Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Flash season 8 episode, “Armageddon, Part 2.”

How the “Armageddon” event fixes The Flash’s problems in other Arrowverse crossovers. The Flash began season 8 in a unique way to previous seasons, kicking things off with a five-episode special event called “Armageddon,” which saw the return of The Atom and Black Lightning, and introduced a new villain in Despero. While the twists and turns of The Flash’s “Armageddon, Part 2” are sure to surprise, the crossover does something better than most.

Previous Arrowverse crossovers — including “Crisis on Earth-X,” “Elseworlds,” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” — have brought the superheroes together from across all shows to save the world. While The Flash’s “Armageddon” event sees the world in jeopardy once more, there is a concerted effort to center the story on Barry Allen, his personal life, and his powers in a way that is unique when compared with other crossovers. The “Armageddon” crossover tests him in ways that none of the others have done before, with The Flash’s personal story often taking a backseat to the overarching plot and other characters. The Flash has always been included in other crossovers, but he was often overshadowed by Oliver Queen and the roster of heroes (of which there were many) working together. Even when Barry was fated to die in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” his sacrificial moment was bestowed upon another iteration of the superhero.

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“Armageddon,” however, has personal and emotional stakes for the Scarlet Speedster. Not only is he facing a major villain, but Despero’s arrival affects Barry’s job at CCPD, his home base at S.T.A.R. Labs (which is shut down due to a potential nuclear meltdown and the databases wiped), and his memory regarding the death of Joe West. Despero’s focus is on stopping The Flash, with his vendetta not being against any of the other superheroes in the Arrowverse. And while Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Supergirl’s Alex Danvers are recruited to help in varying degrees, “Armageddon” is solely a problem for The Flash to solve. It greatly helps that the five-episode special event is taking place on The Flash rather than the storyline being split between the other Arrowverse shows.

The grounded nature of “Armageddon” pushes Barry to his limits, which also allows for him to show off his mental strength, advanced speedster powers, and overall skills that make him a formidable superhero. To be sure, the scale and plots of previous Arrowverse crossovers are grand and fun, but they never had too much of an effect on Barry’s life like “Armageddon” does. The Flash has to prove his innocence, which is made all the more complicated by external attacks and mind games. Regardless, the decisions that are made in the “Armageddon” crossover puts the titular hero in a situation that gives him a lot more agency over his choices, with consequences that will likely reverberate throughout The Flash season 8.

The events of “Armageddon, Part 2” have already affected Barry’s relationships, making his friends wary of what he will do and all he is capable of as they question whether Despero was right all along. So while the event is a crossover to some extent, it’s more of a game-changer for The Flash himself. With personal stakes, an emotional arc, and a storyline that gives Barry a lot more to do, The Flash’s “Armageddon” solves an overarching Arrowverse crossover problem and finally gives the Scarlet Speedster his due.

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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