Flash I

History

College student Jay Garrick was investigating an experimental form of heavy water, when an accident released hazardous fumes that rendered him unconscious. After inhaling the fumes all night, he awoke in the hospital to discover he could move and react at superhuman speed. He became a crimefighter and a scientist in Keystone City—two roles that intersected surprisingly often, as his civilian life and research would often lead him into adventures as the Flash.

The Flash was a founding member of the Justice Society of America and fought in World War II as part of the All-Star Squadron. Eventually he retired from super-heroics and married his long-time sweetheart Joan Williams. (In recent years, Jay has realized that this decision kept him from brushing up against the speed force.) Early in their marriage, Jay and Joan adopted a baby who subsequently died of pneumonia. For decades Jay refused to talk about him, even to Joan or his teammates, but he has taken strongly to the role of mentor to younger generations of heroes. (Note: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 states that Jay and Joan married much earlier, within months of him becoming the Flash.)

Retirement
The Garricks spent several years frozen when the Thinker, Fiddler, and Shade pulled Keystone City out of phase with the rest of the world, keeping the populace in a sleepwalking-like state. The second Flash, Barry Allen, discovered the forgotten city and awakened Jay, and the two heroes rescued the city together. While Jay was happy to let his successor take care of the twin cities, he would come out of retirement from time to time to work with Barry and his sidekick, Kid Flash...and of course the JSA. It was during this time that Jay Garrick publicly revealed his identity (Flash Spectacular 1978).

Shortly after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Flash and most of the JSA were trapped in limbo. Freed years later, they briefly re-formed the team. Old age was catching up on many of them, though. Many of the JSA heroes (and fortunately their spouses as well) had been kept relatively young by various spells they had encountered on their adventures. These were subsequently removed by the villain Extant. Jay had an extra advantage, though: the speed force itself has kept him young. In his mid-eighties, Jay is physically in his late forties.

Even without super-heroics, Jay stayed extraordinarily active. He continued to run Garrick Laboratories until it was bought out—at three times market value—by WayneTech, after which he stayed on as a part-time director. He’s picked up dozens of languages over the years, and reads nearly every magazine, newspaper, or journal on the planet.

Elder Statesman
Over the next few years, Jay would occasionally help out the third Flash, Wally West, when he faced threats too big for one hero to handle. He mainly took to the role of elder statesman among super-heroes. Eventually a new JSA was formed with a mix of first- and second-generation heroes, and Jay decided to come completely out of retirement.

A year or two ago, Jay and Joan temporarily relocated to Denver in order to better treat Joan’s leukemia. While there, they took in Bart Allen (Impulse, later Kid Flash). With Joan’s cancer in remission, the Garricks and their young charge returned to Keystone.

Crisis
Infinite Crisis left Jay as the only remaining Flash†. He carries a super-speed metagene, but without the speed force his top speed is Mach 1. For the next year, the original Flash was once again the protector of Keystone City.

Powers & Abilities

Weakness

Gallery

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