# When did Flash become The Flash? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga\ **Created:** [July 16, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092 "2023-07-16T02:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/1 "2023-07-16T02:29:41Z")
When I was a kid I used to get D.C. comics for a dime (the occasional 80-Page Giants were a quarter). In those days one of the heroes was Flash. I just noticed a series on Netflix called _The_ Flash. When did he acquire a definite article? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/2 "2023-07-16T03:22:45Z")
The first comic called _The Flash_ came out in March 1959. So, at least since then. The original comic called just _Flash Comics_ ran from 1940-1949. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/3 "2023-07-16T04:15:07Z")
Even in Flash Comics, Jay Garrick was known as The Flash. It’s right there on the cover of issue No. 1. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Flash_Comics_%28Jan._1940%29-1.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Flash_Comics_%28Jan._1940%29-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/4 "2023-07-16T14:38:01Z")
Well, then, perhaps I’m remembering wrong, or perhaps there was an era where it was just “Flash.” I bought comix mostly around 1965-1969. EDIT: It would appear to be the former, here is a 1967 issue [![](https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/31497545030.jpg) ](https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/31497545030.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/5 "2023-07-16T18:57:31Z")
Does anyone in the comic/ cartoon/ TV Show/ Movie ever call him _The_ Flash? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/6 "2023-07-16T21:07:16Z")
Batman has gone back and forth being styled as both “Batman” and “The Batman” > **[The Batman (TV Series 2004–2008) ⭐ 7.3 | Animation, Action, Adventure](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398417/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520batman)** > > 22m | TV-Y7 > **[Batman (1989) ⭐ 7.5 | Action, Adventure](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_Batman)** > > 2h 6m | PG-13 And sometimes the title and the poster disagreed… > **[Batman (1943) ⭐ 6.1 | Action, Crime, Family](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035665/?ref_=fn_al_tt_10)** > > 4h 20m | Approved ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/7 "2023-07-16T22:07:49Z")
It usually depends if they’re talking to him or about him. In the recent show they’ll definitely call him “The Flash.” But if they’re talking to him it’s just “Flash.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/8 "2023-07-17T04:23:09Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > It usually depends if they’re talking to him or about him. In the recent show they’ll definitely call him “The Flash.” But if they’re talking to him it’s just “Flash.” Close personal friends call him The. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2023, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-flash-become-the-flash/987092/9 "2023-07-17T06:16:49Z")
Please, The is my father’s name.