I.II The Flash

THE FLASH (2008)

Logline
Barry Allen, a forensic scientist in Central City is imbued with powers of super speed after being doused in chemicals during a lightning storm. Using these new found abilities, Barry uncovers shocking revelations about his past, present and future.

Source Material

The Flash: Blitz

Plot Summary
When Barry Allen is a young boy, he sees his father arrested for the murder of his mother, a crime he didn't commit. With his father imprisoned and no immediate family, Police Officer Darryl Frye, a close friend of Barry's parents, raises him. Barry grows up to become a forensic scientist for the C.C.P.D. (Central City Police Department). He's inspired by his adoptive father's career in law enforcement, but is also dedicated to proving his birth father's innocence, who's still behind bars.

Hunter Zolomon, a profiler who works alongside Barry, has a similarly tragic past. His father murdered his mother, along with several other women, when he was a young boy. While Barry becomes a forensic scientist to gain the skills and knowledge to prove his father's innocence, Hunter becomes obsessed with understanding the criminal mind. They share a similar drive and it fuels a strong friendship between them.

Barry, whilst in his lab, is struck by lightning which results in him gaining powers of super speed. He confides in Hunter about his newfound abilities and with his help he designs a costume which conceals his identity. Barry becomes The Flash, Central City's very own superhero. As The Flash, Barry foils a bank heist being committed by Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold. During the confrontation between The Flash and Captain Cold, Hunter is shot in the leg by Captain Cold, severely injuring him. Cold is arrested and imprisoned in Iron Heights while Hunter spends two weeks in hospital.

As The Flash, Barry reaches out to his former college professor, Dr. Darwin Elias, for help in understanding and better harnessing his new abilities. Working together, they build a cosmic treadmill which allows Barry to harness the speed-force, an energy field that grants him his powers. Using the treadmill, Dr. Elias is able to accurately measure The Flash's speed which clocks in at Mach 3.3. At this speed, Barry has the capability of entering the time-stream, which would allows him to travel through time, future or past. Dr. Elias stresses the dangers of exploiting this ability, as it could break the space-time continuum. Barry is tempted by the possibility of travelling back in time to stop his mother's murder.

Barry visits his father in Iron Heights Penitentiary and talks to him about turning back time. Before he can reveal to him that he's The Flash, his father tells him not to dwell on the past as no good will come of it. To learn from it, and look to the future. With this, Barry decides not to use the treadmill for time travel, but for further understanding his abilities. Meanwhile, Hunter is discharged from the hospital but given the severity of his injury he now requires a cane to walk and is no longer cleared to work in the field. He's assigned a desk job at the C.C.P.D.

Barry and Hunter's friendship begins to deteriorate as Hunter resents Barry for his newfound abilities, while he's stuck behind a desk, injured. His relationship with his girlfriend also suffers. In an attempt to comfort his friend, Barry shows Hunter the cosmic treadmill and explains how his powers are connected to the speed-force. Hunter deduces its capability for time travel and pleads Barry to use it to travel back in time to prevent him from getting shot. As much as Barry wants to help his friend, he refuses, citing the potential dangers. Hunter, angered by Barry's decision, leaves.

Later that night, Barry calls Hunter to apologise but he's unable to reach him. Hunter meanwhile is making his way to Dr. Elias's lab which houses the treadmill. He breaks in and decides to use it himself. Whilst attempting to recalibrate the treadmill to travel back in time, it blows up in his face, imbuing him with powers from the time-stream. Because of his connection to the speed-force, Barry instantly feels a change in the space-time continuum. He makes his way to Elias's lab using his super-speed where he confronts Hunter.

Hunter lectures Barry about not fixing past mistakes out of fear of making things worse, arguing that his powers are a gift and that they should be used to help people, past and present. Barry tries to explain the dangers of time travel to Hunter but he won't listen. To prove his point, Hunter travels back in time to stop Barry's mother from being murdered. However, when he arrives to subdue the mystery killer, there isn't one. Because Hunter himself is responsible for Nora Allen's death. Barry's father, Henry, notices Hunter's intrusion in their home and confronts him. A physical altercation between Hunter, Henry and Nora ensue, resulting in the latter being killed. Barry arrives just in time to witness his mother's death.

Horrified about what he's done, Hunter escapes into the time-stream. After saying a heartfelt goodbye to his mother, Barry leave to pursue Hunter. He catches up with him on the night Barry originally got his speed-force abilities, which is caused by Barry and Hunter's altercation. The two speedsters then travel far into the future, the 25th century, where Barry is finally able to subdue Hunter. Realising that Hunter isn't responsible enough to wield time-manipulation powers, Barry returns to the present with him and goes to the cosmic treadmill to remove Hunter’s abilities however Hunter escapes into the speed-force.

Barry is able to provide sufficient evidence of his father’s innocence and have him released from prison. Following his father’s release, Barry is interviewed by news reporter Iris West about his mother’s murder case being reopened.

Post Credits
At the C.C.P.D., Captain Darryl Frye introduces Barry to Gotham City’s police commissioner Jim Gordon. He presents Barry with a report regarding bodies found in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Gotham, asking for his help.

Cast
Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger) … Barry Allen aka The Flash
Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2)… Hunter Zolomon aka Professor Zoom

Tim Blake Nelson (The Incredible Hulk) … Dr. Darwin Elias
Hope Davis (Captain America: Civil War) ... Nora Allen
William Hurt (The Incredible Hulk) … Henry Allen
Colm Feore (Thor) … Capt. Darryl Frye

Leslie Bibb (Iron Man) … Ashley Fox
Ty Simpkins (Iron Man 3) … Young Barry
Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) … Iris West
David S. Lee (Black Panther) … Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold