Do we like them?

Do we like Barry Allen (The Flash)?

A character from Showcase #4 / The Flash (DC Comics) (1956–present)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back him. He's kind, earnest and brave, and he uses his speed to help people. His one flaw is a habit of tinkering with time, which can go badly.

Barry Allen is a forensic scientist for the Central City police. He's known for being late to everything. One night a bolt of lightning hits his lab and drenches him in electrified chemicals. It gives him superhuman speed, and he becomes the Flash. When he debuted in 1956, he started the Silver Age of comics.

Barry is a decent, steady hero. He's a scientist first, he cares about justice, and he uses his powers to protect ordinary people. He's a founding member of the Justice League, and he takes on his rogues' gallery. He also takes his nephew Wally West on as his sidekick, Kid Flash. He's the warm, dependable one among the big-name heroes.

His score comes from his character. He's brave, kind, and quick to put himself in danger for others. He loses points only because his personal tragedy sometimes pushes him to tamper with time, and the results can be messy. He's still one of DC's most trustworthy heroes.

In the classic story Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry apparently sacrifices himself to save the Multiverse, and Wally West takes over as the Flash. Barry returns years later, and the 2011 Flashpoint story leaves him as the one and only Flash.