Wikipedia

Bart Allen

"Bartholomew Allen" redirects here. For the otherDC Comicscharacter of the same name, seeFlash (Barry Allen).

Bartholomew Henry"Bart"Allen IIis asuperheroappearing inAmerican comic bookspublished byDC Comics.Aspeedster,he first appeared under the aliasImpulseand later became the secondKid Flashand the fourthFlash.Created byMark WaidandMike Wieringo,Bart first made a cameo inThe Flash(vol. 2) #91 in 1994 before his full debut in issue #92.[1]He has since been featured as the lead character inImpulse(1995–2002) andThe Flash: The Fastest Man Alive(2006–2007). Bart also appears in the seriesYoung JusticeandTeen Titansas a member of both superhero teams.[2]

Bart Allen
Bart Allen as Impulse as he appeared on the cover of the trade paperbackImpulse: Reckless Youth(April 1997).
Art by Mike Wieringo.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAs Impulse:
Cameo appearance:
The Flash#91 (June 1994)
Full appearance:
The Flash#92 (July 1994)
As Kid Flash:
Teen Titans#4 (December 2003)
As Flash:
The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#1 (May 2006)
Created byMark Waid(writer)
Mike Wieringo(artist)
In-story information
Full nameBartholomew Henry Allen II
Bar Torr (New 52era)
SpeciesMetahuman
Team affiliationsYoung Justice
Teen Titans
Legion of Super-Heroes
Black Lantern Corps
White Lantern Corps
Justice League
PartnershipsSpeedster partners:
Wally West
Barry Allen
Jay Garrick
Max Mercury
Other hero partners:
Tim Drake
Conner Kent
Cassie Sandsmark
Amethyst
Arrowette
Naomi McDuffie
Kaldur'ahm
Miss Martian
Notable aliasesImpulse
Kid Flash
Flash
Abilities
See list
    • Genetic connection to the Speed Force grants:
      • Immense superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes
      • Speed Force absorption, negation, and empathy
      • Air manipulation and temperature manipulation
      • Intangibility and invisibility via molecular vibration at high velocity
      • Vortex generation
      • Electricity generation
      • Time travel and dimensional travel via superluminal speed
      • Energy transformation
      • Light projection
      • Accelerated healing
      • Enhanced perceptions and senses
      • Time manipulation
      • Sonic shockwave projection
      • Genius-level intellect
      • Advanced hand-to-hand combatant

As first conceived by writers, Bart was born in the 30th century to Meloni Thawne and Don Allen, and is part of a complex family tree of superheroes and supervillains. His father, Don, is one of theTornado Twinsand his paternal grandfather isBarry Allen,the second Flash. His paternal grandmother,Iris West,is also the adoptive aunt of the third Flash,Wally West(Bart'sfirst cousin once removed). Additionally, Bart is the first cousin ofXS,aLegionnaireand daughter of Dawn Allen. On his mother's side, he is a descendant of supervillainsProfessor ZoomandCobalt Blueas well as the half-brother ofOwen Mercer,the secondCaptain Boomerang.In addition to these relatives, he had a supervillain clone known asInertia.

For most of his superhero career, Bart was the teenage sidekick to Wally West. After West's apparent death in theInfinite Crisiscrossover event in 2006, Allen grew up and became the Flash. His tenure as the Flash was brief and concluded with his death in issue 13 ofThe Flash: The Fastest Man Alive.Allen was subsequently absent for nearly two years after his apparent death, but resurfaced—young again—as Kid Flash, in 2009'sFinal Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds.During DC'sThe New 52era, Bart Allen was reintroduced inTeen Titansas the alias of an amnesiac revolutionary from the future namedBar Torr;the character was later written out of comics, and his tenure erased from continuity by the subsequentDC Rebirthinitiative. The original Bart Allen was brought back as part of DC Rebirth'sWonder ComicsYoung Justiceseries.

Outside of comics, Bart has been portrayed byKyle Gallnerin the live-action television seriesSmallville.Jason Marsdenvoiced the character in the animated seriesYoung Justice.Jordan Fisherportrays a variation of the character as the future son of Barry Allen and Iris West-Allen starting in theseventhseason ofThe CWArrowversetelevision seriesThe Flashas a recurring character.

Fictional character biography

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Initial reference

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As depicted in aLegion of Super-Heroesstory, Barry Allen's children—the Tornado Twins—were arrested in A.D. 2995 by the government of Earth, which had fallen under the covert control of theDominators.Following a one-day trial on trumped-up charges of treason, the Twins were executed. According to aDaily Planetnews report, Don Allen is survived by his wife Carmen Johnson (whose real name was Meloni Thawne), his mother Iris West Allen, and his two-year-old son Barry Allen II.[3]This timeline was wiped out by the events ofZero Hour: Crisis in Time!miniseries.[4]

Impulse

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Bart Allen's full debut as Impulse on the cover ofThe Flash(vol. 2) #92 (July 1994).

In post-Zero Hourcontinuity, Bart Allen is the son of Don Allen and Meloni Thawne (a descendant ofEobard Thawne). He is additionally the cousin of Jenni Ognats, also known asXS.[5]

Due to his Speed Force abilities, Bart undergoes rapid aging, causing him to appear to be twelve when he is only two years old.[6]He is raised in avirtual realityworld and eventually brought to the past, where Wally West cures him.[7]Because he spent most his childhood in a simulated world, Bart has no concept of danger and is prone to reckless behavior. He is placed into the custody ofMax Mercuryand moves toManchester, Alabama.[8]

Bart joins theTitansearly in his career before becoming a founding member ofYoung JusticealongsideRobinandSuperboy.[9]During this time, he develops the ability to generate energy clones.[10]

Following Mercury's disappearance, Bart is adopted byJay Garrick,the first Flash, and his wifeJoan.After Young Justice disbands, Bart joins some of his former teammates in theTeen Titans.[11]

Kid Flash

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Bart as Kid Flash. Interior artwork fromTeen Titansvol. 3, 4 (Dec, 2003) Art byMike McKone.

Shortly after Bart joins the Teen Titans, he is shot in the knee by aJericho-possessedDeathstrokeand receives a prosthetic.[12][13]

Infinite Crisis

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InInfinite Crisis,Superboy-Primeattacks Superboy and the Teen Titans.[14]After Prime escapes prison, Bart follows him, spends four years in an alternate universe, and temporarily gains amnesia. After returning to the main universe, Bart claims to have used all of his speed, leaving him powerless.

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive(2006–2009)

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Bart Allen as the Flash. Variant incentive cover toThe Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#1 (2006). Art byAndy&Joe Kubert.

Bart retains his powers, but keeps them secret. When his roommate Griffin Grey gains superpowers and becomesGriffin,Bart becomes the Flash, moves to Los Angeles, and begins studying forensics. During this time, he is considered for membership in theJustice League.

Death and return

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InThe Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#13, Bart is killed in battle with theRogues.[2][15][16][17][18]WriterMarc Guggenheimstated that Bart's death was an editorial mandate.[19]

InFinal Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds,Brainiac 5and the Legion of Super-Heroes resurrect Bart and Superboy to help them defeatSuperboy-Primeand theLegion of Super-Villains.[5][20][21]

The Flash: Rebirth

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InThe Flash: Rebirth,Bart discovers that Barry Allen was resurrected during his time in the Speed Force, having been killed years prior duringCrisis on Infinite Earths.[22]Barry is transformed into theBlack Flashdue to Professor Zoom altering the Speed Force.[23]The JLA and JSA work together to contain Barry in a machine that will sever his connection to the Speed Force. However, Barry destroys the machine and escapes.[24]

When Zoom attacks Jay and Iris. Bart and Jay rush to the scene and battle him. During the battle, Max Mercury suddenly returns from the Speed Force to assists them.[25]Afterward, Iris West becomes the new Impulse.[26]

Blackest Night

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InBlackest Night,Bart becomes aBlack Lanterndue to having previously died.[27][28]However, he is freed when Barry Allen becomes aBlue Lanternand cures him.[29][30][31]

Return to Titans

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Sometime afterBlackest Night,Cyborgrecruits Bart and Superboy to rescueStatic,who has been kidnapped while visiting his hometown of Dakota. Bart battles the villain Holocaust and creates a vortex that sucks him into the Earth's core.[32][33]

At the behest of Tim Drake, Bart travels toGotham Cityand savesCatwomanfrom members of theLeague of Assassinswhile she is sleeping in her apartment. After knocking out the would-be killers, Bart remarks to Tim over the radio that Selina is "super-fine", and that this may be the best day of his life.[34]

Shortly after settling back in Titans Tower, Bart reveals to Conner that during his brief stay in the future, he went through records concerning technology from the era. He also tells Conner that he is losing his memories of this future information due to the time stream being corrected, and that he is writing down everything he can remember.[35]

Flashpoint

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When Iris West Allen calls Barry home, she, Jay Garrick, Wally West, and Bart Allen are all troubled by the way that he has been isolating himself from everyone. Bart believes that Barry dislikes him and runs off until he is attacked byHot Pursuit.Barry arrives too late, when Hot Pursuit discharges electricity at Bart with his baton and is engulfed in lightning.[36]However, Hot Pursuit mistakenly believes that Bart is not one of the anomalies that are affecting the timeline, known as theFlashpoint.[37]

The Earth is a changed alternate timeline, where Bart Allen wakes up in the 31st century inBrainiac's stasis pod chamber and has lost his super-speed. After failing to avoid being re-captured by Brainiac, he is confronted by a female Hot Pursuit and with her help, pulls away from Brainiac. This Hot Pursuit reveals herself to bePatty Spivot,Barry Allen's assistant. Bart must find a way to get his super-speed back before being erased from existence.[38]Bart learns that Patty stole Hot Pursuit's motorcycle and has taken his place. Bart allows himself to be recaptured by Brainiac and is placed into a stasis pod, destroying Brainiac's security program from the inside. Patty holds of Brainiac and breaks an energy projector, which returns Bart's super-speed to him. Bart then runs through time to the 21st century, and promises Patty he will return and rescue her.[39]However, Bart's body was transforming intoBlack Flashthat had been controlled by the Speed Force, taking him to reduce the speedsters Max Mercury, Jay Garrick, and Wally West. Bart reversed from Black Flash and runs into Barry, when he realizes that the Speed Force is encased for him. Bart is to be absorbed into the living embodiment of the Speed Force's light that gives Barry his power and tells him to save the world.[40]

DC Rebirth

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Variant cover ofYoung Justicevol. 3 #1
(March 2019). Art by Derrick Chew.

Prior to Bart Allen's reappearance, theTitans Tomorrowalternate-future version of Bart Allen reappears in the 2018 crossover storyline “Super-Sons of Tomorrow”. A shattered figure of Bart Allen wearing his Impulse costume is also seen in the Flash Museum in the 25th century.[41]

The original Bart Allen returns to the main DC universe after Wally West and Barry Allen break the Force Barrier. Once again wearing the Impulse costume, he emerges from the Speed Force and races through a city street triumphantly declaring that he is back.[42]

Shortly afterward, he reunites with his former Young Justice and Teen Titans teammates Robin (Tim Drake) and Wonder Girl (Cassandra Sandsmark).[43]Bart is the main driving force behind the revival of the Young Justice team; after being transported to Gemworld and reunited with Superboy (Kon-El), the team officially re-forms.[44]

InThe New Golden Age,Jay Garrick allowsJudy Garrickto bunk in Bart's room while he is away with Max Mercury.[45]He later attended a party that was held by the Flash family.[46]

Powers and abilities

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Bart's primary power is speed, along with abilities that are common to comics speedsters, such as creating whirlwinds, running on water, and vibrating through matter. The latter ability results in "molecular taffy" if Bart does not concentrate; he also possesses an aura, that prevents air friction while running. Bart does possess some abilities that other speedsters do not have. He has the ability to produce "scouts", Speed Force avatars that he can send through the timestream, but has used it infrequently since the death of one avatar put him in a coma during the "Our Worlds at War"storyline that crossed over among theImpulse,Superboy,andYoung Justicetitles. After being forced to use it during the "World Without Young Justice" crossover event, he was able and willing to use them with ease, up until he became Kid Flash. He has been shown to move faster than light as Impulse, while now he has an artificial knee which limits his speed as Kid Flash. He now can only travel close to the speed of light.

Bart is resistant to the alterations in the time stream. His parents met only in post-Zero Hourcontinuity, but he arrived before the event. Bart has the ability to recall everything he has ever read, heard or watched (which includes speed-reading every book in theSan Francisco Public Library), allowing him to spout encyclopedic information concerning the situation at hand as well as quotations fromMark Twain,of whose work he is fond.[11]He has also displayed the ability to create powerfulradio wavesby rotating his arms at high speeds and using the resulting vibrations in conjunction with his teammateStatic'selectromagneticabilities.[47]

AfterInfinite Crisis,Bart's connection to the Speed Force is more difficult to control because he now contains the Speed Force and, in essence, is the Speed Force. When he taps into the Speed Force, Bart appears to have electricity crackling around him, and the Speed Force inside him becomes so lethal that he initially wears the Flash suit while running to prevent it from killing him.[48]After remembering his experiences on an alternate Earth during a fight with Griffin, he began to gain a measure of control over the Speed Force before it was released from his body just prior to his death.

Flash legacy

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Since his first appearance inThe Flash#91, Bart had been trained by several speed-endowed heroes such as Jay Garrick,Johnny Quick,andMax Mercury.Prior to his reluctance to don the red and yellow, Bart showed a lot of enthusiasm toward his role as the future Flash. However, Wally West had a number of apprehensions about Bart, as shown by Wally's namingJesse Quickas his successor and his refusal to deliver to Bart his invitation fromCyborgto join the latest incarnation of theTeen Titans.Bart took these acts in stride though, and, afterRobinclaimed that he will always live in the Flash's shadow, Bart even says that "the Flash will be in mine".[49]

Other versions

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Numerous versions of Bart have appeared throughout comics.

Bar Torr

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Bar Torr as Kid Flash, on the cover toDC UNIVERSE PRESENTS#12 (2012)
Art by Jorge Jimenez.

Bar Torr,a character based on Bart Allen, appears inThe New 52continuity reboot. He is areactionaryfrom a dystopian planet Altros Prime in the far future who was sent to the 21st century as part of awitness protectionprogram and sustained amnesia.[50]

Dark Tomorrow

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Following the death of Max Mercury and Helen Claiborne, Bart returns to the future to be with his mother, while his girlfriendCarol Bucklencame along. Carol begins studying the Speed Force to use it for the benefit of humanity. The corrupt President Thawne, Bart's grandfather, takes their research and forms theHyperguard,a group of soldiers with superhuman speed. The adult Carol managed to pull her younger self and Bart into the future. Bart ended up preventing Max's and Helen's death, thus preventing this reality from happening. This reality appeared inImpulse#73–75.

Titans Tomorrow

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In an alternate timeline depicted inTitans Tomorrow,Bart assumes the mantle of the Flash after the current Flash is killed.[51][52]

Time and Tempest

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Another alternate future is showcased inThe Ray(vol. 2) #25–26. Here Bart,Ray Terrill,andTriumphwere "three rich guys with superpowers". Bart was in love with Ray's girlfriend, whom Ray treated like dirt. However, Bart realized that he did not have a chance with her either and ended up knocking Ray out and leaving him, not knowing that hitmen were on their way.

In other media

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See also:Flash in other media

Television

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Animation

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Impulse as he appears in the initialJustice Leagueproposal.
  • Bart Allen as Impulse appears inKids' WB's original pitch forJustice Leagueas a junior member of theeponymous team.While Impulse, among other characters, were cut to avoid making the series feel likeSuper Friends,the pitch became available as a bonus on the series' first season DVD.[53]
  • Bart Allen as Kid Flash appears in theMadsegment "That's What Super Friends Are For", voiced byJason Marsden.
  • Bart Allen appears inYoung Justice,voiced again by Jason Marsden.[54]This version is from aReach-controlled future in the year 2056. Introduced in the second season,Invasion,as Impulse, he andNeutronbuild a time machine so the former can travel back in time to save his grandfather, Barry Allen, prevent Neutron from becoming a supervillain, and avert the Reach-controlled future despite knowing it will be a one-way trip. Over the course of his mission, Bart joins theTeam,becomesJaime Reyes' best friend, is adopted byJayandJoanGarrick, and reluctantly becomes the new Kid Flash after Wally West is killed while helping the Team and Justice League thwart a Reach invasion. In the third and fourth seasons,OutsidersandPhantoms,Bart joins theOutsidersand is implied to be datingEl Dorado.[55][56]

Live-action

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Kyle Gallner as Bart Allen inSmallville.

Video games

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Miscellaneous

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Collected editions

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Stories featuring Bart Allen fromThe Flash,ImpulseandThe Flash: The Fastest Man Alivehave been collected intotrade paperbacks:

Title Material collected
Impulse: Reckless Youth The Flash#92–94,Impulse#1–6
The Flash: Dead Heat The Flash#108–111,Impulse#9–11
The Flash Presents: Mercury Falling Impulse#62–67
The Flash The Fastest Man Alive: Lightning in a Bottle The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#1–6
The Flash The Fastest Man Alive – Full Throttle The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#7–13,DCU Holiday Special
The Brave and the Bold: Demons and Dragons The Brave and the Bold#13–16,The Brave and the Bold#181,The Flash#107,Impulse#17
Flash/Impulse: Runs in the Family The Flash#108–111,Impulse#1–12

References

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  1. ^Markstein, Don."Impulse".Don Markstein's Toonopedia.Retrieved2 April2020.
  2. ^abJimenez, Phil(2008). "The Flash". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia.New York:Dorling Kindersley.pp. 124–127.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.OCLC213309017.
  3. ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 4) #17 (April 1991)
  4. ^Legion of Super-Heroes(vol. 4) #61;Zero Hour: Crisis in Time(September 1994)
  5. ^abFinal Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds#3 (February 2009)
  6. ^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Manning, Matthew K.; McAvennie, Michael; Wallace, Daniel (2019).DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle.DK Publishing. p. 249.ISBN978-1-4654-8578-6.
  7. ^Flash(vol. 2) #92 (July 1994)
  8. ^The Flash(vol. 2) #95 (November 1995)
  9. ^The New Titans#126 (October 1995)
  10. ^Impulse#77 (October 2001)
  11. ^abTeen Titans(vol. 3) #1 (September 2003)
  12. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #2 (October 2003)
  13. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #4 (December 2003)
  14. ^Infinite Crisis#4 (March 2006)
  15. ^Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#13 (June 2007)
  16. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #50 (August 2007)
  17. ^All-Flash#1 (July 2007)
  18. ^Countdown#43
  19. ^Rogers, Vaneta; Brady, Matt (25 July 2007). "Flash Forward" (1049 ed.). Comic Shop News, Inc.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  20. ^Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds#4 (April 2009)
  21. ^Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds#5 (July 2009)
  22. ^The Flash: Rebirth#1 (April 2009)
  23. ^The Flash: Rebirth#2 (May 2009)
  24. ^The Flash: Rebirth#3 (June 2009)
  25. ^The Flash: Rebirth#4 (August 2009)
  26. ^The Flash: Rebirth#5 (November 2009)
  27. ^Blackest Night#1 (September 2009)
  28. ^Blackest Night#5 (January 2010)
  29. ^Blackest Night#6 (February 2010)
  30. ^Blackest Night: Flash#2 (March 2010)
  31. ^Blackest Night: Flash#3 (April 2010)
  32. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #81
  33. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #82
  34. ^"DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » Startling revelations in RED ROBIN #12".Dcu.blog.dccomics.com. 2010-04-30.Retrieved2011-01-16.
  35. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #88
  36. ^The Flash(vol. 3) #11 (April 2011)
  37. ^The Flash(vol. 3) #12 (May 2011)
  38. ^Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost#1 (June 2011)
  39. ^Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost#2 (July 2011)
  40. ^Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost#3 (August 2011)
  41. ^The Flash(vol. 5) Annual #1
  42. ^The Flash(vol. 5) #50
  43. ^Young Justice(vol. 3) #1
  44. ^Young Justice(vol. 3) #6
  45. ^Jay Garrick: The Flash#1
  46. ^Jay Garrick: The Flash#6
  47. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #84
  48. ^Flash: The Fastest Man Alive#3 (October 2006)
  49. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #5 (January 2004)
  50. ^
    • Teen Titans(vol. 4) #1 (November 2011)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 4) #6 (April 2012)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 4) #8 (June 2012)
    • Legion Lost(vol. 2) #9 (July 2012)
    • Justice League of America's Vibe#3 (April 2013)
    • The Flash(vol. 4) #21 (July 2013)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 4) #25 - 26 (January - February 2014)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 5) Annual #1 (June 2015)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 5) #10 (September 2015)
    • Teen Titans(vol. 5) #16 (March 2016)
  51. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #18 (2004)
  52. ^Teen Titans(vol. 3) #51
  53. ^"The World's Finest – Justice League".Worldsfinestonline.com.RetrievedJanuary 16,2011.
  54. ^"Impulse / Bart Allen Voice -Young Justice(TV Show) ".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedApril 21,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
  55. ^Weisman, Greg(July 12, 2021)."One of those four characters is gay".Ask Greg.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  56. ^Weisman, Greg (July 28, 2021)."Ed is gay and is dating someone".Ask Greg.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  57. ^"The Flash's Showrunner says Jordan Fisher was the only actor he wanted to play Impulse: 'Just wait til you see what he's going to do'".Insider.Retrieved2021-05-04.
  58. ^Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 30, 2021)."The Flash to Introduce Bart Allen, With a Parental Twist — Get Details on Jordan Fisher's Impulsive Speedster".TV Line.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-30.RetrievedMarch 30,2021.
  59. ^Drum, Nicole (July 6, 2021)."The FlashRecap: Here's Everything You Missed in "P.O.W."".Comibook.com.RetrievedJuly 8,2021.
  60. ^Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013)."DC Characters and Objects -Scribblenauts UnmaskedGuide ".IGN.RetrievedNovember 22,2024.
  61. ^Eisen, Andrew (February 15, 2019)."Characters -LEGO Batman 3: Beyond GothamGuide ".IGN.RetrievedApril 21,2024.
  62. ^"Adventures in the DC Universe#13 - Sometime in New York City (Issue) ".Comic Vine.RetrievedApril 21,2024.
  63. ^"Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century#15 - In A Flash (Issue) ".Comic Vine.RetrievedApril 4,2023.
  64. ^Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year ThreeVol 1 #7
  65. ^Smallville Season 11Vol 1 #15
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