Joe West and the 7 Best Dads from the Arrowverse
By Louis Skye
6. Best Dads from the Arrowverse: Martin Stein
Martin Stein wasn’t always a dad in the Arrowverse. For most of his life, he and his wife, Clarissa, were a happy childless couple. But during a mission with the Legends, a young version of Martin created a different future for himself and Clarissa by having a child, Lily.
The temporal aberration led to present-time Martin being flooded with memories of Lily, whom he instantly realised he adored. Lily was scientifically-minded like her father and the two spent a great deal of time together working on science projects—these memories filled Martin with joy and were deeply cherished.
But Martin wasn’t just a wonderful dad to Lily—he was also a compassionate and proud father figure to Jefferson Jackson, his other half as F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Despite their wildly differing personalities and interests, Grey and Jax—as they affectionately called each other—were inseparable even beyond their F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. persona.
With Jax’s father having passed away shortly after his birth, Martin was an essential part of his life and both parties struggled to leave the other.
Eventually, Martin was snatched away from Clarissa, Lily, and Jax during a brave rescue attempt on the vile Earth-X. Though his sacrifice saved billions of people, his loss to the people who loved him—and the fans—was incredibly hard.
As dads go, Martin wasn’t conventional or willing—but he took to the role like a duck to water and is sorely missed by everyone in the Arrowverse.
5. Best Dads from the Arrowverse: Henry Allen
Barry Allen’s father Henry barely got to be a dad—when Barry was a child, Henry was framed for his wife’s murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Despite being so far away from his son, and having been accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Henry did his best to keep his spirits up every time Barry came to see him. Henry—an accomplished doctor before his life was uprooted—was always proud of his son, even when Barry was just a bumbling CSI before becoming the Flash, and.
When Henry was finally freed, he tried to live his life, realising that Barry already had a father figure who deserved his attention.
Not many people would accept being second fiddle in their own child’s life, but Henry understood how much he’d missed and that inserting himself forcibly into Barry’s established routine would do more harm than good.
No matter where he was, Henry was always there for his son—his loss at the hands of the villain Zoom was one of the greatest tragedies of the Arrowverse.
Despite missing out on so much, Henry managed to pass on to his son his determination and his unfailing belief in doing the right thing. What better lessons can a child get from their dad?