UPDATE: May 20, 2015
One of the awesome trends happening in pop culture entertainment the last few years is the influx of high-quality TV shows based on comic books. A combination of great screenwriters and comic book writers working together with TV producers and directors have brought the Marvel and DC universes to the small screen. As a result, we’ve got Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Constantine, with others in the works such as Daredevil, Teen Titans, Agent Carter, Supergirl and The Defenders. Who knows what else!
As new viewers and fans watch these shows, it’s often challenging to know who’s who, especially if you haven’t read the comics religiously. Several characters are introduced and they may have a deep history in the comic universe, and just knowing a little bit more about these characters creates a more immersive and complete viewing experience. We’ve done the work for you.
Everyman
Real Name: Hannibal Bates
Abilities: Shape-Shifting
First Comic Book Appearance: 52 #9
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 19
By eating a small portion of any organic life form, Hannibal Bates could duplicate their form. Lex Luthor’s super-human program, called exo-gene, granted Hannibal these abilities. In comics he’s notorious for finding pieces of his teammates such as hair or toenails in order to shape shift into them
Bug-Eyed Bandit
Real Name: Bertram Larvan
Abilities: Inventor of mechanical insects
First Comic Book Appearance: Atom #26
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 18
Bertram Larvan (actually Brie Larvan in the show) is a supervillan and inventor of mechanical insects. In DC Comics, Bertram was a key foe of the Atom. Using his powerful mechanical insects he would use them as weapons sending hordes against his enemies.
Trickster
Real Name: Axel Walker / James Jesse
Abilities: Gadgetry, Acrobatics
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash (vol. 1) #113
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 17
Axel Walker and James Jesse are both the Tricksters in the DC universe. James Jesse being the original with his first appearance in The Flash #113. Axel Walker later stole James Jesse’s gadgets becoming the new Trickster. With the help of their gadgets, they’re able to perform amazing acrobatic abilities for a life of crime. And of course, constant foe to the Flash.
Golden Glider
Real Name: Lisa Snart
Abilities: Jewel Themed Weapons, technologically advanced ice skates that creates its own ice surface
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash (vol. 2) #250
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 16
Captain Cold has a sister and her name is Lisa Snart, a.k.a Golden Glider. Her gadgets allow her to glide on any surface as it is able to produce it’s own ice. Being an accomplished figure skater, she used this ability and other jewel themed gadgets she’s created to fight the Flash and allies.
Peek-a-Boo
Real Name: Lashawn Baez
Abilities: Teleportation
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash (vol. 2) #180
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 13
Trying to save her dying father with a kidney transplant, her hidden ability of teleportation is accidentally activated. Lashawn Baez, though inherently good, turned villain after altercations with the Flash.
Pied Piper
Real Name: Hartley Rathaway
Abilities: Hypnotic Flute
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash (vol. 1) #106
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 11
Hartley Rathaway deafness was cured allowing him to form an obsession with sound. Through sonic technology, he developed skills that allowed him to create hypnotic spells and vibrations through music. Often clashing with the Flash, he called himself the Pied Piper.
Reverse Flash
Real Name: Eobard Thawne
Abilities: Superhuman Speed, Time travel and manipulation
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash (vol. 1) #139
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 9
Professor Zoom is also the Reverse Flash. He’s from the future and actually idolized the Flash of the past. Using a cosmic treadmill, it allowed him to traverse time. Eventually he would succumb to being the Flash’s greatest enemy and various altercations would take place.
Rainbow Raider
Real Name: Roy Bivolo
Abilities: Prism Goggles
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Flash Vol 2 #183
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 8
Roy Bilolo was an artist born color blind. His late father invented a device that would allow him to see color. However it did not work. Instead, the device allowed Roy to create solid objects from light, make him invisible and blind his opponents. And instead of leading a life of art, he lead one of crime. Rainbow Raider was a recurrent foe to both the Flash and Batman.
Green Arrow
Real Name: Oliver Queen
Abilities: Archery, Martial Arts, Swordsmanship
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: More Fun Comics #73
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 8
Oliver Queen is Green Arrow. He’s a playboy billionaire by day, vigilante by night. As a young boy he idolized Robin Hood. One day when he fell off his boat and washed ashore to Starfish Island, all he had was his bow he kept as a memento from a Robin Hood movie. On the island he had no choice but to hone his skills to become a skillful hunter and archer to survive. On that island was a crime group lead by China White. With his skill he was able to stop their drug operation before going back home to Star City. He started using his new found abilities to fight crime. He also formed his own team called Team Arrow.
Blackout
Real Name: Farooq
Abilities: Siphon electrical energy
Teams: Cyborg’s Team
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Flashpoint vol. 2, issue #1
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 7
Blackout, also known as Farooq, is able to harness electricity as a special ability. In a DC event, an alternative universe called the Flashpoint is introduced where the entire status quo of the DC universe timeline is changed. It’s a universe where Aquaman and Wonder Woman are evil and attempting to take over the world. Blackout is highly involved in this incident after being recruited by Cyborg’s team, trying to end this war. However, Blackout plays both good and evil during different story arcs in the DC universe.
Girder
Real Name: Tony Woodward
Abilities: Superhuman strength, durability and stamina
Teams: Rogues, Injustice League
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash Iron Heights
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 6
After being tossed in a vat of molten steel, Tony Woodward was exposed to recycled metal scraps from experiments by S.T.A.R Labs. This had the surprising side affect of turning his body into living metal. This gave Tony super human strength. The only problem, iron rusts, and so did Tony. However, after joining a team of enemies called the Rogues, he met Frances Kane, Magenta, to use her powers to prevent him from rusting.
Plastique
Real Name: Bette Sans Souci
Abilities: Project explosive force from her body, demolitions
Teams: Suicide Squad, Justice League
Nationality: Canadian
First Comic Book Appearance: Fury of Firestorm #7
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 5
In the DC universe, Plastique is a human female, first mentioned in the DC comic Fury of Firestorm #7 as a terrorist, plotting to aid Quebec’s secession from Canada. Plastique first appeared as a villain attempting a suicide bombing of the New York Herald-Express. A character named Firestorm thwarted her efforts by disarming and vaporizing her clothing. Genetic modification eventually allowed her to gain the power to project explosive force from her body. How ironic… She eventually joins the Suicide Squad to work as a covert black ops operative for the American government. Though the Suicide Squad is mostly made up of imprisoned supervillains, Plastique eventually turns good. She ends up marrying Nathaniel Adam, Captain Atom and joins the Justice League faction, Extreme Justice.
The General
Real Name: Wade Eiling
Abilites: Military and Political Powers, Unique Physiology(as Shaggy Man)
Teams: Suicide Squad, The Society, The Injustice Gang
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Issue: Captain Atom #1
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 5
Wade Eiling is a General in the American military. He’s responsible for forcing Nathaniel Adam into a nuclear experiment which turned him into Captain Atom. Nathaniel Adam disappears for 18 years and Eiling ends up marrying Adam’s wife and raises his children. Wade Eiling gets an inoperable brain tumor and sends his military team to salvage the body of Shaggy Man at the bottom of the Pacific. Shaggy Man’s body is indestructible and Eiling transfers his brain patterns to its body, saving his life. Throughout DC comics, The General as himself, and as Shaggy Man, is a recurrent foe for many superheroes, especially the Justice League and its members.
Grodd
Real Name: Gorilla Grodd
Abilites: Super Strength, Super Intelligence, Telepathy and Mind Control
Teams: The Injustice League, Anti-Justice League, The Society, Secret Society of Super-villains, Legion of Doom
Nationality: Gorilla City, Africa
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash Volume 1, #106
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 5
Grodd is a super intelligent, super strong, telepathic and mind-controlling gorilla. In his early state he was just an ordinary gorilla. But after exposed to a mysterious meteorite, the space rock gifted him these extraordinary abilities. In the DC universe, Grodd is a super-villain and recurrent enemy to the Flash.
Felicity Smoak
Real Name: Felicity Smoak
Abilites: Business Management, Computer Science and IT
Teams: Neutral
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Firestorm Volume 2, #23 (1984)
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 4
Felicity Smoak was a manager of a computer software firm in New York. She had several non-violent confrontations with Firestorm. Mostly due to Firestorm ruining several computers in her firm when they were magnetized. She eventually marries reporter Ed Raymond and becomes the mother-in-law of one Ronald Raymond. Ronald Raymond happened to be comprise one-half of Firestorm. Firestorm being comprised of Ronald Raymond and Martin Stein after they were fused together after a nuclear accident. This of course being an issue due to the history between Felicity and Firestorm.
Captain Cold
Real Name: Leonard Snart
Abilites: Freeze Gun, Leadership, Marksmanship, Tactical Analysis
Teams: Rogues, The Society, Suicide Squad, Injustice League
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Showcase #8 (1957)
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 4
Leonard Snart a.k.a, Captain Cold has a long history of being a villian. After stealing a miniature cyclotron a.k.a a freeze gun, he used it to shoot ice and reduced temperatures to absolute zero. He’s the leader of the supervillan organization, the Rogues. He also occasionally teamed up with Heat Wave, also part of the Rogues. Captain Cold is one of the primary enemies of the Flash in the DC Universe
Heat Wave
Real Name: Mick Rory
Abilites: Heatwave suit, Heat gun
Teams: Rogues, Secret Society of Supervillans, Legion of Doom
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Flash #140 (1963)
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 4
Mick Rory is a pyromaniac who, as a child, burned his family’s house down and everyone inside. When he became a villain, he used a flame retardant suit and heat gun as his primary abilities. The heat gun was special in that it not only shot out flames, it can also create small targeted firestorms and increase the temperature in the surrounding area. He was both a rival and ally to Captain Cold at different points. They were both a part of the supervillain team, the Rogues. And re-current rivals to The Flash
Firestorm
Real Name: Ronnie Raymond
Abilites: Super strength, super durability, flight, Firestorm Matrix, energy projection and absorbtion
Teams: Firestorm Matrix, Justice League, Black Latern Corps, Power Company, White Lantern Corps
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Firestorm #1 (1978)
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 3
In a nuclear accident, Ronald Raymond and Martin Stein fused together to become the first Firestorm. Even though they were one being, they were like two minds. Raymond being in control of Firestorm, while Stein being the voice of reason. Throught DC history, Firestorm was actually several people, some fused in a simlar fashion as Raymond and Stein.
Mist
Real Name: Kyle Nimbus
Abilites: Turn self into gaseous and/or poisonous form
Teams: Secret Society of Supervillians, Injustice Society,
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Adventure Comics #67 (1941)
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 3
As a scientist, Kyle Nimbus invented a device to turn his body into a gaseous form and then calling himself the Mist. In the DC universe, he was a re-current enemy of Sandman and Starman. Along with causing several crimewaves in Park City.
Multiplex
Real Name: Danton Black
Abilities: Bio-Fission(create multiple copies of himself called duploids), enhanced strength, enhanced durability, flight
Teams: Suicide Squad, Secret Society of Super Villians
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Firestorm #1
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 2
Simon Stagg
Real Name: Simon Stagg
Abilities: Genius
Teams: Stagg Enterprises
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Firestorm #1
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 2
Weather Wizard
Real Name: Clyde Mardon
Abilities: Weather Manipulation
Teams: Rogues
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: The Flash #110
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1
The Flash
Real Name: Barry Allen
Abilities: Superhuman Speed, accelerated healing, decelerated aging
Teams: Justice League
Nationality: American
First Comic Book Appearance: Showcase #4
CW’s The Flash Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1
If this is your first time visiting Shortboxed, thanks for stopping by! We want to provide a place online where people new to comics can come and learn about the culture and be introduced to some amazing stories without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. We’re always adding new content, so please come back soon! You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr at @shortboxed.