Manga DC 2012: The Flash

Next up in my revamped Manga DC for 2012, it's the Flash! Back in '04, I had based his powers on a suit of futuristic armor that harnessed the Speed Force held within the hero's body. I realized that this puts a lot of the drama on the suit, and less of it on the hero. I also realized that a sprinter wouldn't want a set of bulky armor, so for the 2012 version, I trimmed down the silhouette entirely.

Hotaka Aren was the leading forensic scientist for the Tokyo police force. One night, Hotaka was finishing up in his forensics lab as a thunderstorm raged outside, and a bolt of lightning hit the building, sending a surge of electricity through the machines inside and creating a small explosion that splashed super-charged chemicals onto Hotaka. He soon found he had super-speed, and donning a specially designed costume made to withstand his incredible speed, Hotaka became the Flash!

Notes:
- Visually, I was influenced by Super Sentai, Ultraman, and Mega Man. I also was influenced, particularly in the lean sprinter's body type, by Casshern Sin, which has begun showing on the new Toonami block of [adult swim] on Cartoon Network.
- The origin is pretty much the same as the American version of the Flash.
- "Aren" is a phonetic translation of [Barry] Allen. "Hotaka" is a Japanese male name, possibly meaning "step by step."