Barry Allen is known for his high-speed crime fighting and rapid response times, but it is far more than just his abilities that make him a hero. And in the landmark The Flash #750, even the comics are acknowledging this lesser-known, but just as important side of the reality of masked vigilantes.
The issue jumps between current events and flashbacks to Barry’s past adventures, but this time told from the perspective of those he saved. The first flashback is told from the perspective of a married businessman, reflecting on the day the Flash saved his life. Buy not from a disaster or a supervillain attack like readers might expect. No, this man’s life was saved by The Flash… before even he realized it needed saving.
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The man explains that at the time of his run-in with Flash, he was poor and alone. He went into a bank with every intention to rob it, but as he got inside he realized it was a mistake, and decided to not follow through. Unfortunately, even though he made the right choice, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time — as Heat Wave busts in attempting to rob the bank himself. Luckily, in the blink of an eye, The Flash came in and stopped the robbery, rounding up the guilty goons… and dumping the man who originally intended to rob the bank in front of a career center. The man goes on to say this is how The Flash truly saved his life, putting him on the right track to get a real job, eventually leading him to meeting his wife.
As the issue progresses it is revealed to the reader that these flashbacks are actually a part of an article Iris West is working on, and a slew of other quotes are shown of people thankful for all the Flash has done for them. It is this moment that we really see the true heroics of Barry, being overly humble and denying that the article should even be written at all. Comic book fans know it isn’t just ‘saving the day’ that makes heroes so special, but the struggles and trials they face in between. It is not the abilities, but the character of the person that makes them a hero. What are comics, if not stories about the ways in which these ordinary people, blessed with extraordinary abilities, put the rest of the world before themselves?
While usually this theme is left to be interpreted by the readers, it seems that The Flash issue 750 has acknowledged it itself in universe, and it’s nice to see that even the citizens of Central City appreciate Barry the way his comic fans do.
The Flash #750 is available now.
