The Flash References Justice League of America Villain Starro

An Easter Egg in The Flash season 4’s latest episode has confirmed the existence of a weird Justice League of America villain in the DC TV universe. Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West (aka Kid Flash) namedropped this particularly strange comic book bad guy after returning to Central City in The Flash season 4 episode 7, “Therefore I Am”.

The Flash, of course, often adapts the stranger brand of comic book characters that a grittier TV series would never dare to touch. They’ve made an annual event out of the telepathic monkey Gorilla Grodd, for example, who has even branched out recently onto Legends of Tomorrow. The sea beast with legs, King Shark, has also made a couple of appearances. And on the heroic side of the fence, Hartley Sawyer’s Ralph Dibny recently joined Team Flash as the super-stretchy Elongated Man.

Related: ‘Crisis On Earth-X’ Won’t Darken The Flash

Adding yet another bizarre character to the Arrowverse canon, Wally revealed in the latest episode that while he was out of town – in Blue Valley – he fought a giant starfish. Fans of DC Comics would have instantly recognized this as a reference to Starro the Conqueror, a starfish-resembling alien villain that first debuted in March 1960’s Brave and the Bold #28. Therein, the star-shaped villain created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky went up against The Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. It was a weird and wonderful time for DC:

Sadly, fans of The Flash TV show didn’t get to see Wally’s battle with Starro. Viewers only got to hear about this clash as one of the anecdotes from Wally’s off-screen superhero sabbatical. The comic book version of Wally fought Starro in Blue Valley once, too, with the nefarious otherworldly creature briefly taking control of his mind. It hasn’t been made clear whether or not the TV Wally was hypnotized by Starro.

However, although fans didn’t see it this time, there is always a chance that Wally’s mention of Starro could build up to a proper appearance for the five-tentacle nasty a little ways down the road. It wouldn’t be the first time that The Flash has alluded to a character before introducing them properly later on.

It’s probably wise not to expect Starro to appear in the next episode, though, as the “four-hour movie” crossover event dubbed ‘Crisis On Earth-X’ will be dominating all of The CW’s superhero shows next week.

More: The Worst And Best Characters In The Arrowverse

The Flash airs on The CW on Tuesdays.

[H/t: CBR]