Through his many travels across time and the multiverse, the Flash has teamed up with many iconic DC heroes, from other speedsters in his Flash Family to best friends like Hal Jordan and Nightwing. Barry Allen and Wally West are two of the most likable Justice Leaguers, so they get along with almost everyone.
Barry Allen is a forensic scientist, which makes him an amazing partner for Batman, the World’s Greatest Detective. Wally West knows the Speed Force better than most, which makes him an amazing leader for other speedsters like Impulse and Jay Garrick. Various versions of the Flash, through decades of great comics, have formed one half of memorable team-ups.
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10 “Superman’s Race With The Flash!”
Superman #199 by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan & George Klein
Who’s faster: Superman or the Flash? Modern readers would unquestionably pick the Scarlet Speedster. Geoff Johns even confirmed Barry’s speed superiority during Flash: Rebirth. However, around the release of Superman #199, the Flash hadn’t broken the speed of light as often and Superman still possessed his “Silver Age level of power.”
DC has recreated Superman and Flash’s race many times in the comics. The two raced in the Superman: The Animated Series episode “Speed Demons” and in the Justice League (2017) film mid-credits scene. This race is iconic, memorable and actually results in a subtle team-up. Superman and Flash agree to tie the race to prevent gambling gangs from winning their bets placed on the race.
9 “Wonderland”
The Flash #164-169
Geoff Johns kicked off his Flash run with a bang, trapping Wally West in what he would discover is a Mirror Dimension construct. “Wonderland” presents an alternate version of the DC Universe with a different Barry Allen, seemingly resurrected after Crisis on Infinite Earths. Unfortunately, this was no Flashpoint. Everything about this world was an illusion crafted by the Mirror Master.
Interestingly, Wally West’s Flash forms an alliance with versions of Captain Cold and Mirror Master who also want to escape. Cold always lived by a code of honor, so he was the most likely Rogues villain to help Wally.
8 Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave And The Bold
By Mark Waid, Tom Peyer & Barry Kitson
Barry Allen and Hal Jordan helped launch DC into the Silver Age, abandoning Golden Age tropes in favor of science fiction-driven stories that took Flash across time and Green Lantern across space. Mark Waid, one of the most prolific DC writers, wrote Wally West for years before joining Tom Peyer to pen the Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold miniseries that focused on Barry instead.
Each issue explored a different point in Barry and Hal’s friendship, culminating in one of the Flash’s best team-ups spread across six comics. The miniseries featured guest appearances from Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Sinestro and even a green power ring-wielding Wally West called Kid Lantern.
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7 “The Sommelier Of Death”
Nightwing #91 by Tom Taylor, Geraldo Borges & Adriano Lucas
As Kid Flash and Robin, Wally West and Dick Grayson were two founding members of the original Teen Titans. They have shared one of the best friendships in DC Comics, so Wally’s New 52 disappearance was even more heartbreaking. Wally returned during DC Rebirth, fought alongside Dick in the Titans comic, and rejoined his old friend once again in Nightwing #91.
Every Nightwing cover during this run also features gorgeous artwork that incorporates Nightwing’s logo into an environment in clever ways. On the cover of Nightwing #91, Flash’s leaves a trail of lightning through Bl?dhaven in the shape of Nightwing’s logo.
6 Titans #7
By Dan Abnett, Lee Weeks & John Kalisz
The original Wally West was absent for the entirety of the New 52, only returning in the DC Rebirth one-shot. Wally rejoined the Titans, but things were different. This world was still unlike the one he came from, and Linda Park, his wife, didn’t remember him. Fortunately, a version of Superman who existed after Wally became the Flash, displaced in time after Convergence, did remember.
Titans #7 featured a touching scene between Wally and Clark, both realizing they knew each other from their old timeline, and both discussing how to move forward. Superman advised Wally to build a stronger life in this new world. In true Superman/Flash team-up fashion, they ended their conversation with a race.
5 “Flash Of Two Worlds”
The Flash #123 by Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella & Carl Gafford
One of the best Flash team-up comics also became one of the most important comic events in DC’s history. Fans throw “most important” around a lot, but Flash #123 truly qualifies. Barry Allen accidentally travels to Earth-Two and meets Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash. This crossover sparked the concept of the multiverse in DC Comics.
Just two years later in Justice League of America #21, titled “Crisis on Earth-One!” the Justice League crossed over with their Golden Age counterparts, the Justice Society. Once these worlds merged after Crisis on Infinite Earths, Barry Allen/Jay Garrick team-ups were commonplace, only possible thanks to Gardner Fox and Julius Schwartz’s strange concept of introducing these two Flashes.
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4 “Chain Lightning”
The Flash Vol. 2 #145-150
“Chain Lightning” is the most epic event in Mark Waid’s Flash comic run. The story arc utilized everything readers love about the Flash: high-speed battles, chases across time and space, and a Flash Family spanning generations. To prevent Cobalt Blue from killing Barry Allen, Wally West recruits Jay Garrick, Bart Allen and other versions of the Flash.
Some of the best Flash team-ups of all time keep the team-ups within the family. Thanks to time travel-shenanigans, the Flash can team up with different versions of himself, or others who will inherit his mantle, at any point in time. “Chain Lightning” unites the Flashes like no comic had before.
3 “Rogue War”
The Flash Vol. 2 #220-225
Geoff Johns really delved into Wally West’s character while writing The Flash comic series for years. During his run, Johns increased Wally’s speed, confirming he was the fastest speedster in the Flash Family, and introduced Wally’s own Reverse Flash, Zoom, aka Hunter Zolomon. Johns concluded his epic run with a grand finale, “Rogue War,” featuring the return of Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne, two characters who died years earlier in the comics.
However, time is a tricky thing, and a version of Flash and Reverse Flash simply traveled to Wally’s present from a point in time when they still lived. One of the Flash’s greatest team-ups stars two different versions of the Flash, each battling their villainous opposite.
2 “The Button”
The Flash Vol. 5 #21-22 & Batman Vol. 3 #21-22
“The Button,” written by Tom King and Joshua Williamson, splitting the small arc between the ongoing Batman and Flash comics, acts as a soft sequel to the Watchmen, DC Rebirth and Flashpoint, while also setting up Doctor Manhattan’s arrival in Doomsday Clock. Batman enlists Barry’s help to discover the origin of a mysterious button, the same blood-stained smiley face button the Comedian wore.
Over four issues, Flash and Batman encountered a Reverse Flash who tried to eliminate Manhattan himself and Thomas Wayne’s Batman from the Flashpoint universe. Batman and Flash are the two detectives on the Justice League, and DC smartly paired them up for this multiversal mystery.
1 Flashpoint
By Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope & Alex Sinclair
After Barry Allen traveled back in time to prevent his mother’s murder, he inadvertently created a completely new timeline in Flashpoint. In this new world, Aquaman and Wonder Woman were at war, Barry didn’t have his speed, and Thomas Wayne was Batman. With so much going on, readers needed to catch up on the current status quo of the world and all classic DC characters, but the Flash and Thomas’ Batman were the core of the story.
Batman wanted to help Barry reset the timeline to recreate a world where his son survived that night in Crime Alley. Flashpoint was bombastic and epic, but the journey and struggle Flash and Batman shared, highlighted by the touching letter Thomas left for Bruce, grounded the story.
Through his many travels across time and the multiverse, Barry Allen has teamed up with DC’s best heroes and even other versions of the Flash. Read More