Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 Answers a Flash Family Mystery

Matt Morrison
·2 min read
Jay and Joan Garrick from Jay Garrick The Flash 6 Cover
(Image Source: DC / Diego Olortegui)
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Jay Garrick, the first man to use the name The Flash, is well-preserved for his age. While DC Comics‘ ever-changing timeline obscures his age, he was fighting Nazis back in World War II. However, while his connection to the Speed Force might explain his vitality, it is a mystery how Jay’s beloved wife, Joan, has managed the same trick.

Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 by Jeremy Adams and Diego Olortegui offers an explanation for this Flash Family mystery. This is in keeping with the miniseries so far, which has redefined the background of the original Fastest Man Alive. The miniseries reintroduced Jay’s time-displaced daughter, Judy Garrick, who fought crime by his side as the teen speedster called The Boom. The storyline also gave Jay Garrick a new nemesis, Doctor Elemental, who was responsible for Jay developing superspeed.

Obsessed with developing superpowers and proving his genius, Doctor Elemental kidnaps Judy as part of his mad scheme. He intended to use the young hero as the battery for a device that would change every drop of water on Earth into the hardwater that empowered The Flash. As he explained his plan to empower humanity, Doctor Elemental also revealed why Joan Garrick had enjoyed such a long life.

Doctor Elemental Found a Way To Extend Lives

Doctor Elemental Explains Plany in Jay Garrick The Flash 6
(Image Source: DC / Diego Olortegui)

Doctor Elemental discovered the metagene, which causes people to develop powers in response to intense trauma. He tried to secretly trigger the gene in Joan Garrick, but had been interrupted in the attempt. She didn’t develop powers, like The Flash, but apparently Doctor Elemental’s treatment was responsible for her unusually good health and long life.

This revelation drives home just how insane Doctor Elemental truly was. Most scientists would give anything to develop a proven process that can improve the health and life quality of humans. Such a discovery would mean fame, wealth, job security, and the recognition of their peers. Unfortunately, since all he cared about was developing powers like The Flash, Doctor Elemental viewed this amazing discovery as a total failure.

Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 is now available online and at comic shops everywhere.