Flash fans are rejoicing as another old fan-favorite has returned post-DC Rebirth. Bart Allen, who disappeared along with the old timeline before the New 52 reboot, busted out of the Speed Force in The Flash (Vol. 5) #50. It seems like forever since we've seen Barry Allen's grandson. Bart took the DC Universe by storm after debuting in Flash (Vol. 2) #92, quickly settling in under the alias Impulse. From his introduction in 1994 to his demise in 2011, Bart's presence was practically nonstop. For 17 years, Bart climbed the ranks of DC's heroes, beginning as Impulse and culminating in a short run as the Flash.
With Bart's reintroduction into the DC Universe, we've decided to take a look at everything that DC fans should know about the recently returned speedster -- and there's a lot to know because a ton was flung at Bart in is first 17-year long run in the DCU. He's experienced most milestones typical of a superhero, plus his own speedster-unique highs and lows. If there's one thing that's held true throughout those two decades, it's that Bart continually evolved. After being introduced as the childish Impulse, Bart came into his own as Kid Flash and as a member of the Teen Titans. From there, Bart went onto play a pivotal role in Infinite Crisis, solidifying his place among DC's finest. Ultimately, Bart graduated from that role and became the Flash. To find out what happened after that, you'll have to read on, so without further ado here are 18 things that every DC fan should know about Bart Allen.
18 BORN IN THE FUTURE
Had it not been for time-travel, Bartholomew Allen II would've never met Wally West and fought alongside most of DC's roster. Bart had been born in the 30th century, and only arrived in our time after his grandfather attempted to destroy the other side of Bart's family. After arriving in the present day and becoming Impulse, Bart occasionally returned to his era of origin.
During Impulse #73-75, Bart, along with his girlfriend, went back to the 30th century to be with Bart's mother. Unfortunately, the family reunion was spoiled when Bart's grandfather used Bart and his girlfriend's research on the Speed Force to create a guard of speedster-soldiers, culminating in Bart's return to the present.
17 HALF-ALLEN, HALF-THAWNE
Bart's 30th-century birth isn't even the most intriguing thing about his origin. One of Bart's grandfathers was Barry Allen, and the other was Thaddeus Thawne -- a descendent of Professor Zoom, and the current world leader. In other words, Bart represented the improbable union of two families who'd been warring for centuries.
However, Bart's grandfather Thawne was intent on dissolving the union. Thaddeus Thawne allied himself with the technologically advanced alien race known as the Dominators and convinced them to take out Bart's father, Don Allen. The event concluded with Don's demise and Thawne's followers capturing Bart to learn more about his abilities.
16 AGES AT AN INCONSTANT RATE
Since birth, it was clear that Barry Allen's genetics predominated the younger Allen. As a toddler, Bart possessed incredible speed, which presented several problems. For one thing, Bart's metabolism was off the charts, requiring him to intake vast quantities of nutrients in order to stay alive. He also aged at an astonishing rate.
By the time he was two, he looked like he was 12. After Thawne's people captured Bart, he was raised in a virtual reality that expedited his mental maturation, allowing him to behave as old as he looked. Finally, seeing that Bart would quickly pass away of old age, Bart's grandmother took him into the past so that Wally West could mentor him to control his speed.
15 DESTINED TO BE THE FLASH
After arriving in the present day, Bart's aging problem was quickly fixed thanks to Wally West. Bart proved to be a useful ally to the other speedsters -- although he wasn't without his problems. One of the reasons he picked up the codename Impulse was due to his impulsiveness; his childhood spent in virtual reality had blinded him to danger.
Despite his impulsive nature, Wally clearly held big plans for Impulse. At one point, fearing that he'd soon be lost in the Speed Force, Wally asked Jesse Quick to take his place and be the next Flash. However, it was a ploy on Wally's part, hoping that the prodigy, Bart, would become more motivated after seeing he was passed over.
14 MENTORED BY MAX MERCURY
Around the time that Bart had arrived in the present, Max Mercury returned to the fold. Max was a speedster from the Golden Age, who'd since retired, save for spurts of activity. Wally sent Bart to live with Max in his hometown of Manchester, Alabama. There, Bart grew up under Max's tutelage, learning as much as he could about the Speed Force.
Bart and Max shared many adventures, fighting against the likes of Blockbuster, Savitar, and Kobra. However, the duo spent less time together as Bart went off to join various super teams. Eventually, the two had to part ways when Max was kicked out of his own body by Rival and jettisoned into the Speed Force.
13 HAS AN EVIL CLONE
Having lost Bart Allen to the past, President Thawne other means to controlling a speedster. Thus, Thaddeus Thawne II was created -- a clone of Bart mixed with more of Thawne's DNA for good measure. The clone, who'd acquire the codename Inertia, grew up at a much slower rate than Bart. Inertia became increasingly methodical over time.
That, combined with the hatred of the Allen family with which he'd been indoctrinated, led to his dedication to destroying Bart. Inertia traveled back into the past but lost frequently to his much faster counterpart. However, with the help of the Rogues, Inertia would eventually succeed.
12 POSSESSES UNIQUE ABILITIES
Aside from general super-speed, Bart possesses some abilities that are unique even among speedsters. In Flash Secret Files and Origins (Vol. 1) #1, it was revealed that Bart has Speed Force Empathy -- the ability to sense when another Speed Force conduit is in trouble. Perhaps more impressive than that was an ability revealed in Impulse (Vol. 1) #75.
While in a battle against Thaddeus Thawne and his speedster-soldiers, Bart employs speed scouts. These scouts are bundles of energy, similar in form to Bart, that Bart can send through the timestream. They allow him to learn about different eras and timelines without actually going there himself.
11 TEAM EXPERIENCE
Throughout the years, Bart has picked up plenty of super-team experience. Early on in his career, Bart founded Young Justice, alongside Superboy and Robin. The team grew quickly, as they invited Wonder Girl, Speedy, and others, to fight against top-tier villains. Bart, and several of his teammates, eventually graduated and became Teen Titans -- at which time Bart retired the Impulse costume and became the new Kid Flash.
As Kid Flash, Bart spent a considerable amount of time with the Titans and only left them after he'd once again experienced a bout of accelerated aging. Finally, after Bart had become the fourth Flash, he was invited to become an official member of the Justice League (although he declined the offer for the time being).
10 SPIED AMONG THE TITANS TOMORROW
During Bart's time with the Teen Titans, the team came up against an unlikely threat -- their future selves. In Teen Titans (Vol. 3) #16-23, the team met the Titans Tomorrow. After an adventure with the Legion of Superheroes, the Teen Titans were making there way through the timestream to get back home, but accidentally got stuck in an alternate timeline featuring older versions of themselves.
The Titans Tomorrow had taken a cynical turn, abandoning their old ways and eliminating enemies with impunity. The future Bart Allen, however, was a spy for the Titans East -- the team that represented the old ideals. Future Bart and others resisted the darker turn that former heroes were taking.
9 BECAME THE FOURTH FLASH
Bart finally fulfilled his destiny and became the fourth Flash following the events of Infinite Crisis. During the event, Bart took tremendous risks with the Speed Force in order to combat Superboy-Prime, ultimately leaving him emptied out, incapable of super-speed. Over the next year, Bart sought to live a normal life, but his connection with the Speed Force was gradually revived until he was more powerful than ever.
Seeing as how Wally West had been depowered during Infinite Crisis, Bart opted to become the new Flash. His tenure as Flash was, unfortunately, short-lived. The Rogues, led by vengeance-fueled Inertia, would ensure that.
8 BEATEN BY THE ROGUES
Having lost much of his natural speed, Inertia sought to siphon the speed from other speedsters. Inertia enlisted the Rogues to help him finish building a device that would do the job. Bart confronted the Rogues, at which point the device drained Bart of his powers. If that weren't enough, Bart discovered that the machine couldn't handle the energy, and would soon detonate with the explosive power of several atomic bombs.
Bart distracts the Rogues while his friends try to deactivate the device. They eventually succeed, but not before the Rogues have beaten Bart to his end -- an act that even the Rogues later feel remorseful for.
7 RESURRECTED
Bart was resurrected in the pages of the miniseries Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds. The story involves a team-up between three versions of the Legions of Super-Heroes, each hailing from a different continuity. They momentous team-up sees the Legions going up against the Legion of Super-Villains -- an army of villains that included Superboy-Prime at the forefront.
Brainiac 5 enlists XS, a speedster-Legionnaire, to run on the Cosmic Treadmill in an effort to revive Bart via Speed Force energy. Sure enough, Bart Allen is resurrected and he aids the Legions in their major battle. After the event, Bart returns to his identity as Kid Flash and rejoins the Teen Titans.
6 FEUDED WITH SUPERBOY-PRIME
Superboy-Prime and Bart first clashed during Infinite Crisis. Superboy's deranged and bloodthirsty counterpart invited the wrath of the Teen Titans after he hunted down Kon-El. Superboy-Prime brutalized several members of the Teen Titans before Bart, Wally West, and Jay Garrick took him into the Speed Force.
Later during the event, Superboy-Prime resurfaces, at which point Bart Allen defeats him for the second time. Bart and Superboy-Prime met again shortly after Bart's resurrection. Bart, the only person to beat Superboy-Prime twice before, proved to be the Legion's ace up their sleeve against their Kryptonian monster. The two fought for a time when Superboy-Prime once again returned to Earth, vowing to destroy the Teen Titans.
5 BECAME A BLACK LANTERN
Despite being resurrected by the Legion of Superheroes, Bart wasn't still wasn't safe from the land of the dead. During "Blackest Night", Nekron sought to return Bart to death and bring him under his power. Nekron seized the opportunity when Bart stood beside the Justice League to fend off the army of Black Lanterns.
Due to Bart being previously deceased, he was open to possession. A Black Ring took hold of Bart and was transformed into a Black Lantern. Black Lantern Bart went up against his recently resurrected grandfather, Barry Allen, who was ultimately able to free Bart from Nekron's influence.
4 ABSORBED INTO THE SPEED FORCE
Bart just couldn't shake death. Finally back from the dead and free from the grasp of Nekron, Bart resumed his position among the Teen Titans. During Flashpoint, in which the timeline has been seriously altered by Barry, a powerless Bart awoke as a captive of Brainiac in the 31st century. Bart freed himself from Brainiac, reacquired his powers, and set off for the 21st century.
While running back in time, Bart finds himself transforming into the Black Flash, compelled to take the lives of his fellow speedsters. Bart resisted the power of the Black Flash, but not without the cost of Bart's life. The story concludes with the young speedster becoming one with the Speed Force.
3 IMPERSONATED BY BAR TORR
In the wake of the New 52 reboot, a new speedster popped onto the scene, claiming to be Bart Allen. The young speedster had arrived from the future without memories of his past, and, upon finding Barry Allen, figured that the two were related. Eventually, this new Kid Flash was revealed to be Bar Torr, a fugitive from the 30th century.
In his time, Torr grew up under the heel of a tyrannical regime known as the Functionary. Torr aided in a rebellion but later became disillusioned with the violent ways of the group. He turned himself into the government and entered into a witness protection program -- which meant sending him back in time.
2 RETURNED DURING FLASH WAR
"Flash War" kicked off in The Flash Annual (Vol. 5) #1, setting into motion the conflict between Barry Allen and Wally West. Wally, having returned post-Rebirth, had realized that his family was erased from existence during Flashpoint, which motivated him to take drastic measures. Unwilling to let the timeline be disrupted once again, Barry attempted to stop his old friend.
The event saw several major occurrences, including Wally proving himself to be the fastest man alive. But the best was yet to come. In the tail-end of the story, Bart Allen burst out of the Speed Force, making his long-awaited return.
1 POTENTIALLY THE FASTEST SPEEDSTER
The title for DC's fastest speedster seems to be perpetually up for grabs. It's been declared to be different heroes at different times. Most recently, during "Flash War", Wally West solidified his position as the fastest man alive after he outran both Barry Allen and Wally West. However, a case can be made for Bart.
On several occasions in the past, he's possessed so much speed that he could hardly control it. Post-Infinite Crisis, Bart was so fast that the Speed Force nearly took his life. Then, of course, was his astonishing feat from Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost when he reversed the transformative effects of Black Flash.