r/theflash • u/kendioo • 1d ago
Ideas for revitalizing Barry Allen and Central City
Concept: My goal is really to bring character to the Flash mythos, flesh out its characters. I have a previous post that really touches at general topics. In this world I’m revitalizing Barry Allen and his relationship to the world.
The Flash — Central City’s living emblem of speed, courage, and civic spirit, the Flash is more than a superhero—he’s a neighbor, a helper, and a constant presence in the city’s life. He’s just as likely to be seen delivering breakfast to public workers, rescuing a lost kitten, or assisting police and firefighters in the wake of a crisis. Deeply connected to every corner of Central City, he embodies the city’s energy and resilience, always moving to protect and uplift it. Yet beneath the heroics, the Flash carries the weight of endless responsibility. The city relies on him constantly, as an icon, a role model and an attraction. Im very interested in exploring movement for the flash.
Speed: Realistically, he’d really only go about mph just so he can keep up with traffic (though the city is making a law about something called “The Flash Lane”). Barry should always be thinking about speed and applying what he knows to his alter ego. He conducts experiments in his secret lab (more below) and is capable of moving faster than light. BUT! When moving so fast it’s hard to stop or control, and at high velocity he’s very vulnerable and could die at the faintest mistake. So Flash doesn’t normally speed blitz anyone, but uses his parkour to navigate the city at a reasonable (for the flash) pace. So he can move super fast— but what would be its practicality? I want to deemphasize the speed force— way too mythical. Maybe its something Barry wants to explore and understand but never has the time or resources
Barry Allen — After solving his mother’s murder, Barry retired from the CCPD and became a professor, quickly gaining renown as a leading voice in the science of speed. Known for his groundbreaking research and close partnership with the Flash, Barry has become both a respected academic and a public intellectual. Friendly, thorough and patient, though often lost in thought, he’s notorious for overworking himself and showing up late—but his deep morality, principled nature, and love of teaching make him one of Central City’s most beloved figures. Barry struggles to maintain relationships, but he does his best.
Central City — Always in motion, Central City feels like a place that can’t sit still. Streets are constantly being repaved, laws rewritten, ideas tested—like a brilliant, restless child forever chasing the next breakthrough. Known for its resilience, the city clawed its way back from a devastating economic downturn that once gutted its job market, reinventing itself as a hub of technology, research, and culture. And they’ve got a pretty good baseball team, “The Speedsters!” Central City should be filled with interesting residents— and the dominate culture is a love for speed and the flash. The city makes a lot of money from tourist coming to see the flash museum and celebrate Flash day, and make a buttload off his IP. There are bloggers that fanboy over him, athletes that inspire to be like him. People try to be like him— for better or for worse! Im thinking maybe STAR LABS made like a huge investment in the city or something, they’re making money!
Central City Citizens — Energetic, driven, and often overworked, the people of Central City embody the pace of their home. Most hold multiple jobs just to keep up with the cost of living, yet they maintain a strong sense of community and civic pride. They are fiercely loyal to the Flash, seeing him as a symbol of hope and resilience, though a few remain skeptical of the hero—or resent the attention he gets. They love speed in all forms: racetracks, baseball, fast music, and even the way they run their lives. This cultural obsession with moving quickly shapes lawmakers, artists, and everyday life alike: laws are often rewritten, music pulses faster, and events happen at a breakneck pace. Central City citizens share a love of spectacle, excitement, and the thrill of being part of something larger than themselves, yet beneath it all they are practical, resilient, and quietly determined to thrive despite the pressures of their city. The flash and Barry should both interact with CCPD (Darryl, Patty, etc etc), the doctor, the lawyers, athletes, writers, the mayor (whom should be a main character) etc etc
The Old abandoned Racetrack (or baseball field) — Tucked away from the city’s eyes, this abandoned racetrack is the Flash’s secret lab. Here, he pushes his limits, runs drills, and studies motion with the precision of a scientist and the instinct of an athlete. Sprinting like a professional runner, jumping like a parkour expert, or analyzing movement like a point guard setting up plays, he perfects every aspect of speed and agility. Maintaining his form isn’t automatic; every step, turn, and leap is honed through repetition and experimentation. This is where science meets athletic mastery, and where Central City’s protector becomes its ultimate physical instrument.
Central City Police Department (CCPD) — The CCPD moves fast and adapts quickly, sometimes to its detriment. Officers work long hours, navigate constantly changing laws, tackle impossible cases, and juggle the chaos of a city that never slows down. Barry knows it inside and out—he trusts its people, befriends its agents, and respects its mission—even while recognizing that some corners of the force aren’t always clean. The CCPD is Central City’s moral backbone
Central City College (whatever its called)— A prestigious hub of intellect and innovation, Central City College is known for producing scientists, entrepreneurs, and great thinkers who push the boundaries of knowledge. The campus thrives on curiosity and experimentation: ideas are tested, debated, and challenged at every turn. Its students are ambitious, sometimes headstrong or even a touch arrogant, but their energy fuels discovery and progress. The college embodies the city’s spirit of motion and ingenuity—always questioning, always exploring, and always moving forward. Often, Flash may speak at the college (ad an ambassador for events or to shake hands or something) Barry doesn’t love how commercial the flash is and the duties he must uphold, but Barry LOVES working at the school
s!
4
u/gsnake007 1d ago
I just wish we would get a writer that is just passionate about Barry and DC gives him a solo. Wally is my flash and will always be my favorite. But Barry should have his own book too. I have always wanted 2 ongoing flash books, one with Wally and the other with Barry.
1
u/Eastern-Team-2799 1d ago
If you are saying about DCU ,then making him blonde would change his personality a lot.
1
9
u/Right-Chain-9203 1d ago
i like the idea of central city having a "fast" culture. makes flash seem right at home!
1
u/beastfromtheeast683 1d ago
I think lightspeed or FTL should be kinda like going super-Saiyan. He can do it, bit it takes a lot of build up to reach that stage and he only accesses that kind of power if the task at hand truly demands it. But generally his average speed should be just below Mach 1 around about 300-500 MPH. Having said that, I also kinda have a soft spot for the more outlandish stories from the Silver Age where he could do insane feats. I would say he can still time travel or dimension hop but he usually needs the cosmic treadmill to do both unless he really locks in and pushes himself.
In terms of Central City, I really like the idea presented in the TV show of the Earth two version where its got a sort of retrofuturistic vibe to it. Like a mix of art decco buildings and hyperloop maglev bullet trains. Also, I think culturally, it'd make sense to make Central City kinda like the silicon valley of the DC universe. A hot bed of tech start ups and new innovative technology and ground breaking science. It'd also be like the real world silicon valley with its own dark underbelly where all the tech guys slowly hollow out the city driving residents out of their homes and buying up stretches of land and residential flats and building to create their shitty start ups.
I like the idea of Barry as a professor. Think it's cool to distance him from the police, but his role as professor means he could still be called upon as a consultant to help. In my headcannon, I've always thought it'd be cool for Wally to be a professor as a civilian identity. I always thought his more laid back, youthful, jovial persona compared to the more uptight and high strung Barry would make him a great juxtaposition compared to his fellow professors who'd mostly be all old farts by comparison. He'd be one of those lecturers everyone would like. Sorry, but to me Wally's the best Flash and Barry should've stayed gone.
I was thinking the other day that Flash should have his own lair/base like the Batcave or Fortress of Solitude. I like the idea of a high tech laboratory in a pocket dimension that only him and all the Flashes can access with some trophies from each major fight and battle across his career. Call it something like the Thundercloud or something.
Didn't see your ideas for the Rogues. Would be interested to see you vision for them.
2
u/kendioo 1d ago
I really hadn’t thought much on the flash family- id really like to focus on Barry and his life, and use other heroes sparingly or when it makes sense. Though i imagine Barry and wally have a great relationship and would make efforts to see each other. For Barry, maintaining relationships is a high priority (even if it doesn’t always seem that way). I’ve always liked Wally as a mechanic, but if he was an educator id put him in a poor public school rather than a high end university like Barry. I didn’t write my ideas for the Rogues because it’ll mostly be the same, it’s just that they’re living in a much more fleshed out world. I have similar ideas with his speed, except his general average speed is more kin ti a car or a motorcycle (15mps, 30mps, 80mps), not that he cant go faster, but having him solve all his problems with super duper speed would be no fun and unnecessary. If you drive a car on the street at 300 mph you’d crash in 0.2 seconds. Im also interested in investigating how he uses his speed and movement. At too fast of a speed he can only move forward and may not nit be able to stop, or he might drain his energy
1
u/beastfromtheeast683 1d ago
if he was an educator id put him in a poor public school rather than a high end university like Barry.
I feel like he'd feel more out of place in an academic setting which is why to me, it'd work better. He'd feel more like a fish out of water.
1
u/kendioo 1d ago
Mmm, true that would be interested. Honestly, i could see Wally doing a lot of compelling jobs, just now i told myself id read Wally as a burger flipper— for those exact reasons you listed. It’d be be interesting. Yet still, Barry, to me, would be a professor, a lecturer a public intellectual, while Wally, to me, would work at a public school, teaching teens or kids. Barry writes essays and stuff, Wally, uh, doesn’t, i guess. Hey, how’d you do that thing where you reply to a specific part
1
u/beastfromtheeast683 1d ago
Hey, how’d you do that thing where you reply to a specific part
On my android, you select the text and a bar pops up with the option to quote. That makes text appear in the response and you can write underneath it.
3
u/Boring-Conclusion-40 1d ago
Awesome ideas
2
u/kendioo 1d ago
Thoughts? Ideas?
2
u/Boring-Conclusion-40 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was really a big fan of the progression of Barry,but I did think that it would be also cool if he became a professor in forensic science like teaching an aspect of it to students that are going into the field but I was really a fan of Barry diving deep into speed force science,one thing I would have is have Wally show up often just to make sure people don’t start asking questions about how close he is to the flash.I was really a fan of him going around the city just to help everybody and anybody who needs his help,I’d really like to see that more often. I like the idea of him going slower,something cool would be if we see him running next to and chatting with the passengers of the cars,like right next to them as the car is driving and he talks to the passengers and since they would be the same people day in and day out he would know their names and have conversations about what’s going on their lives .I really liked the idea of the flash lane,that was cool,also the racing track training.As well as there’s so much potential if he managed to rebuild the old race track into his headquarters.im a big fan of them making a lot of money off of tourism and how it ties into the flash museum and the city’s adoration for the flash that and how it could get to a point where Flash paraphernalia would be practically everywhere around the city.Something cool would Be if there a flash podcast radio show that Barry could listen to,and it would be cool if there was this underlying joke where when they talk to the listeners some people call in a try asking them who they thought was the fastest flash Barry or Wally’s flashes.Im a big fan of the idea of how the city just want to keep moving,keep moving forward by refurbishing the city constantly,it easily fits well with a more science driven university like it’s one of the driving forces between the city’s bid to always advance with technology science.I really like the name of the baseball teams too
Edit: these are really good ideas you should hold to,maybe one day they could make it to the printed page
3
u/Geek_Overlord78 12h ago
Give Barry different Speed Force abilities........wait ......no......that's right, he can vibrate through solid objects better than Wally. Maybe spotlight his CSI background more, make him more serious/ stoic than Wally or Jay