The Flash Season 1 Was a Mythic Hero's Journey

 The Flash had the perfect formula in the form of “The Hero’s Journey.” The first steps were the hardest, but they made him a superhero.

The Flash Season 9 has officially begun on The CW. The end is near for the TV incarnation of the Fastest Man Alive. With the series finale in sight, it's important to look back on the beginning of Barry Allen's journey to become the hero of Central City.

When The Flash premiered on Oct. 7, 2014, it had the perfect formula to work with for the first season in the form of what Professor Joseph Campbell called "The Hero's Journey," a twelve-stage narrative encompassed by three acts as old as the earliest myths and legends. The Flash's journey closely followed the three-act structure -- from the "ordinary world" to the "special world" and back again -- to a tee. It also made an extraordinary hero out of a young man.Stage 1 of "the hero's journey" is the "ordinary world.

 This is the part where the hero's mundane life is established. It's also where he's called to adventure, where he refuses the call, meets with his mentor(s), and finally crosses the threshold between this world and the wider world ahead. The pilot episode introduced the audience to Barry Allen in the time between his return to Central City from Starling City and the moment when the STAR Labs' particle accelerator exploded. The first few minutes of the episode laid bare all the important details of his life before the accident, establishing Barry's love for Iris, his work and what he lost at a young age. Barry's discovery of his super speed and the existence of other metahumans served as his "call to adventure," the moment that moved him toward his destiny. Self-doubt was what led to his "refusal of the call."

When the time came for "meeting the mentor," Barry Allen wound up with two, though one came with a twist. Oliver Queen, AKA Green Arrow, believed in Barry and gave him the courage to move forward and confront his first challenge. Harrison Wells initially bolstered that confidence and uttered the arc words that would push him forward time and again through "Run, Barry. Run." From that moment on, it was Wells who was responsible for training Barry to hone his powers and Oliver who would teach him strategy.