Jay Garrick

The first Flash who ran before speed was science fiction, born from hard water vapor and a dream of Mercury.

Jason Peter "Jay" Garrick is the first character known as the Flash, debuting in Flash Comics #1 on November 20, 1939. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, this Golden Age hero gained his abilities through a lab accident involving hard water vapor. Unlike later iterations, Garrick's origin does not initially involve the Speed Force but rather activated a latent metagene. He dons a red shirt with a lightning bolt and a stylized metal helmet with wings based on the Roman god Mercury. Over decades, he transitioned from Earth-Two resident to a veteran hero in a merged universe, maintaining his role as a founding member of the Justice Society of America.

Quick Facts

Real name

Jason Peter "Jay" Garrick

Publisher

DC Comics

Debut

Flash Comics #1 (cover-dated January 1940; published November 20, 1939)

Creators

Gardner Fox; Harry Lampert

Species

Metahuman

Alliances

Justice Society of America
All-Star Squadron
Justice League International
Justice League

Lore & Background

Jay Garrick's powers originated when he, then a college student, inhaled hard water vapors while taking a smoke break in his laboratory under Professor Hughes. This accident granted him superhuman speed and agility. His iconic helmet belonged to his father, Joseph, a World War I veteran, which Jay sometimes uses as a weapon or shield. Early stories depicted his identity as public knowledge, though later retcons introduced the concept of him "vibrating" his face to remain unrecognized without a mask. He faced early foes like the Faultless Four and Edward Clariss, who became the Rival after finding the last container of heavy water vapor. Garrick served as the founding chairman of the Justice Society of America, originally based in New York City before being retconned to Keystone City. His aging was slowed by energy from Ian Karkull during a battle against him, allowing Garrick to remain active into the 21st century with a chronological age near 105 despite looking physically around 50.

Reader's Guide

To understand Jay Garrick, one must note his unique origin: inhaling hard water vapor in a lab experiment by Professor Hughes. His costume features a red shirt with a lightning bolt and a winged metal helmet modeled after Mercury. He is a founding member of the Justice Society of America (JSA), serving as its first chairman. Unlike Barry Allen or Wally West, Garrick's early stories did not reference the Speed Force; his powers were initially treated as a result of the water vapor inhalation activating a metagene. His base of operations shifted from New York City to Keystone City, which became invisible and wiped from memory after Crisis on Infinite Earths until rendered visible again. He maintains a close friendship with Green Lantern Alan Scott and later mentored Bart Allen during Max Mercury's disappearance. Garrick's history includes a solo series in All-Flash (1941–1948) and guest spots in Stargirl and The Flash (2023), where he is portrayed by John Wesley Shipp.

Did You Know?

Artist Harry Lampert modeled the character's pose after a dictionary illustration of the god Mercury.
He served as the first chairman of the Justice Society of America and retired in 1951 due to HUAC investigations.