The Origin of The Flash (for JL film)

[thorstone]

This is a character whose origin follows the classic archetype of "look what science did!" Like Bruce Banner, whose emotional baggage (or latent mutation) was unleashed in an accident dealing with gamma rays; or Peter Parker, who was bitten by a spider of ill repute, The Flash is born out of science gone wrong.

How do you flesh out a more detailed/logical explanation of the origin of The Flash; whether in a stand alone film or in a flashback in a Justice League feature. What is the experiment in question that creates this super human?

The Flash is different from other members of the Justice League-- Wonder Woman didn't get blasted with superfluids; Superman wasn't bitten by a radioactive rose thorn; and Manhunter is from Mars. The Flash is the Marvel style Captain America/Hulk character of the Justice League-- he wasn't born a super man.

 

[Kurosawa]

Maybe Mopee can cause it since the classic origin isn't acceptable on film for whatever reason.

 

[thorstone]

I was thinking more along the lines of an accident involving something super high tech like a hadron collider; which alters the character at a quantum level and gives us something more awesome than lightning struck a rack of chemicals that fell on a scientist.

 

[bored]

It doesn't need to be a random assortment of chemicals coincidentally getting zapped while he walks by, but the lightning bolt needs to be involved somehow. It's so much a part of his image.

 

[The Question]

The biggest problem for The Flash's origin as far as movies go is that it's completely self contained. A scientist who loves comics gets into an accident, developed super powers, and becomes a super hero. That's it. It has no connection to anything else. So if you adapted it exactly into a film, it would result in a kind of disjoined narrative.

I think the b set solution might be to somehow tie the origin of his powers in with Jay Garrick, so there's a "mystery to uncover the first Flash's secrets" thing going on.

OR, start with Wally already being the Flash and make the origin story and Barry's death all backstory.

 

[thorstone]

How did I screw up and post this thread in the comics section? I must have done it when I logged in and was taken back out to the main forum page. Is there a janitor in the house?

"The biggest problem for The Flash's origin as far as movies go is that it's completely self contained. A scientist who loves comics gets into an accident, developed super powers, and becomes a super hero. That's it. It has no connection to anything else. So if you adapted it exactly into a film, it would result in a kind of disjoined narrative."

I think the best models for explaining The Flash in a Justice League movie (instead of an origin film) are The Watchmen and Hellboy.

You're watching Hellboy; you don't know anything about the comic, and boom, there is a woman with pyrokinesis and a gillman. This is how JL will work-- you're going to have to say to the audience; Aquaman, Wonder Woman; they were born with these powers-- super humans exist.

You get to The Flash; it's like Dr. Manhattan, the science experiment happens in flash back or is explained in the prologue.

"the lightning bolt needs to be involved somehow."

The aesthetic of open bolts of electricity could still be used to convey the energy of the experiment.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Moved.