Barry Allen is about to lose his speed in an upcoming episode of The Flash… and transfer it to his wife Iris instead! In episode 16, “Run, Iris, Run,” Candice Patton’s character will find out what it’s like to be a superhero for a day when a power-swapping metahuman gives her Barry’s abilities.
The CW previously dropped a poster for the episode which gave us our first look at Iris’ purple and white costume (and if you prefer to see it in the classic red and gold, someone’s mocked that up, too), and these new promo photos (below) give us a better look at Super-Iris as she takes to the streets of Central City to save the day.
Honestly, it’s a bit surprising in many ways that it’s taken this long for The Flash to get around to this particular storyline. Iris West has gained super-speed before in the comics and the hero swapping their powers with someone else is a trope of the genre. If you think about it, Iris’ newfound connection to the Speed Force means that Joe West is the only member of Team Flash to have never had any powers, even temporarily. Even his fiancee Cecille recently got telepathic abilities.
Anyways, here’s the synopsis for the episode, which reveals that not only will Iris have to step into Barry’s shoes, but Barry himself will have to take up Iris’ usual role as the team leader operating from inside STAR Labs.
Team Flash confronts a new bus meta, Matthew AKA Melting Pot (guest star Leonardo Nam), with the ability to swap people’s DNA. During a battle with Team Flash, Harold transfers Barry’s (Grant Gustin) super speed to Iris (Candice Patton). Now, with a new threat unleashed on Central City, Barry must act as the team leader while Iris takes on the mantle of superhero speedster in order to defeat their new foe.
Sounds exciting, right? Iris’ turn as a speedster might have a wider importance in the grand scheme of things, too. We previously discussed how the colour of her suit might just be foreshadowing the real identity of Jessica Parker Kennedy’s mystery character who keeps turning up from time to time. There’s been no proof of that being the case just yet, but stay tuned for more.
The Flash “Run, Iris, Run” airs March 13th on The CW.
