The Flash is about to get Impulsive.
Jordan Fisher (To All The Boys PS I Love You) will join the CW series in its 150th episode as Bart Allen aka Impulse, Barry, and Iris’ superspeed son from the future. His presence is sure to rock the already wild world of The Flash.
Who is Impulse?
In the comics, Barry Allen was married to Iris West, who appeared killed by the Reverse-Flash. In reality, Iris’ mind was transferred to her true home in the 30th century to be reborn in a new body. She and Barry were briefly reunited before Barry sacrificed himself in the Crisis on Infinite Earths event.
The former Kid Flash, Wally West, took up Barry’s mantle as the Flash. Wally was rocked when a teenage super-speedster appeared in the present. This was Bart Allen, Barry and Iris’ grandson from the future.
Bart had been born with a hyper-accelerated metabolism that pushed his aging, making him look twelve when he was only two years old. He was put into a virtual reality simulation to allow his mind to catch up to his body.
Wally corrected his condition, and Bart stayed in the present to become the costumed Impulse and trained by veteran speedster Max Mercury.
Bart would live up to his name as growing up in a video game environment meant he often failed to understand he was in actual danger and running into emergencies without thinking of a plan or the consequences. He would work with Young Justice and the Titans.
After being injured by Deathstroke, Bart took on Wally’s old costume of Kid Flash. In a time travel adventure, Bart was aged to his 20s, and when Wally briefly retired, he took up the Flash name. He was briefly killed by Flash enemies, the Rogues but returned to life, once more the teenaged Kid Flash.
Bart was seemingly retconned from DC History in the New 52 but recently returned, now once again Impulse.
A version of the character, played by Kyle Gallner, appeared in Smallville using the Impulse name with a Flash-like outfit.
The superspeed legacy
The show changes the character to now directly be Barry and Iris’ son from the future. The official CW description emphasizes the character’s impulsive traits.
Bart is the fastest teenager on the planet! But due to Bart’s penchant for wildly impulsive behavior, stunned parents Barry and Iris will have their hands full trying to teach their new son patience. But it’s a task they’ll have to accomplish, in order for their family to work together and stop Team Flash’s biggest threat yet!”
Bart wouldn’t be the first future progeny of Barry’s to appear. Season five had Barry meeting Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy), aka his grown superspeed daughter XS. However, due to the meddling of the evil Thawne, Nora was erased from existence.
Bart’s presence will naturally rock Barry and Iris as it indicates that, despite their hopes, another version of Nora will never be born.
In Nora’s original timeline, Barry died during the Crisis but instead survived. This means Bart comes from a brand new future which means major changes for the Flash team.
Said team is already reeling from the shocking turn of Caitlin (Danielle Panabaker) and her ice-powered Killer Frost persona, somehow becoming separated into two different people. There is also the hint of a new danger growing from Barry restarting the Speed Force.
While his debut episodes are still a ways off, Fisher seems ready to set the Flash on a new superhero race when he strikes Central City.
The Flash airs on the CW Tuesdays at 8 pm CT.