Jess Chambers

**Jess Chambers** is DC's first major non-binary genderfluid superhero, member of the Justice League and the Flash family.

## Character History

### As Kid Quick

Heralding from Earth-11, Jess Chambers is the nibling of Justice Guild member Jesse Quick. Jess was a member of their softball team in high school, but after inheriting their family ability to channel the Speed Force (by reciting the mathematical formula "3X2(9YZ)4A" and concentrating on the abstract concepts it represents) became the hero known as Kid Quick. In their late teens, Chambers finally took the spotlight in the first adventure of Teen Justice, saving Gotham City--and the world--from a New Year's Eve invasion by the mind-dominating alien Starrla the Star Conqueress.

The following June, Kid Quick participated in the Superheroes of Pride parade in New York City where they teamed up with Teen Justice to stop the Fearsome Five from stealing Doctor Mid-Nite's goggles. This would be the first time Jess would encounter Raven, but their paths would cross again soon after when Teen Justice thwarted Sinestra's radical faction of the Green Lantern Corps.

Distraught at Raven's visions of the future, Jess confronted him at the Quick Museum about the legacy they had to fill as a member of the Flash family, and their lack of say in a pre-ordained destiny. As Raven assured Jess of their ability to choose their own path, the pair passed by the display of Jayne Garrick's protective goggles.

### As The Flash

Jess came to Earth-0 from Earth-11 to "warn of a great conspiracy", and decided behind to help with the fallout. Sometime around the year 2040, they joined the Justice League in a time when the group's rules forbid fraternization. This was temporarily complicated when Jess began dating Aquawoman, Andy Curry. On one mission, after being displaced across the multiverse by the Hyperclan, Jess used their ability to tap into the speed force to help the Justice League travel back to Eath-0. Coming to realize that learning more about their team mates helped secure victory, the League's rules were changed, allowing for Jess and Andy to date more openly.

While preparing one date, Mirror Master's Mirror Gun was stolen from the Flash Museum. Assured by the security guards that they had things under control, Jess continued their date preparation until confronted by the perpetrator, a criminal named Reflek.

Jess has traveled back to the past on multiple occasions, meeting Andy's dad on one occasion, and helping Julian Jourdain better understand his connection to the Still Force on another.

## Development and Design

When developing characters for his Earth-11 set vignette for DC's Very Merry Multiverse, author Ivan Cohen wanted to make sure that his Flash analogue "really different from the rest" of the speedsters that had been introduced over the years, rather than making "just Wally West with curves". It occurred to Ivan that when considering the gender bent nature of that world, some superhero names aren't as gendered as others. “In the DC superhero universe we’ve got a superfast character, Kid Flash. And I thought about how ‘Kid’ can really be any gender.” Without any plans for Jess past their initial story, things changed when Eleonora Carlini's design sparked interest in the DC offices. “She had free rein — we gave her a few notes, but she really found a way to make all the characters look cool and different from their mainstream counterparts.”

Inspired by David Bowie, Carlini conceptualized the design as an “homage to the quintessential icon who broke down gender boundaries". The jagged lightning bolt that separates the yellow and red of their costume also served as a nod to thgeir non-binary identity, stating “a costume that had a vertical or horizontal division would have defined too much a boundary between two opposites,”

## Appearances

DC's Very Merry Multiverse #1Generations Shattered (cameo)Future State: Justice League #1Future State: Justice League #2DC Pride #1DC Pride 2022 #1Multiversity: Teen Justice #1Multiversity: Teen Justice #2Multiversity: Teen Justice #3Multiversity: Teen Justice #4Dark Crisis: Worlds Without A Justice League - Superman #1 (Dream)Multiversity: Teen Justice #5Multiversity: Teen Justice #6Hershey's Justice League: Issue OneHershey's Justice League: Issue FourDC Pride 2023 #1

## Trivia

* Despite their stories existing across separate parts of both the timeline and multiverse, DC editor Andrea Shea has confirmed that Kid Quick from Teen Justice becomes Flash of the Future State Justice League.

## Promotional Gallery

DC Pride Twitter AdMultiversity: Teen Justice trading card.
1. ↑ Jaffe, A. (2021, February 19). Catch a rising hero: the Future Stars of Future State. *DC*. https://www.dc.com/blog/2021/02/19/catch-a-rising-hero-the-future-stars-of-future-state
2. ↑ Schreur, B. (2022). DC's Non-Binary Flash Returns in New, Gender-Bent Teen Justice Series. *CBR*. https://www.cbr.com/kid-quick-non-binary-flash-teen-justice-dc/
3. ↑ McGuire, L. (2021). DC's Non-Binary Flash Story Continues In New Preview. *ScreenRant*. https://screenrant.com/dc-new-flash-jess-chambers-non-binary-pride-interview-dc/
4. ↑ Cohen, I., & Lore, D. (2022). *Multiversity: Teen Justice (2022-) #5*. DC Comics.
5. ↑ Lore, D., & Cohen, I. (2022). *DC Pride 2022 (2022) #1: Are You Ready for This?* DC Comics.
6. ↑ DC Publicity. (2022, May 11). Meet the Earth-11 super heroes of “Multiversity: Teen Justice.” *DC*. https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/11/meet-the-earth-11-super-heroes-of-multiversity-teen-justice
7. ↑ Lore, D., & Cohen, I. (2022). *DC Pride 2022 (2022) #1: Are You Ready for This?* DC Comics.
8. ↑ Cohen, I., & Lore, D. (2022). *Multiversity: Teen Justice (2022-) #5*. DC Comics.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kaplan, A. (2023). *DC Pride 2023 (2023) #1: Subspace Transmission*. DC Comics.
10. ↑ V, R., & Williamson, J. (2021). *Future State: Justice League (2021-2021) #1*. DC Comics.
11. ↑ Williamson, J., & V, R. (2021). *Future State: Justice League (2021-2021) #2*. DC Comics.
12. ↑ Lore, D. (2021). *DC Pride (2021-) #1: Clothes Makeup Gift*. DC Comics.
13. ↑ Cohen, I. (2022). *Justice League 4 - (Hershey’s Custom Comic)*. DC Comics.
14. ↑ McGuire, L. (2020). New Teen Justice Team Debuts In DC’s Very Merry Multiverse. *ScreenRant*. https://screenrant.com/teen-justice-future-state-earth-11-dc/
15. ↑ Avery, D. (2020, November 19). *A nonbinary version of the Flash is joining the Justice League*. NBC News. Retrieved July 27, 2023, from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/nonbinary-version-flash-joining-justice-league-n1248274
16. ↑ Kim, M. H. (2020, November 25). Kid Quick is the new nonbinary superhero of color coming to DC comics. *Them*. https://www.them.us/story/kid-quick-nonbinary-superhero-of-color-dc-comics
17. ↑ Shea, Andrea. “Same Jess! DC Pride 2023 Flash Is Jess from the Future We See in Future State Justice League. They Travel Back in Time to Help Circuit Breaker in His Time of Need. Teen Justice Kid Quick Is Jess of Our Present DCU Timeline, but on Earth-11, Years before They Jump to Earth-0!⚡️ Https://T.Co/0jy9p0qf3w.” *Twitter*, 2 June 2023, twitter.com/whatthe\_shea/status/1664725489192255489.