CW’s The Flash is notorious for throwing in easter eggs whenever it can, and according to co-showrunner Todd Helbing, the comic book references are going to keep coming on strong during the Season Three première “Flashpoint,” and beyond. What could they be? Let’s take a look…
Based on the DC Comics crossover title of the same name, “Flashpoint” is a twisted universe that came about after Barry Allen saved his mother. In the comic, Eobard Thawne – Reverse-Flash and Barry’s greatest enemy – likened it to sonic booms. By changing that one event, temporal booms restructured the universe in ways that didn’t make sense. The season two finale saw Barry tackle Thawne and save his mother.
From what little he uncovered from Thawne during his disguise as Wells, it appeared that Nora originally survived. Presumably, Barry thought that he could simply change the timeline back. But it appears that time is less willing.
From what little we have been told about the timeline reboot, S.T.A.R. Labs has been replaced by Ramon industries. Instead of an eager young Cisco studying underneath Harrison Wells, our favorite genius/nerd is the richest man in the world and head of his own company. Barry supposedly no longer knows Joe and Iris as well as he once did. Wally West is now a speedster in his own right but it is not yet clear if Barry was ever the Flash in this world or not.
Possible Easter Eggs
Flashpoint has access to a nearly limitless supply of Easter Eggs to pick and choose from. In DC’s Flashpoint, the Wayne murders never happened with Bruce dying in place of his parents. Now, CW doesn’t own the rights to Batman but Arrow has been borrowing fairly heavily from the premise. Instead of Oliver surviving his father, Green Arrow may instead be the older Robert Queen.
Interestingly, the Earth-2 Robert Queen is already the Arrow with his son supposedly dying in the wreck of the Queens Gambit. It is unknown if Earth-2 Oliver actually went down or if he committed suicide in his father’s place.
With no Flash to focus his attentions on, Captain Cold also supposedly took up the mantle of a hero in DC. CW’s Captain Cold may be dead right now but with the timeline changed, Citizen Cold – his hero alias – may rise again. At the very least, they should have some mention of the heroic iteration of Leonard Snart.
DC saw Deathstroke pirating a ship in search of his missing daughter. Whilst he may not have a daughter in the CW version, that could be switched out for Shado. Captain Deathstroke and his crew of Murmur, Count Vertigo and Baron Reiter searching for a lost love aboard the Amazo could easily be written in and awesome to watch.
Supergirl was brought into the Arrowverse during the crossover episode Worlds Finest and was recently acquired by the CW. DC’s Flashpoint saw a captured Superman as ‘Subject 1’ of ‘Project Superman’. Ramon is certainly different in the Flashpoint timeline – different enough to hold an alien hostage?
Flashpoint will kick off the third season of the Flash on Tuesday October 4th.