The Flash (1990 TV Series)

***The Flash*** is a 1990 American television series developed by the writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo that aired on CBS. It is based on the DC Comicscharacter Barry Allen / Flash, a costumed superhero crime-fighter with the power to move at superhuman speeds. *The Flash* starred John Wesley Shipp as Allen, along with Amanda Pays, Alex Désert, and Paula Marshall.

## Plot

In a freak accident, police crime scene investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and doused in chemicals. Barry discovers that this accident had given him powers, able to move at nearly the speed of sound. With the help of STAR Labs scientist Tina McGee, he learns to control his powers...but when his older brother Jay (a motorcycle cop) is killed in the line of duty, Barry asks Tina to make him a special costume that can withstand the rigors of hyperspeed travel. He sets forth to clean up the streets of Central City as The Flash.

## Cast

* John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen / Flash: A forensic scientist in the Central City Police Department (CCPD) who gains the power of super speed after being doused with chemicals in a lab accident.[1][5] Shipp also portrayed the Flash's "evil" clone, Pollux.[2]
* Amanda Pays as Christina "Tina" McGee: A scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs who provides the Flash with experimental inventions to adapt and overcome his enemies and learn about his powers. She is also a love interest of Barry.[5][4]
* Alex Désert as Julio Mendez: A Central City Police Department scientist who is Barry Allen's co-worker and close friend.[2]

### Recurring roles and guest stars[edit]

* Richard Belzer as Joe Kline: WCCN TV news reporter, known as the "Voice of the City". Kline often does tabloid-style news stories about the Flash and his exploits.
* Jason Bernard as Dr. Desmond Powell/Nightshade:[2] 1950s vigilante who captured criminals using tranquilizer darts. Blamed himself for the accidental "death" of the Ghost and gave up being a vigilante; later became a Doctor and Chief of Staff at Central City Hospital. When the Ghost reappears in 1990, Powell becomes Nightshade once again and teams up with the Flash to apprehend the Ghost. Later inspires the Deadly Nightshade; is framed for multiple counts of murder, but clears his name and captures the impostor. Makes his secret identity public and becomes a celebrity.
* Corinne Bohrer as Zoey Clark/Prank (2nd): Owner of Clarx Toys and a huge fan of the Trickster. Her obsession leads her to free him during his trial. Originally, the Trickster intends to retire his criminal life but Zoey seduces him back to his evil self and becomes the Trickster's true sidekick, Prank, which is what she always wanted. Prank uses her wealth to finance the Trickster's evil schemes, including the brainwashing of the Flash. The corrupted Flash becomes the Trickster's favored sidekick and she is locked out of her own toy store for complaining about it. Despite her best efforts, the Trickster has lost interest in Prank and ultimately boots her out of the getaway truck that they are in, resulting in Prank's arrest.
* Richard Burgi as Curtis Bohannan/Deadly Nightshade: Philanthropist and son of mob boss Derek Bohannan, an enemy of Nightshade; decides to atone for his father's sins by becoming a vigilante resembling Nightshade, except the Deadly Nightshade wears red-glowing goggles and uses real bullets. The Deadly Nightshade guns down a terrorist group and several of Derek Bohannan's former mob associates before the Flash confronts him. Due to their similar appearances, the real Nightshade is framed for the murders. Using his wealth, Bohannan builds a high-tech lair inside his mansion and an advanced cybernetic exoskeleton, which gives Bohannan super-speed similar to the Flash. Bohannan challenges the Flash to a duel, but is defeated when the Flash uses superior tactics to trap Bohannan, who is then tranquilized by the original Nightshade and arrested by the police.
* David Cassidy as Sam Scudder/Mirror Master: Professional thief who is an expert with mirrors and holography; steals a crystal from S.T.A.R. Labs and attempts to kill his ex-partner Stasia Masters, a high school girlfriend of Barry Allen. The Flash uses a high-powered spotlight to blind Scudder and drown out his illusions, allowing the Flash to capture him.
* Michael Champion as Leonard Wynters/Captain Cold: Infamous albino hitman known for freezing his victims to death with a nuclear-powered freeze gun. Captured by the Flash and arrested by CCPD pending trial, but later escapes using concealed freeze weapons. Killed by his own freeze ray when the Flash deflects the ray back at him.
* Jeffrey Combs as Jimmy Swain: Mob boss who hires Captain Cold to eliminate his enemies, including the Flash. Since Captain Cold initially failed to kill the Flash, Swain refuses to pay Cold, who kills Swain with a freeze bomb and takes his money.
* Denise Crosby as Dr. Rebecca Frost: A psychologist specializing in psychoanalyzing masked vigilantes such as the Flash, assigned to be Felicia Kane's psychiatrist. Briefly dated Barry Allen.
* Vito D'Ambrosio as Officer Tony Bellows: CCPD patrol officer, partner of Murphy; in the early episodes, Bellows notices whenever the Flash appears, Murphy is never around. Bellows accuses Murphy of being the Flash, until he sees Murphy and the Flash at the same time.
* Mike Genovese as Lt. Warren Garfield: Lieutenant, CCPD; Barry and Julio's supervisor. Despite his gruff demeanor, Garfield actually cares for his men. It was Lt. Garfield who deduced the true identity of the Nightshade, Dr. Desmond Powell (see below), who has been a friend of Garfield for more than 30 years.
* Mark Hamill as James Montgomery Jesse / The Trickster:[2] Psychopathic and delusional mass murderer and con artist. Wanted for murder in six states. Obsessed with Megan Lockhart and kidnaps her to be his fantasy sidekick, Prank. Believing that Megan is under the influence of the Flash, the Trickster challenges him in order to be rid of his "evil spell". However, the Trickster fails and is arrested. He is sent to court, awaiting his verdict, when he is freed by Zoey Clark, who becomes the second Prank. As revenge, the Trickster captures the Flash and brainwashes him to do his bidding. The Trickster wreaks havoc upon Central City and puts the entire city on trial with the aid of his new partner. The Flash overcomes his programming and turns the tables on the Trickster, who is sent to an insane asylum.
* Joyce Hyser as Megan Lockhart/Prank (1st): Private investigator and repossession agent; becomes the Trickster's unwilling sidekick, Prank. Later helps Tina McGee stop the Trickster and the brainwashed Flash. Also becomes Barry Allen's love interest.
* Biff Manard as Officer Michael Francis Murphy: CCPD patrol officer, partner of Bellows; does not believe the Flash is real because he has never witnessed the Flash. Murphy has served the CCPD for many years and is considering retirement.
* Paula Marshall as Iris West:[5] A computer graphics artist who is dating Barry Allen at the time he is transformed into the Flash without her knowledge. Barry wants to marry Iris, but she refuses, feeling that their relationship is moving too fast, and they break up. Iris later moves to Paris in order to make a new start in her life. She sends a letter to Barry in the second episode, but Barry doesn't want to see it, so Julio burns it to help Barry move on with his life. Even though Barry puts Iris behind him, he still keeps a family picture with her in it' that they took during his brother's birthday party. Marshall was credited as a principle character for the pilot episode, but was subsequently written out of the show with the second episode.[2]
* Dick Miller as Fosnight: Police informant who provides Barry Allen with tips on criminals. Fosnight owes a "life debt" to Henry Allen, and extended that debt to his two sons as well.
* Bill Mumy as Roger Braintree: Eccentric but brilliant scientist who creates a sonic device capable of putting its targets into a deep slumber. Braintree's cousin, small-time hoodlum Harry Milgrim, steals the device and uses it in a crime spree until he is caught by the Flash.
* Michael Nader as Nicholas Pike: Disgraced former CCPD patrol officer who became a biker gang leader; in revenge, Pike murders Barry Allen's brother Jay Allen, who was once Pike's partner and the person who turned Pike in for corruption. Pike is captured by the Flash and put on trial, but is released on a technicality. Pike tries to kill the Flash, but his plan backfires and Pike is arrested again. In an alternate future timeline, Pike becomes the fascist Mayor of Central City, but is again defeated by the Flash before the hero returns to the present to avert Pike's younger counterpart's attempt for power.
* Lois Nettleton as Belle Crocker/The Ghostess: The Ghost's sidekick and girlfriend; is saved by the Nightshade after their hideout catches on fire. Thinking the Ghost has died, she gives up the life of crime and becomes a lounge singer. Thirty-five years later, she learns that the Ghost survived the fire and has not aged. While she initially welcomes him back into her life, she cannot handle the fact that he is still a young man and eventually leaves him, informing Nightshade of the Ghost's location. The young Belle Crocker is played by Sherrie Rose.
* Priscilla Pointer as Nora Allen: Mother of Barry and Jay Allen; volunteer at a shelter for single mothers.
* Gloria Reuben as Sabrina: Julio's girlfriend. Constantly trying to set up Barry with blind dates.
* Jeri Ryan as Felicia Kane: A wealthy heiress kidnapped and held for ransom by pro-Guevara Marxist revolutionaries; rescued by the Deadly Nightshade, who ruthlessly guns down Kane's kidnappers, then freed by the Flash. Severely traumatized by her ordeal, Kane's testimony nevertheless clears the original Nightshade of any wrongdoing.
* Robert Shayne as Reg the News Stand Vendor: Reg was the owner of a news stand whom Barry Allen buys his daily newspaper from.
* Anthony Starke as The Ghost: Megalomaniacal extortionist and electronics expert who uses television to eavesdrop on his victims and broadcast his demands. In 1955, Nightshade attempts to capture the Ghost, who threatened to blow up downtown Central City if he was not paid $1 million by the Mayor, but the Ghost fakes his death and seals himself in a "freeze chamber", set to awaken the Ghost in 1999. The equipment malfunctions and thaws out the Ghost in 1990; the Ghost and his crew steal electronics from a TV charity telethon and S.T.A.R. Labs, connect him to his computers, then threaten to shut down Central City's computer network, communications and power grid if he is not paid a $1 billion ransom, but he is captured by the Flash and Nightshade.
* Tim Thomerson as Jay Allen: The older brother of Barry Allen and head of the CCPD Motorcycle Patrol Division. He is killed by his former police partner, Nicholas Pike. His first name is a nod to Jay Garrick.[2]
* Mariko Tse as Linda Park: A Central City news reporter, asking the Central City police department about their response in dealing with all the gang attacks in the city.
* M. Emmet Walsh as Henry Allen: Sergeant, CCPD (retired); father of Barry and Jay Allen. Inspired his sons to join the police force, though his relationship with Barry is partially estranged.

Other guest stars in minor roles include Jonathan Brandis as Terry Cohan, Bryan Cranston as Phillip Moses, Mark Dacascos as Osako, Robert O'Reilly as Victor Kelso, and Sven-Ole Thorsen as the android assassin Omega.