From the DCU; Jay Garrick was the first person to bear the mantle of The Flash. As a student at Midwestern University early in the 1940's, he accidently spilled a beaker of an experimental substance called 'Hard Water'. The fumes knocked him out, and when he woke up he had the ability to move at superhuman speed. He then donned a costume (complete with the FTD/Mercury winged helmet) and went into action as The Flash. He was a founding member of the JSA, and even after passing the title of Flash over to Barry Allen, he remained semi-active. Recently, he was involved in the re-activiation of the JSA.