'The Flash' Borrows a Dramatic Plot Straight From 'X-Men' With a Meta-Cure

After more than four full seasons of The Flash, treating meta-humans similarly to mutants over in the Marvel universe, The Flash has finally begun planting the seeds for a plotline we’ve seen time and time again with X-Men. Because a cure for meta-humans might be on the horizon.

The Flash returned after its winter hiatus Tuesday night with “The Flash & the Furious,” an awkward title that actually makes a lot of sense when the new piece of meta-tech allows a new character called Silver Ghost to control and alter the composition of automobiles with a car fob with a shard of the satellite stuck into it. So we do get a few legit high-speed chases — even though they obviously pale in comparison to The Fast & the Furious franchise.

As a result of Silver Ghost’s powers, Barry spends most of the episode sidelined in a power-dampening cell after touching the car destabilizes his body’s cells temporarily.

Full spoilers follow for The Flash Season 5, Episode 9: “The Flash & the Furious.”

The A-plot has Silver Ghost abduct Weather Witch from several episodes ago in an attempt to create the “Young Rogues” to take over the city by stealing what’s basically the Batmobile from ARGUS.

The more interesting B-plot focuses on Cisco, Caitlin, and Killer Frost. After Cisco fought Cicada and came away with his hands injured. And in recent episodes, using his powers caused nosebleeds and other adverse effects.

This was because shards of Cicada’s dagger contained anti-dark-matter-energy particles, meaning they could potentially be harnessed into some kind of meta-human cure that removes powers altogether rather than just negating them.

We can understand why Cisco of all people would contemplate a cure considering it’s brought him nothing but danger and drama. It sort of ruined his relationship with Gypsy, even if it was his powers in the first place that drew them together. Cisco points out that unlike Barry, Iris, and Nora, he’ll never really have a family of his own. So a “normal” life sounds enticing to him.

But of course Killer Frost, who’s perhaps the only entity in the universe that’s purely meta-human in nature, is against the idea. She points out that a meta-cure, neutering the powers of people across the multiverse, is a huge step to take.

The episode ends with Caitlin and Cisco agreeing to pursue a cure for Cisco’s sake under the requirement that they never force it on anyone. How could this possibly go wrong?

As we’ve learned time and time again in the X-Men universe, where this has happened in movies like X-Men: The Last Stand or in the comics with the Hope Serum, it always has disastrously consequences. Rest assured this will play a big part later in this season.

The Flash airs Tuesday nights on The CW at 8 p.m. Eastern.