Barry Allen, and subsequently the entire conceit of The Flash, underwent a crippling change in the April 19 episode, "Versus Zoom." To save his friend (brother, even) Wally West, Barry gave up his speed to Zoom, aka Hunter Zolomon. That's right: the Scarlet Speedster is without his speed when The Flash comes back this week with "Back To Normal." And that's a problem for a whole bundle of reasons. For one, Zoom abducted Cailtin after getting what he wanted, and Barry's reversion back to regular-person status will make retrieving her much more difficult. And for another, there's a new metahuman (Haig Sutherland) terrorizing Central City in this week's episode of The Flash. Who is Griffin Grey and how can a newly sluggish Barry hope to save his city from yet another desperate man with a personal quest?
Avid readers of The Flash comic books will be familiar with Grey, at least as he's appeared in the DC comic universe. His character is the latest in a series of personalities the CW series has adapted from the comics, though this one is normally associated with a different member of the Allen family. Could The Flash be setting up for the introduction of that branch of Barry's family tree? Possibly. Or Griffin Grey is just a cool character to bring into this world for a one-off appearance. Time (sorry, Barry and S.T.A.R. Labs) will tell.
Griffin Grey made his first appearance in The Flash comics about 10 years ago. He was introduced as a close friend of Bart Allen, the fourth speedster to do hero-like things under the mantle of The Flash and also Barry Allen's grandson. The original Grey, then, was not a contemporary of our Barry's. Grey and Bart were roommates and coworkers in the comics, and Griffin egged on Bart's party-boy side. That was before a nuclear explosion at Keystone Motors imbued an injured Grey with abilities: your standard superhuman strength and enhanced healing capabilities, yes, but also the ability to emit and control some deadly green lightning.
Initially, Grey is compelled to use his newfound powers for the good of Keystone City. But he soon becomes jealous that his alter-ego, the Griffin, is not as much of a hometown hero as Bart's Flash. The Griffin also struggles to deal with another side-effect of the explosion, unnaturally rapid aging. (Grey is more than just a name, it's a hair color.) This resentment and insecurity pushes Grey to the side of the bad.
The CW synopsis for "Back To Normal" hints that the TV version of Grey is dealing with some similar issues. As if one kidnapped team member weren't enough, Team Flash is down another when Grey swipes Harry in the hopes that he can "cure him from his current condition." (He believes that Harry is the Harrison Wells of Earth-1 and Season 1.) In the promo, Grey's super-strength is most definitely on display. He hurls cars and stops a speeding truck with just his fist. But his hair is noticeably whiter and his skin more wrinkled from scene-to-scene. It sure looks like Grey is dealing with the same ailment as his comics counterpart.
Unfortunately for Team Flash, Grey's other powers don't seem to be affected by his aging. That means it's going to be a rough week for Barry Allen, who has nothing but his Flash suit and his noble nature to stand against Griffin Grey.
Images: Katie Yu/The CW; Giphy
