With two superheroes on the same network, a crossover between Arrow and The Flash was bound to happen eventually, and the CW wasted no time pairing Barry Allen and Oliver Queen together. Sure, the two characters have interacted before, but nothing beats a good ol’ fashioned superhero team up. Other than small details here and there, not much was known about this TV event, but after months of waiting, we finally know what events will bring these two radically different heroes together.
The CW has released the official descriptions for the crossover, which will kick off on December 2 with The Flash and conclude on December 3 with Arrow. In the first episode, titled “Flash vs. Arrow,” Oliver, Diggle and Felicity will head to Central City to investigate a case involving a boomerang (more on that later). Barry and Oliver partner up to stop a metahuman Barry has been tracking named Ray Bivolo who can control people’s emotions, but after the encounter goes wrong, Oliver tells Barry he still has a lot to learn. This prompts Barry to go after Bivolo alone, but the emotion manipulator infects Barry with rage, and the only one who can stop Barry’s reign of terror is Oliver.
In the second episode, titled “The Brave and the Bold,” Team Arrow finds the location of the boomerang killer named Digger Harkness, but before they can find him, Diggle’s wife Lyla and an A.R.G.U.S. team interfere. Before Diggle can find out what A.R.G.U.S.’s interest in the fugitive is, Harkness attacks the building. Despite help from Flash, the boomerang killer escapes, and when he plants five bombs around Starling City, Oliver and Barry will need to work together to save the day.
Harkness, better known as Captain Boomerang in the comics, was previously rumored to appear in the crossover (as well as the preceding Arrow episode), so his inclusion isn’t much of a surprise. What is surprising is an appearance from Bivolo, who in the comics is a minor Flash villain that goes by the moniker Rainbow Raider.
Like TV Bivolo, Rainbow Raider can control emotions, only he uses special goggle that shoot different rainbow-colored beams of light to accomplish this, each color representing a different emotion. Whether Bivolo will have the color gimmick is unclear, but once again, The Flash has demonstrated that it has no problem delving into more obscure supervillains to appeal to fans.
Both Bivolo and Harkness are dangerous, but they also personify the contrast between The Flash and Arrow. The Flash is a light-hearted show that deals with fantastical and unusual problems with the metahumans Barry encounters, while the Arrow world is darker, grittier and filled with more intense enemies. Besides following the protagonists, the crossover will also explore the interactions with the supporting players, such as Team Arrow working with Team Flash, and Harrison Wells and Detective Joe West deciding that the Arrow is a bad influence on Barry. Whether you’re a fan of Arrow, a fan of The Flash or especially a fan of both shows, this crossover sounds like it will have plenty of exciting offerings when it hits TV screens next month. If you aren’t caught up on either shows, now would be a good time to start binge-watching.
