Line #12 Heartwarming/TheFlash


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7
8	!!General
9	* The fact that the "lightning rods" for all of The Flashes (their "tethers", the thoughts and memories that keep them from losing themselves in the Speed Force) are their friends and family.
10	* One for all heroes, but the fact that the Flash line have a museum dedicated to them is something nice. It really shows the impact of their legacy on the world around them, and that the people care about their actions.
11	* Barry and his grandson Bart don't know each other for long unlike Wally, but during the ComicBook/BlackestNight when Barry becomes a Blue Lantern he decides to save Bart. Barry helps free him of the Black Lantern ring's influence. And Barry didn't need to pull an IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight, he only did it by his nature which proves no matter how Darker and Edger he gets, Barry will always be one of the nicest people on the planet.
12
13	!!Pre-New 52
14	* Per the backstory after Post-Crisis, Wally's bond with Iris and Barry. Wally's own parents hated each other and were overall ''terrible'' parents, and Wally was often subject to emotional and verbal abuse (and occasionally physical[[note]]ValuesDissonance is in play though; when depicted initially, they were meant to be bad parents but not actually ''abusive'', but more awareness of different forms of abuse as well as changing attitudes to what is considered ''OK'' discipline makes Rudy's tendency to smack Wally across the head for being absent-minded now looks like serious physical abuse[[/note]]). Iris was his OnlyFriend and she adored her nephew like he was her own son, so she often took him in during the summer, and after Wally was accidentally given super speed in an identical accident, Barry took him on as a protege. At some point, Wally moved in with Iris and Barry permanently, and though Wally wasn't ''actually'' their son, they both saw him as that, and he in-turn saw them as his ''real'' parents.
15	* Wally prefers to redeem enemies than fight them, especially when they're not terrible people, which naturally leads to these.
16	** Wally and Piper's friendship, which started off when Piper found Wally while he was homeless and, despite his past animosity with the Flash as well as their vastly different political beliefs, he helps him survive the night. This leads the two to slowly develop a close working relationship, and a genuine friendship, which culminates in Piper coming out to Wally, who while initially being taken aback by it, makes it clear that it changes nothing about their friendship and he continues to work with him. All the while, Piper, without judgement, informs and educates Wally on his privileges and helps him grow out of the less-than-progressive beliefs he picked up from his own father.
17	*** Another one for the Piper: When helping move Wally to Keystone, he reveals that his parents have called him the night before, and that they extended an olive branch, willing to accept Hartley as part of the family again. Saving his parents (with Wally and Mason's help) was enough to cement this.
18	** While it was short-lived in the long run, Wally's friendship with Captain Cold and Golden Glider, as well as the rest of the Rogues. He didn't judge them for their past villainy, and the simple fact he showed up with good intentions to Cold's parole party ultimately lead to a long lasting affection for him. Notably, at one point the Snart siblings let Wally crash on their couch, with Glider even making a few advances on him, and its shown later even when they went back to villainy, Cold would without hesitation step up to help him if he saw him in a fight with anyone who wasn't a Rogue. Hell, until they were all derailed back into villains and retconned into having been brainwashed, it was just a standard that they all liked and respected Wally.
19	** While this is shown more prominently with the time he spent working with Captain Cold and Golden Glider when they reformed, as well as his close friendship with Pied Piper, his friendship with Chunk is also an example, as Chunk was ''genuinely'' not a bad guy, just someone given uncontrollable powers who suffered some mental problems. Though Wally was sometimes a bit of a jerk, he always did his best to include Chunk whenever he realised Chunk was feeling excluded, and it was made clear his jerky comments were intended as friendly ribbing.
20	*** After several issues HintDropping, Chunk manages to hook up with Wally's ex-girlfriend Connie, who's a freakin' ''supermodel''. You can't help but cheer for the guy.
21	** Wally's ThePowerOfFriendship came to a head when he first moved to Keystone and was kidnapped by The Turtle and the Turtle Man; when they realised he was missing, Mason Tollbridge (his roommate and surrogate father figure), assembled everyone who had any connection with Wally. This included all the above, plus the [=McGees=], Elongated Man, and many others. In fact it actually lead to a ''problem''; so many people came to help Wally that they all ended up tripping over each other, until they got organised. Afterwards, Wally thanked them for their help by throwing a barbecue, to show how much he appreciated their friendship.
22	*** Also during that story, Wally learns that the Turtle Man has been taken advantage of by The Turtle, who bullies him into being a servant while taking credit for everything he's accomplished, which has resulted in Turtle Man having very low self-esteem and see himself as a loser. After defeating them both, Wally singles out Turtle Man and convinces the arresting law enforcement that Turtle Man was behind everything - so now, they all think ''he's'' the mastermind who deserves fear and respect. Turtle Man goes off to jail sharing a smile with Wally, quietly thanking him for making everyone treat him like the big name he wanted to be.
23	* During COIE, the original Icicle, Joar Mehkent, passed away, but it was found out he bequeathed his entire fortune to the superhero he had the most respect for: The Flash. As Wally was the current incarnation of the mantle, that meant the wealth went to him...a problem for Mehkent's family, who expected to inherit all his wealth. After a legal battle, with Wally being convinced by his financial consultant to use the money to set up multiple charities so he could exploit tax loopholes and earn a huge monthly paycheck, Wally and Mehkent's ganddaughter, Doyle Christie, are both roped in by Pied Piper who shows them how much good the money could do for genuine charitable causes, both resolve to instead use the money for a single charity, dedicated to Barry Allen; Wally takes only a modest working-man's paycheck, while Christie decides to use her granddad's supervillain tech to become a superheroine.
24	** Just how much respect does Icicle have for the Flash name? In his basement that acts as a testament to his supervillain career, there were statues of Barry Allen and Jay Garrick.
25	* After months of growing from bitter rivals to close friends and recognising a spark, Linda asks Wally to make whatever they have official as she's leaving soon. Wally, initially confused, eventually races down Linda's train and confesses his feelings. A total romcom cliché? Totally. Utterly sweet all the same? ''Definitely''.
26	* After returning to active duty, Jay decides to start working with Wally, having recognised he should've played a more active role in Barry's life beforehand. Though initially seeing Wally as just a kid, after Eobard Thawne's return and impersonation of Barry, Jay begins treating Wally more as a man, going so far as to declare ''him'' The Flash, after having instead dubbed him 'Junior'. From here on out, Jay treats Wally like the son he never had.
27	* The Flash Family in a nutshell when it forms. None of them are actually related; Jay and Max were just old superheroes, while Wally, Jesse, and Bart all come from different families. The only relation is Wally is Bart's first cousin once-removed, but even there that's from adoption and they were raised in different time periods. Still, they are a found family in all the ways that matter, Jay and Max both take on the role of TeamDad, Wally's a ''bit'' of an AloofBigBrother but he also has ''massive'' BigBrotherInstinct towards Jesse and Bart, Jesse strives to be a CoolBigSis to Bart and eventually becomes Wally's closest friend within the family, and Bart is purposely an AnnoyingYoungerSibling to them but its made clear he ''adores'' and hero worships Wally and Jesse. Really, one of the biggest losses from switching the story focus back to Barry Allen was how it pushed this aside.
28	** The dynamic the family has with Joan, Iris, and Linda, too. Joan becomes something of a grandmother figure to Wally very quickly, and even admits to Mary West that she sees Wally as the grandson she never had, and shows similar affection towards Bart, Jesse, and Linda herself. Iris and Linda become very close, while Iris acts as a second mother to Wally, adores her grandson Bart, and though she's not close with Jesse she expresses a desire to be. Then Linda becomes like a daughter to Jay and Max, develops a close friendship with Jesse to the point she's her first call when she needs help while Wally's unavailable, and becomes a CoolBigSis to Bart, with it repeatedly commented by people she's probably the person Bart's the closest to. The Flash Family isn't just the speedsters, its also their wives.
29	** Jesse and Linda deserve special mention because Jesse actually had a thing for Wally, and carried a torch for him for a ''very'' long time. Despite that, she was never ''anything'' but nice to Linda, and during moments where Linda was out of the picture, such as everyone believing she was dead or when memory of her was erased, she didn't make a move on Wally because she had become a ShipperOnDeck for them in-spite of her own feelings. Linda for her part was ''never'' jealous or catty about Jesse's feelings, even after finding out she kissed Wally, and happily embraced her as essentially Wally's [[PlatonicLifePartners platonic life partner]]. There were times they even treated Jesse as something of a 'third member' of their relationship, even if just platonically, and she shared Wally's concern for Jesse's social life.
30	** Jesse and Wally's relationship as well, which was always a little rocky but eventually became a close bond. After initially hitting it off and Jesse asking him out, he got together with Linda ''very'' shortly after and the next time they met, Wally roped her into an OperationJealousy gambit with Bart without telling her, unintentionally manipulating both her feelings for him and ''intentionally'' manipulating her desire to live up to the Flash mantle she had always admired. Wally tried to make amends but after Savitar and the loss of her dad, he was unable to help Jesse with her grief and thought she hated him, so he kept his distance. When they ''finally'' hashed things out, Wally helped Jesse talk to her dad in the Speed Force one last time, and they fully buried the hatchet (and Jesse kissed him). Over time, from working on the Titans together to her covering his duties when he believed Linda was dead and needed to grieve, the two evolved into close friends who were LikeBrotherAndSister, with Jesse even becoming an honorary aunt to Irey and Jai.
31	* Goldface, a former villain, is now a Union man. He claims to stick up for the fellow man, but Wally has doubts. Then, during ''Crossfire'' despite his superpowers, he bails on Wally when the current Rogues begin beating him. Blacksmith then reveals her army of henchmen and claims they will take the city. They are then stopped when Goldface comes back, leading all of the workers and citizens of the town against the villains. When Blacksmith runs to Central City (where more henchmen are located), Goldface reveals that the white collar businessmen have taken up arms as well and standing up to her. Seeing her plans failed, and cornered on the bridge between cities, Blacksmith tries to make the bridge collapse, only to be stopped by Wally who reads up on bridge building, and repairs (and improves) the bridge all under a [[http://maswartz.tumblr.com/post/127743700832/so-weve-all-seen-the-post-of-barry-rebuilding minute]]. The bridge now represents the union of the two cities, together in the face of danger.
32	-->'''Flash:''' You did good Goldface.\
33	'''Goldface:''' We both did.
34	* Wally West finally earning his SoProudOfYou from Barry.
35	-->'''Barry:''' And I want you to know, son, just how proud I am.
36	* A lot of Wally and Linda's relationship involves moments like this, as generally, his most impressive feats are only possible because of the love they have. The lightning rod idea noted above first became a thing with these two, and pretty much the key aspect to defeating their biggest foes has been because they're able to overcome any obstacle so long as they're together. Beating Thawne and surpassing Barry's maximum speed? Overcoming the pull of the Speed Force? Getting back to the present after being lost in time fighting Savitar? Overpowering Neron's corruption of the Rogues and his centuries of evil deeds? Outracing death itself when the Black Flash comes for him? Overcoming Kadabra's spell to erase Linda from everyone's memories, and return Wally to existence after he ran Cobalt Blue into the Speed Force? Every single one, it's because they loved each other too much to lose.
37	* The only reason Wally couldn't invite Iris to his wedding is because he doesn't know ''how'' to send the invite. Iris shows up anyway; she most definitely didn't want to miss her favorite nephew's big day.
38
39	!!New 52
40	* Captain Cold [[http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/3/31666/3366954-leonard+2.jpg apologizes to the other Rogues]] for what happened when they tried to integrate their weapons into themselves.
41
42	!!Rebirth
43	* In DC Rebirth, Barry and Pre-Flashpoint Wally, reunite. Cue TearsOfJoy.
44	** By extension, Titans: Rebirth #1 is a whole ''issue'' of heartwarming, as Wally sparks the memories of his former teammates and they remember him. Excuse me, [[SandInMyEyes I think I need a moment]].
45	** Also, in ''Flash: Rebirth'', how Barry tells Wally that, no matter how reality got rewritten, he does no longer see him as a protégé, but as an equal to him. He reaffirms this in the ''Titans'' annual, when the rest of the JLA keeps calling the Titans "sidekicks" and "boys".
46	--->'''Barry:''' I'm a Flash. You're a Flash. You've got nothing to prove in my eyes. You're not my protégé.\
47	'''Wally:''' But I am your legacy.
48	* In ''Titans Rebirth Annual'' (2016), Barry and Wally reunite after being mysteriously abducted and brought to a compound along with the other mentor/protégés pairs and immediately trust and act friendly towards each other. This is in direct contrast to the other mentors and protégés who upon reuniting with each other act antagonistic or distant.
49	* In Issue 19 of ''DC Rebirth The Flash'', Wally II learns that his father was [[spoiler: killed]] and thus robbed of the chance to ask him why he lied about being his uncle. This results in him breaking down and wondering what's wrong with him in which Barry reveals his secret identity (something that Wally has been pestering Barry about for awhile) and assures him that nothing is wrong with him.
50	-->'''Kid Flash:''' Before he was sent to prison...Daniel was around. He'd visit, and we'd hang out. I...I idolized him. So why didn't he just tell me?\
51	'''Flash:''' Kid Flash...\
52	'''Kid Flash:''' Why didn't he...Why didn't he want to be my ''father''? Was there something wrong with me?\
53	'''Flash:''' Wally, look at me. ''(pulls down cowl)'' There is ''nothing'' wrong with you.\
54	''[they [[CooldownHug hug]]]''
55	* In Issue 45, Iris [[spoiler: remembers Wally]], prompting her to reassure him that it's going to be ok and hug him. What's even more heartwarming is that unlike Barry and the Titans, she didn't need a spark to jolt her memory. She just looks at him, remembers, and comforts him as if she never forgot about him in the first place.
56	* Barry and Wally’s bond [[spoiler: did not break]] in Issue 49 as it looked like it did in the previous issue (Remember Wally threatened to take Barry’s ability to run, a FateWorseThanDeath for a speedster, just to save his kids when Barry tried to stop him.) Instead they [[spoiler: reaffirm their bond and unite against their common enemy Zoom.]]
57	-->'''Wally:''' You trusted me once. To know your identity before anyone else. To carry on your legacy. When did you stop trusting me?\
58	'''Barry:''' ''I never did.'' O-Okay...what do you want to do?\
59	'''Wally:''' We race into the Speed Force ''together'' and smash through the other side!\
60	'''Barry:''' We’ve both gotten lost in the Speed Force before, Wally.\
61	'''Wally:''' That’s because we were ''alone''. But ''now'' we’ll stay ''grounded''. Because the truth is, Barry, ''we’re each other’s lightning rods!''
62	* In Issue 49, Barry affirms that Linda, Irey, and Jai are just as much as his family as they are Wally’s and apologizes to Wally that he wasn’t there for them and him.
63	* [[spoiler:Pre-52 Bart is back!]]
64	* Before Wally leaves for [[spoiler: Sanctuary]], Barry hugs him goodbye and tells him that he is Barry’s hero.
65	* Issue 759. After using the Negative Speed Force to literally possess Barry's body in yet another attempt to live his life, Thawne encounters Bart/Impulse hanging out with Young Justice and insults him for "being soft on criminals". [[spoiler:When Barry!Thawne tries to pass himself off as Barry to Iris, Avery and Wallace, Bart rushes into the scene to beat up the imposter because, while Bart didn't know his grandfather too well before, he knows that he would never act like Thawne did and is an imposter. Initially, Wallace is suspicious of Bart (since they had never met), once again, Iris proves to have remembered her grandson and they share a hug for the first time in years and continuities. And while Barry tries to escape the Speed Force within himself with the help of Max Mercury and Jesse Quick, the Flash family outside is protected by none other than Jay Garrick, freed from his prison since the last we had seen him]].

Context Heartwarming / TheFlash