The Flash (Jay Garrick)

Jay Garrick
Jay Garrick, the original Flash Cover art for JSA #78, by Alex Ross
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Flash Comics #1 (January 1940)
Created by	Gardner Fox Harry Lampert
In-story information
Alter ego	Jason Peter "Jay" Garrick
Team affiliations	Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron Justice League
Partnerships	Barry Allen Wally West Green Lantern (Alan Scott) Bart Allen Wildcat (comics)
Abilities	Ability to run at the speed of light Superhumanly fast reflexes Augmented by the extra-dimensional Speed Force Frictionless aura Speed theft

Jay Garrick is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first superhero called the Flash. The character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. He first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (1940).

After a bizarre laboratory accident, he acquired the ability to move at superhuman speed, and chose to fight crime as a costumed vigilante, calling himself "the Flash". Jay Garrick has made numerous appearances in other media, including his live-action debut as a cameo in Smallville, played by Billy Mitchell, and in The Flash, portrayed by John Wesley Shipp.

The character of Jay Garrick was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. The character first appeared in the first issue of the anthology series Flash Comics in 1940, published by All-American Publications. He was soon featured in All-Star Comics as part of the Justice Society of America. In 1941, he got his own solo comic book series, All-Flash.

After World War II, superheroes declined in popularity, causing many of the Flash's comic book series to be canceled. All-Flash was canceled in 1948 after 32 issues. Flash Comics was canceled in 1949 after 104 issues. All-Star Comics was canceled in 1951 after 57 issues, marking Garrick's last Golden Age appearance. Garrick would not appear again for ten years, and never got another solo series.

In 1956, DC Comics reinvented the Flash character, giving him a new costume, name, and background. This new Flash, named Barry Allen, was completely unrelated to Jay Garrick. In fact, Garrick had never existed, as far as the new books were concerned. Barry Allen's first appearance shows him reading a copy of Flash Comics, lamenting that Garrick was "just a character some writer dreamed up". Readers welcomed the new Flash, but still had an interest in the old one.