massive success IMAGE had by doing similar types of books with crazy cover gimmicks thrown in for good measure… and the quality of the entire industry, for the most part, suffered. It drove many long-time fans away. In the aftermath of that sales bloodbath, the creative pendulum swung in the writers direction and away from the emphasis only on artwork as the selling point. It’s been that way for some 15 years or so now…. and I think that pendulum swing may have reached its apex. My feeling is that in recent years, the quality of writing in comics has diminished. Maybe it’s not the writers’ fault… maybe it’s editorial edict that has replaced good story, plot and character development with the stunt… the event… to sell comics. Maybe I’m just a middle-aged fuddy-duddy who has lost touch with what makes for interesting comics.
I hope the latter is true, for the industry’s sake. I’d hate to think of another big downturn in sales due to a drop in quality. That wouldn’t help anyone– especially those of us who make our livings in this business. What do the rest of you think? Am I that far off base….? Anyone read FLASH #13…? Did you find it to be a good story? Feel free to leave your thoughts on any of this.
OK… that’s it for today. Back to work for me.
Mike
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BART ALLEN’S LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
With issue #13 marking a momentous shake-up for the Scarlet Speedster, we take a look at Bart Allen's journey from impulsive preteen to responsible adult
By Michael Fitzgerald - Posted June 21, 2007 1:00 PM at www.wizarduniverse.com
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| Bart as Impulse by Craig Rousseau |
The big reveal everyone’s been talking about finally hits stands as Bart Allen, the latest Scarlet Speedster, heads for that big marathon in the skies in The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #13. The life and times of the teen from the future have been somewhat complicated, but Wizard has the scoop on how it all went down.
It all started during Mark Waid’s run on the second volume of Flash. Bart’s legacy began with his grandfather, Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, and his grandmother from the 30th century, Iris Allen. Iris became pregnant shortly before Barry died in the 20th century Crisis on Infinite Earths. Their twin children, Don and Dawn Allen, would later become the Tornado Twins. As the siblings grew up, Dawn gave birth to the Legionnaire XS, while Don married Meloni Thawne, distant descendant to Flash rival Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash. Their marriage would produce young Bart, but the speedster genes would create a great difficulty in the infant’s metabolism.
Bart was growing at an accelerated rate. At the age of 2, Bart had the physical body of a 12-year-old. While 30th century scientists attempted to find a cure, they kept the boy in a virtual reality environment that could keep up with his accelerated growth.
These scientists weren’t doing Bart any favors; instead, all his speed was kept bottled up and would be almost completely out of control. Iris took her grandson back to the 20th century so that her nephew and protégé to Barry, Wally West, could save Bart from his rapid growth. Wally was able to help Bart gain control over his powers and stop the preteen from aging so quickly.
Bart’s arrival came days before the events of Zero Hour, a storyline that streamlined the DC Universe’s conflicting futuristic timelines, affecting Bart’s own home in the 30th century. In the pages of Flash, Zero Hour was followed by the landmark storyline “Terminal Velocity,” in which Wally became aware of the Speed Force, the source of Wally, Bart and other speedsters’ powers. The young speedster came out of a virtual reality world and was then thrust into some of the most tumultuous battles in the DC Universe—proving himself a hero, if a bit…impulsive.
After the events of “Terminal Velocity,” Impulse was left in the care of Max Mercury, a time-traveling speedster with the experience and patience to deal with Bart. Max took Bart to Manchester, Ala., where he lived as a normal teenager as much as he could, attending school and making friends. Impulse would also spend time with the Titans, and become a founding member of teen superhero group Young Justice.
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| Bart as Kid Flash! A 2006 con sketch by Mike McKone. |
Bart saved the world on more than a few occasions during his tenure in Young Justice. Moreover, he clearly enjoyed spending time with a group of superhero friends in a clubhouse environment. His solo adventures brought him face to face with Extant, the villain who ignited the timestream-altering events of Zero Hour. Extant had finally escaped from his time-controlled prison by fooling his captors to alter the timestream before him. Since Bart was the only one not affected, since he was a bit of a time anomaly in the first place, Impulse was the only one who could and would stop the villain.
After the death of Donna Troy following the Titans-Young Justice crossover “Graduation Day,” both teams disbanded. Subsequently, a new Teen Titans was formed, with old members Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy mentoring former Young Justice members Superboy, Robin, Wonder Girl and Impulse, who’d just entered high school. Bart, anxious to return to the lighthearted weekend adventures of Young Justice, was shocked to find that his friends didn’t share the same level of optimism after Graduation Day. Shortly after hearing that the Titans had reformed, Deathstroke appeared, found Bart and shot him in the knee, rendering the Titan ineffective. While healing at a rapid speed, Bart left the hospital and read every book in the San Francisco public library. He emerged with a new costume and a new name—Kid Flash.
Bart hoped the transformation to Kid Flash would help others take him more seriously. After the battle with Deathstroke, Tim Drake warned Bart that the change to Kid Flash would move him into the shadow of the Flash, but Bart replied, “The Flash is going to be in mine.”
When the Titans got a peek at themselves 10 years into the future in the “Titans Tomorrow” storyline, they found that all of them had been corrupted save one: Bart Allen. Having taken over the Flash mantle from Wally West, the future Bart worked as a mole amidst the new, evil Titans West for their East Coast counterpart, Titans East. With the Bart of the future and the Bart of the past working together, the Teen Titans were able to return to the present and prevent the dark future from occurring.
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| Bart as Kid Flash! A 2005 commission from Mark Bagley |
During the DC mega-event Infinite Crisis, an army of current and former Titans stood against a rampaging Superboy-Prime. The malevolent Boy of Steel literally ripped through a few Titans before Jay Garrick, Wally West and Bart Allen grouped together in an effort to push Superboy-Prime into the Speed Force. Jay wore out and Wally disappeared with his wife and children, leaving Bart to take on Superboy-Prime on his own. But just then, Barry Allen appeared alongside his former mentors Max Mercury and Johnny Quick to take Superboy-Prime into the Speed Force, where he would remain for a number of years.
But after only a short while in our time, Superboy-Prime returned with a fully grown Bart, now wearing the Flash costume his grandfather wore.
While the Crisis raged, Bart worked with the Titans and other superheroes to fight the massive villain uprising while another group of heroes left Earth to stop Superboy-Prime. When it was all over, Bart handed his grandfather’s costume to Jay Garrick, claiming he used up all his speed powers during the final battle.
Bart still had his powers, but faced with the guilt over Superboy-Prime’s escape, he initially decided to retire his costume. He took a job as a factory worker in Keystone City, but soon realized he must use his abilities to protect innocents. Bart resumed the identity of the Flash. Robin asked him to join the Titans but Bart declined, saying he’d rather work towards membership in the Justice League of America.
Shortly after resuming the mantle, the speedster was faced with a threat he never suspected: his own ascendants, Iris Allen and Professor Zoom. Iris later admitted she was only visiting the past to warn him that if he fought the newly formed league of Rogues, he would not survive. Bart rejected the warning and headed into battle, leading to the appearance of the Black Flash and finally, his hero’s death.
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