One of the best aspects of The CW's The Flash is that you don't have to know the DC Comics source material to like and understand the show. It allows people who have never picked up a comic in their life to sit down and enjoy every episode with no baggage attached.
However, for those fans of the comic books, as well as the 1990s version of the series, The Flash has thrown in a lot of extra little goodies throughout the new series' first season that give nods to comics and previous incarnations of the character.
Unfortunately, a lot of these nods and extras happen so quickly that you might not catch them. But don't worry, we're here to help. Here are ten of those Easter eggs you may have missed.
The Justice League
The Central City Police Department has a lovely golden sculpture representing the halls of justice. But if you take a closer look, this sculpture actually shows the Justice League from DC Comics with Greek gods representing some of our favorite superheroes: Batman as Hades, Superman as Zeus, Wonder Woman as Hera, Flash as Hermes, Aquaman as Poseidon, Green Arrow as Apollo and the Green Lantern as Hephaestus.
John Wesley Shipp
Those fans of the 1990s The Flash series were in for a nice surprise when it was announced that the man who played that version of The Flash, John Wesley Shipp, would be a cast member on the series. Even better? Shipp is portraying Barry Allen's father. We'd like to think this is The CW's way of passing down the torch from one generation to the next.
Trickster
In the new version of the series, we'll see Mark Hamill stepping back into the shoes as Trickster, a villain he also portrayed on the 1990s series. In a recent teaser video released by The CW, we also see still photos of Hamill in his original Trickster costume from the 90s series.
Crisis On Infinite Earths
The very first episode of The Flash featured Dr. Harrison Wells looking at a copy of a newspaper from the future. Its headline? "Flash Missing. Vanishes in Crisis." DC Comics fans immediately picked up on that as a reference to the 1985 story Crisis on Infinite Earths where The Flash saves the world by sacrificing himself. Red skies are also hallmarks of DC's famous Crisis events.
Also, check out the other headline on that newspaper: Wayne Tech/Queen Inc. Merger Complete. How's that for something that makes you go hmm?
Ferris Air
Green Lantern fans picked up on this Easter egg. Although Barry Allen first tested out his speed here, Ferris Air is also the place of employment for Hal Jordan, aka the Green Lantern. Does this mean we'll eventually see a Green Lantern on the series? We're not ruling it out, but regardless, the mention of Ferris Air is a nice tease.
Science Showcase magazine on Constantine
This isn't technically an Easter egg on The Flash, but it pops up on NBC's Constantine, another series based on a DC Comics character. In one episode of Constantine, a character reads an issue of Science Showcase while waiting on the doctor. It's the same magazine (but a different issue) that Barry Allen put over his head while it rained in the first episode of The Flash. Showcase was also the name of the comic that the Barry Allen Flash first debuted in.
Christina McGee
If you watched the 1990s version of The Flash, you'll remember a character named Christina McGee, portrayed by actress Amanda Pays. This character pops up in the mid-season finale of the new series, too, as the head of Mercury Labs and is again played by Pays.
My Name Is...
At the beginning of the series, we hear Grant Gustin's voiceover saying, "My name is Barry Allen and I'm the fastest man alive." This is taken directly from the opening lines of countless comics (started by writer Mark Waid), most often attributed to another man who donned The Flash's suit, Wally West.
Channel 52
If you'll notice, the most watched news channel in Central City, at least on The Flash series, is Channel 52 News. This is a nod to DC Comics' "The New 52" lineup, which saw reboots of some of the company's most popular titles. The number 52 pops up in other small ways throughout the series, too.
Jitters
Remember that coffee shop that Iris worked at before taking on her new job as a reporter? It's called Jitters and comes directly from The Flash "The New 52" comic books. In fact, the TV series also uses the same logo for the shop as the comic book.
[Photo Credit: The CW]
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