How Stargirl's Flash Crossover Can Lead To An Iconic Barry Allen Story - Screen Rant

Stargirl’s upcoming crossover with The Flash will make one of Barry Allen’s most iconic stories possible in the Arrowverse. John Wesley Shipp, who plays the Jay Garrick incarnation of the Scarlet Speedster on The Flash, is set to reprise his role in Stargirl. Shipp’s highly-anticipated guest appearance will be the first time that the series has included an Arrowverse character.

With the creation of Earth-Prime, “Crisis on Infinite Earths” established that the characters featured on Stargirl exist on a new version of Earth-2, a world totally separate from the one shared by Batwoman, The Flash, Supergirl, Superman & Lois, Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning. Stargirl hasn’t really been counted as a part of the Arrowverse as of yet, but it looks like that’s about to change when season 2 rolls around in the summer and brings in John Wesley Shipp’s Jay Garrick.

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Because of the existence of multiple Earths in the pre-Crisis Arrowverse, Shipp has portrayed multiple characters, including Barry’s father, an older version of the Flash he played in the 1990s series, and the Jay Garrick of Earth-3. Two of those characters have since died, but Garrick is still out there somewhere. Though he hasn’t been seen since before the Crisis, it has been confirmed that his take on the DC Comics superhero is alive in the Arrowverse. Plus, he is expected to return at some point in The Flash season 7. As for the character he’s playing in Stargirl, this person will be a new version of Jay Garrick presumably unconnected to Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). He’ll be on Stargirl’s world, but a connection to Barry can still happen. Here’s how Stargirl’s Jay Garrick can lead to a major Barry Allen story from DC Comics.

Flash of Two Worlds in DC Comics Explained

As DC Comics moved deeper into the Silver Age, it focused on modern versions of its heroes and didn’t have much use for many of its original characters, like Jay Garrick’s Flash, Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, and several more. DC’s position on that saw a major shift once it published The Flash #123 in 1961. The story told in this particular issue was “Flash of Two Worlds”, which saw Barry Allen take an accidental trip to Earth-2, a place he had never visited before that moment. While there, he encountered Jay Garrick, who was the Flash in the Golden Age of DC Comics. To comic fans, he was a forgotten superhero from a bygone era, but to Barry, he was just a comic book character and not someone that he thought was a real person.

Apparently, Jay had retired from being a superhero on Earth-2, but had to suit up as the Flash again after meeting Barry. The two had to team up against a trio of villains from his Golden Age rogues’ gallery. They tried working separately to win, but when that didn’t work, they used teamwork to foil the three villains’ plans. Following the big fight, Jay decided to resume his activities as Earth-2’s Flash.

The Flash #123 has an important and lasting legacy in comic book history. It was the popularity of this story that caused DC to reevaluate its Golden Age characters. Having realized that there was still storytelling potential with them, DC brought back more classic superheroes and even revived the Justice Society. In other words, 1961’s “Flash of Two Worlds” can be partially credited for the continued relevance of DC’s Golden Age superheroes.

Stargirl’s Jay Garrick Explained (& How He Can Be Still Alive)

The Arrowverse’s Jay Garrick isn’t a Golden Age hero or a Justice Society member like the original comic cook character, but Stargirl’s take on him will incorporate his connection to the team. It was revealed in Stargirl season 1 that Flash was one of many characters in the show’s Justice Society, a group of super-powered individuals who fought crime several years ago. With the exception of Luke Wilson’s Pat Dugan, they all supposedly died in battle with the Injustice Society. Jay himself didn’t appear in the show, but the series did reveal his helmet and costume.

Since Jay is said to be dead, it’s possible that Shipp will only play him in flashbacks. However, Starman (Joel McHale) turning up alive in the Stargirl season 1 finale means that Jay Garrick (and other Justice Society heroes) could still be around too. It could be that some of them, including Jay, allowed the world to think they were dead and stepped away from the superhero life. If that’s what happened with Jay, he could have a presence in the show’s present-day story as an old friend and former teammate of Pat Dugan and Starman. He could give advice to the younger heroes, or pass the Flash mantle down to a teenage speedster.

The Flash’s Barry Allen Can Team-Up With Stargirl’s Jay Garrick

Courtney (Brec Bassinger) and her friends may indeed meet Jay at some point in Stargirl season 2, but they may not be able to convince Jay to come out of retirement. Instead, The CW can save that moment for a fun adaptation of “Flash of Two Worlds”. The CW already used that title and a rather loose, reversed take on that plot for a season 2 episode, but that was actually with Teddy Sears’ Zoom posing as Jay Garrick, and not the hero himself. As one of the most important comics for both Barry and DC Comics in general, it’s a story that deserves to be done justice, and with the real Jay, Stargirl and The Flash can finally do just that.

Sometime after Stargirl introduces its Jay Garrick, it can do a proper crossover with The Flash. Somehow, Barry can wind up on the new Earth-2 and meet this new version of Jay, who could be living in retirement, much like his comic book counterpart during “Flash of Two Worlds”. It could be that for some reason, Barry and Jay will have to work together against an old enemy of Jay’s, and then combine their efforts to beat them.

After it’s over, the episode could feature an ending that’s similar to the comic by having Barry head back home, and Jay being inspired by Barry to become the Flash again. It’s the sort of story that feels like the perfect crossover for the Arrowverse to do. It wouldn’t be an all-inclusive event like “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, but it doesn’t need to be. It would just be a fun, one-off adventure that unites the Flashes of two different worlds.

More: How Stargirl Could Reboot Jay Garrick's The Flash History (Why It Matters)

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Nicholas Raymond (2450 Articles Published)

Nicholas Raymond is a staff movies & TV features writer for Screen Rant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo, and is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Nicholas' love for telling stories is inspired by his love for film noir, westerns, superhero movies, classic films, and ancient history. His favorite actors are Tyrone Power and Eleanor Parker. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91.