In the 80-years since Jay Garrick became the Flash, there have been countless amazing stories about the Scarlet Speedster. Some of these tales are single-issue stories that changed the whole of comics, most notably, "Flash of Two Worlds". Others, like the Trial of the Flash, were long-running stories that changed the world of the Flash forever.
Two of the most important Flash stories are Terminal Velocity and The Return of Barry Allen Saga. Both were written by Mark Waid, both featured the third Flash, Wally West, as the main character, and both tales changed the course of the Flash mythology forever. But which one is the definitive Flash story?
15 Terminal Velocity: Wally Learns To Lead
Wally West wasn't a born leader. After he gained his powers, he was more than happy to learn at the feet of Barry Allen, and when he co-founded the Teen Titans as Kid Flash, he had no problem letting Robin lead the team.
Even when he joined the Justice League Europe, Wally wasn't interested in being in charge. But when the time came for the speedsters of the DCU to come together, Wally was forced to learn how to lead. He wasn't a perfect leader, but Wally did his best.
14 Terminal Velocity: Introduction Of The Speed Force
To try and save the universe, Wally ran faster than he ever had before, and in doing so he breaks the Speed Force barrier and finds himself slowly being pulled into the energy source. Terminal Velocity is the story that brought the Speed Force to the Flash mythology for the first time, giving readers their first look at just what it is that gives the speedsters their power.
And while this is the first story to name the Speed Force, it wasn't the first time the Speed Force was ever mentioned.
13 The Return Of Barry Allen Saga: The First Real Mention Of The Speed Force
Mark Waid created the Speed Force, but he didn't come up with the idea of an external energy source that powered the Flashes. What Waid brought to the table was a name and a fully realized concept of the Speed Force.
Johnny Quick is the first to mention it during The Return of Barry Allen Saga as he tries to teach Wally the true power of speed by teaching the third Flash how his mathematical formula works. Zen speedster Max Mercury explains it as a power that flows like water.
12 Terminal Velocity: Impulse's First Test
The grandson of Barry Allen and Iris West, Impulse made his debut just before Terminal Velocity. This storyline would be the first real test for the new character before he went off to be the star of his own series.
Impulse was forced to learn what it took to be a hero faster than most other sidekicks. But with the bloodlines of the Allens and the Wests running through his veins, Bart proved that while he may not be ready to become Flash, he has the heart of a hero.
11 Terminal Velocity: Jesse Quick Becomes Her Own Hero
Jesse Quick, daughter Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle, used her father's mathematical formula to gain super speed. Trying to get Impulse to start taking things seriously, Flash chose Jesse as his replacement, although he had no real plans for her to take the name. Flash's poor handling of the situation angered Jesse.
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What Wally did made Jesse realize that instead of trying to be the next Flash, she should work on building her family's legacy. Jesse later joined the Titans before becoming helping to reform the Justice Society. As a member of the JSA, Jesse forged a path for herself.
10 The Return Of Barry Allen Saga: The Book
When Wally faced off against Reverse-Flash in The Return of Barry Allen Saga, he found something that would change his world, and the world of all the Flashes, forever. Iris West, believed to have been killed by Reverse-Flash, was alive, living in the future, and had a book about her husband Barry Allen coming out soon.
That book, The Lifestory of the Flash, was actually released by DC Comics and was used to give readers a quick look into the life of Barry Allen as well as set up ideas for future stories.
9 Terminal Velocity: Flash Gains New Powers
After returning from the Speed Force, Wally found himself with a whole new set of powers. Those powers included the ability to give and take super speed from others, move faster than light, and Wally no longer needed to eat massive amounts of food to keep his strength up.
Many of these powers would end up being given to Barry Allen when he did return many years later and are now seen as some of the basic powers that ever speedster who has connected directly to the Speed Force has.
8 Terminal Velocity: Wally Became The Fastest Man Ever
Wally may not be the main Flash these days, but thanks to Terminal Velocity he is still the fastest of all speedsters. Wally has a special connection to the Speed Force that no other speedster has ever had, and that connection allows him to reach speeds the others can only dream about.
Every speedster has a connection to the Speed Force, but Wally can sense what the Speed Force is feeling at any given time. While Max Mercury was the first Zen Master of Speed, Wally took on that job and perfected it.
7 The Return Of Barry Allen Saga: We Finally Learn Why Reverse-Flash Hates Barry Allen
One of the great Flash mysteries was why the Reverse-Flash hated Flash so much. With the deaths of Reverse-Flash and Barry Allen, it seemed like fans would never learn the truth, but in The Return Of Barry Allen Saga, we finally did see what it was that drove Eobard Thawne insane.
Eobard traveled back in time to meet his idol, only to find himself in the Flash Museum where he learned that the Flash would kill him. It's a time paradox that doesn't make much sense, but now we knew where all this hatred stemmed from.
6 Terminal Velocity: Linda Park Becomes A Hero
The relationship between Wally West and Linda Park stood out as one of the romantic pillars of the DCU, and with good reason; Linda wasn't the kind of superhero partner who needed to be saved. If anything, she saved Wally more often than he saved her.
After Wally is fully pulled into the Speed Force, Linda doesn't have time to mourn the loss of the man she loves. Central City is still under attack and the speedsters needed help. That's when Linda picked up a big gun and led the charge against Kobra.
5 Terminal Velocity: Wally Finds His Home
A home is more than brick and mortar. It is the place you go where you feel safe and loved. For most of his life, Wally was missing that, but he finally found that place when he found Linda Park.
Linda was his home, the place he would always return to, the place he was always welcomed with open arms. That is why Wally was able to do the impossible and come out of the Speed Force. The love he has for Linda, and the love she had for him, was a lifeline home.
4 The Return Of Barry Allen Saga: Wally Beats His Past Issues
When he became Flash, Wally was weighed down by the legacy of Barry Allen. How could a former teen hero live up to a man who sacrificed himself to save the multiverse? More to it, how could Wally prove that he was worthy of the Flash mantle when so many of the heroes still saw him as that teen hero?
By fighting Reverse-Flash, Barry's greatest foe, Wally proved that he was more than worthy of being the Scarlet Speedster. Wally faced his inner demons and came out on the other side stronger than ever before.
3 Terminal Velocity: Impulse Gets A Mentor
The grandson of Barry Allen and Iris West, Impulse was born in the far future and spent his early years living in a virtual reality world. As Impulse continued to age at an accelerated pace, Iris brought him back in time hoping that her nephew could save him.
Wally was able to help Impulse learn how to better control his speed and stop his quick aging, but the Flash wasn't ready to be a mentor. Lucky for Wally and Impulse, Max Mercury was ready, willing, and able to step up and teach the new kid on the block.
2 Terminal Velocity: Flash Family Is Fully Formed
The speedsters of the DCU had come together a few times in the past to team up and deal with the bigger threats that the multiverse faced, and the Flash Family started to form during the Return of Barry Allen Saga, but it wasn't until Terminal Velocity that the family learned to fight together.
Each member of the family represents the different styles and beliefs of the DC speedsters, from the scientists to the spiritual advisors, and they would continue to grow right up until Flashpoint sadly erased most of them from existence.
1 The Return Of Barry Allen Saga: Flash Family Comes Together For The First Time
For the first time since Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC fans saw two generations of Flashes come together to deal with a threat. And as if having Jay and Wally team up to fight Reverse-Flash wasn't enough, Johnny Quick and Max Mercury joined in.
Johnny Quick had made a number of appearances over the years, but Max Mercury was an all but forgotten hero from the Golden age who hadn't shown up in a comic for decades. Mark Waid dusted the character off and turned him into a fan favorite.