Zoom has something on everyone from Earth-2, and if they kill The Flash, they just might get to live. With Dr. Light making her appearance, things get a little “Harry” in this week’s episode of The Flash.
Barry learns a new breacher, Dr. Light, has come through the portal and sets off to capture her. Jay tells Barry that Dr. Light was not a threat on Earth-2 and that Barry can reason with her. However, during a fight with The Flash, she blinds him and drops some shocking news about Zoom. Meanwhile, Barry and Patty go out on a date.
THE HEROES
Vibe
Cisco’s powers are finally revealed this week, and he gets the code name Vibe at the end of the episode. We’ve discussed the New-52 Vibe previously in the Flashback articles, but since this may article may be someone’s first time…
In the comics, Cisco obtained his powers through contact with the event horizon of a Boom Tube, leading to interdimensional forces rewriting his DNA. In the New 52, Cisco’s powers allow him to find and track interdimensional breaches, and makes him undetectable by security cameras. It may or may not be related, but Cisco was able to tap into the security cameras at the nuclear waste facility fairly easily.
I talked about Vibe in two previous posts:
http://majorspoilers.com/2015/10/07/flashback-the-man-who-saved-central-city-s2e01/
http://majorspoilers.com/2015/05/20/flashback-fast-enough-s1e23-major-spoilers-ahead/
Jesse Quick
I know what you are thinking, “Jesse Quick appeared in this episode? When did that happen?” Turns out, Harrison “Harry” Wells’ daughter (played by Violette Beane) is Jessie (Quick) Wells.
An all new @CW_TheFlash tonight! Things are about to get out of hand… And get your first look at @violettbeane as Jesse Quick! #TheFlash
— Andrew Kreisberg (@AJKreisberg) November 3, 2015
Jesse Chambers is the daughter of Golden Age heroes Jonny Quick and Liberty Belle. She first appeared in Justice Society of America #1 in August 1992, and was created by Len Strazewski and Mike Parobeck – and you really want to see Mike Parobeck’s take on the Flash Family.
During her original run, Jesse acquired the powers of both parents, which means she has the ability to run super fast (by chanting the secret mathematical formula 3X2(9YZ)4A), and has her mother’s super-strength. After her initial appearance in JSA #1, she became a friend of the Flash, and some of her best stories occurred during the Mark Waid Flash era of the ’90s.
Hawkgirl
She only introduces herself to Cisco at the end of the episode, but CC Jitters barista Kendra Saunders, is none other than Hawkgirl! Actress Ciara Renee was cast last season (and we saw her take flight during the Season One finale), and we know she will be a major part of The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow later this season.
The Hawkgirl/Hawkman comic book histories are so convoluted, that constant retcons and changes to their history are one of the primary reasons Crisis on Infinite Earths was created (and Zero Hour years later).
Hawkgirl appeared in Flash Comics #1 in January 1940. She was created by Gardner Fox, Dennis Neville, and Sheldon Modloff. As Hawkgirl proper, she first appeared in All Star Comics #5 in June 1941.
Neither one of those incarnations sport the name Kendra Saunders – that’s because you need to get on board the New-52 wagon, which features Saunders as Hawkgirl, who was created by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, and David Goyer. I can’t wait to see where the character goes and what kind of awesome she brings as the show moves forward.
THE VILLAINS
DOCTOR LIGHT (II)
This week’s episode features Doctor Light as the big bad. She really isn’t a big bad, just forced to kill because of Zoom’s hold over her. While the the surprise reveal that Linda Park of Earth-2 is under the mask, her Doctor Light isn’t the deranged Justice League villain (Arthur Light) who raped and killed people in the comics. Instead, it appears the show is drawing inspiration from Dr. Kimiyo Tazu Hoshi – AKA Doctor Light II.
In her comic book introduction, Dr. Hoshi was Japan’s supervising astronomer, but she has also appeared as a medical doctor in several Justice League stories. During the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), Dr. Hoshi watches celestial events unfold around her on her lab’s telescope. As the Anti-Monitor absorbed more and more positive-matter Earths, the Monitor (the positive version of the Anti-Monitor) sent out a beam of energy from Vega that struck Earth at precisely the point where Hoshi’s telescope was located. And, because she was looking through the telescope at the time, was given photokinesis, similar to the ones seen in this episode. It should also be noted, that Dr. Hoshi only spoke Japanese during the Crisis event, which caused quite a few problems early on as members of the Teen Titans couldn’t understand what she was saying, and they ended up getting a few blasts to the face.
As the multiverse settled down (and Barry Allen made the ultimate sacrifice), Doctor Light would go on to form strong friendships with Flash (Wally West) and Power Girl, but beyond the Justice League affiliation, she is not typically associated as a Flash character. Among her special abilities, Doctor Light can “absorb all forms of illumination as energy, as well as absorb the energy of the sun. She can project energy, allowing her to shoot destructive laser beams and other blasts of destructive energy, blind her opponents with blinding flashes of light, and create protective barriers.”
Doctor Light (II) was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez (based on Arthur Light created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky) in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 in June of 1985.
For those wondering, the evil Doctor Light from comics (Arthur Light), doesn’t have photonic powers, instead relying on technology to create his light attacks. He was primarily a villain of the Teen Titans and the Justice League and was considered quite the joke during his Silver Age appearances. In his first appearance (Justice League of America #12), he did succeed in capturing Aquman, which I only bring up here, because Atlantis did get a major name drop in this episode.
FLASH POWERS
Barry Allen shows off two powers this week; catching bullets and the speed mirage.
Catching bullets is an old Flash trick, going all the way back to Jay Garrick’s first appearance in 1940. While many associate “faster than a speeding bullet,” to Superman, the phrase was not coined until Max Fleisher’s animated shorts in September 1941, a full 21 months AFTER Jay first caught a bullet on the cover of Flash Comics #1.
Flash also uses the ol’ “speed mirage” trick this week to ultimate defeat Doctor Light. Barry used this trick multiple times during the Silver Age, Wally used it until his disappearance, and even though a lot of people were talking about it when the Reverse Flash used it in Season One, it’s an old (and fun) trick.
THE TIDBITS
Eric Larkin (January – October 2015)
Created exclusively for the show, Eric Larkin was the editor-in-chief at the Central City Picture News for two seasons. He first appeared in The Sound and the Fury, where he introduced Iris West to Mason Bridge. His final appearance was this week where Earth-2 Linda Park (Doctor Light) killed him while trying to kill Linda Park of Earth-1. He will be missed.
Eric Larkin was played by actor Tom Butler, who appeared in the movies Tomorrowland (as the police captain), and Fifty Shades of Grey (WSU University President). The Flash was not Eric’s first comic book series; he also appeared on Painkiller Jane, Blade: The Series, Smallville, and fan favorites Fringe, and Supernatural. So if you were worried about what will happen next, he’ll be fine.
Carl Tanner
Linda Park and Larkin have an exchange about a football player named Tanner, who apparently is in the spotlight for domestic abuse. Without a first name in the show, it is hard to tie the name to any one character in the DCU. If do start looking for connections, there was a Carl Tanner that was the villain of the week in the 1990 Flash television series.
It would be interesting if the football player mentioned in this episode has a larger arc where he does become a villain.
IT’S CALLED A SECRET IDENTITY FOR A REASON!
Dr. Harrison Wells(deceased)- Eobard Thawne (as Dr. Harrison Wells)
- Dr. Harry Wells (Earth-2)
- Dr. Caitlin Snow
- Dr. Cisco Ramon
- Detective Joe West
Ronnie Raymond(deceased)- Dr. Martin Stein
- Mrs. Clarissa Stein
- Hartley Rathaway (Pied Piper)
- Felicity Smoak
- General Wade Eiling
- Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)
- John Diggle
Bette Sans Souci(deceased)- Dr. Henry Allen (out of prison)
Iris West(in another timeline)- Iris West-Allen (in the future)
- Iris West (via spark touch)
- Leonard Snart (Captain Cold)
Detective Eddie Thawne(deceased)- Ray Palmer (The Atom)
- Brie Larvan
- Laurel Lance (Black Canary)
Hannibal Bates (Everyman)(deceased)- Gorilla Grodd
- Lyla Diggle (Harbinger)
- Jay Garrick (The Flash of Earth-2)
- Dr. Henry Hewitt
- Jefferson Jackson
And that should be everything! What did I miss? What did you catch? Use the comment section below to share your thoughts on this episode, and until next week – RUN, BARRY! RUN!
FLASHBACK: THE PODCAST
Want to hear Matthew Peterson and I sit down to discuss this episode in detail? If you are a Major Spoilers VIP, look for the Flashback Podcast hitting the VIP site very soon!
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