The Flash reveals 'Armageddon' event's big bad: DC Comics' Despero
Here's what you need to know about
The Flash's newest villain, played by
Doctor Who's Tony Curran.
By
Chancellor Agard
August 26, 2021 at 03:19 PM EDT
Meredith has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Meredith may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
Yesterday
we learned which Arrowverse heroes would appear in
The Flash's crossover-like "Armageddon" event, and now it's time to find out who the identity of the big bad.
EW has confirmed that the psychic DC Comics villain Despero is the alien threat that forces Barry Allen (
Grant Gustin) and the rest of Team Flash to call on Black Lightning (
Cress Williams), Batwoman (
Javicia Leslie), and more for help in the five-part event set to kick off
The Flash season 8.
Played by Tony Curran (
Your Honor,
Doctor Who's Vincent Van Gogh), Despero is described as "a powerful and intelligent alien possessing incredible powers." After leaving his home world of Kalanor, he traveled to Earth "on a deadly mission, one whose outcome will decide the fate of humankind and put hm on a collision course with Team Flash."
In terms of his comic book history, Despero was a recurring enemy of the Justice League for several decades. Created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky in 1960, the hulking, three-eyed extraterrestrial battled the many incarnations of DC's premier superhero team — Justice League of America, Justice League International, Justice League Europe — in his quest to conquer Earth in the '60s-'90s. His most notable modern-day appearance was in
JLA's post-
Identity Crisis story line
"Crisis of Conscience," which explored the fallout of everyone learning that members of the League had been unjustly wiping their enemies' minds for years. In that 2005 four-issue arc, Despero reunited the Secret Society of Villains and restored their memories of Justice League's secret identities. (That's how powerful his psychic powers are.)
Enter your email to sign up for our daily newsletters.
close dialog
Want more entertainment news?
Stay up to date with EW's free daily newsletter, featuring exclusive first looks, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
ENTERTAIN ME
If you want more information about Despero but don't feel like sifting through years of back issues, the mid-2000s
Justice League animated series has you covered. The super-strong and telepathic rogue appeared in the Green Lantern-centric season 2 episode "Hearts and Minds," which is an easily digestible introduction to the character that's available to stream on HBO Max right now. (If you haven't watched
Justice League or the sequel series
Justice League Unlimited, you should, because they're the screen best adaptations of the DC universe.)
Tony Curran
| CREDIT: JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC
Arriving this fall, Armageddon will also feature
Legends of Tomorrow's
Brandon Routh as the Atom,
Arrow's
Kat McNamara as Mia Queen,
Supergirl's
Chyler Leigh as Sentinel, and
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" star Osric Chau as Ryan Choi. Furthermore,
The Flash's
Tom Cavanagh and
Legends'
Neal McDonough are returning as the villainous Reverse Flash and Damien Darhk.
Curran's other credits include
SEAL Team,
Ray Donovan,
Daredevil, and
Sons of Anarchy.
The Flash season 8 will premiere Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CW.