The Flash is one of DC Comics’ most iconic superheroes, having been around since the Golden Age of comics in the 1940s. There have been several different characters that have taken on the mantle of the Flash over the decades. With the various incarnations of the Flash across comics, TV shows, and movies, there is some debate over who is the youngest version of the Scarlet Speedster.
Jay Garrick – The First Flash
The original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 in 1940 and was Jay Garrick. Jay Garrick was a college student who gained his speed powers after inhaling hard water vapors. This gave him the ability to run at superhuman speeds. Jay Garrick was the Flash throughout the Golden Age era of comics in the 1940s.
Jay Garrick made his first appearance when he was in college, likely putting him around 20 years old when he became the Flash. So while he was the first Flash, he was not the youngest incarnation of the hero.
Barry Allen – The Silver Age Flash
Barry Allen is perhaps the most well-known version of the Flash, being the incarnation that sparked the Silver Age of comics in 1956. Barry Allen was a police scientist who gained superspeed powers when a lightning bolt struck chemicals he was working with in his lab. This event turned him into the new Flash.
When Barry Allen first appeared as the Flash, he was depicted as being approximately 25 years old. This makes Barry Allen slightly younger than Jay Garrick was when he became the original Flash. However, Barry Allen is not the youngest person to take on the role of the Scarlet Speedster.
Wally West – The Fan Favorite Flash
For many fans, Wally West is their definitive Flash. Wally first appeared in 1959 as Kid Flash when he gained powers in a recreation of the accident that gave Barry Allen his speed. After Barry died saving the universe in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, Wally took over as the new Flash.
When Wally West first became Kid Flash, he was depicted as being around 10-12 years old. This makes Wally the youngest character to assume the mantle of Flash thus far. However, even Wally would eventually lose the title of the youngest speedster.
Bart Allen – The Flash of the Future
Bart Allen is Barry Allen’s grandson from the future. Due to his heritage, he was born with incredible speed powers. He traveled back in time to become the sidekick of Wally West, briefly taking on the name Impulse before becoming Kid Flash.
When Bart first appeared, he was stated to only be around 4 or 5 years old physically, though chronologically much older due to being from the 30th century originally. This makes Bart Allen the youngest character to become one of the Flashes, being only about half the age of Wally West when he became Kid Flash.
Wallace West – Wally’s Cousin
Recently in the comics, a new character named Wallace West was introduced as Wally West’s cousin. He gained speed powers and briefly took over the role of Flash when Wally disappeared into the Speed Force.
When Wallace West first became Kid Flash, he was 13 years old. This makes him older than Bart Allen was when he became Impulse/Kid Flash, but still younger than Wally West.
Who is Objectively the Youngest Flash?
Based on the ages of the different characters when they first gained speed powers and became one of the Flashes, the definitive youngest Flash is Bart Allen. When Bart Allen was introduced, he was depicted as being only around 4 or 5 years old. No other character has become Flash or Kid Flash at an age younger than Bart Allen.
Here is a table summarizing the ages of the different Flashes:
| Character | Age When First Became Flash |
|---|---|
| Jay Garrick | Around 20 years old |
| Barry Allen | Around 25 years old |
| Wally West | Around 10-12 years old |
| Bart Allen | Around 4-5 years old |
| Wallace West | 13 years old |
Other Young Flashes in Alternate Timelines
While Bart Allen is the youngest Flash in the main DC universe, there are even younger alternate reality versions of Flash as well.
XS – Jenni Ognats
XS is Barry Allen’s granddaughter from the Legion of Superheroes timeline in the 31st century. Like Bart Allen, she inherited superspeed and became the Flash of the future Legion. When she was introduced, she was only around 2 years old, making her even younger than Bart was when he became Impulse.
Zoom – Hunter Zolomon
While Hunter Zolomon is better known as the villain Zoom, he briefly operated as the fourth Flash after gaining time manipulation abilities following an accident. When those events occurred, he was depicted as being around 22 years old.
Youngest Biological Age vs Chronological Age
There is also some complexity regarding the fact that Bart Allen and XS are originally from the future. So while they were chronologically much older than their biological ages when they became Flashes, biologically speaking they were still very young children.
Bart Allen may have only been 4-5 years old biologically when he became Impulse, but chronologically he was actually much older, having been born in the 30th century before traveling back in time. The same applies to XS who was 2 years old biologically but chronologically from the 31st century.
So while they are the youngest Flashes in terms of physical age, they aren’t necessarily the youngest chronologically. Wally West was chronologically only around 10 years old when he became Kid Flash since he was born in the regular timeline.
Speedsters Beyond the Flash Family
There are also speedsters that have connections to the Flash family but do not use the Flash moniker. In some cases, they gained access to the Speed Force at even younger ages.
Iris West II
Iris West II is the daughter of Wally West and Linda Park from an alternate future timeline. She manifested speed abilities as an infant. So while not being a Flash, she is one of the youngest speedsters connected to the Flash family.
Jai West
Jai West is the son of Wally West in the main DC universe. He gained access to the Speed Force as a young child, allowing him to manifest a number of abilities. So similar to Iris West II, he became a speedster at an extremely young age even if he never took on the Flash mantle.
Conclusion
In summary, while there have been many characters that have held the title of the Flash over the years, the definitive youngest Flash is Bart Allen, aka Impulse/Kid Flash. Bart gained speed powers and became a sidekick to Wally West at the age of only 4 or 5 years old biologically. No other character has assumed the Flash identity at an age younger than that.
There are even younger alternate reality speedsters connected to the Flash legacy like XS and Iris West II. But in terms of core DC universe continuity, Bart Allen remains the youngest character to have taken on the Flash superhero identity. The fact that Bart was chronologically older due to being from the future adds an additional layer of complexity, however.
The Young Flash is a core part of the Flash mythos that shows how the mantle of the Scarlet Speedster can be passed down to new generations. Bart Allen proves that even a child can sometimes save the day if they harness superspeed powers for good.