Top 20 Greatest Barry Allen Flash Moments

“The Flash” (2014-)

When the scarlet speedster corners Captain Cold on a train, the chilling villain uses his cold gun on their car’s wheels. The sudden freeze causes a chain reaction that derails the large transport. Unable to stop the train from crashing, Barry pushes himself to use his speed to get all the passengers to safety. The combination of lightning fast visuals and slow motion made this scene look absolutely gorgeous. And while Barry’s actions here were praiseworthy, he eventually tops himself during another transit incident. When two bullet trains are set to collide, the Flash saves both hundreds of people and his friend Caitlin’s coffee in less than 30 seconds.

“Justice League: Doom” (2012)

While Flash is attempting to save an innocent woman from a death trap, a powerful explosive gets bolted to his wrist. The vicious Mirror Master then reveals that if the hero runs the bomb away from civilians, it will explode as soon as the speedster slows down. A determined Flash accepts the consequences and starts moving as fast as he can. Seeing Barry put himself in danger without a moment’s thought highlighted why he’s such a great hero. And although he stumbles and gets tired during his continuous run, it’s inspiring that he never gives up. Fortunately, Barry maintains his speed until a tip from Batman saves the speedster from a deadly explosion.

“The Flash” (2014-)

Thanks to a Freaky Friday body swap incident, Barry Allen loses all of his speedy skills and picks up Green Arrow’s archery abilities. But the speedster didn’t lose his quick wit. Barry’s brain comes in handy when he and his allies face the inorganic Amazo. After the heroes realize they can’t overpower the robot, they decide to give it a virus. Barry immediately comes up with a way for his allies to lock Amazo down. Once secure, the Green Flash makes a one-in-a-million shot that delivers the virus and defeats the robot. This amazing accomplishment proved that Barry doesn’t need his speed to stop supervillains.

“The Flash Vol 3. Issue #2” (2010)

Barry Allen’s speed grants him the ability to build inanimate objects in the blink of an eye. However, it was still surprising to see how far he could push that skill. Shortly after battling a few villains, an energy surge from their transportation device ripples outwards toward an apartment building. Flash was easily able to get every resident out before the structure collapses. When a civilian questions where they’ll live, Barry raced to the library, quickly read about architecture and learned enough to rebuild their home. His generous actions left the civilians stunned. Who knew Barry’s speed reading techniques could be used to save a home?

“The Flash” (2014-)

A revenge-obsessed version of Weather Wizard decided that he’d feel better if he destroyed Flash’s hometown. The villain ends up summoning a gigantic tidal wave to drown the city. Fortunately, the Flash learns that he can stop the disaster by running back and forth at high speeds. The hero moves so fast that he accidentally breaks the rules of reality and travels back in time before the wave. While it was fun to see Barry discover this ability, this save really stood out because it had numerous side benefits. By resetting the day, The Flash is able to stop Weather Wizard before he strikes and indirectly prevents his friend Cisco’s death. Barry’s temporal blunder turned out to be the very thing that saved Central City.

“Injustice: Gods Among Us” (2013)

On an earth where the man of steel became a tyrant, Barry Allen voluntarily helped the kryptonian’s regime maintain power. The speedster stood by Superman’s side until the former blue boy scout slayed Shazam. Seeing the magical hero perish gave Barry the push he needed to turn away from the man of steel. However, the speedster wasn’t allowed to just run away. In order to escape, Flash had to defeat Hal Jordan and Solomon Grundy. Taking down just one of those opponents is incredibly difficult. But for Barry Allen, his impressive victories were just the first couple of stepping stones on his path of redemption.

“The Flash Vol. 4 Issue #3” (2011)

During the 5th season premiere of the Flash, a metahuman damaged a plane so severely that it couldn't stay airborne. The trio of Barry, Nora West-Allen and Wally team up to vibrate so fast that the aerial vehicle phases through solid objects. This tremendous save was somehow even more stunning in the comics. When Barry spots a plane that’s about to collide with a bridge, he vibrates the entire aircraft solo. He understandably needs a breather after performing this spectacular speed feat. We’re glad the show brought attention to this epic Flash moment by putting their own spin on the incident in live-action.

“Arrow” (2012-20)

Throughout the massive “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event, heroes from across the multiverse came together to save all of existence. While Barry was zipping around the speedforce, he accidentally came into contact with Ezra Miller’s version of the character. This once-in-a-lifetime meeting was full of fantastic jokes and great acting. They even got to admire each other’s suits! Additionally, their meeting carried weight because Grant Gustin’s Barry helped Miller’s Allen get a superhero name. This cool and crucial meeting of two Flashes was arguably one of the best crossovers of the entire multi episode special. We’d love to see these two reunite to face off against a villain someday.

“Justice League Dark: Apokolips War” (2020)

After Darkseid invaded earth, the planet was left on the brink of destruction. Flash and all the rest of the heroes initially wanted to save what remained of their home. Unfortunately, it soon becomes clear that billions of people might die before they make any difference. Left with no other options, Constantine asked Flash to use his time travel to reset the world. The amount of sadness in Barry’s voice as he thought the proposal over was heartbreaking. But although he’s reluctant to mess around with time, he pushes past his reservations and decides to start running. While we never see the results of this bittersweet run, we still applaud Barry for giving Earth another chance.

“The Flash” (2014-)

It looked like all hope was lost when a villain activated a nuclear bomb powerful enough to destroy Central City. In an instant, Barry entered flash time and started moving so fast that people and objects seemed to be frozen in place. But since time didn’t completely freeze, the speedster still had to figure out how to stop the bomb before it went off. Barry pushed his body to the breaking point while trying and failing to save the day multiple times. But in the end, a quick chat with Iris gives him the push he needed to stop the nuke. Thanks to awe-inspiring special effects and a nail-biting plot, this Flash save became one of the show’s most celebrated scenes.

“The Flash: Rebirth Issue #3”

Can the fastest man alive outrun the alien that moves faster than a speeding bullet? Fans have pondered that question for decades. While the answer has changed numerous times over the years, there was one occasion where the scarlet speedster was definitely the undisputed winner. Shortly after members of the Justice League realized there was something wrong with Barry, the speedster ran away. It doesn’t take long for Superman to catch up. However, everything changes when the man of steel brings up the fact that he’s beaten Flash in races. The speedster replies that their previous competitions were for charity and speeds away. Barry’s epic burn made his victory here immensely satisfying. Flash definitely deserved the title of fastest man alive after this run.

“The Flash” (2014-)

In the aptly named “Flash vs. Arrow” episode, a metahuman forces Barry to be consumed by rage. To stop the speedster, Oliver Queen suits up and fights his ally. The fight has excellent choreography that perfectly highlights each heroes’ strengths. It was also interesting and terrifying to see a version of the Flash that was this intimidating. At multiple points during the battle, it looked like Barry was going to actually kill Oliver. Fortunately, the Flash’s allies are able to restore him back to normal before anyone dies. But we’d be lying if we didn’t say that we were curious to know who would’ve ultimately won this deathmatch if they continued fighting.

“Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” (2013)

Shortly after Barry goes back to the past to alter the timeline, he returns to a present where the world is on the brink of a destructive war. To add insult to injury, he no longer has his speed. Barry eventually decides to turn the tables by recreating the circumstances that gave him powers. Since this process involves dangerous chemicals and requires him to be struck by lightning, there was an incredibly high chance that he could’ve died while trying to get his powers back. But the heroic Barry was willing to sacrifice everything to undo his past mistakes. It takes two painful attempts before he regains his speed. Barry’s determination to push through pain was nothing less than remarkable.

“The Flash” (2014-)

The sinister Savitar was essentially an evil clone of Barry that needed to kill Iris West in the past to ensure he existed in the future. When it becomes clear to the villain that he can’t pull off his plan, he decides to slay as many of the speedster’s loved ones as possible. But Barry refuses to let that happen. In a jaw-dropping moment, the hero vibrates so fast that he knocks his Savitar out of his villainous supersuit. Barry also refuses to give into darkness and kill his opponent either. This win is impressive because Savitar’s suit gave him a huge power advantage. Although Iris ultimately puts Savitar down, Barry unquestionably proved that his good nature triumphed over any evil instincts.

“The Flash” (2014-)

Years after Barry’s mother was slain by the Reverse Flash, he gains the ability to go to the past and save her. But when he arrives, a version of himself from another point in time encourages him not to act. Our hearts broke along with Barry as he listened to his mother receive a fatal wound. We only got more choked up when the Flash kneeled by his mom’s side and reassured her that he was going to be alright. Even though Barry doesn’t save his mother, letting her death happen kept the rest of the timeline from warping beyond recognition. His tragic and selfless sacrifice required an immense amount of inner strength.

“The Flash” (2023)

“The Flash” (2014-)

Eobard Thawne became infamous when he revealed that he specifically traveled back in time to kill Barry’s mother. The villain known as the Reverse Flash also made things worse by pretending to be a benevolent mentor to the hero. That’s why it was satisfying to see Barry, Oliver and Firestorm take Thawne down. Six seasons after the heroic trio worked together, Thawne tried to attack Barry again. But Flash had become so fast that he didn’t even have to try to outspeed his nemesis. Watching Thawne throw a tantrum because he was no longer a threat to Barry was awesome. In the end, Reverse Flash couldn’t do anything but run away from the powerful hero he created.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021)

Our jaws dropped when the heroes failed to stop Steppenwolf’s sinister plan to terraform earth in the #Snydercut. Just when it seemed like the world was beyond recovery, Barry realized that he could still save the day. In an absolutely gorgeous scene, the speedster used his abilities to travel backwards in time. The earth returned underneath his feet as he ran towards the moment that decided the fate of the entire world. This scene’s amazing CGI, emotional weight and impressive display of speed surprisingly didn’t exist in the original cut of the film. Fans were glad that their push for the Snydercut gave us a now legendary Flash scene.

“Flash #123” (1961)

Nowadays, fans barely bat an eye when DC characters travel to or from different worlds. These crossovers might not have been so commonplace if it wasn’t for Barry Allen. In one landmark story, he vibrated so fast that he accidentally traveled to another Earth. Barry quickly races to meet Jay Garrick’s Flash to report what happened. After the two talk, they compare notes, team up, and defeat rogues. Not only did this epic crossover inspire Jay Garrick to come out of retirement, but it also made readers crave more stories about classic DC heroes like him. Their collaboration laid the foundation for epic multiverse crossovers like Crisis on Infinite Earths. Barry’s vibrations shook open a door that isn’t likely to be closed anytime soon.

“Crisis on Infinite Earths #8” (1985)

Before the Anti-Monitor could destroy five universes with his anti-matter cannon, Barry escaped his prison and found the weapon. The hero soon realized the only way to stop it was to run at a speed that would likely kill him. After just a moment of pause, Barry ran until the machine and his body were no more. Thanks to his selfless actions, the remaining beings were able to rally and topple the anti-monitor. Barry’s brave run ensured that an untold number of lives across the multiverse had a chance to live full lives. And as an added bonus, he did get to come back to life later. Barry definitely deserved to return after accomplishing what many consider to be his greatest feat of all time.