- For other uses of the name "Nora", see Nora (disambiguation).
- "Do you believe in fate? Because I do. That's why I believe that there's a reason that we met, so that even for one day, you don't have to go through all of this alone."
- —Nora Allen to her future son, Barry Allen[src]
Nora Allen (née Thompson;[1] 1959[2] – March 18, 2000[3]) was the mother of Barry Allen, the wife of the late Henry Allen, and a good friend of Joe West. She was fatally stabbed by Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash and her murder was pinned on Henry who was subsequently sent to prison. 15 years following her death, Barry learned of Eobard's identity as a disguised Harrison Wells and confronted him before Eobard was erased from the timeline by his ancestor's death. Several months later, Barry received a video from Eobard (recorded prior to his death) where he admitted guilt to murdering Nora, allowing Barry to exonerate Henry.
Shortly after Henry's death at the hands of Zoom and Zoom's later defeat, Barry traveled back in time and prevented Eobard from killing Nora, creating an alternate timeline where she remained alive and Henry was never sent to prison. However, after realizing the unforeseen consequences of the new timeline, Barry asked Eobard to undo his changes by killing Nora once more. After things were reset, Barry and Thawne returned to the present where the former noticed several subtle changes to the timeline.
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Early life[]
Nora Thompson was born in 1959 to her father and an unknown mother.[2] She studied abroad in her college years, spending one of them in Spain, and wanted to do much more traveling. In her adulthood, Nora became a real estate agent[4] and met and married Dr. Henry Allen, taking his surname, Allen. On March 14, 1989,[1] they had a son, Bartholomew, or "Barry" for short.[3]
Motherhood[]
When Barry was six, he begged Nora and Henry to take him to a science expo in Midway City but on the way, they hit a flat tire. Their car was towed to a garage in Masonville and they were stuck there all day. However, the family ended up having a fun day in Masonville; they ate ice cream and french fries with gravy at a local diner and watched a fireworks display that night.[5]
Nora and Barry would watch Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra musicals together on rainy nights.[6]
On March 18, 2000,[3] Barry ran home from school after being bullied. Nora tended to his injuries and assured Barry that he had a good heart, which was worth much more than having fast legs. When Henry arrived at home, Nora told him that Barry won a fight. Henry praised their son and, after a stern glance from Nora, told him to not get into any more fights.[7]
Death[]
Late that night, on March 18, 2000,[3] versions of Barry Allen and Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash from the future traveled through time, sped into the home, and began to fight, circling Nora and waking her husband and son. 11-year-old Barry and Nora began shouting for each other as the speedsters around them raced around the living room. Nora then watched in horror as Future Barry grabbed his younger self and ran out of the house, although unbeknownst to her, her son had been taken to safety several blocks away. Enraged that his nemesis ruined his plan, Eobard stabbed Nora in the heart with a knife before fleeing the scene. Henry was later blamed for Nora's death and sent to prison.[8][9]
In 2015, Barry was allowed a second chance to travel back in time and prevent Nora's murder. Despite arriving in 2000 and preparing to save her, Barry was warned by his future self to not interfere considering the damage it would cause to the timeline. However, this allowed Barry to have one last, heartfelt talk with his mother before she died, confirming that he and Henry were safe in the future and that they loved her.[10]
Flashpoint timeline[]
One year later, after Henry was murdered by Hunter Zolomon/Zoom, an emotionally damaged Barry traveled back in time to save his mother from her fate. As he arrived in 2000, Barry tackled Reverse-Flash before he could stab Nora and in a moment of rage, beat him unconscious. As a terrified Nora watched on, Barry (while still disguised as the Flash) assured her that she would be alright before grabbing Thawne and returning to his present.[11][12]
With Barry having successfully altered his mother's fate, Nora continued to live a happy life in a new timeline (coined "Flashpoint" by Thawne) with Barry and Henry with the latter never sent to prison. After Barry returned to 2016 shortly after saving Nora, he lived with his parents for three months. Nora and Henry later asked Barry to move out as they were selling their home, upon which Barry revealed that he had a date with Iris West, much to the surprise and joy of Nora and Henry.
After some time, however, Barry came to realize that Flashpoint ruined or worsened the lives of those around him despite ensuring his own happiness (especially after the death of Wally West/The Flash at the hands of Rival). Realizing that he needed to undo his mistake, Barry met with Nora and Henry, knowing that it would be his last chance to talk to them but not theirs, scaring Nora slightly. After saying a final goodbye to his confused parents, Barry asked Thawne to kill Nora once again to which Thawne accepted.
Thawne and Barry time-traveled to 2000 moments after the younger Barry knocked Reverse-Flash out. As Barry began assuring Nora that she was alright, Thawne appeared and said that she was not, before the younger versions of Reverse-Flash and Barry were erased. As Nora watched on in horror and pleaded for her life, Thawne fatally stabbed Nora once again, resetting the timeline, before returning present Barry to 2016.[12]
Post-Flashpoint timeline[]
In the Post-Flashpoint timeline, Nora had once again been murdered by Eobard Thawne. However, she remained alive for a few more seconds, resulting in a variety of unforeseen changes to the reset timeline, including the death of Dante Ramon (although whether his death was truly a result of Barry's time-traveling is unclear), the erasure of Sara Diggle and replacement by John Diggle, Jr., and the estrangement of Joe and Iris.[13]
New multiverse[]
Reunions[]
When Henry was turing 45, Nora threw him a surprise birthday party, the whole block showed up, and Barry has been baking cupcakes for weeks. When the big night came, and before he could even take off his coat, the pager went off, they actually needed him, he actually had to miss his own party.[14]
When a version of Barry from 2023 was taken back to March 18, 2000 by the blue crystal, he saw Nora and Henry getting coffee from the distance. He goes to see them, but he is knocked unconscious by Eobard Thawne. They go to him to see if he's alright. After being hospitalized, 2023 Barry decided to have lunch with his parents, but gets an excuse to leave. Later, 2023 Barry returns to hospital to say goodbye to his parents, where he apologized for leaving them. Nora then gave him a hug and Henry joins them too. Nora then tells 2023 Barry to take care of his baby before she and Henry left the hospital.[15]
Nora was still murdered by Eobard Thawne in the year 2000, but was buried in a different place in Central City than in the original multiverse (note that a train ran where the graveyard was). The cemetery itself is located somewhere else as well.[16]
Legacy[]
Original multiverse[]
Nora's death was incentive for her son, Barry, to join the forensics department of the Central City Police Department - inciting a need to both learn how to investigate crimes and to study cases with unexplained elements - all with the deep-rooted desire to prove the circumstances of her murder true (that she was not killed by her husband, but by a man in a yellow suit who could move as fast as lightning) and to ultimately prove his father, Henry's innocence. This quest was ultimately what led Barry down the path that would lead him to eventually become the superhero known as the Flash.[7][17]
When Oliver talked about his tragedies, Barry mentioned that he saw his mother Nora murdered right in front of him too.[18]
In 2015, Barry received a video message from Eobard Thawne after his erasure in which he confessed to the murder of Nora, allowing Barry to finally clear his father's name.[3]
After Barry revealed his doubts of going up against Zoom and knew that Zoom caused Central City to lose faith in their hero, Henry confided in Barry all the feelings he went through when he was accused of murdering Nora, and told him that he only got through because he kept family in mind. Barry revealed his relief at having Henry back and was able to resume his work as the Flash before Henry left once again.[19]
Barry and the Speed Force read the Runaway Dinosaur.
When Barry's powers were taken by Zoom[20] and he attempted to regain them by recreating the particle accelerator explosion,[21] he was briefly transported inside the Speed Force itself, which manifested as his friends and family to talk to him, culminating in a manifestation of his mother telling him that he needed to accept Nora's loss and move on. While talking to "Nora", this manifestation assured him that his mother would be proud of what he had become, the two reading Barry's favorite childhood book together to give Barry one last good memory of his mother before he regained his speed and returned home.[2]
When Henry was about to killed by Zoom, he managed to declare his and Nora's love for Barry before he died.[22]
However, after Henry Allen was murdered by Zoom, Barry ran back in time and saved his mother, creating another, new timeline where she didn't die; it was coined "Flashpoint" by Nora's killer Eobard.[11]
Barry and "Nora" step into a portal into the Speed Force.
Following her death the second time at the hands of the Reverse-Flash,[12] Barry resolved to still use his powers for good, believing Nora and Henry would be proud of him.
Killer Frost criticizes Barry about Flashpoint by mentioning Nora as one of the people that the Flash had helped.[23]
In 2017, Barry used Nora's wedding ring to propose to Iris.[24]
After Barry's war with Savitar and the latter's defeat, the Speed Force ripped open and its energies poured into Central City, having no speedster to stabilize it from within. Once Barry voluntarily decided to sacrifice his freedom and enter the Speed Force, it once again appeared to him in the form of Nora.[5]
Nora was remembered by Barry and Iris amongst Team Flash's deceased loved ones acknowledged by Sharon Finkel.[25]
Nora's granddaughter, Nora West-Allen, was named in honor of her.[26]
Nora's death weighed on Barry's conscience. Her name was on one of the gravestones that appeared in his Speed Force hallucination while fighting Bloodwork's infection.[27]
New multiverse[]
Speed Force as Nora Allen.
In the aftermath of the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Barry tried to look for Nora and Henry's graves, but they were buried in a different place in Central City than in the original multiverse.[16]
When Barry seeks comfort, he snuggles in a blanket created by Nora. A family portrait of the Allen family is also in Barry and Iris's apartment.[28]
Speed Force (as Nora) tries to resolve issues with the other Forces.[29]
When the Speed Force is reborn,[30] it appears as Nora in a human form[31] instead of appearing as lightning.[28] Barry slowly comes to terms with the Speed Force appearing as his mother, after a conversation with Iris.[32]
Iris fears that she will not be a good mother because, in her imagination, Nora Allen is the ideal mother, given that Iris was not raised by her own.[33]
Nora's death was ultimately avenged when Barry finally killed Thawne by reversing Thawne's destruction, flowing, and turning his own powers of the Negative forces into him and seeing the universe resetting itself, ending his threat once and for all in 2022.[34]
Personality[]
Nora was a caring, gentle, and kind woman. She dearly loved her husband, Henry Allen and her son, Barry Allen.
Nora was influential in her son, Barry's, future heroism as the Flash; she always praised Barry for his good heart, which was his main strength and far more important than speed.[7]
Appearances[]
Arrow[]
Season 2[]
- "The Scientist" (mentioned)
- "Three Ghosts" (pictured)
Season 3[]
- "The Brave and the Bold" (mentioned)
Season 6[]
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2" (mentioned)
Season 7[]
- "Elseworlds, Part 2" (mentioned)
The Flash[]
DC's Legends of Tomorrow[]
Season 2[]
Season 3[]
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4" (indirectly mentioned)
- "Guest Starring John Noble" (mentioned)
Season 5[]
- "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five" (mentioned)
Supergirl[]
Season 3[]
- "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" (mentioned)
Comics[]
The Flash: Season Zero[]
- "The Talented Mr. Bliss" (vision)
- "A Captive Audience" (vision)
The Chronicles of Cisco[]
- Post 25 "BBFF" (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- In the DC comics, Barry actually went back in time to prevent Nora Allen's death at the hands of the Reverse-Flash. However, the results of his actions created a time ripple, leading to the events of Flashpoint.
- Flashpoint is secretly referenced during "Fast Enough", when a future version of Barry prevents his alternate-self from saving their mother. This is most likely a reference to Flashpoint and that the events of that have caused Barry to let Eobard kill Nora.
- In the episode "The Race of His Life", Barry goes back in time and saved Nora in the aforementioned manner, and resulting in the timeline being altered as suggested prior.
- Flashpoint is secretly referenced during "Fast Enough", when a future version of Barry prevents his alternate-self from saving their mother. This is most likely a reference to Flashpoint and that the events of that have caused Barry to let Eobard kill Nora.
- Nora is the first character to die on The Flash, which was the catalyst event that kicked off Barry's journey and therefore the entire The Flash show.
- Nora loved musicals, particularly Singin' in the Rain.[6]
References[]
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| Other versions of Nora Allen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To see other versions of this character, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Nora Allen. | ||||
| New multiverse | ||||
| Earth: Prime | ||||
| Original multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 1 • 2 • 3 • 90 | ||||
| Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
| Earth: | ||||