The CW’s Smallville serves as a great origin tale for not only the popular Kryptonian hero Superman but also his friends, family, and notable lovers Lana Lang and Lois Lane. And even though the Justice League members don’t get explored as deeply as the teen who would be the Man of Steel, fans still get to learn about their early years.
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Bart Allen, aka the Flash, appears as a supporting character in a number of episodes in which he helps Clark better utilize his powers to fight villains. Because Bart appeared only a few times in the show’s 10 seasons, there is more information about the speedster that fans might have missed the first time they watched the series.
He Is First Referenced In The Pilot
Among the things that fans missed in the first episode of Smallville is the Flash reference. Clark reads an article on his computer screen titled “Record-Breaking Teen Becomes Fastest Man Alive.” The “Fastest Man Alive” is a phrase normally used to refer to the Flash in DC comics media.
There’s the likelihood that the writers and producers thought of introducing the Flash sooner but shelved that idea for unknown reasons. Kyle Gallner, who portrays Bart Allen, wouldn’t appear until season 4. It’s also worth noting that the name of the teen being referred to in the news article is Scott Higgs and not Bart Allen. Whether there was another fast superhero is an issue that the show never addresses.
Bart’s Fake IDs
Bart is first introduced on the show as a fast-moving thief who takes Jonathan Kent’s wallet. Clark tracks him down and among the things he finds in his hotel room are fake IDs. Interestingly, the names on these IDs read Barry Allen, Jay Garrick, and Wally West, all of whom are the most powerful versions of the Flash.
These are the names of the previous versions of the Flash that came before Bart in the comics, with Barry being the more popular version of the speedster across DC media. Interestingly, the Toyman’s description of Bart as a Central City native, with blue eyes and blond hair, fits Barry Allen more than Bart Allen in the comics.
The Only Time He Is Referred To As The Flash
Bart mostly goes by his own name in the series and is almost never called by his more popular superhero codename. The only time he is referred to as the Flash is in the season 8 episode”Stilletto” when Ricky and Bruno are examining the files of Justice League members.
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Since the series is an origin story, Smallville mostly refrains from referring to the young heroes using their superhero names. For example, Clark usually goes by a number of aliases such as the Red-Blue Blur, the Savior, Boyscout, and the Light. Bart also goes by the alias, Impulse, on a number of occasions, which is truer to his comic book counterpart.
Bart’s Physical Profile
Lex Luthor hires former Queen Industries employee Winslow Schott, aka the Toyman, to create Kryptonite bombs in Metropolis. In addition, Toyman acquires files on all Justice League members and in them, a few details about Bart can be seen. The hero is revealed to be s 5’11 tall and weighing 175 pounds. His eyes color is said to be blue.
While Bart would be taller than most people in real life, most of his fellow Justice League members tower above him. Clark Kent is said to stand at 6’3 tall. Among the things fans missed about Arthur Curry (Aquaman) in Smallville is that he is 6’1 tall. Clark’s weight of 195 pounds also surpasses Bart’s weight of 175 pounds.
Differences From The Comics
In the comics, the Bart Allen version of the Flash isn’t a founding member of the Justice League. That honor belongs to Barry Allen. Instead, Bart forms the Young Justice with the Robin and Superboy. He later becomes part of the Teen Titans, where he works with Cyborg, Superboy, Speedy, and Slade Wilson’s daughter, the Ravager.
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Sticking to Bart’s comic storyline might have led to complications in the future, especially if the show had intentions of exploring the heroes as adults too. This is because Bart dies early in the comics during the Infinite Crisis event and is resurrected years later in the 31st century to help defeat Superboy-Prime.
Screen Monitor Appearance
Bart’s last physical appearance comes in season 8’s “Doomsday.” In other episodes after that, he is only mentioned. However, he can be seen on a screen monitor when Clark is giving a speech to members of the Justice League and the Justice Society at the Watchtower in the season 9 finale.
It’s easy for fans to notice how sparingly Bart is used in the series in comparison to other Justice League members. It could be presumed that this is done intentionally since when Bart was first introduced, there were plans for a Flash movie by Batman Begins writer David S. Goyer. In later seasons, there was also an early attempt to produce a Flash TV show that has become quite popular in recent years.
A Slight Costume Change
Though the show officially ends after the last episode aired on the CW in season 10, the story continues in the comics as Smallville: Season 11. In this extended story, Bart ditches the hoodie and there is a good reason for that. In season 10’s “Masquerade,” Clark mentions that Bart’s hoodie normally falls while he is moving at high speed. According to IGN, the costume change is thus meant to address this problem. While it’s definitely a change that should have happened on the show instead of the comics, it’s a good thing that it happened as it made more sense for the fast-moving character to be without a cumbersome hoodie that any villain could easily grab.
The Mystery Regarding His Powers
In all other Flash media, it’s explained that the Flash gets his superspeed powers by tapping into the Speed Force. However, no explanation is given as to how Bart Allen is able to move so fast in Smallville.
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Leaving the source of Bart’s powers a mystery is strange, considering the fact that explanations are given for other Justice League members. Victor Stone is Cyborg because he was experimented on by LuthorCorp’s Dr. Alistair Kreig while Arthur Curry is Aquaman because he is from Atlantis. Bart’s powers and past, on the other hand, were never explored when the show aired.
Bart’s Age
The ages of the Justice League members have always been speculated upon but according to Bryan Q. Miller, the writer of the comic book series Smallville: Season 11, Bart is a year younger than Clark, hence the age of 23.
This is yet another example of creative liberty since Barry Allen is the Flash version that’s Clark’s contemporary in the comics. The rest of the Justice League members also fall within the same age bracket in the original comics because they were created at around the same time during the Silver Age of comics.
Flirting With Chloe Sullivan
When Bart first flirts with Chloe Sullivan, he mentions that they’ll be together in 100 years. This alludes to the fact that Bart is from the 30th century in the comics. Bart’s prediction of a long future with Chloe might feel like a stretch but there is the likelihood of it happening.
Chloe surviving till the 30th century isn’t an impossibility since she is also a metahuman who acquired her powers from a meteorite. Resurrections are common across DC media too, so even if Chloe dies, there is still a chance that she might be resurrected in the 30th century like Bart was in the comics.
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