The Flash is not one, but three characters from DC Comics, and all three of them managed to make it into the series in some way. Jay Garrick, who was the first Flash and whose adventures inspired Barry Allen (the second) lives on in the name of Barry's brother, whose death inspires our hero. Barry Allen was a police scientist, but was also married to Iris West, the aunt of Wally West (the third Flash) who briefly dated Tina McGee some time after Barry died. The Flash of the television series is a combination of Barry Allen's name and day job with Wally West's social life, and a personality falling somewhere between the two.