Bart Allen

The future's speedster who grew from Impulse into the fourth Flash before facing death in Infinite Crisis.

Bartholomew Henry "Bart" Allen II is a DC Comics speedster who first appeared as Impulse before becoming the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Created by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo, he debuted in The Flash (vol. 2) #91 in 1994. Born in the 30th century to Meloni Thawne and Don Allen, Bart was raised in a virtual reality world due to rapid aging caused by his Speed Force abilities. He eventually traveled to the 21st century, where Wally West helped normalize his metabolism. Known for his reckless behavior stemming from a childhood without real-world danger, Bart joined both Young Justice and the Teen Titans.

Quick Facts

Full name

Bartholomew Henry Allen II; Bar Torr (The New 52 era)

Publisher

DC Comics

Creators

Mark Waid (writer); Mike Wieringo (artist)

Species

Metahuman

Partners

The Flash (various); Max Mercury

Alliances

Young Justice
Teen Titans
Legion of Super-Heroes
Justice League

Also known as

Impulse
Kid Flash
The Flash

Lore & Background

Bart Allen's origin is deeply rooted in the complex family tree of the Allen and Thawne lines. Born to Meloni Thawne, a descendant of Professor Zoom, and Don Allen, son of Barry Allen (the second Flash), Bart has relatives on both heroic and villainous sides. His paternal grandmother is Iris West, who is also the adoptive aunt of Wally West. On his mother's side, he is related to supervillains like Cobalt Blue and is the half-brother of Owen Mercer, the second Captain Boomerang. Bart was born with full super-speed while his cousin Jenni Ognats (XS) did not initially display powers. Due to rapid aging, he appeared twelve when chronologically only two years old. To prevent mental health issues from this accelerated growth, he was raised in a simulated reality adhering to his perception of time. When this failed, Iris West brought him to the 21st century. There, Wally West tricked Bart into overexerting his abilities to return his metabolism to normal.

Reader's Guide

Bart Allen's journey involves distinct eras and aliases defined by specific comic runs. He began as Impulse in The Flash (vol. 2) #91-#92 (1994), starred in the series Impulse (1995–2002), and later led The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive (2006–2007). His tenure as the fourth Flash ended with his death in issue #13 of that series. In 2009, he was resurrected in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds. During DC's The New 52 era, a character named Bar Torr used the alias Bart Allen in Teen Titans before being written out and erased by the DC Rebirth initiative. The original Bart returned via Wonder Comics' Young Justice series. Key allies include Max Mercury, who took custody of him in Manchester, Alabama, and later adopted him alongside Jay Garrick. His relationship with Wally West was central; Bart served as his teenage sidekick until Wally's apparent death in Infinite Crisis. Writers noted that Bart's death was an editorial decision to conclude a five-issue run involving the Rogues.

Did You Know?

He reads every single book in the San Francisco Public Library while recovering from a knee injury before becoming Kid Flash.
Bart's death at the hands of Captain Cold, Heat Wave, and Weather Wizard was an editorial decision for his five-issue run as The Flash.