The Flash is gearing up for what may be the biggest event in Arrow-verse history later this year, but that's not the only problem Barry Allen and crew will face in Season 6. The first trailer for the upcoming season has dropped, and it was revealed Heroes alumni Sendhil Ramamurthy will be playing the rogue Dr. Ramsey Rosso. That's not an incredibly intimidating villain name, which might be why he's also known by Bloodwork.
Now, Bloodwork may not have the name recognition as villains like Reverse Flash or Captain Cold, but that doesn't make him any less devastating of a villain. For those that don't know a lot about him, here's some things worth learning about him, and how he could be a real problem for Team Flash as Season 6 gets underway.
Bloodwork Had Hemophilia
In DC Comics Bloodwork was born as a Hemophiliac. In an effort to protect himself, he sought out a cure for his condition. This led to his research, in which he studied and manipulated blood and found a way to change it, Eventually he cracked the code and found a way to give blood unique powers that would change whoever was injected with it. Dr. Ramsey Rosso injected himself with the blood, and Bloodwork was born.
Whether his origin will remain the same or change in The Flash is unknown. Bloodwork is technically a metahuman, so it's possible his powers came from the explosion at S.T.A.R. Labs. Then again, The Flash has slowly been working in Metahumans who were created through different events, so it isn't impossible that his original origin could stand. We'll just have to wait and see.
His Powers Are Insane
We can't be sure on whether or not The Flash is going to directly lift Bloodwork's skill-set from DC Comics to his adaptation, but if it does, Team Flash is in some trouble. Ramsey Rosso is capable of using blood to change his flesh into a blood like substance, and has a level of control over all blood. He can congeal blood, create more blood, or even cause the blood of others to burn.
That sounds absolutely terrifying, and something Team Flash will have a hell of a time combating. How do you stop that? How does anyone stop that? Cisco (who isn't leaving the show) did some tinkering with blood in Season 5, so perhaps he has some answers. Even so, stopping Bloodwork doesn't sound like it'll be an easy task, and imagining anyone on the team writhing in pain because it feels like their blood is on fire sounds like a horrific scene to watch.
Being Calm Is His Weakness
Most villains become more manageable when they get excited, over-worked, or angry, but this is not the case with Ramsey Rosso. The villain's powers are reliant on his heartbeat, and the more blood he gets flowing, the stronger he becomes. That means his powers only increase in tense situations, which is usually when Barry would get the upper hand. If Team Flash wants to take down Rosso, they'll need him calm to weaken his powers.
As mentioned, this is an interesting twist to the typical villain on The Flash. It's also something that could be altered, considering Sendhil Ramamurthy seemed pretty calm in the Season 6 trailer. That said, he was certainly building towards a rage that caused those eyes to turn a shade of black typically reserved for demons that are about to unleash hell. Perhaps we shouldn't judge the extent of his anger until we see him in action.
He's Worked As A Mortician
Ramsey Rosso has been portrayed as a mortician in Central City, which is a job that allowed him to experiment on the properties of blood. In The Flash Season 6, it sounds like Rosso is going to be an Oncologist, who has helped patients treat cancer with his various methods. Removing the mortician angle (provided it was removed) eliminates a connection to the C.C.P.D., which may confirm Rosso is not familiar with Barry or Joe. The odds seem good he'll enter the story as a complete stranger to Team Flash.
With that said, The Flash has gotten increasingly unpredictable with how it sets up villains (and brings them back), perhaps in a conscious effort to continually mix things up. With "Crisis On Infinite Earths" already set to be a major event Season 6, it will be interesting to see how The Flash works with that and Bloodwork. Will the two be connected, or will another Big Bad take a backseat to larger events in play and surface when it's convenient?
The Flash Once Stopped Bloodwork With The Negative Speed Force
There's a real easy way to stop Bloodwork, but it involves stopping his heart. Obviously, Barry isn't about to phase punch out the heart of a big bad no matter how evil they may be, but that doesn't mean he's out of options. The Flash of the comics used energy from the Negative Speed Force to temporarily stop the heart of Bloodwork, which in turn halted his powers.
Season 5 of The Flash dabbled more in the Negative Speed Force, but it was done primarily through Nora West-Allen. Perhaps if she were to come back in Season 6, she could be the key to stopping Bloodwork. Unfortunately, she's currently in a state of non-existence, so Barry won't be able to get help from his future daughter anytime soon.
He's One Of The Newer Villains Of The Flash
If Bloodwork doesn't sound like a familiar rogue of The Flash, it's because he hasn't been around all that long. Bloodwork was first introduced during the New 52 run of the hero, and was first seen in the August 2016 issue. His emergence happened the same year as fan-favorite speedster villain GodSpeed, who was just seen in live-action for the first time in Season 5.
While it may not be of huge consequence to many of The Flash's fans, it has to be cool for the comic fans of the series to see newer villains get put in the mix. It might be out of necessity at this stage, as The Flash has introduced a large number of villains in 5 seasons. With that said, there's still plenty of interesting foes to tap, and Bloodwork is proof positive of that.
What The Former Cast Members Of CW's The Flash Are Up To Now
We'll get to see what Bloodwork can do when The Flash returns to The CW for Season 6 this fall. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for plenty of Arrow-verse updates, and news on other things happening in the world of television and movies.
