 |
This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
Joe West is a former captain of the Central City Police Department and a former member of Team Flash. He is Barry Allen's father in law, the father of Iris West-Allen, Wally West and Jenna West, and the boyfriend of Cecile Horton.
He is one of the founding members of Team Flash and he acts like a nurturing father for all the team. He is a major protagonist in The Flash, serving as a major protagonist in the first eight seasons and a supporting protagonist in Season 9.
Joe West is portrayed by Jesse L. Martin.
History[]
Early life[]
Joe married Francine West and both had Iris West. However, due to her drug problems Francine abandoned both, secretly bearing another child by Joe. As an attempt to protect Iris, Joe made her believe she died.
After his friend Henry Allen was wrongfully arrested for having killed his wife Nora Allen, Joe took Barry to his home. While Barry was raised with love, he and Joe had various arguments because Barry insisted that his mother Nora was killed by a man in yellow, while Joe believed Henry killed Nora. Barry often escaped to try to meet his father.
When Barry became comatose after a lightning bolt fell over him and the Particle Accelerator exploded, he and Iris were worried for Barry and often visited him. Eobard Thawne, who killed Harrison Wells and stole his identity, offered to carry him to S.T.A.R. Labs, to which Joe accepted, but he became suspicious of him.
Team Flash[]
After Barry woke up, Joe attempted to stop Clyde Mardon, but accidentally led him to be more ambitious. After Barry nullified his hurrican with his newfound superspeed, Joe shot Clyde in order to save Barry. Joe discovered there were supernatural elements and apologized to Barry for not believing him. Joe asked Barry not to tell Iris about his powers. Iris admitted to have a relationship with Eddie Thawne, which Joe disapproved due to knowing Iris actually loved Barry more.
Initially he was wary about Barry being a superhero due to putting himself at personal risk, but he later accepted Barry's work. He resumed his investigation about Harrison Wells. When he and Cisco were researching the original crime scene, they discovered that one of the blood samples matched with Barry Allen, while the other was from another person. Joe initially was wary of Oliver Queen when he appeared due to his homicidal tendencies, but still was thankful when he helped Team Flash to stop Barry Allen and undo the anger effect he had.
Joe West and Cisco went to Starling City and with the help of Quentin Lance they discovered the real Harrison Wells' body. Joe asked Quentin to not speak about it in order to protect themselves and their family. He learned about Quentin's estranged relationship with his daughter Laurel due to keeping a major secret. Joe showed Wells' body to Barry and Caitlin.
Joe was kidnapped by Grodd, but was rescued by Team Flash.
When Barry agreed to try undoing the changes by Thawne, Joe and Iris were saddened due to them possibly not being as close to him as in this timeline. Barry desisted from changing the timeline and confronted Thawne, which led to Eddie Thawne committing suicide to erase Thawne from existence and creating a singularity where Ronnie Raymond died. Both incidents led Barry to disband Team Flash. After the Flash Day celebration, the city was attacked by Atom Smasher, to which Barry and Joe teamed up to stop. Team Flash would be reunited again. The team discovered that the singularity opened breaches to Earth-2.
A speedster of another Earth joined the team to inform the team about Hunter Zolomon. Later, after Barry met Harry Wells and introduced him to Caitlin and Cisco, he mistook him for Thawne and shot him, but Barry was fast to stop the bullets. His estranged wife came to visit him and tell her about being about to die due to McGregor's syndrome. He decided to reveal Iris the truth about Francine. Despite knowing about arry and Iris' love for each other, Joe encouraged Barry to have a relationship with Patty Spivot for now, but advised him not to tell her about his identity as the Flash.
Harry Wells was being blackmailed by Zoom to steal Barry's speed. Harry even killed the Turtle to get a substance for it. Since he was growing fond of Team Flash and he had some conscience, he was doing it reluctantly. When it led to Barry failing to stop glass particles from hurting Iris, he came clean and Joe slapped him. The team gave Harry a second chance later when the members understood what happened with Jesse. After Barry, Cisco and Harry returned from Earth-2 alongside Jesse, Barry revealed Iris and Joe about his encounter with their Earth-2 versions, like Iris being a police captain and Joe being a singer and dying by being killed by Killer Frost.
The speedster the team knew as Jay was revealed to be Zoom all along.
As a final plan, Zoom kidnapped Joe as leverage to force Barry to have a race over the Magnetar, which could destroy the multiverse. He was rescued by Team Flash in Earth-2 alongside the real Jay Garrick.
Flashpoint[]
In the Flashpoint timeline, he still in the CCPD, but he was poorly regarded by captain Julio Mendez due to his laziness. However, he shot Edward Clariss after he fatally wounded Wally West.
Restored timeline[]
One of the changes of undoing Flashpoint is that Iris and Joe got estranged due to the situation with Francine.
He fell in love with Cecile Horton and dated her, but broke up due to his fear of revealing the Flash. However, he ultimately decided to tell her everything and removed his old wedding ring. When Savitar learned that iris was in Earth-2 and met him and Iris there, he tried to show sympathy for him knowing that Savitar was a future time remnant of Barry that went rogue, but Savitar did not appreciate being called Barry and tried to proceed by taking Iris. When Savitar seemingly killed her, Iris appeared with H.R. looks and revealed that H.R. was impersonating her to save her.
Joe rejected Savitar when Barry and Iris brought him to S.T.A.R. Labs to try making him still exist. After Savitar was erased, Joe attended H.R.'s funeral. He later presenced Barry going to the Speed Force to contain Savitar's prison and to accept the punishment for creating Flashpoint.
Flash's return from the Speed Force and confrontation to The Thinker[]
When Caitlin came back to the team to help in Barry's return, Joe was angry at her but forgave her. When Barry was revealed to return in a non conscious way, he shaved Barry's beard. When Iris let herself get kidnapped by the Samuroid, Joe told Barry about it to make him snap out of his madness.
When the Council of Wells deduced that the person behind the Samuroids was Clifford DeVoe, he and Barry went to interrgogate him.
Personality[]
Joe West is a kind, caring individual. He raised Iris with love and in their adulthood he remains a loving figure for her and his other children. He also is a second father to Barry Allen and the rest of Team Flash. He is very protective of those he loves and will try to take down whoever attacks them.
What Joe lacks in scientific knowledge, he has in detective instinct.
His biggest flaw when it comes to who he cares for is his overprotective tendencies at first. While Barry still sees Joe as a second father, he and Joe had various disagreements over Henry Allen's actual culpability and Barry's attempts to flee to visit Henry.
