‘The Flash’: Why Did Barry Allen Put a Baby in the Microwave?

In the movie ‘The Flash,‘ we’ve seen many interesting scenes where Flash shows his abilities as a speedster. As a superhero, The Scarlet Speedster often finds himself in situations where he needs to save innocent people and improvises a lot to make that happen. One of those instances was at the beginning of the movie when he saved a lot of babies from a collapsing hospital, putting one baby in the microwave. Even though it seemed like a way to make the scene funnier initially, it turned out there was more to it later. So, in this article, we’ll explain why Barry Allen put a baby in the microwave.

When a hospital wing where babies were located started collapsing, Barry was called to save the day. With many babies to catch in the air, Flash needed to find a way to save all of them. Some babies he lay on a stretcher while putting one baby in the microwave. He did that because he couldn’t move the baby in the air at high speed. After all, that would most likely kill the infant, so the microwave was more of a protective barrier for the baby, not just a scene for comedic purposes.

Even though at first it seemed like a random improvisation, it was later revealed that Barry knew the whole time what he was doing and why in the ‘rescue the babies’ mission. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll explain how it all went down and talk in more detail about Barry’s actions. So, keep reading to find out more about it!

‘Flash puts the baby inside the microwave’ scene became an instant hit on social media

After everything happening in the movie, who knew the audience would have put so much interest in the baby rescue scene that it was unimportant for the overall storyline? However, the scene was funny and unusual, so it makes sense that much interest arose.

At the movie’s beginning, Barry receives a call from Alfred and is informed that the hospital’s east wing is about to collapse and that the situation requires Flash’s attention. Barry hoped he would have time to have his order in a restaurant ready before going on a savings mission, but that did not happen. Flash used his abilities and arrived at the hospital in seconds.

A lot was going on; the hospital wing started to collapse, and soon enough, babies started falling out of the hospital’s top floors. Barry was fast, and he had been in situations like this before, but the main problem was that there were a lot of infants in the air he needed to save, and the fact that all kinds of shrapnel were threatening to hit infants didn’t also help.

So, Barry needed to improvise as best as he could. He threw objects around to shield the babies from shrapnel and laid them on a stretcher. Most of the babies were saved by landing on the ground on a stretcher, safe and sound. One baby, however, he saved by putting the infant inside a microwave, which shielded the baby from any shrapnel. For Barry, it lasted seconds only, and soon enough, all the babies were safe. Microwave made its well-known ‘beep’ sign, and the last infant was out of harm’s way.

At first, it all seemed like the movie’s director’s effort to entertain the audience, but later Barry revealed to his younger self that there are certain things speedsters can and can not do because some of their actions can cause more harm than good. At that moment, the microwave scene also became much clearer.

Ordinary humans are not built to move at extremely high-speed

Later, Barry discovered that he could travel through time and used that ability to save his mother. All of that led to various problems down the road, and one of them was that his younger self got his powers and did not know how to use them at first, while the Flash from the future lost his powers.

When the Flash created the alternative timeline, he created a different version of himself, who grew up alongside his parents in a happy and stable family. And even though it was something he had always dreamed about, the other Barry had a different personality; he was more immature and spoiled, as he perceived life from a more colorful and happier perspective.

When younger Barry got his powers, it is fair to say that he was like a baby that had just learned to walk and run. He was all over the place, filled with excitement. Of course, he gained the abilities that required certain knowledge and wisdom. If he continued running around and experimenting recklessly, he or someone else would most likely get hurt. So, tutoring lessons were a must.

That’s where the older Barry stepped in and explained certain basics. The first thing to learn was that running a high speed in ordinary clothes will always result in public nudity afterward due to all the friction created by high speed, which needed to be avoided. The way to do that is by wearing a special suit resistant to friction which could accumulate all the kinetic energy.

The other important thing to learn was that a speedster could never carry other living beings, humans included, at such high speeds simply because their bodies are not built for that conditions. Carrying objects is doable, and there is no harm. Flash also mentioned that carrying a microwave at high speed is acceptable as its material can withstand pressure, friction, and all the other physical conditions in high-speed movements.

At that point, it became clear why Barry put the baby in the microwave – it wasn’t only to protect the baby from shrapnel in the air but also enabled Barry to move the baby very fast, as the infant was shielded inside the microwave. It became apparent that the Flash knew what he was doing the whole time.

What did you think of a scene where Barry puts the baby inside the microwave? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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