Iris West Allen

Iris West was a Central City journalist and longtime love interest of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash. Though raised in the 20th century, she was later revealed to have been born in the far future — a secret origin that deepened her ties to the Flash legacy.

Few characters in DC's Silver Age have proven as enduringly beloved as Iris West Allen, who first graced the pages of The Flash #158 in 1966, brought to life by the legendary team of Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino. She's moved through nearly six decades of comics history in remarkable company — sharing pages with the likes of Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, and even Clark Kent — cementing her place at the very heart of the DC Universe. Her presence across flagship titles like The Flash and the celebrated Wednesday Comics, as well as her recognition in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe, speaks to a character whose importance to DC's tapestry has never been in doubt. If you're tracing the rich human threads woven through DC's greatest Silver Age stories, Iris West Allen is absolutely essential.