The Flash Family Tree

I picked up a copy of Wizard Magazine #178 (August 2006) yesterday afternoon and was pleased to discover a colorful two-page spread presenting the Flash family tree. Entitled "The New Flash" and posted under the banner of Wizard's Revamp Mania! review, the Flash family tree offers a visual representation of how Bart Allen is connected to the likes of Barry Allen, Wally West, the Tornado Twins, Captain Boomerang, Zoom, the Thawne clan, and a number of future Flashes. The illustrated diagram covers pages 98 and 99. I've added an excerpt from the introduction below. The chart pays particular attention to the fact that the Flash's legacy has been twisted into knots by time travel, and the magazine makes an effort to clarify the situation for new readers. For longtime readers already familiar with the life and legacy of Barry Allen, I suppose it's easy to forget just how complicated this particularly superhero family tree can be!

With The Flash: Fastest Man Alive now out of the starting blocks and issue #2 touching down like a lightning bolt in July, Bart Allen is speeding down the path to donning the yellow and red as the brand new Flash, the fourth such hero to go by the moniker. But does the former Impulse and Kid Flash have any idea what he's getting into? Being the Flash is about more than just running real fast and grabbing pizza for the JLA's dinner breaks -- it's a legacy that already spans 10 centuries, includes friends as well as foes and descendants who may actually end up filling their ancestor's shoes thousands of years before their predecessors were even born! Confused? Not surprising -- but you don't need to be! Follow along with this helpful family tree and learn everything you need to know about those who ride the lightning. You may want to take notes, Bart.