The Flash: An Arrowverse Villain Has a Secret Link to the Metal Men - CBR - Comic Book Resources

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Flash #764, by Kevin Shinick, Will Conrad, Hi-Fi and Steve Wands, on sale now.

One of the most powerful villains in The Flash's rogues gallery is Doctor Alchemy, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in 1958. With powers on par with Firestorm, Albert Desmond could use the Philosopher's Stone to transmute the elements around him to become a truly fearsome supervillain. The Arrowverse even had made Desmond a valuable member of Team Flash during The Flash Season 3, though the dark, corruptive power of the Philosopher's Stone was present. Now, in the latest issue of The Flash, Doctor Alchemy and his elemental nature may reveal a secret connection to the Metal Men in The Flash #764.

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After his teased return at the end of Joshua Williamson's acclaimed run on the solo comic book series, Alchemy quickly reminds Central City exactly who he is, bringing both the Scarlet Speedster and the armed guards at Iron Heights Penitentiary to their knees as he effortlessly makes his escape. Evading custody, Alchemy sets out to conduct a mystery heist while Barry Allen and Iris West attempt to determine the supervillain's next move. Barry realizes Alchemy is searching for a way to internalize his transmutation powers rather than rely entirely on the Philosopher's Stone and notes that one of the legendary alchemists that used the stone offensively was Simon Magus, a sorcerer and ancestor of Will Magnus, the creator of the Metal Men.

Reasoning that Magnus' family slightly changed their name to distance themselves from association to the infamous sorcerer, Barry observes that Magnus' experiments largely revolve around bringing elements -- specifically metallic elements -- to life. Barry theorizes that the responsometers that Magnus invented to bring the Metal Men to life may be derived from his ancestor's use of the Philosopher's Stone. One of Magnus' responsometers happens to be the centerpiece of a high-profile exhibit at the Central City Expo Center. Thinking the device may be the reason Alchemy broke out of Iron Heights, Barry decides to intercept the supervillain at the exhibit.

Barry's intuition quickly proves to be right, with Doctor Alchemy raiding the exhibit shortly after The Flash arrives. Trying to think one step ahead, Barry uses the Speed Force's electricity to alter his chemical composition just enough to prevent Alchemy from using the Philosophy Stone against him. However, the villain is able to seize the responsometer for himself despite the speedster's best efforts and use the device and Philosopher's Stone to break Barry's connection to the Speed Force before escaping with both items in tow and Central City shocked to see their guardian superhero brought to his knees.

As superheroes introduced at the height of the Silver Age, the Metal Men help exemplify DC's shift to more science fiction-based characters rather than the Golden Age's emphasis on pulp and myth. However, Barry's theory about Will Magnus' familial origins appears to be true, making the fan-favorite scientist and his greatest creations more linked to magic than had long been assumed.

And now armed with a responsometer, the devices that brought the Metal Men to life in the first place, Doctor Alchemy is more powerful than he has ever been before, combining the mythological Philosopher's Stone with the advanced responsometer. Now able to sever Barry Allen's connection to the Speed Force, the Flash will have to find a new way to stop his old enemy as Albert Desmond becomes an alchemist inside and out.

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Sam Stone (6176 Articles Published)

Sam Stone is a 10th level pop culture guru living just outside of Washington, DC who knows an unreasonable amount about The Beatles. You can read his work in the pages of Image+, follow him on Twitter @samstoneshow, and listen to his podcast Geek Out Show on iTunes and Google Play.