[center][h1][color=Red][b]T H E F L A S H[/b][/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wgZp4Lo.png[/img][/center] [center][h3][sup][sub][color=Red]Barry Allen [color=Yellow]♦[/color] Forensic Lab Assistant [color=Yellow]♦[/color] Central City, Kansas, USA ♦ [img]https://i.imgur.com/atck8jX.png[/img][/color] [/sub][/sup][/h3][/center] [center][COLOR=Red][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][/center] [hr] [CENTER][sup][color=Red]"Flash Fact: force equals mass times acceleration. And [i]nobody’s[/i] better at acceleration than me."[/color][/sup][/CENTER] [INDENT][INDENT]My story’s one you’re probably all familiar with. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy watches his mother killed in front of him by a blur of yellow lightning, boy’s father is wrongfully imprisoned for murder, boy loses girl. Years later, boy grows up and becomes a forensic sciences major in order to prove boy’s father was innocent, boy moves back home, boy meets girl again, boy gets a job at a crime lab for the same police department girl is writing an exposé on, boy falls for girl again. Boy gets caught up in an interdimensional resonance cascade at a high-concept super-science laboratory, boy can suddenly tap into an undiscovered force in the universe that lets him warp time and space around him to move at impossible speeds. Boy is enlisted by super-genius director of said laboratory as a proverbial guinea pig to push the boundaries of known physics, boy sees people in danger and goes off the beaten path to save them, boy begins an exciting and illustrious career fighting crime and saving people as the Fastest Man Alive. Tale as old as time, right? Well, I’ve been on the job for a few years now, and I’m dangerously close to having my act together. I got my BS and am working on my Masters degree. I finally moved out of Mr. Garrick’s garage and have an apartment to myself uptown. Captain West actually laughs at my jokes now…well, sometimes…once or twice. But he doesn’t stare daggers at me when I’m with Iris anymore. And speaking of Iris, I finally worked up the courage, and she said yes. And as the Flash, I’ve saved the city more times than I can count, even saved the whole [i]world[/i] once or twice, though that’s usually as part of a team. I’ve got my own sidekick —Iris's nephew Wally— a trophy room packed with enough stuff that I could open my own museum, and I’m even on the Justice League! Like, main inner circle! I get to sit at the table with Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman! And they think I know what I’m doing! ….well, Batman probably doesn’t…. Still, even with things looking up, none of it’s guaranteed to stay that way. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life comes at you fast. Lucky for me, fast is what I’m all about. [color=Red][b]OOC Thoughts:[/b][/color] I’ll be honest, Flash hasn’t ever really been one of my favorites. Comic Barry has always been a bit of a snore, CW Barry started off fun and then fell off, and movie Barry is mostly irritating. However, there are two versions of the Flash that I absolutely love and will be drawing my inspiration from: Wally from the DCAU, and Byrd Man’s take on Flash from Ultimate DC way back in the day. Playing into the “dork in real life, swaggering adventurer in costume” archetype, I’m also infusing this version of Barry with bits of Spectacular Spider-Man, Archie and IDW’s take on Sonic the Hedgehog, and David Tennant’s run as the Doctor. Basically anyone who talks fast and banters a lot, but backs it up with genuine heroics. [/indent][/indent] [hr] [center][COLOR=Red][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ): [/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][/center] [INDENT][INDENT] [b][i]ROAMING CHARACTER[/i][/b] Rather than being a driving character, I want to take advantage of the Flash’s speed and his nature as a team player to primarily work doing crossovers and team-ups. While Barry definitely has his own things going on, I feel like he’s best served as part of an ensemble, so I plan on keeping his dance card open as much as possible.[/indent][/indent] [center][COLOR=Red][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][/COLOR][/center] [hr] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]THE SPEED FORCE[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] [hider][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qzSwjh6l.png[/img][/center] If I had to explain the Speed Force, I'd say it's.....complicated. If you asked me to elaborate, I'd say it's [i]very[/i] complicated. But if you twisted my arm and made me give you my notes, I'd say it's some facet of extradimensional reality that's both intrinsic to time-space as we know it while also being separate from it. Dr. Wells has all these theories about Hyperspace, Hypertime, the so-called 'Dark Energy' that's causing the expansion of all matter in the universe, and the Speed Force seems to be tied into all of them. For practical purposes, I can convert my body and the world around me into a sort of 'hyper-matter,' allowing me to move at relativistic speeds without all the messy business of relativity-- not to mention the physical limitations of air friction, escape velocity, and getting bugs in my mouth. The deeper I delve into it, the more of myself I convert, the faster I go, and the crazier stuff I can do. It's useful, sure, but tapping into the Speed Force is also dangerous. Usually I sort of dip my toes into it, just enough to go about Mach 10 or so without accidentally peeling my skin off and launching my skeleton into orbit. Occasionally, I'll have to dig deeper, going larger and larger fractions of the speed of light, and when I do that, things get....weird. Time distorts, causality starts to break down, not to mention it leaves me feeling like hell in the aftermath. The deeper I go, the harder it is to come back to the real world. If I go all the way with it, completely convert over to the Speed Force, I could theoretically be everywhere all at once, but I don't think I'd ever come back.[/hider] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]CENTRAL AND KEYSTONE CITIES[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] [hider][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rpX1Ou0l.jpg[/img][/center] A pair of twin cities smack in the middle of Kansas, Central City and Keystone City are the hearts of the Midwest. Not as fast-paced as New York, nowhere near as dangerous as Gotham, and a lot less out-there than the West Coast, the people here are as thoroughly middle-American as you can imagine, and the cities prided themselves in that, being the "normal" part of the country....at least, until it started getting invaded by psychic gorillas and bank robbers with freeze rays every other week. Still, it's one of the nicer places to live, if you don't mind the occasional misfit of super-science rampaging down Main Street.[/hider] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]S.T.A.R. LABS[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] [hider][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/vKX5DFGl.png[/img][/center] The largest scientific research and development facility in the world that isn't on a government payroll or sponsored by an eccentric billionaire, they're usually on the front lines when it comes to pushing the boundaries of science. While they've got locations all over the world, the Central City one is often my home away from home, where Dr. Wells and company help me understand my abilities, invent crazy new gear for me to try out, and most importantly, feed me intel on whatever crazy thing I'm facing on any given day.[/hider] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]SUPPORTING CAST[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] [hider=Iris West][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/E5jWjfIl.jpg[/img][/center] Iris is a freelance journalist who broke off from the big corporate media monster a few years ago, and has been reporting independently on her own site ever since. She's absolutely fearless in exposing injustice and questioning authority, going after crooked cops and corrupt politicians just as often as she exposes crime bosses and supervillains. And in person, she's just...just the best. She's smart, funny, [i]brutally[/i] honest, her confidence is astounding, and when she laughs she does this cute little thing where her nose wrinkles up and....well, I'm getting off track. Point is, she's the best thing that ever happened to me, and in a life filled with weird and unbelievable things, the most unbelievable of them all is that she chose me of all people.[/hider] [hider=Wally West][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/I7zTaxKl.jpg[/img][/center] Wally is Iris's nephew, and at age fifteen he got pulled into the Speed Force during a particularly crazy encounter with Zoom. When I managed to pull him out, we found out he could now tap into the speed as well, and once I let him in on my secret identity, we started working together. For the past year, he's been running around as Kid Flash-- a name he hates, so I of course use it all the time. Wally's a great kid-- hilarious, clever, inventive, all traits I credit to him spending time around Iris. He might be a bit full of himself, and he loves to show off, but hey, when you've got it, you've got it.[/hider] [hider=Henry Allen][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6JwWfoil.jpg[/img][/center] My dad, who I've visited once a week since I was eight. Since he was sentenced for a crime he didn't commit: killing my mom. I [i]know[/i] he's innocent, and I [i]know[/i] who's actually to blame, but unfortunately "Your Honor, it was actually a crazed super-villain from the future who framed him because he's obsessed with me and how my life affects the timeline he's from" wouldn't exactly hold up in court. Still, I'm never going to give up on him. I'll make sure he goes free, if it's the last thing I do.[/hider] [hider=Jay Garrick][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/EFCFw5xl.jpg[/img][/center] Jay took me in while I was bouncing around as a foster kid, and was the one I ended up sticking with. Guy was a superstar race car driver back in the day, and did it all-- two Indy 500 wins, three Formula 1 Championships, two World Rally Championships, one NASCAR championship, a win at Le Mans, and holder of the land-speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats for twenty years. Sports Illustrated called him "The Fastest Man Alive," and I'll admit, I blatantly stole his nickname "The Flash." He didn't take me in just to show off his trophies and cars, though; since he retired, he's spent most of his money on helping troubled kids, and I guess he saw potential in me. Taught me the importance of pushing yourself, never giving up, to keep moving even when the track is slick and there's dangerous turns ahead. Nobody's ever going to replace my Dad, of course, but I don't think I'd be half of what I am today if it wasn't for Jay.[/hider] [hider=Dr. Harrison Wells][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/iZHAIZhl.jpg[/img][/center] Dr. Wells is the director of Central City's branch of STAR Labs, and the one who first helped me figure out all of this Speed Force stuff. An expert in the far fringes of theoretical physics, he has a bad habit of paying more attention to the scientific consequences of whatever craziness is happening than he is with actually stopping it. But he's still my go-to guy when it comes to all things weird.[/hider] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]ENEMIES[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] [hider=The Rogues][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/obf9cYkl.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/OUoPWsnm.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/uykYr49m.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/oOoJK2vm.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/robJq1Lm.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/eG5Ypaom.jpg[/img][/center] I ran into each of these guys one-on-one when I was first starting out, and they've all kind of held a grudge ever since. First they used to act alone, but over time, they figured out it was better to work together, and formed an odd little gang, with their own 'code' and everything. Their gimmicks are all pretty self-explanatory. Captain Cold has a freeze ray-- sorry, a [i]cold gun[/i], that's definitely a different thing. Captain Boomerang throws boomerangs. Mirror Master does tricks with mirrors and lasers and stuff. Heat Wave shoots heat rays, and doesn't like it when they team him up with Captain Cold for the obvious "fire and ice" thing. Weather Wizard controls the weater. And Trickster is basically the Joker without all of the stuff that makes the Joker scary. Individually, they're all small fries. Working together, though, they've managed to make themselves properly dangerous.[/hider] [hider=Grodd][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/HqbmBvcl.jpg[/img][/center] Grodd is....well, he's an angry psychic gorilla. I know that sounds stupid. And yeah, it [i]is[/i] kinda stupid. But Grodd's also one of the most powerful telepaths in the world, on top of having a decent degree of super-strength and toughness that comes from being a giant gorilla. He's the brains [i]and[/i] the brawn of any of his schemes, and he's come within a hair's breadth of world domination more than once.[/hider] [hider=Quicksilver][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wFwFnPVl.jpg[/img][/center] Oh God, [i]this[/i] freakin' guy. One time, [i]one time[/i], I get involved with a conflict involving mutants, and the speedy one decides to take it personally and never lets it go. Look, he's not evil, he's just, well.....a dick. And he keeps finding himself on the wrong side of a lot of conflicts. And he's [i]always[/i] running his mouth about me, calling me out for another race. Granted, he's one of maybe two people on Earth who can give me a run for my money, but man, what I wouldn't give to finally shut this guy's mouth. Still, I'd rather deal with him than the [i]other[/i] guy who can keep up with me....[/hider] [hider=Zoom][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6JluADgl.jpg[/img][/center] He picked the name, not me. Silly name aside, Zoom is the one guy I take deadly seriously whenever he pops up. He claims he's from a thousand years in the future, and is determined to make sure his future happens by constantly screwing with my present, and with my past. He's the one who killed my mom, who framed my dad, and who basically set me on my path to becoming the Flash. Unfortunately for him, whatever role he thinks he's playing in my "story," I'm going to make damn sure it ends with me stopping him once and for all.[/hider] [hr] [center][color=Yellow][h3][sup][sub][u]COSTUMES[/u][/sub][/sup][/h3][/color][/center] Like any hero worth his salt, I've got a fairly decent wardrobe for all sorts of occasions. [hider=Original "Mark I" Suit][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/UkPISuBl.jpg[/img][/center] This is what I came up with originally, made out of the same material as a firefighter's turnout. No bells and whistles, no fancy super-technology, just a mask and a logo and some bright colors. These days my old suit mostly just collects dust in the same storage unit where I keep my Flash 'trophies,' but I'll occasionally break it out if my regular suit needs repairs.[/hider] [hider=Standard "Mark II" Super-Suit][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ZVs5Bzel.jpg[/img][/center] My current everyday, running-around crimefighting costume, this is the first one S.T.A.R. Labs made for me. It's made of some advanced tri-polymer to resist intense heat and cold, woven with synthetic diamond threads to deflect energy blasts (though nowhere near as good a defense as just getting out of the way), has a built-in comm link to keep in touch with S.T.A.R. Labs, a sensor system to monitor my vitals, GPS to navigate across long distances, and nano-seams to shrink it all down into an easy to carry ring when I'm not using it. It's peanuts compared to what a Tony Stark or a Lex Luthor can whip up, but as far as super-suits go, I'm happy with it.[/hider] [hider=Heavy Duty "Mark III" Combat Suit][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/9xvCDMpl.jpg[/img][/center] This is what I usually end up wearing when the Justice League calls. It's got all of the protective qualities of my standard suit, with dwarf-star infused armor plates for impacts. More importantly, the circuitry in it allows me to safely dip deeper into the Speed Force, letting me open the throttle up even wider than usual. The downside is that the plates and circuitry can only be used for about an hour or so before they need replacing, and the whole thing is too ungainly to collapse into the ring for a quick-change. It's definitely a beefier suit that lets me take on bigger challenges, but it's not something I can break out all the time.[/hider] [hider=Experimental "Mark IV" Speed Force Suit][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3TzMM1cl.jpg[/img][/center] We haven't broken this one out yet, but Dr. Wells claims I can use this to fully immerse into the Speed Force and still come back in one piece. According to him, it'd let me phase between universes, travel through time, be in multiple places at once without causing a paradox. All sort of insane high-concept stuff that I struggle to get my mind around. Still, all of it's in theory, and to be honest, I'm a little nervous about ever actually trying it out.[/hider]