The Flash is about to show us a character we've seen before in a brand new way. Last week, we learned that Ronnie Raymond fused with Professor Stein in the particle accelerator accident to create Firestorm — will they ever split on The Flash? Professor Martin Stein disappeared that night as well as Ronnie. Presumably, the upcoming episode "The Nuclear Man" will further explain the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Project and their very scientific origin. Below is the official description of the episode from The CW.
After Ronnie attacks a physicist, Barry and the team realize they need to go after Caitlin's fiancé who is now a dangerous meta-human. They deduce the best way to track Ronnie is to find Dr. Martin Stein who was working on a project called F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M.
Of course, the team knows that Stein is part of Ronnie now, so I'm not quite sure what that "tracking" will entail. The Professor will be played by Alias' Victor Garber. I just hope we won't have to wait or rely on flashbacks to see the two actors in separate bodies in the same scene. I'm no nuclear physicist, but would it be possible for Ronnie to have his freedom back? You know... for Caitlin.
I did some digging and discovered something that could have really cool ramifications not only on The Flash, but on Arrow and The CW in general. The individual that is ultimately able to split Ray and Martin in the comics is none other than hopeful superhero and Felicity Smoak beau Ray Palmer, currently known as "The Atom" on Arrow.
This is fantastic news, unless you're sick of names that start with the letter R in the Flash/Arrow universe. So far we've got Ray, Roy, and Ronnie Raymond played by Robbie Amell — give me a break! However, Felicity and Ray will soon be visiting Central City in an upcoming crossover episode. They'll be looking for help with Ray's Atom suit, but what if they run into Ronnie and Stein on the way and the wheels start turning? That would be ideal, and such a creative way to continue linking the two shows.
If the split doesn't happen on The Flash as a result of this crossover, it could happen in a different kind of crossover. There are rumors floating around about a Ray Palmer show, an Atom spinoff, to be developed as a result of Brandon Routh's popularity on Arrow and to continue the growth of this CW/DC Comics world. These rumors are strengthened by the inclusion of Atom's comic book nemesis the Bug-Eyed Bandit on The Flash, who TVLine reported will be played by The Walking Dead's Emily Kinney, in the same episode in which Felicity and Ray appear later this season. What a tangled web The CW is weaving! TVLine also described Brie Larvan, the Bandit, as "anti-Felicity" — can't wait to see what that means!
So this is good news for Killer Frost/Firestorm shippers. The split has been done before by The Atom. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Images: Cate Cameron/The CW; Giphy
