The Flash (Barry Allen)

"Do what you have to... we must save the world. We must save the world..."

- The Flash

"I can't run from it. If it's that important, I'm damned if I'm going to run from it."

- The Flash

Barry Allen is the Silver Age and later Modern Age Flash.

Origin
(NOTE: the following is the Pre-New 52 origin) As a boy, Barry Allen idolized the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, and was inspired by the Scarlet Speedster to do his part to enforce the law, becoming a police criminologist upon graduating college. One night, while preparing for his first date with reporter Iris West, Barry was struck by a bolt of lightning that his the chemicals he was working with. He would later discover that thte chemicals had given him the power of super speed, being able to move at velocities exceeding the speed of light. Taking inspiration from Jay, Barry put together his iconic scarlet and yellow uniform, becoming the new Flash.

After several years of protecting Central City, Barry died in Crisis on Infinite Earths when he sacrificed himself to save the Multiverse from the Anti-Monitor's anti-matter cannon...converting to electricity and becoming the very lightning that gave him his powers. During the Final Crisis, Barry returned from the dead, and is once more the Flash.

Flashpoint
Upset over the murder of his mother when he was a child, Barry goes into the timestream and rescues her. When Barry returns, he realises that the present has been drastically altered. Bruce Wayne is dead, Superman is a government specimen and Wonder Woman is at war with Aquaman. Barry gets Thomas Wayne, the Batman of that reality, Cyborg and Superman and they try to stop the conflict in order to find out who the real villain is.

Barry runs into the Reverse Flash, who tells him that although he's relishing this reality, Barry was the sole culprit. It turns out that any tampering with the timestream will damage the present. Barry decides to go back and stop his past self from saving his mother. The two Barrys get into a fight but the wiser Barry wins out in the end, creating the New 52 reality. When Barry tells Batman about all this, he confirms the events by giving Bruce a letter from his father. Moved by his father's words of comfort, Batman tells Barry he's one hell of a messenger.

Powers

 * Speed Force Conduit
 * Absolute Speed
 * Superhuman Stamina, Agility, Reflexes, and Durability
 * Molecular Vibration/Phasing
 * Electrokinesis: Barry can generate and project electricity.
 * Regenerative Healing Factor
 * Velocity Sharpened Perceptions
 * Time/Dimension Travel
 * Frictionless Aura
 * Speed Mind: Following the events of Flashpoint, Barry developed the Speed Force talent to use his brain to calculate multiple probable outcomes and predict the next probable chain of events.
 * Air Manipulation