The Flash brings back a crucial component from Crisis on Infinite Earths by addressing Barry Allen being one of the Paragons. The last Arrowverse crossover introduced the concept of the seven Paragons who would be the final heroes to save the Multiverse. Together, with the help of Oliver Queen as Spectre, the Paragons helped reboot the Multiverse and establish Earth-Prime as the central location for the franchise. The team consisted of Supergirl, Lex Luthor, Batwoman, White Canary, Martian Manhunter, Ryan Choi, and Flash, all of whom stood as Paragons.

But ever since the game-changing crossover, Flash has only referenced Crisis a few times. Barry’s title as a Paragon, however, has barely been acknowledged in the Post-Crisis world. After the creation of Earth-Prime, Barry had been focused on getting Iris West out of the Mirrorverse as well as creating a new Speed Force. While they were able to create an Artificial Speed Force, it came with its own set of problems; despite acquiring speed-thinking, the new Speed Force resulted in Barry losing his emotions the more he used the power.

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With no other choice, Barry had to destroy it, which cost him his powers. A surprise solution that The Flash season 7 introduced is the return of the original Harrison Wells, the one that Eobard Thawne a.k.a. Reverse-Flash posed as in season 1. He came to Barry in a dire moment and reinforced the concept of Flash being the Paragon of Love. Harrison defined Barry as being a “once in a lifetime hero” that chooses to fight with his heart and how it made him the specific Paragon that was needed in Crisis on Infinite Earths – and afterward.

The Flash has never shied away from Iris and Barry’s love, since it’s an essential element of the series. Many of their big storylines have depicted their relationship as being a source of strength. It’s similar to how Iris has been defined as Barry’s lightning rod, a role she also has in the comics. From the other side, it’s Barry’s romantic feelings for Iris that inspired him to look to her for his Speed Force problem. But ultimately, the love story that The Flash has told over seven seasons justifies why the Scarlet Speedster is the Arrowverse’s Paragon of Love.

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If, for whatever reasons, The Flash hadn’t adapted Barry’s romance with Iris, what Paragon would he have been instead? Would Barry even be a Paragon if it wasn’t for his strong love for Iris? It’s hard to imagine what other role Barry could have filled, since Paragon of Love is the perfect one for him. The story of Barry and Iris has and always will be one of the most key aspects of The Flash mythology and the TV series has embraced it for years. But even though it hadn’t been referenced since the Arrowverse’s Crisis crossover, The Flash did bring it back that beautifully reflects on Barry Allen’s characterization.

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About The Author


Andy Behbakht
(1037 Articles Published)

Andy is a senior writer at Screen Rant as he has covered the world of entertainment journalism since 2010, including superhero/comic book media. In addition to his work as a reporter, Andy co-hosts The Flash Podcast while running and producing the entire DC TV Podcasts network. He is also the founder/editor-in-chief of The Marvel Report since Fall 2015. Andy has previously written for sites such as FanSided, KSiteTV, TV Fanatic, It’s Just Movies, Heroic Hollywood, TV Overmind, and more.

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