If there's one thing that DC consistently nails, it's the villains. The publisher is known for creating some of the most diabolical super villains in history - so much so that several of them have become cultural icons. CW has proven that it can take these larger-than-life villains and appropriately scale them down for their TV shows: Arrow showed that even mostly supernatural villains can be done realistically, and now it's time for The Flash to do the same.
The Flash's rogues gallery isn't quite as well known as some other DC heroes, but that doesn't mean they're bad by any means. Fans had been waiting on the Reverse Flash's debut ever since he was hinted at in the series' pilot (and more properly revealed in the mid-season finale), and even silly-sounding villains like Captain Cold and Heat Wave are looking great. Just take a look at the new TV spot for the upcoming episode "Speeding Bullet":
With the mid-season finale ending as it did, there's a good chance that Reverse Flash will be a big story point for the rest of the season. Of course, CW is keeping the villain shrouded in mystery for the time being - considering it's all but guaranteed that the Reverse Flash is behind the death of Barry's mother, it makes sense that CW is trying to keep the villain relatively mysterious.
On the other hand, Captain Cold and Heat Wave haven't seen nearly as much screen time, but in the teaser, all villains are given the same amount. Again, it's great how CW manages to keep the villains in-line with the more realistic approach that the show has been taking without making them completely unrecognizable. Heave Wave still looks like a pyromaniac mercenary, and Captain Cold looks nearly identical to his comic book counterpart:
One thing that should keep fans on edge is the appearance of the Pied Piper: in the comics, the Pied Piper was originally a villain that used music as weapon, but eventually became allies with the Flash. Going by the performance on display, CW's Piper is looking like he'll start off as something of an anti-hero, though the trailer itself seems to list him as a villain along with the others. Unfortunately, there's no way to know just which way the character will go until the show makes its grand return to TV.
Thankfully, the wait for the mid-season premiere is almost over: The Flash returns to CW on Jan. 20.
