In DC Comics, Flash doesn’t use a lot of extra gadgets and gizmos to defeat his foes, with the original incarnation of the character, Jay Garrick, once utilizing a wild type of weapon that needs to make a comeback! Let’s just say this particular piece of Flash tech would make even Batman blush — and that’s saying something!
Racing onto the comic scene in 1940, Jay Garrick is the precursor hero to the version of the Fastest Man Alive the nerd community knows and loves today, acting not only as the original speedster of the DC Universe but as a staple member in the Justice Society of America too. Wrapped in lighting bolt attire and wearing a metal helmet with wings sprouting from the sides, Jay Garrick is more old school in his crime-fighting techniques than his peers, this forgotten Flash weapon notwithstanding.
A superhero utensil seen in one of Jay’s earliest appearances, Flash Comics #2, written by Gardner Fox and Harry Lampert, tells the story of Flash as he tries to thwart some potential murders linked to a pair of nefarious individuals that have set their sights on the film, theater, and television industry. Zipping around to try and defuse different situations in different locations across his city, Jay brings out a super cool superhero gadget to stop these evildoers in their tracks: a metal lightning bolt-shaped throwing star!
Flash’s Forgotten Weapon Would Make Batman Jealous!
Chucking it at super speed to announce his presence like a superhero calling card or, as seen a few pages later, to disarm enemies outright, Jay’s version of Batman’s batarang is a forgotten element of Flash’s legacy that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. Not needing much other than his super speed to take down members of his rogues gallery, Jay’s “boltarang” is still a tool that can be useful in the field, especially when flinging it around at speeds the human eye can’t even begin to perceive.
Furthermore, this weapon can easily be incorporated into Flash’s lightning bolt chest emblem and used as a last-ditch gadget in the direst of situations, or in the somewhat common event that Flash loses his connection to the Speed Force, a sturdy melee object he can use to defend himself with. But regardless of whether this boltarang makes another appearance in Jay Garrick’s hands or is seen again wielded by another speedster, Flash’s history is chock-full of deep cuts and forgotten tidbits like this, so fans will always have something fun to learn about the Scarlet Speedster should they want!
