History Characters / TheFlashWallyWest

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Wally is generally distinguished among the Flash legacies for two primary factors: Firstly for being [[FunPersonified the fun one]], and secondly, for being [[SuperWeight the most powerful]]. While all the Flashes are a PersonOfMassDestruction thanks to the sheer power the Speed Force grants, Wally pushes it to near PhysicalGod levels; he can run through time and space and even reality without outside assistance, can manipulate the speed of anything/anyone around him to either strip bullets of their momentum or grant temporary super speed to others, and is powerful enough to overwhelm devices designed to drain his powers. Its actually ''because'' of his lighthearted nature why he's able to do this; any other speedster risks running into the Speed Force if they tap into too much of its power, but Wally has mastered tethering himself to reality through ThePowerOfLove so he can use as much of it as he wants so long as he and his wife still love each other.

[[Characters/TeenTitansOriginalTeenTitans Original Teen Titans and Titans West]] ([[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick Grayson]] | '''Wally West''' | [[Characters/WonderGirlDonnaTroy Donna Troy]] | [[Characters/GreenArrowSpeedy Roy Harper]])\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansPostGraduationDay 2003 Teen Titans]] ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] | [[Characters/SupermanConnerKent Conner Kent]] | [[Characters/WonderGirlCassieSandsmark Cassie Sandsmark]] | [[Characters/GreenArrowSpeedy Mia Dearden]]) | [[Characters/TeenTitansAncillary Ancillary Titans]]\\

Characters/{{Deathstroke}} | [[Characters/TeenTitansCheshire Cheshire]]-]]]]]

[[Characters/TeenTitansOriginalTeenTitans Original Teen Titans and Titans West]] ([[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick Grayson]] | '''Wally West''' | [[Characters/{{Tempest}} Garth]] | [[Characters/WonderGirlDonnaTroy Donna Troy]] | [[Characters/ArsenalRoyHarper Roy Harper]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansLilithClay Lilith Clay]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansMalDuncan Mal Duncan]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansKarenBeecher Karen Beecher]] | [[Characters/HawkmanCharleyParker Charley Parker]] | [[Characters/BatgirlBetteKane Bette Kane]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansDuelaDent Duela Dent]])\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansPostGraduationDay 2003 Teen Titans]] ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] | [[Characters/SupermanConnerKent Conner Kent]] | [[Characters/WonderGirlCassieSandsmark Cassie Sandsmark]] | [[Characters/TheFlashBartAllen Bart Allen]] | [[Characters/DeathstrokeRoseWilson Rose Wilson]] | [[Characters/GreenArrowMiaDearden Mia Dearden]] | [[Characters/BlueBeetleJaimeReyes Jaime Reyes]]) | [[Characters/TeenTitansAncillary Ancillary Titans]]\\
[[Characters/TeenTitansPostFlashpoint Post-Flashpoint Teen Titans]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansPostRebirth DC Rebirth Teen Titans]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansAcademy Teen Titans Academy students]]\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansFearsomeFive Fearsome Five]] | Characters/{{Deathstroke}} | [[Characters/TeenTitansCheshire Cheshire]]-]]]]]

[[Characters/TeenTitansNewTeenTitans The New Teen Titans]] ([[Characters/TeenTitansBeastBoy Beast Boy]] | [[Characters/TeenTitansStarfire Starfire]]) | [[Characters/TeenTitansArsenalTitans Arsenal's Titans]] | [[Characters/TeenTitans1996 1996 Teen Titans]]\\

** ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'' provided a newer, ''much'' worse one, [[spoiler:when he suffers a nervous breakdown after experiencing the combined trauma of every superhero/villain who's ever been in Sanctuary, the Speed Force inside him erupts that kills the heroes/villains by electrocution who had been in his presence when it happened. His subsequent psychotic break, where he arranged an overly-complicated suicide attempt, demonstrates just how much this messed him up (though it's later revealed that Eobard Thawne manipulated him into doing this).]]

[[WMG:[[center: [-'''[[Characters/TeenTitans Main Character Index]]'''\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansOriginalTeenTitans Original Teen Titans and Titans West]] ([[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick Grayson]] | '''Wally West''' | [[Characters/GreenArrowSpeedy Roy Harper]])\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansPostGraduationDay 2003 Teen Titans]] ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] | [[Characters/SupermanConnerKent Conner Kent]] | [[Characters/WonderGirlCassieSandsmark Cassie Sandsmark]] | [[Characters/GreenArrowSpeedy Mia Dearden]]) | [[Characters/TeenTitansAncillary Ancillary Titans]]\\

[[Characters/TeenTitansPostGraduationDay 2003 Teen Titans]] ([[Characters/RobinTimDrake Tim Drake]] | [[Characters/SupermanConnerKent Conner Kent]] | [[Characters/WonderGirlCassieSandsmark Cassie Sandsmark]]) | [[Characters/TeenTitansAncillary Ancillary Titans]]\\

--> Wally is one of the few guys in comics who gets up every morning and says, “My God, I have the greatest job on Earth. I can’t wait to be Flash today.” That is core to Wally’s personality.

** The events of ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' fractured Wally's view of his mentor once more, and more or less of certain members of the Justice League as well, for [[spoiler:lobotomizing Doctor Light (and Barry was the deciding vote), as well as what Barry did to The Top.]]

* AloofBigBrother: To Bart. There's a reason they didn't exactly become the next "Flash and Kid Flash". Wally admits that mentorship is not one of his stronger suits, and he more often than not ignored Bart. That said, the guy would practically freak whenever he heard Bart was in trouble.

* TheBabyOfTheBunch: As the first Titan to [[SidekickGraduationsStick graduate]] into the ''[[BadassCrew Justice League]]'', he is portrayed as the youngest member of the team. In the comic books, even the legendary superheroes like Superman admit Wally's KidSidekick and Titans career made him a thoroughly experienced superhero worthy of standing next to the likes of Wonder Woman and Batman.

* BigBrotherMentor: He tried at times to be this for Bart and Jesse, but neither worked out well, since it more often than not was him being very hands-off. Thanks to his CharacterDevelopment over the years, he manages to be a better mentor to his other cousin, Wallace West... by doing the same thing, but with more direction. He forces Wallace to think on his feet and supports him while he comes up with solutions, as opposed to spoon feeding him any. It's actually a more positive experience for Wallace than his mentorship under Barry, which in contrast to Wally, didn't involve as much trust.

* LikesOlderWomen: Something Wally himself has noted. Linda is a couple years older than him (it's not specified, but she appears to have been in her late 20s, possibly early 30s, when he was in his early-mid 20s). Before her, he dated Tina [=McGee=], who was an older married woman whom he was much too young for, which caused them to break up. It's also been confirmed a few times he had a crush on Wonder Woman and, at least in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', ComicBook/BlackCanary.

** The main constant with his Flash suit once he changed it is a belt pointing down instead of going horizontal. Everything from his eyes being whited out or not, the shade of red, if there's a yellow ring around his symbol or not, can change depending on who'd drawing him.
** While he started out in an outfit with IrislessEyeMaskOfMystery in ''ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier'', it alternated between his early-to-mid '90s costume or a bright version of the one he gained in the 2009 ''The Flash: Rebirth'' until, between Fernando Pasarin taking over as artist and guest spots, cemented the latter as the default choice.
* DespairEventHorizon: ''ComicBook/FlashWar'', ''ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis'', and ''ComicBook/FlashForward'' are a three-part one. Having him rediscover his children, subsequent breakdown, be sent to a mental health facility, before an accident results in the death of many other patients and Wally has a complete psychotic break [[spoiler:brought on by Eobard Thawne's manipulation]], before he's roped into saving the multiverse, ultimately sacrificing his sense of self.

* DependingOnTheWriter: How Wally got his powers, his overall intelligence and the exact reason he was around Barry and Iris so much changes depending on who's writing him.
** For Powers: The two most common ones are that Barry took him to the Forensics Lab to teach Wally about what he did for a living and by ''pure chance'' fate made it so that Wally experienced the ''same exact'' FreakLabAccident Barry did, getting his powers as a result. An altered version of this is that the incident is the same, but Barry subconsciously ''manipulated'' the Speed Force into giving Wally powers, which also accounts for why Wally is the most connected of the speedsters. The most accepted and referred to one from the 2000s onward is that Barry manipulated the Speed Force into giving him his powers.

** Another unusual point of odd inconsistency is his relationship with Wonder Woman. Typically they're depicted as colleagues with a good working relationship, but Geoff Johns had a running theme in his run that Wally had a weird chip on his shoulder about Wonder Woman, resenting her preachy nature but also having a lot of respect, and just having a hard time understanding her as a person. This idea never came up beforehand and it's not been mentioned since, even in one-on-one team-ups; Dwayne [=McDuffie=] even characterised Wally as being a big fan of Wonder Woman owing to having had a huge crush on her in the past, while Diana herself acts like a CoolBigSis to him.

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* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: As a child, he struggled with this, struggling to keep his head out of the clouds, which was a frequent cause for his dad's more violent outbursts. [[DiagnosedByTheAudience Given much else about his childhood behaviours and how he acts as an adult]], it's possible he actually suffered from undiagnosed ADHD, which tracks with how it's commonly under-reported among lower/working class kids and his parents' lack of attention towards him.

As a child, young Wally West was the biggest fan of the second Flash. One summer, he went to stay with his aunt Iris in Central City, who was dating Barry Allen at the time. Barry then "introduced" the Flash to him, and the Flash then told Wally how he got his powers by setting up a cupboard of chemicals the exact way they were when he got them. In a huge ContrivedCoincidence, lightning suddenly struck the chemicals and Wally was bathed in them, giving him the same powers as the Flash. The Flash then taught Wally everything he knew about SuperSpeed and gave him the identity of Kid Flash. The Flash later revealed he was Barry to his nephew another summer. Wally would later become a founding member of the Comicbook/TeenTitans.

After Barry's death in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', Wally took up the Flash as his new identity. Wally was initially a shameless womanizer and a jerk to most people, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold albeit one with a loyal heart]] who more often than not sought to redeem and help his villains rather then simply beat them up. He also operated with a public identity, which made him one of the world's most approachable heroes. Still, he had much to learn, but some CharacterDevelopment and his relationship with Linda Park made him a much more mature hero, even surpassing his mentor in ability. At the same time, he formed the Flash Family, consisting of himself, Jay Garrick, Max Mercury, Jesse Chambers and his cousin [[ComicBook/{{Impulse}} Bart Allen]]. He also found himself joining the Justice League in Barry's place, where he would strike up a friendship with fellow legacy hero Kyle Rayner, the then-newest Green Lantern.

Wally would face more hardship, but always work to overcome it. He became a particular thorn in the side of Abra Kadabra, who descended into darker and darker schemes when trying to defeat Wally. Eventually, Wally and Linda married. Wally later had to face up to the fact that his mentor wasn't the golden idol he had thought him to be and fight a new Reverse-Flash who was a former friend of his. However, Wally would usually overcome the odds and, with the love of his wife and the aid of the Flash Family, pull through -- this included his children being restored, and Wally and Linda becoming parents.

After the universe-altering events of ''Flashpoint'', Wally was still the first Kid Flash. However, Abra Kadabra, who remembered the pre-Flashpoint timeline, wanted revenge and wiped the world's memories of Wally and cast him into the Speed Force. Managing to hold onto his identity, Wally also learned of the alterations to the DC Universe's timeline, seeing someone alter the universe to its current state after Barry Allen had fixed the Flashpoint. This also led to him gaining some of his pre-Flashpoint memories and powers. However, Wally couldn't reconnect to the New 52 Universe until Darkseid's death. Reality was cracked for a moment, allowing Wally the opportunity to return with Barry's help and warn the world's heroes about alterations to the timeline.

However, this would not be the end of Wally's struggles. While remembered his relationship to his wife Linda Park, she did not, and thus he was stuck loving a woman who didn't feel the same way. What's more, he was then cruelly informed of details ''he'' didn't even remember, namely his children. [[ComicBook/FlashWar His quest to find his children led him into conflict with Barry]], but after having a nervous breakdown over it, Barry took Wally to Sanctuary, a mental hospital for superheroes. [[ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis This didn't help]], and Wally had a breakdown caused by the poorly conceived therapy treatment. Later, the Speed Force had an accidental discharge due to the presence of Savitar within it, killing several heroes through his presence. Brainwashed by Eobard Thawne and having a psychotic episode, Wally tried to cover up the accident long enough to kill himself, but was talked down before he could.

Believing himself a FallenHero unworthy of redemption, [[ComicBook/FlashForward Wally let himself rot in prison until he was recruited to save the multiverse]], which ended in what Wally believed would be a HeroicSacrifice as he sat upon the Mobius Chair and Tempus Fuginaut rescued his children and restored Linda's memories. Wally was soon robbed of this power by the Batman Who Laughs, [[ComicBook/DarkNightsDeathMetal and returned to rejoin Earth's heroes in fighting him off]].

[[ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier After all this, Wally was finally given a second chance]]. With Barry choosing to step down as Earth's Flash to assume a new duty for the Justice Incarnate, he trusted Wally to be the main Flash of the DC Universe. After learning that he was not responsible for the massacre at Sanctuary, and relearning what it means to be the Flash, Wally West truly returned as the Fastest Man Alive.

* AmbiguousDisorder: During the early parts of his time as the Flash, Wally regularly went to therapy, and while it was never stated, he showed signs of depression. And, while it's an interpretation more commonly noted for Bart, Wally's also displayed many signs of ADHD, both in flashbacks to his childhood (being easily distracted, trouble paying attention, being demonstratively quite smart but not performing well in school, hyper-focus on subjects he enjoyed, specifically the Flash, and fits of moodiness when bored), and as an adult (being disorganised and messy, impulsive 'jump first think later' actions, easily bored, having difficulty maintaining relationships, and being prone to depression).

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: As a child, he struggled with this, struggling to keep his head out of the clouds, which was a frequent cause for his dad's more violent outbursts. [[AmbiguousDisorder Given much else about his childhood behaviours and how he acts as an adult]], it's possible he actually suffered from undiagnosed ADHD, which tracks with how it's commonly under-reported among lower/working class kids and his parents' lack of attention towards him.
* AttentionWhore: Growing up with ParentalNeglect, he was more than happy with using his powers to seek popularity. He had all the media's attention on him, and winning the lottery at age 20 was twhe cherry on top. In the teams he was in, he sometimes clashed with younger heroes out of jealousy. After he fell in love with Linda, he grew out of his childish behaviors eventually.

* TheBabyOfTheBunch: As the first Titan to [[SidekickGraduationsStick graduate]] into the ''[[BadassCrew Justice League]]'', he is portrayed as the youngest member of the team. In the comic books, even the legendary superheroes like Superman admit Wally's KidSidekick and Titans career made him a throughly experienced superhero worthy of standing next to the likes of Wonder Woman and Batman.

* AloofBigBrother: To Bart. Wally admits that mentorship is not one of his stronger suits, and he more often than not ignored Bart.

After the universe-altering events of ''Flashpoint'', Wally was still the first Kid Flash. However, Abra Kadabra, who remembered the pre-Flashpoint timeline, wanted revenge and wiped the world's memories of Wally and cast him into the Speed Force. Managing to hold onto his identity, Wally also learned of the alterations to the DC Universe's timeline, seeing someone alter the universe to its current state after Barry Allen had fixed the Flashpoint. This also led to him gaining some of his pre-Flashpoint memories and powers. However, Wally couldn't reconnect to the New 52 Universe until Darkseid's death. Reality was cracked for a moment, allowing
Wally the opportunity to return with Barry's help and warn the world's heroes about alterations to the timeline.

However, this would not be the end of Wally's struggles. While remembered his relationship to his wife Linda Park, she did not, and thus he was stuck loving a woman who didn't feel the same way. What's more, he was then cruelly informed of details ''he'' didn't even remember, namely his children. [[ComicBook/FlashWar His quest to find his children led him into conflict with Barry]], but after having a nervous breakdown over it, Barry took Wally to Sanctuary, a mental hospital for superheroes. [[ComicBook/HeroesInCrisis This didn't help]], and Wally had a breakdown caused by the poorly conceived therapy treatment. Later, the Speed Force had an accidental discharge due to the presence of Savitar; it killed several heroes, including Wally's friend, Roy Harper. Brainwashed by Eobard Thawne and having a psychotic episode, Wally tried to cover up the accident long enough to kill himself, but was talked down before he could.

[[ComicBook/TheFlashInfiniteFrontier After all this, Wally has been given a second chance]] by Barry choosing to step down as Earth's Flash to assume a new duty for the Justice Incarnate, trusting Wally to be the main Flash of the DC Universe. After learning that he was not responsible for the massacre at Sanctuary, and relearning what it means to be the Flash, Wally West is truly back as the Fastest Man Alive.

* AloofBigBrother: To Bart. Wally admits that mentorship is not one of his stronger suits.

* BigBrotherMentor: Thanks to his CharacterDevelopment over the years, he manages to be a better mentor to his other cousin, Wallace West. He ''did'' at times try to be this for Bart and Jesse though, to mixed results.

* PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage: His HeroicSelfDeprecation caused him to mentally limit himself to the speed of sound for a while.

** In ''[[ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier Nightwing]]'' #91, Wally confirms that he ships Dick Grayson and [[ComicBook/Batgirl Barbara Gordon]], and encourages Dick to give his relationship with Barbara a chance.

** In ''[[ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier Nighting]]'' #91, Wally confirms that he ships Dick Grayson and [[ComicBook/Batgirl Barbara Gordon]], and encourages Dick to give his relationship with Barbara a chance.

* ShipperOnDeck: Funnily enough, when he first met the Flash, he wanted Iris to dump that loser Barry Allen and get with ''the Flash''.

** As much as Bart annoys him, you better never cause his cousin harm. When Inertia led the Rogues to murder Bart, Wally decides not to kill him and instead steal all the speed from Inertia's body, turning him into a living statue.

!!'''Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West/Kid Flash I/Flash III'''