The Tornado Twins XS

The Tornado Twins

Donald and Dawn Allen were the twin children of Barry Allen—the second 20th century Flash—and his wife Iris West. Iris met Barry just as he was beginning his career as the Flash, in the second great age of super-heroes. (Showcase #4) They married not long after meeting. (The Flash vol. 1 #165) In that time, Barry also took on a sidekick, Iris’ nephew Wally West, who became the first Kid Flash. (#110)

The couple chose not to start a family, and it looked as if they never would when Iris was murdered by his arch enemy, the Reverse-Flash (Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom). (The Flash #275) After grieving for his wife, Barry learned a shocking truth: Iris was actually from the 30th century. At the moment of her 20th century death, Iris’ soul returned to the 30th century, where her parents were waiting to restore her to life. When she was well enough, she returned to the past and reunited with Barry. They both chose to relocate to the 30th century. (#350, Flash Secret Files #1)

After only a month of happiness, Barry Allen disappeared into the timestream, never to return. He never learned that Iris was pregnant. (Crisis #3) Barry died in the first epic Crisis, in battling the Anti-Monitor. (#8) Iris bore twins, whom she named Donald and Dawn Allen.

Barry and Iris’ twins did not naturally manifest the speed powers of their father, but the potential was in their genes. Their connection to the so-called “Speed Force” was artificially unlocked one day for a celebration dedicated to the Flash. The Allen siblings called themselves the Tornado Twins and met the Legion of Super-Heroes, whom they beat to many emergencies. The upstaging led to a little animosity until they revealed that they were "descendants" of the Flash. They had no intention to make a career out of super-heroism. (Adventure #373) They became friends with the Legion, even attending the wedding of Duo Damsel and Bouncing Boy. (Superboy vol. 1 #200)

Upon maturity, both twins married around the same time. Dawn Allen married Jeven Ognats and they bore a daughter, Jenni Ognats. Soon afterwards, Don Allen married Meloni Thawne (a descendant of the Reverse-Flash) and bore a son, Bart Allen. (Legion vol. 4 Annual #6) Note: This was Jeven Ognats' first appearance. Meloni Thawne first appeared in Impulse #23 (Mar. 1997).

Once, the twins were targeted for murder by Professor Ivo, an immortal enemy of the Justice League. They were saved by the Legionnaires. (Legion vol. 3 Annual #1)

Glorith Reality (Legion vol. 4)

In Glorith Reality continuity, Iris Allen wrote a series of articles exposing the Dominators' covert domination of Earth and campaign to wipe out former members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In revenge, and to prevent others from doing the same, the Dominators fabricated evidence that implicated the twins in the explosion of the Quebec fusion powersphere and had them executed for the crime (Legion vol. 4 #17)

Dawn died unmarried; Don was survived by his wife, Carmen Johnson, and his son Barry II, or "Bart", who had inherited his grandfather's super-speed and was brought by his grandmother to the twentieth century, where he became the super-hero Impulse.

Post-Crisis

Even though Barry was dead, the Reverse-Flash would not leave the Allen family alone. Though the Reverse-Flash was of the 25th Century, he was a savvy time traveler. When he learned that his own descendant, Meloni, had married into the Flash family, he was enraged. Thawne launched a campaign against the Tornado Twins, and they recruited help. They used the Cosmic Treadmill to breach the barriers between universes and brought three Legions to their aid. The Legions forced Thawne into retreat. (Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #3) Note: The Reverse-Flash first appeared long before this, in Flash vol. 1 #139 (Sept. 1963). The rivalry between the Allens and Thawnes is a newer invention, originating in the revelation that Barry Allen’s long-lost evil twin brother was named Malcolm Thawne. Malcolm became the villain Cobalt Blue, and spawned a dynasty of Flash-haters. (Speed Force #1)

Afterwards, three Brainiac 5s created a new suit for Star Boy which was essentially a map of the multiverse. (Legion of Three Worlds #2) Star Boy used the suit to relocate the Twins and their mother Iris to an alternate Earth (designated Earth-247). (#3) Even this could not bar the hatred between the Allen and Thawne clans. Shortly after migrating to Earth-247, Dawn and Don Allen were killed by Dominator agents under the guidance of Meloni's father, another sworn enemy of the Allens. (Flash Secret Files #1)

Reboot: XS

The children of the Tornado Twins, Jenni and Bart, were taken by the Dominators. These alien scientists were fixated on the chidrens' metahuman lineage. Within days, both children were artificially accelerated into their teens. (Legion of Three Worlds #3) Iris Allen managed to kidnap her grandson Bart and returned to the 20th century with him. There he became the young hero called Impulse. (Flash vol. 2 #92)

Eventually, Jeven Ognats also freed his daughter Jenni from the Dominators as well. They hid away on his home planet, Aarok but the Dominators caught up to them again. The scientists tried in vain to trigger her super-speed abilities, succeeding only after threatening Jeven with torture. When her latent powers kicked in, she swiftly rescued her father. The government of Aarok then began a more humane program to test Jenni's abilities. (Legion vol. 4 Annual #6) Notes: Jeven Ognats first appeared in Legion vol. 4 Annual #6 (1995); Meloni Thawne in Impulse #23 (1997).

When the Legion of Super-Heroes (of Earth-247) was formed, Jenni was drafted to join them as XS. (Legionnaires #0, Legion vol. 4 #62) She was timid at first, but the Legion’s leader, Cosmic Boy, inspired her to face her fears rather than run from them. (XS developed a crush on Cos which was never reciprocated.)

On a time-travel mission to the 20th century, Jenni got lost and fell prey to the time-hopping super-villain, Chronos. (Legion vol. 4 #75) When she escaped, she found her way to the 20th century Flash family. There she met her cousins Wally West and Bart Allen (now known as Impulse). (Flash vol. 2 #109-112, Impulse #9-11) She returned to the 30th century with the aid of the 27th century Flash, John Fox. Also during her time travels, she met the Legion of an alternate future, in the 100th century. (Legionnaires Annual #3)

Jenni once also had an interesting encounter with the Time Trapper, who claimed that XS' "ultimate role is yet to be unveiled." (Legion vol. 4 #105)

Back home in the 30th century, she found no rest, as she arrived in the midst of the Legion's great battle against the Fatal Five. (Legionnaires #35)

XS grew to become one of the Legion’s most courageous members. When the universe fell to the Blight, she rescued Saturn Girl and changed the tide of battle. (Legionnaires #79) This led to further galactic decay, and XS joined Star Boy and Dreamer on the planet Xanthu to combat a bloody invasion by Robotica. (Legion Worlds #4, The Legion #10)

Infinite Crisis

Universe-247 was destroyed in the "Infinite Crisis." XS and her fellow Legionnaires escaped its fate by retreating into Limbo, where they were found by the Legion of Earth-0 — XS’ home universe! (Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #2) During this mission against Superboy Prime, XS learned the details about her past. At the conclusion of this case, XS elected to remain on Earth-0. (#5)

In her new home, though, XS did not take to the Legion of Earth-0, and served with them only briefly. Instead she was compelled to explore her heritage in Africa, beginning a mysterious project to construct a mosaic about the Flash family. Night Girl visited her to ask if she would become a teacher at the Legion Academy, but she declined. Near Olduvai Gorge, she discovered a stone that triggered massive visions of her family, the origin of the universe, and the blue baby. (Adventure #526)

Presumably, Jenni’s father perished along with Universe-247. Her cousin Bart, and grandparents Barry and Iris Allen all live in the 21st century on Earth-0. The current fate of Meloni Thawne is unknown. She last appeared in the 31st century, on what would be considered Earth-247. (Titans/Legion Special) This was just before the destruction of Universe-247. In the newly-realigned multiverse, it is possible that Jeven Ognats and Meloni Thawne now exist on Earth-0.

After the "Flashpoint" event, the DC Universe was totally rebooted. The Legion's continuity remained fairly intact but XS made no appearance in the concurrent Legion series, volume 7 (2011–13).

Other Versions

On the animated series, Legion of Super-Heroes, XS was shown only once, in a nonspeaking role in the series finale (S2.E13, 7 April 2008).

The character of XS was introduced on The Flash television series. This character is not Barry Allen's granddaughter, but his daughter, Nora West-Allen. XS is played by Jessica Parker Kennedy, and her first apperance on TV was actually a Supergirl crossover episode, "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1," (S3.E08, 27 Nov. 2017). Her first appearance on The Flash was "The Elongated Knight Rises," (S4.E11, 23 Jan. 2018). She was a regular on season 5 of The Flash until her timeline was erased and she faded from existence (S5.E22, 14 May 2019).

Powers

XS was born with a latent link to the speed-force, inherited from her grandfather, Barry Allen (Flash II). This allows her to travel at speeds nearing the speed of light.