The Griffin

In his early twenties, Griffin Grey was a factory worker at Keystone Motors. Despite being raised by his grandparents, he has a belligerent disregard for his elders. His primary interests are partying and women. He has been trying to impart these “values” to his friend and roommate, Bart Allen.

Caught in an explosion at the plant, Griffin was burned, battered, and electrocuted. Miraculously, he was half-recovered by morning. The next day, while giving a statement to police on live TV, a greenish glow surrounded him and he leaped up to a catwalk, rescuing a falling cameraman. Griffin seems to have enhanced speed and strength, though the extent of his powers is still unclear.

Hotheaded, eager to make his mark, and disdainful of the original Flash as “too old,” Griffin set out to take over as Keystone City’s new hero, the Griffin...no matter the cost to anyone else. He’d bring them in dead or alive, and didn’t care much which, as long as he got the credit.

Ironically, his powers began aging him prematurely, costing him the ability to benefit from his newfound fame, and making him the one thing he always hated: old. He kidnapped Jay Garrick, hoping to tap the speed force that kept him young, unaware that his prisoner was no longer linked to it.

When Bart, as the Flash, attempted to capture Griffin and rescue Jay, Griffin decided he needed to capture the hearts of the city with one great feat. He would secretly damage the supports of the bridge linking Keystone to Central City, then single-handedly rescue everyone trapped on it. Instead, the Flash saved most of the people, and Griffin died, victim of his own power.

In the end, Griffin’s major accomplishment was to give Bart Allen the motivation he needed to take up the mantle of the Flash.

• Art Credits
• One Year Later Appearances

Art

• Costume: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #3 (October 2006) - Karl Kerschl and Serge Lapointe
• Youthful Portrait: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 (August 2006) - Ken Lashley and one of KWL Studio, Norm Rapmund, Marlo Alquiza or Jay Leisten.
• Aged Portrait: Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #4 (November 2006) - Ken Lashley and one of Walden Wong, Art Thibert, or Jay Leisten

Significant One-Year-Later Flash Appearances

• The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1–6 (August 2006–January 2007): “Lightning in a Bottle,” Danny Bilson & Paul DeMeo

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