The Flash's Extraordinary Admirers

    The Flash

    The DC Universe, also know as the Detective Comics series contains a multitude of superheros. One of these superheroes that has a major following and fan base goes my the name of Barry Allen, also known as the Flash. The Flash has the power of lightning speed so fast that he can travel through time. Dating back all the way back to 1940, the Flash erupted across comics, T.V shows, and movies continuing to grow even today. The Flash series on the T.V network CW is a familiar show that erupted in 2014 and continues to make episodes due to its popularity, creating even other versions of the Flash. Moreover, there is a Flash movie that is set to release this summer on June 16, 2023.

Figure 1
The Flash, CW T.V Show

Cosplay

    One of the ways in which fans show their love for the character is by dressing up in something called Cosplay. The Flash is not just known for his super speed, but for his heroic acts and the virtue through which he performs. Below you will find a few of the many different Flash costumes that fanatic fans dress up with across the world. 

Figure 2
Example of The Girl Flash Cosplay
Figure 2
Example of The Flash Cosplay

Using Cosplay, fans can come together and look like the Flash, almost having a competition to show their love for the character. The Flash is so popular that other costumes are made to create different versions of the Flash. For one, there is an evil Flash Eobard Thawne, also known as the Reverse-Flash and Professor Zoom, both super-villains. They are both faster than the Flash, forcing him to use his brain and speed together to beat them. Having two sides to the story, the fans like to give the character buffs, creating their own storylines for the characters to brawl it out. 

Social Media

    The Flash has become so popular that people all across the world perform athletic stunts, videos, and posts to try to capture a glimpse of what it is like to be the real thing. Fans contribute to social media platforms such as youtube, instagram, snapchat, twitter, tik tok, and more showing off the Flash. In fact, the Flash can be represented in T.V shows such as the Big Bang Theory (shown below).

On these platforms, fans can easily go type in "The Flash" and find endless information, videos, pictures, etc. So many things and varieties come up that one may even be overwhelmed with all the information. One example of this is on instagram. When typing in "The Flash" in the search bar, the first two accounts that come up are "dctheflash" and "cwtheflash" which are two verified accounts displaying an abundant amount of Flash content for fans looking to view Flash media on a daily basis. Also, actors such as Grant Gustin (plays The Flash in the CW T.V series) is also on platforms such as instagram and twitter giving insight into information about the Flash that is not always broadcasted, also allowing fans to keep up with their favorite things about the Flash. 

Science

    While scrolling the web, I also found information regarding the science behind how The Flash's speed actually works. For the science junkies out there that are fascinated with The Flash and how his superpowers work, here is a video explaining it in layman's term.
There are also websites such as Screenrants that go into significant depth explaining concepts for those who just want to know a little more if such speed is possible. 

Craft Activities

    This leads me into another fandom of the Flash. To have some sort of association with The Flash, there are crafts out there for individuals to do. Upon my research, I came across a website that constructs crafts that represent certain superhero's. When coming upon the Flash, I found two crafts, "Zoom Balls" and "Balloon Rockets." 
What you need to make the Zoomball:

  • 2 plastic 1 L bottles.
  • Scissors
  • String
  • Craft supplies (optional)
Here are the instructions for the Zoom Balls.


Alternate Story Lines

    Along with all of this, fan-fiction is a big part of The Flash. There are comics and movies, but for the most part, they all follow the same storyline. There is a website called WattPad that offers a bunch of different stories where fans are able to be creative in the way the storyline goes. These fan-written stories often explore different aspects of the character's personality, backstory, and relationships, and can range from action-packed adventures to romantic dramas. Fans of The Flash often use fan-fictions as a way to express their love for the character, and to connect with other fans. They allow fans to explore the depths of the hero's personality and to connect with others who share their enthusiasm. Whether they're writing short stories to full-length novels, fans of The Flash continue to demonstrate their unwavering devotion to this beloved superhero.

The End

    All in all, the fans devotion to The Flash has a wide spectrum including cosplay, social media platforms, crafts, and fan-fictions. Even I am a big Flash fan. I watch all the movies and T.V shows, as well as play games such as injustice which include The Flash as a character.





Works Cited

Berlanti, G., Johns, G., & Kreisberg, A. (2022, December 30). Watch the flash. Netflix. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.netflix.com/title/80027042

Colucci, B. (2022, August 5). Reverse-flash cosplay gives Flash's reality-warping nemesis epic armor. ScreenRant. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://screenrant.com/reverse-flash-cosplay-reality-warping-nemesis-epic-armor/

Dive into anything. Reddit. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.reddit.com/r/DCEUleaks/comments/113s4gd/the_flash_ranked_as_the_third_most_watched_super/

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, April 25). The flash. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Flash

Erica. (2019, November 15). Superhero science activities: Test your powers! What Do We Do All Day. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/superhero-science-activities/

Google. (n.d.). Google image result for https://pbs.twimg.com/media/fqfq0fzxiau92tb.jpg. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FFQfQ0fZXIAU92TB.jpg&tbnid=ID7JuSQePmjy8M&vet=10CBsQMyh1ahcKEwio5pnj5tf-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FMuseumFlash%2Fstatus%2F1515419761009577988&docid=rVoWypqoDLUsjM&w=1080&h=744&q=The+flash+cosplay&ved=0CBsQMyh1ahcKEwio5pnj5tf-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg

Google. (n.d.). Google image result for https://s7.orientaltrading.com/is/image/orientaltrading/viewer_zoom/women-s-superhero-style-the-cw-s-the-flash-costume~13792108. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs7.orientaltrading.com%2Fis%2Fimage%2FOrientalTrading%2FVIEWER_ZOOM%2Fwomen-s-superhero-style-the-cw-s-the-flash-costume~13792108&tbnid=DjmoiAOZYLDEmM&vet=12ahUKEwjl04D359f-AhXTFFkFHWo1Bv8QMygHegUIARC2AQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.orientaltrading.com%2Fwomen-s-superhero-style-the-cw-s-the-flash-costume-a2-13792108.fltr&docid=aTBla7-VQNHyHM&w=1500&h=1500&q=the+girl+flash&ved=2ahUKEwjl04D359f-AhXTFFkFHWo1Bv8QMygHegUIARC2AQ

Morrison, M. (2021, July 27). The flash: Every source of Speed Powers explained . ScreenRant. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://screenrant.com/flash-speed-force-powers-velocity-drug-negative/

Theflash stories. Wattpad. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.wattpad.com/stories/theflash

YouTube. (2014, August 1). The Big Bang Theory: Costumes (clip) | TBS. YouTube. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cCEw9Tageg

YouTube. (2015, March 9). How to play Zoom Ball. YouTube. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkdkKotKP9g 

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