While Easter eggs have always been its strongest suit, there has been several instances in The Flash when the references to classic DC Comics Universe elements were so obscure and ‘blink and you will miss it’ kind of stuff that even the most eagle-eyed of us couldn’t take notice. But if you crystal gaze and sift through each and every episode, you will come across some of the most amazing references to DC comics.
This list is here to shed much-needed light on those Easter eggs. Presenting 10 Top Secret Easter Eggs even Die-Hard fans failed to notice in The Flash….
52 references
The Number 52 holds a special place in the DC Comics continuity. The New 52 Relaunch is one of DC Comics comic book milestones. The DC Multiverse comprise of exactly 52 alternate universes. There is even a ‘52’ series in DC comics. Channel 52 is also a key news channel in The Flash. Even the police officers that arrested Barry Allen’s dad in Season 1 were from the 52nd Division. Another major reference to 52 was “Area 52” where Team Flash started keeping metahuman criminals.
Justice League Easter egg
The Mural in the Central City Police headquarters is also one giant Easter egg. The Mural depicts the Greek pantheon. It appears to be number of Roman gods – mercury with his Jay Garrick helmet. But in reality, says production designer Tyler Harron, the mural honors the Justice League. Zeus, Hades, Hera, Hermes, Apollo, Poseidon and Hephaestus are actually Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Green Lantern in disguise.
Charles Watson, an enthusiastic comic book reader and show’s fan had this to say:
“I would like to point out that the seal, which made JUSTICE the largest word on it, only has seven Greek/Roman Gods rather than the 12 known to be on Olympus. I think it’s more of a Justice League reference than anything. The first three on the Seal are (and I’m only going to mention their Greek names due purely to that being what I prefer) Zeus, Hera, and oddly enough Hades, who wasn’t known to spend time on Mount Olympus or around the other Gods. So obviously, Zeus would be Superman, both are the leaders of their respective group and considered the most powerful. Hera would obviously fit as Wonder Woman and I don’t think that even needs any further elaboration”.
“Batman would be Hades, both prefer the darkness and are typically loners. The next two are Hermes, which is obviously the Flash, and Apollo, who was a hunter and even has a quiver of arrows on his back, so he would be the Green Arrow. Then you Hephaestus, an inventor, which would seem to fit as Atom, but was constantly surrounded by fire, so could also be Firestorm, and finally Poseidon who would be Aquaman”.
Familiar names
After the particle accelerator explosion in season 1, several casualties were reported. Al Rothstein aka Atom Smasher of the Justice League, Bea da Costa aka Fire, Will Everett was otherwise known as Amazing Man and Grant Emerson aka Damage are among the death list. Dibny was also in the list but Flashpoint seemed to have changed it. So does it mean the rest of the aforementioned folks are alive too???
Old Friends return
The guy who plays Barry Allen’s father and now Jay Garrick in The Flash is actually the Original Flash. John Wesley Shipp played Barry Allen in the 1990-91 CBS drama series of the same name. Vito D’Ambrosio plays the corrupt Mayor of Central City in The Flash. D’Ambrosio played the hilarious Tony Bellows in the 1990 series.
Earth 2 Speed Dial
In Season 2 of The Flash, Barry and Cisco end up trying to save Harrison Wells’ daughter from the clutches of Zoom. On Earth 2, Barry learns that his mother is alive as he listens to her voice on the telephone. As he puts the receiver down, several names that are actually The Flash’s fellow Justice League members could be seen on the Speed Dial. Batman, Hal Jordan and Wonder Woman are all on the list.
This was the first time that ‘The Flash’ TV show acknowledged the existence of Batman in such a pronounced manner as opposed to teasing it discreetly in between chit chat. Arrow, on the other hand, is more or else inspired from Batman comics as it decided to even use ‘Ra’s Al Ghul’ as season 3 villain who is actually Batman foe in comics. Further, Felicity’s code name is Overwatch instead of Oracle as it is supposedly taken. Recently, Oliver Queen directly name dropped Bruce Wayne in a press conference.
The Justice Society Easter Egg
The Justice Society is the Justice League of Earth 2. When Barry visits the alternate earth, he also visits Earth 2’s CCPD headquarters. But the Justice League mural on the wall has been changed to a different one. The 1940’s style architecture with some soldiers standing in old school military propaganda pose reads – A Free and Just ‘Society’. Go figure.
A Deadly twist on Batman and Robin
Remember Joe West’s now late ex-wife? She was already dying when she made her first official appearance in the show. Her illness eventually took her life. But do you know what the illness was?? It was called MacGregor’s Syndrome. MacGregor’s Syndrome is also the disease Mister Freeze’s wife was affected with in Batman and Robin. This can’t just be an incredible coincidence as it is a rare disease, it felt like wink wink to the Batman comic-book lore.
A sophisticated Easter egg
Okay this one will clearly catch you off guard! The Flash of Two Worlds is both the name of a classic comic book arc and a Flash episode in the CW channel. In the comic book arc, Flash and Jay Garrick are seen running to save the same person while divided by a wall. The Episode also featured a brick wall separating the two Flashes as they both race to save the day. But this is not the Easter egg we are talking about. In the same episode, Barry visits Harrison Wells’ office as fans see a copy of Charles Dickens ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ in the background. Real smooth Flash!!!
The Devil’s due
Blue Devil is one of DC Comics’ most underrated superheroes. First debuting in the 1980’s, Blue Devil was actually a stuntman who got trapped in his specially designed stuntman suit after a freak accident. A Blue Devil movie first appeared on the billboards of a movie theater in Arrow Season 2 and later even in the Flash. The one in The Flash was actually a sequel. Even in a fictional TV universe, Blue Devil is again a fictional character. What a waste!!!
The Arrowverse Atlas
The Arrowverse is home to several prominent DC Universe cities. When Jesse Wells took a trip to explore a faraway city, the bus she took has been famously referenced to be going to Opal City, the home of Star Man, a popular DC Superhero. Patty Spivot, Barry’s ex-girlfriend, left her job after she got an acceptance letter for training to become a Crime Scene Investigator. The School that gave her the acceptance letter belonged to Midway City. Midway City was the home of Hawk Man and Hawk Girl during the Silver Age.
Waid Boulevard
It is a tradition of both Arrow and ‘The Flash that the street name on which the car chase takes place in the first episode is always that of a creator who has some kind of relationship with the character. Mark Waid, who is considered to be one of the best comic-book writers and often referred to as a guy who took the universe to a whole new level was given due recognition in the episode.
Flash Museum
When Barry said that he does not do anything for fame and popularity, and that he would never want a museum which is built in his name, this may be true in case of CW’s version of ‘The Flash’ but in Flash comics there is actually a Flash museum which is one of the key locations for multiple storylines and plots.
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