10 Greatest Superhero Replacements That Outshone The Originals

The Golden Age Flash was a man named Jay Garrick. After inhaling smoke vapours inside a laboratory, he gained to ability to run at superhuman speed. Sporting a metal helmet and a red shirt with a lightning symbol, Garrick became the titular superhero. But like many heroes mentioned here - such as Batgirl and Green Lantern - the Silver Age of Comics revamped The Flash.

Barry Allen was a forensic scientist. After being struck by lightning and bathed in chemicals, he received superhuman speed much like his predecessor. Inspired by a comic that detailed Jay Garrick's exploits, Barry became The Flash. Coming in with a new look, the Scarlet Speedster's popularity led to the numerous revivals of Golden Age characters. Without The Flash's success, characters such as Hal Jordan and the Justice League of America would not exist.

Allen's stint as The Flash also introduced a concept that changed comics forever: the multiverse. This meant that Jay Garrick existed in a parallel universe to Barry's. The story entitled 'Flash of Two Worlds' allowed two versions of the characters to co-exist and would spawn titles such as Crisis On Infinite Earths.