Scarlet Speedsters’ Spouses Seeking Scoops

From the start, Barry Allen and Jay Garrick were attached to the love of their lives, who helped them both in their civilian and costumed careers. These two ladies, Iris West and Joan Garrick, didn’t appear on the surface like counterparts. But like their lives, the Flash of two worlds, they also had striking similarities.

One superficial example is that Iris is a brunette while Joan is a blond, although Iris’s boyfriend Barry is blond and Joan’s boyfriend Jay is brunette. A more substantial difference was that Jay trusted Joan with his secret identity since the beginning of life as the Flash. whereas even when married Barry still kept his alter ego a secret from Iris until their first anniversary!

Iris was born in the 30th century, sent to the 20th century by her birth parents to live with adopted parents in order to protect her from a savage future.   Joan was part of a large family, with her father Major Williams being in the military, along with having several notable cousins. Iris was raised along with her adopted siblings by her step-parents Professor Ira West and his wife Nadine, while also having a nephew in Wally "Kid Flash" West. Despite these large families, the closest to each of these ladies was their husbands, whom they stuck with through thick and thin.

Joan dabbled in journalism, when she wasn't purchasing near worthless public utility companies, prior to her marriage to Jay. Iris was well known as a relentless reporter of Central City's Picture News, even after she and Barry wed.

Both women suffered multiple attacks from foes of the Flashs, although for Iris it was mainly from her recurring stalker in Eobard Thawne aka Professor Zoom. Although Joan and Jay hid Iris during one such encounter, shortly thereafter Zoom had seemingly slain Iris for spurning his demented love, although 30th century science restored her and reunited her with Barry. Joan was nearly trapped in dimensional Limbo by the Lord of Limbo, until Jay and Barry teamed up to retrieve her and vanquish the malevolent monarch.

Through the years, despite being separated by their home universes, Iris and Joan formed a last long distance bond, no doubt strengthened by the weighty responsibility they shared... as the wives of the Flash!