If you’re anything like me, the addition of more speedster heroes and villains on CW’s The Flash waters down the uniqueness that is Barry Allen. Sure, in the comics there are plenty of people who have fallen into those categories over decades of print, but this is television. Dilute the main character too much and people start to lose interest, as those uninitiated to comics will start to view the whole speedster-time-travel stories as lazy writing.
There are plenty of non-speedster villains that can give The Flash a run for his money. It would be nice if any one of these would be given the limelight for a long arc. After all, Barry is supposed to be the “fastest man alive”, not “the fastest man alive… except for that guy… and maybe that one… and that one…”
Mirror Master
The original Mirror Master was a convict working at a mirror factory when he accidentally created a mirror that was imbued with special properties. With his discoveries, he fought against The Flash, becoming one of his most consistent enemies in the franchise. Whether teaming up with the Rogues or going solo, he fought against both Barry Allen and Wally West.
So what can his mirrors do? They can: create duplicates of people under his control, essentially hypnotize people, grant access to the Mirror World, and alter his appearance. He also has a Mirror Gun that can replay events in its reflection as well as turn a person into a flat sheet of glass.
Blacksmith
Since The Flash remains true to Barry Allen’s police work, it makes sense that one of the greatest criminal masterminds of Central and Keystone City should make the list. Blacksmith runs the black market of both cities and has connections to virtually all the villains of The Flash universe. In fact, it was she that brought together The Flash’s worst enemies into a formidable criminal team, the Rogues.
As if running a vast criminal enterprise wasn’t enough of a challenge for Barry, she also has the ability to merge metal with flesh. This enables her to control metals in a way that can increase her mass and strength and even combine technologies made with metal into something deadly.
The Shade
Perhaps the most interesting version of The Shade is his post-Zero Hour incarnation. This man has been both villain and hero and has lived for centuries. This makes him an interesting tool for writers to use on both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. The city he currently resides in, Opal City, is already part of The Flash‘s television universe.
The Shade is immortal and has the ability to manipulate darkness, enabling him to teleport, create shadow constructs, fire shadowy blasts, and create a force field. For a time, he was merged with his nemesis, resulting in a sort of Jekyll and Hyde situation. The Shade would not discover this for quite a while, unknowingly searching for the evil within himself in an attempt to protect his city.
Cicada
Speaking of immortal villains, Cicada is another force to be reckoned with. Having already murdered his wife, he was struck by a bolt of lightning that he was convinced came from the Speed Force. Over time he amassed a following, forming a cult whose sole purpose was to kill all those The Flash had ever saved. Why? Well, he used to be a preacher before he went insane and thus used his charisma to convince others of his vision: The Flash was a savior using his abilities to rescue those meant for sacrifice.
It makes more sense when you consider the source of Cicada’s immortality, namely sucking the life force from other people.
Golden Glider
Last on this list is the Golden Glider. Now, you may be stopping and saying “hey, we’ve already seen Lisa Snart on The Flash!”, and you’d be absolutely correct. Yet, what was she? A tag-along sister and plot device to further the character development of her brother, Captain Cold. While she was originally a criminal utilizing cold-based technology like her brother, the new reboot of DC’s comics made her much more interesting.
Among her powers are astral projection, intangibility, teleportation, flight, and can create white, almost smoke-like tendrils that can kill without leaving any evidence behind. All of this is the result of an experiment gone bad, which seems to be par for the course for The Flash.
For more information about CW’s The Flash, visit the Arrowverse Wiki; or, for more reading about The Flash in the comics, visit the DC Comics Database!