As a founding member of the Justice League, the Flash is one of the most famous heroes in comic book history. However, the various people that have worn the costume have done some terrible things. Many of the speedster’s sins are completely unintentional; they’re often the result of logical missteps or fallacious feelings. Barry Allen’s poor grasp of logic has caused many fans to give the TV show The Flash the moniker of “dang it, Barry.” It’s a fitting nickname given Barry’s repeated missteps and logical leaps. Allen’s problematic thought process, or lack thereof, frequently get him into trouble in the comics, too.

Sometimes, though, the Flash’s misconduct is fully deliberate. At times, his character is morally dubious, if not undoubtedly villainous. As one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, the standards are different for the Flash. Any mistake, and any wrongdoing, is scrutinized because, to quote Uncle Ben, “with great power, there must also come great responsibility.” The Flash’s crimes range from repeatedly abusing the time-stream to siding with a tyrannical dictator to endangering his children. He’s also taken out villains permanently, turned a villain into a sentient statue and altered the minds of everyone on Earth. Needless to stay, the Flash’s list of transgressions is appropriately long for a storied character. As a result, there have been several times when The Flash could be considered the worst villain in the DCU. With that being said, here’s a look at some of the worst things the scarlet speedster has ever done.

20 SIDED WITH SUPERMAN IN INJUSTICE

As the fastest man alive, the Flash is one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. So, in any battle, the scales heavily tip in favor of the the speedster. This effect holds true in the Injustice series. When Superman turns to the dark side, he recruits everyone with superpowers for his army. As DC’s civil war breaks out, the Flash aligns himself with Superman rather than siding with Batman and “the good guys.”

With Barry Allen fighting for him, Superman becomes even more unstoppable. Allen is blind to the Man of Steel’s corruption, which allows the rising tyrant to rapidly gain power.

19 CREATED SAVITAR

Season three of The Flash is a long, winding road of Barry Allen’s mistakes. Practically everything that goes wrong throughout the season is Barry’s fault. His worst blunder comes when he rejects his time remnant, who’s essentially a Barry Allen clone. Apparently, the Team Flash of the future shuns the remnant who, with future Barry’s memories, is already fragile due to the grief caused by Iris’s death. This isolation drives the remnant over the edge, which leads him down the path to becoming Savitar.

Most of Barry’s decisions in the Savitar saga are questionable. Creating a time remnant is, too. Mistreating that remnant to the point that they’re driven insane is definitely an objectionable offense.

18 TOOK OUT GRODD

Heroes dropping villains can be a moral gray area and this concept is often explored with various comic book characters. For example, Barry Allen is usually not one to do it. From time to time, though, the Flash has taken lives. When he mortally wounds Gorilla Grodd in The Flash Annual #3, Allen once again proves that he’s not above excessive force.

Grodd has attacked the DCU for many years despite Allen’s repeated attempts to stop him. Grodd always breaks free and/or returns to wreak havoc. This route is not defensible for any hero, but one can understand Allen’s motive in permanently subduing his rival. Still, when the Flash resorts to going over the line, he proves that there are some reprehensible aspects of his character.

17 TOOK OUT WALLY WEST

If Allen ending Gorilla Grodd is bad, then the hero’s role in the passing of Wally West is even more heinous. To be fair, the version of Allen that stops Grodd and West is corrupted by a dark future. This future Flash travels back to his past to prevent the causation of that pain.

Allen plans to end his present self in order to fix the damaged Speed Force. When future Wally West travels back in time to stop his unbalanced mentor, future Bally inadvertently stops him with a blow meant for present Barry (time travel is really complicated). Not every version of Barry Allen is a crazy speedster, but, clearly, there’s a part of him that is prone to becoming one.

16 NEEDLESSLY SACRIFICED HIMSELF

Heroes and “noble” sacrifices go together like peanut butter and jelly. At the very least, the “heroic” sacrifice is a very common trope, especially in comics. In Barry Allen’s case, his surrender is gratuitous and questionable.

After Savitar is defeated and former Speed Force occupant Jay Garrick liberated, the Speed Force required a new inhabitant. Barry unthinkingly races to fall on the sword, imprisoning himself in the Speed Force. If Barry broke his pattern of thoughtless action, he’d have remembered that Team Flash should have been able to deconstruct the Speed Force prison because they built it themselves. But Barry never thinks through his actions, which often leads to mind-numbingly foolish actions.

15 PUT DOWN THE REVERSE-FLASH

Barry Allen’s other notable uses of force are explainable; the culprit is a corrupted version of Allen from the future. But Allen has committed some crimes that are more difficult to justify. Most famously, Allen dropped his nemesis, the Reverse-Flash, or Eobard Thawne.

Barry finds the strength to move on after Thawne takes away Allen’s soulmate, Iris. Allen finds love again and Thawne resurfaces, planning to crush the Flash’s happiness once more. The Reverse-Flash is moments away from ending Barry’s new love when Allen races in to stop his rival. Barry doesn’t have complete control of his super-speed, so he accidentally breaks Thawne’s neck. Barry’s intentions are unclear, but he once again proves that he’s capable of this use of force.

14 LEFT VAGUE MESSAGE ON THE WAVERIDER

Barry doesn’t seem to get wiser with age. In Legends of Tomorrow, Barry Allen of the future leaves a ridiculously unhelpful and vague message on the team’s time-ship, the Waverider. Allen tells the heroes that a war is coming and that he did something to the timestream, which had some really negative consequences. That’s the extent of his message. Allen does not elaborate, which leaves the Legends scratching their heads.

A person with a grasp of general logic would have realized that such an unclear message would not help the team whatsoever. As Barry continues to demonstrate, his judgement leaves a lot to be desired.

13 ILLEGALLY DETAINS CRIMINALS

Thanks to Barry Allen, Star Labs’ basement is a slightly nicer version of a Arkham Asylum. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. But the point remains the same: Barry illegally detains criminals in Team Flash’s headquarters. The show often underemphasizes the unconstitutional imprisonment of the Flash’s villains. But, when you stop and think about it, the cruel and unusual treatment of these people makes the Flash look a little unsavory.

Allen locks his villains up in small cells and indefinitely leaves them to rot. Viewers assume the inmates are fed but that’s rarely, if ever, shown. The criminals are given nothing to do, they have no time in an exercise yard, and they evidently have no rights in Warden Barry’s prison.

12 DROVE ZOOM EVEN MADDER

Wally West’s rivalry with Zoom, or Hunter Zolomon, is one of the most bitter conflicts in the history of the Flash. By the time The Flash #200 hit newsstands, Zoom had recently outwitted and outpowered West at every turn. Zoom’s worst transgression occurs when he attacks West’s pregnant wife Linda, which causes her to have a miscarriage.

After Zoom’s repeated personal attacks, Wally snaps. When he finally defeats Zoom, the “hero” wants revenge. He forces Zolomon to repeatedly relive the demise of his parents, a moment that traumatized Hunter during his childhood. As harsh as that punishment is, Wally has dealt with his rivals with even more alarming methods.

11 TURNED INERTIA INTO A LIVING STATUE

When heroes become comparable to horror movie monsters, something’s clearly wrong. But, in the case of Wally West and his treatment of the villain Inertia, that comparison is fair. When Bart Allen is mortally wounded by Inertia and the Rogues, West’s taste for revenge returns.

West finds and defeats Inertia. Once again, West isn’t satisfied with plain old justice. When he sees that Inertia doesn’t regret his abhorrent crimes, West decides to teach him a lesson. West thinks that turning Inertia into a fully-aware statue is the best way to make him pay. West puts the statue on display in the Flash Museum like a sick trophy. Of all The Flash’s misdeeds, this one may be the most disturbing.

10 BECAME ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH DONNA TROY

The Flash’s missteps are often the result of erroneous thoughts or a complete lack of awareness. For example, when Wally West becomes romantically involved with Titans teammate Donna Troy, he’s oblivious to the feelings of another member of the team.

Throughout DC Rebirth, West, having returned from a long stay in the Speed Force, is lonely because everyone but Barry Allen had forgotten about him. In Titans, he commiserates with Donna Troy, who is dealing with her own Rebirth-related difficulties and their connection culminates with a kiss. The two lock lips just as Roy Harper plans to tell Donna that he has feelings for her. Wally wasn’t aware of Roy’s feelings, but that lack of forethought still reflects poorly on the hero.

9 FREQUENTLY LIES TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY IRIS

Lying must be part of the Flash’s job description. Whoever wears the mask lies to their loved ones in an effort to protect them. Practically every time, the result is the same. The dishonesty is ineffective, the secret always gets out, and the protectee is put in danger anyway. This pattern holds especially true with Barry Allen and Iris West.

Whether it’s the TV show, classic comics or the current product on the page, Barry lies to Iris. Iris can usually tell that Barry isn’t being truthful with her, and it always puts a strain on their relationship. Additionally, in Joshua Williamson’s current run on The Flash, Barry’s treatment of Iris angers his sidekick, Kid Flash, which further weakens the Flash Family.

8 CAUSED "FLASH WAR"

Speaking of weakening the Flash Family, Barry Allen causes its downfall in “Flash War.” To be fair, this one isn’t all Barry’s fault -- Wally West is equally responsible. But if Barry had been a better mentor to Wally, the heroes could have handled the crisis-level event much more effectively. In fact, “Flash War” may have been entirely avoidable.

In The Flash, Allen repeatedly tries to help West avoid making the same mistakes that he has. Barry’s sometimes domineering mentorship upsets Wally; the younger Flash feels that he’s capable of avoiding those mistakes on his own, without Barry’s excessive “help.” While there are many other factors in play, Barry is responsible for pushing Wally away, and the entire Flash Family suffers.

7 ENDANGERED HIS FAMILY

Nowadays, the Flash Family primarily consists of Barry Allen, Wally, Iris and Wallace West. But, a few times in the hero's history, his family has expanded to make room for his children. Both Wally and Barry have had children, but Wally’s treatment of his offspring deserves scrutiny.

Batman is constantly criticized for involving teenagers in his war on crime. So, in The Flash #233, when Wally lets his small children join the battlefield, fans were appalled. West allows his kids, who are young enough to be in early elementary school, fight crime. To make matters worse, they’re not even properly trained! Shame on you, Wally.

6 DROVE THE TOP INSANE

The Flash has been complicit in the alteration of villains’ minds a few times in the character’s long history. Each time, the manipulation has dire consequences but the speedster continues to use mind-wipes as a solution to his problems.

The Top (Roscoe Dillon) terrorizes Barry Allen’s life. Allen’s tolerance reaches its limit when Dillon exhumes the body of Allen’s dead wife, Iris. The Flash has Zatanna drastically adjust Dillon’s mind in order to make the Top a hero. The sudden shift drives Dillon insane, as he is overwhelmed with guilt for his previous crimes. Despite the alarming consequence of his actions, Allen would soon allow another villain to be similarly altered.

5 COMPLICIT IN THE IDENTITY CRISIS MINDWIPES

Identity Crisis was one of the most controversial comic miniseries of the '00s. The majority of that controversy stems from the story’s inclusion of the attack of Sue Dibny. Through flashbacks, the event series shows Dr. Light raped Dibny in the Justice League Watchtower. When the Justice League learns of this atrocious act, they take decisive action.

To prevent Light from assaulting another team member or their loved ones, the Justice League decides to have Zatanna mindwipe Light, which alters his personality and erases his memory. The “heroes” also decide to mindwipe Batman, who disapproved and tried to stop them from manipulating Light. The Flash, a complicit member of the Justice League, deserves blame and disapproval for his reprehensible actions.

4 GAVE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE TO SAVITAR

Barry really doesn’t do anything right in his attempts to stop Savitar. The Flash’s handling of the Philosopher’s Stone is his most egregious mistake. The Stone, one of the most dangerous artifacts in the universe, would give Savitar limitless power. Team Flash decides to put the Stone in the Speed Force in order to protect it from Savitar.

Man plans, and (speed) gods laugh. Savitar spent an incredibly long time in the Speed Force, which makes him a master of navigating its complex nature. By putting the stone in Savitar’s domain, Barry unintentionally made it easier for the evil speedster to acquire the potent artifact.

3 GAVE UP ON STOPPING SAVITAR

Whether it’s the comics or the TV show, future Barry is the worst. Season three of The Flash showcases that idea in a variety of ways. For example, this version of future Barry essentially gives up on herohood. He retires and grows out his hair (becoming “emo Barry,” as some fans have called him.) Barry loses his heart and the fight goes out of him.

All of the people The Flash could help suffer for Barry’s inaction. Countless potential lives that could have been saved are now jeopardized. Sometimes, villainy is not the product of action; instead, it’s the result of doing nothing when one has the power to help people.

2 MINDWIPED THE WORLD

Barry Allen isn’t the only Flash that uses mind-wiping to solve problems. For a while, the Flash’s secret identity, Wally West, was common knowledge. However, that transparency put Wally and his loved ones in danger. West decides that the typical secrecy of a superhero's identity is the safer lifestyle. So, he wants to make sure that the Flash’s real name regains its mystery.

To do so, West enlists the help of The Spectre, one of the most powerful characters in the DCU. The Spectre erases all of the world’s memories linking Wally and the Flash. West has no qualms about manipulating the minds of millions of people, which is why he’s far from a perfect hero.

1 FLASHPOINT

Flashpoint is the speedster’s most consequential crime . Barry Allen is solely responsible for creating the alternate universe named after this historic event. Allen abuses his time-travelling powers when he goes back in time to prevent his mother’s passing. His actions have a wide-ranging butterfly effect, which creates a dystopian future the likes of which the DCU had never seen.

Thanks to Barry, the world is in ruins as a result of a war between Aquaman and Wonder Woman. Meanwhile, Superman is held prisoner as a government experiment and Thomas Wayne is an unhinged Batman. The war escalates to the point of an apocalypse. Barry abuses the timeline (again) by preventing himself from creating Flashpoint, which creates another alternate universe: The New 52.