In a freak accident, police scientist Barry Allen is struck by lightning and doused in chemicals. Barry discovers that this accident has made him the fastest man alive, able to move at nearly the speed of sound. With the help of STAR Labs scientist Tina McGee, he learns to control his powers...but when his older brother Jay (a motorcycle cop) is killed in the line of duty, Barry asks Tina o make him a special costume that can withstand the rigors of hyperspeed travel. He sets forth to clean up the streets of Central City as The Flash.

The Flash is not one, but three characters from DC Comics, and all three of them managed to make it into the series in some way. Jay Garrick, who was the first Flash and whose adventures inspired Barry Allen (the second) lives on in the name of Barry's brother, who's death inspires our hero. Barry Allen was a police scientist, but was also married to Iris West, the aunt of Wally West (the third Flash) who briefly dated Tina McGee some time after Barry died. The Flash of the television series is a combination of Barry Allen's name and day job with Wally West's social life, and a personality falling somewhere between the two.

The Flash:
It's not guns that kill people - it's these little hard things!