



History

Origin

The Rival Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #104 (February 1949). He is Dr. Edward Clariss, a professor at the university attended by the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. He believes he has recreated the formula that gives Garrick his speed, which he calls "Velocity 9." Bitter at the rejection of his claims by the scientific community, Clariss becomes a criminal, wearing a darker version of the Flash's outfit. His version of the formula, however, proves to be temporary, and he is defeated when it is expended.

JSA #16 (November 2000) reveals that the Rival battled the Flash several months after his first appearance; in doing so he reaches lightspeed and vanishes into the Speed Force. Following the reformation of the Justice Society of America 50 years later, Clariss is retrieved from the Speed Force (which had been revealed as the Valhalla of fallen speedsters, good or evil, as well as their source of power) by Johnny Sorrow, who invites him to join the new Injustice Society. The Rival, driven to insanity by his time in the Speed Force, races across the country on a super-speed killing spree. The Flash realizes that the Rival's path across the country spells out Clariss' name, and that the final murder will be Jay's wife Joan. The Flash manages to absorb the Rival's speed before he can kill Joan.

The Rival returns in Impulse #88 (September 2002), posing as Joan Garrick's doctor. Now pure speed energy, he possesses Garrick's fellow Golden Age speedster Max Mercury. After battling Jay and Impulse, the Rival escapes, still in possession of Max Mercury's body. He has not been seen since. There is another Reverse Flash of Garrick who was a robot. He looks like Garrick, except the colors of his clothes are reversed. He is easily defeated by Garrick. The robot's only appearance was in one panel in The Flash vol. 2, #134 (February 1998).

Notes

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Trivia

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